The Regency Grand is abuzz with excitement over the taping of an episode of Hidden Treasures, an antiques appraisal tv show hosted by a popular celebrity couple, that is happening in the Grand Tearoom. Even Molly Gray has gotten caught up in the hoopla, bringing for appraisal bits and bobs from the yard sale "gems" Gran picked up over the years. She's shocked when one of them is deemed priceless by the astounded hosts. Selling the item will provide her with a dizzying sum—enough to not just pay for her upcoming wedding, but also to change her life completely. Before the transaction goes through, however, the valuable piece is stolen. Once again, the intrepid maid will use her keen observation skills to help Detective Stark solve a puzzling case.

While all this is happening, Molly discovers another treasure: her Gran's diary. The grandmother who raised her never discussed her mysterious past. Reading Flora Gray's story will give Molly unprecedented insight into her Gran's identity as well as her own.

I've enjoyed all of the books in Nita Prose's delightful Maid series, and this third outing is no exception, even if The Maid's Secret is my least favorite of the installments. This novel is a departure from its predecessors for three reasons: it's not a murder mystery, it's told from two points-of-view, and it uses an alternating timeline structure. The first one is no big deal; in fact, it's an effective way to change things up, keeping the series from getting too formulaic. Telling the tale in two different timelines in both Gran's and Molly's voices, though? Meh. Neither device worked well for me, I'm afraid. As much as I like Flora as a character (at least as a senior citizen—she's rather insufferable as a young woman), there's nothing original about her back story, which makes it fairly dull and predictable. Molly's unique personality and perspective is what gives this series its freshness, and she gets much less page time in The Maid's Secret than she does in the other books. I wanted to spend more time watching her solve the heist than learning about Gran's past. Like I said above, the book is still entertaining; I just didn't love it like I have the other books.

Because I was reading The Maid's Secret for book club (we read the first two books together and all of use enjoyed them), my husband decided to read it as well, even though he hasn't read the first 2 1/2 installments. His verdict? "It was okay, but there's nothing very original about it." A new member of my book club, who hasn't read the rest of the series, DNFd The Maid's Secret because she was bored, not really caring about the characters. Those of us in the book club who had read the previous books agree this newest one is our least favorite of the bunch, but we were still invested in the story because we have learned to love the characters (especially Molly) over the course of the series. Hence my warning at the beginning of this review. Although this book can be read as a standalone, it's much more enjoyable if you've read the previous books and already care about the characters. For me, I just hope Prose goes back to murder and more Molly in the next installment.

(Readalikes: the other books in the series, The Maid; The Mystery Guest; and The Mistletoe Mystery [a holiday novella])

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