"The mystery guest" by Nita Prose

Molly is head waitress at a hotel where novelist Grimthorpe was about to make an announcement when he died, poisoned. She's been with her boyfriend Juan 3 years. He works at the same hotel, but is currently visiting his family in Mexico.

There's been an earlier death at the hotel - Mr Black. Molly was a suspect then. Molly's boss then, Cheryl, was demoted and Molly took her place. Lilly is Molly's trainee waitress. Lilly was the last to touch Grimthorpe's tea.

Molly had trouble at school because of poor social skills. She still tends to take what people say literally. Her gran took her out of school and got her to help with cleaning Grimthorpe's mansion - her gran's work. Grimhorpe's wife was a stickler for rules, which suited Molly. Molly was allowed to study in the library instead of going to school. She doesn't understand the role of Grimthorpe's Personal Secretary. The police don't know about Molly's connection with Grimthorpe.

The novel alternates between these 2 timelines - the present, and when she worked as a schoolgirl at Grimthorpe's.

While working for Grimthorpe he talked to her about his wonderful wife who helped him through alcoholism at the expense of him having writers block. Molly gave him an idea for how to finish his novel, involve Lye.

Some of the female fan-club at the hotel might have been involved. His wife has died. Was he going to announce a new love interest?

It's a tradition that she and Juan host doorman Mr Preston for the Sunday meal. He and her gran were close friends long ago.

Grimthorpe groped Molly's gran and his then Private Secretary. Molly realises that the Private Secretary was his ghostwriter. When the PS died her daughter took over and tried to claim recognition for her mother's work from Grimthorpe. He agreed as long as he announced the news.

Cheryl had forced Lilly into stealing things fom Grimthorpe's luggage that she (Cheryl) tried to sell. His number one fan had wanted to write his authorised biography. He turned her down. She found out (who from?) that he was a fraud. She produced a version of the bio including this new evidence, and killed him.

Preston and Molly's grandmother had a child out of wedlock - Molly's mother. The police suggest tht Molly gets a job with them. Juan returns.

Other reviews

• I've read this (Molly is just strange enough to endear her to readers, but keeps enough hidden to remain interesting, and somewhat mysterious herself ... I wouldn’t say it was technically ‘fair play’, as I don’t think it was possible to come up with the solution without Molly’s prior knowledge of the hotel and all its ins and outs. However small hints and clues were dropped throughout, so perhaps the die-hard mystery fans out there would have figured it out. )