The Housekeepers
Alex Hay

Sorry to say this one wasn’t for me. I just engage with the story or the narration.

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

I enjoyed this story. It was very unusual as although it was set in the past it had a romantic modern tone. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, but my favourite part was the contrast of the characters those who have money and those how have not. I loved the sass of the servants- such great characters.

I really enjoyed this one, it was fun and interesting and I did enjoy the narrator of this book as well. Thank you for the early copy.

I adored this book, isn’t perfect don’t get me wrong I feel there are bits that can be done better. But I like any good heist, and the story got me hocked since the beginning. I enjoyed the book, the character and I got a soft sport for historical fiction so this was totally in my alley. It may be not for everyone but it got me enjoying the story

A lighthearted, easy listen! The plot of this book was really interesting and there were a few twists and turns along the way.

The narration was well done and added to my enjoyment of the story.

I did feel like I wanted a bit more from the story and like something was missing that would have elevated the novel a bit more.

An excellent choice of narrator. Jasmine Blackborow has a wide range of voices, nails the differences between upstairs and downstairs, and is great on historical works. She also brings a sense of joy, as if this isn’t just work but something that is fun and this rubs off on the listener.

Dinah (Mrs King) is a strong minded and determined woman who doesn’t take dismissal from her position as housekeeper with good grace, why should she. Dinah has a plan though, one that will extract revenge. That is not her only driving force though, she has an important secret, one that forces her forward and adds to her determination.

Dinah cannot execute the plan on her own though, she needs a financial backer and to put together a large team to pull it off, well it is going to be the robbery of the century. Fortunately, she knows who can help with both, Mrs King a pawnbroking blackmarketeer and a bit of a local legend. Together they put together a crack and crackpot team to carry out the heist, supported by an army of muscle and helpers.

The plan is breathtaking and audacious, there are no half measures here, and it’s quite involved. Naturally not everything goes to plan, it never does in real life and where would the enjoyment in fiction be in that. The resulting improvisations prove to be entertaining. The author manages to pull off the trick of making the principal characters so engaging that you want them to get away with it. The reader knows that they shouldn’t be rooting for the criminals but can’t help themselves, the finale brings a sort of redemption so we can do so with impunity.

At the heart of the story there are secrets, so many of them, that are revealed along the way. People are not who they appear to be, there are unexpected connections and a dark sordid one at the heart. Much of this arises because of the abuse of power, power that great wealth brings.

The juxtaposition of life above and below stairs is vividly brought to life, with the finery of Miss DeVries who is organising an opulent ball set against the drudgery of the servants’ lives, servants who are locked in their rooms a night. Even within this there is power at play with the butler and cook ruling the roost downstairs, demanding the highest standards and making the rules.

The writing is perfectly judged, bright with a cheeky edge, I did say it was a caper, but that adds relief to the dark aspect that has the power to surprise. Using a wholly female robbery 'firm' is not exactly original, Lynda La Plante did it forty years ago with Widows, but it is still unusual enough to feel fresh and the historical setting, a time when women were powerless adds to the surprise. It is the characters of these women and the interplay between them that makes the story. Here there is so much to enjoy; the maid who becomes the most flamboyant actress, the crime boss who has to act as scullery maid, the Tweedledum and Tweedledee like sisters who are brilliant acrobats and the kind-hearted woman who just wants to help. If it were men, the ill-gotten gains would be squandered, but these women are essentially looking to do good and put things right, and in a crazy way that is just what they do.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the Author and Publisher for access to the audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

The Housekeepers by by Alex Hay Narrated by Jasmine Blackborow was an excellent book from start to finish especially as its Alex's first book. This book is set in Mayfair 1905. Mrs King is no ordinary housekeeper. She was born into a world of con artists and thieves, However, she's made herself respectable, and she was doing a great job of running the grandest home is Mayfair. Especially as this place is packed with great treasures, which is a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.
Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge:
She recruits : A black market queen out to settle her scores.
An actress desperate for a magnificent part. a seamstress dreaming of a better life. and Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance. They will all play their part on the night of a grand anticipated costume ball,
which is being held by her ex employers are holding. Everything is in Place and the ball has begun!
They will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host.
However, there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…

The narrator Jasmine Blackborow was excellent. I enjoyed this book.

Loved listening to this audiobook. A great story and so lovely to listen to not quite as twisty as I expected but it was amazing anyway

I couldn't get into it. The characters were very two dimensional and felt cliched, as did the plot. I'm not usually drawn to heist novels though, so am probably the wrong reviewer for this title.

At first I was not sure about this book. However, it had a quirkiness to it that I really enjoyed.
I loved the inter linking characters and how they all fitted together, and the way all of the connections between the characters surfaced.
I also really enjoyed the ingenuity of the massive task set in the story and how it all came together in the end and culminated in the conclusion.
The narrator had an easy to listen to voice which brought the characters to life.

A really fun historical heist novel with a brilliant cast of powerful female characters! I actually think this would be a great read for the winter months as it’s one you can curl up with and get lost in.

Alex Hay's "The Housekeepers" masterfully combines the elegance of the Edwardian era's upstairs-downstairs dynamic with the adrenaline of a thrilling heist. The result is a captivating narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

What sets this book apart is the array of compelling female characters, each possessing a distinct set of skills and a hidden past. As the story unfolds, their connections to the house they're targeting gradually come to light, revealing motivations that add layers of complexity to their characters. This approach keeps readers guessing and engaged.

While the ensemble cast is a strength, I did find that the extensive number of characters may have impacted the depth of their individual development. Some characters felt kept at arms length, preventing a deeper connection with them. However, I suspect this approach was deliberate, heightening the uncertainty and casting doubt on who can truly be trusted - adding to the element of mystery.

The Housekeepers is a thrilling page-turner that successfully melds historical drama with the excitement of a heist. The enigmatic female characters and their hidden motives add an extra layer of intrigue to the story, while the fast-paced plot ensures that readers will remain hooked until the very end, I could easily visualise this book translating well to a film.

I really enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook, she spoke at a good pace and was easy to listen to. She defiant bought this book to life.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The worst part about listening to an audio book that captivates you is that you cannot get through the story fast enough.

I loved every second of this book.

The heist was pulled off to perfection and the secondary motives were brilliant.

The range of female characters and differing skills were so engaging.

I particularly liked the character redemption arcs for certain parties.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves a female led heist adventure.

This is an entertaining heist story, with a great plot that is unveiled as the story progresses. The characters are memorable, funny and feisty. Although you know what is happening you find out why the characters are motivated to undertake the heist at key points. The narrator's voice is easy to listen to and she brought each character to life with a unique voice.

The Housekeepers was an incredible action-packed heist debut!

This is a fantastic twist on historical fiction and I adored it! It was such a pacy read and at the end of every chapter, I found myself more and more invested in each character, their motivations and the heist itself. I really enjoyed how each woman was well-rounded, had her own motivations for doing the job and how interesting their backstory was. The twists and turns in this story were engaging and really added to the story and the characters!

An amazing historical fiction heist, I didn't even know I wanted!

An explosive historical audiobook! It is like Downtown Abbey meets The Heist! Set in the early 1900s, the wealthy Miss De Vries has recently buried her father, and despite being a household in mourning, she has planned a lavish ball with one aim - to acquire a lucrative marriage and cement her position in wealthy society. However, downstairs, all is not well; the housekeeper, Mrs King, is being dismissed from service with immediate effect now that the master is dead. This shrewd lady isn't planning on going quietly. She enlists the help of Mrs Bone and some present and former employees to help her carry out her plan - the heist of the century She plans to make it a ball to remember and to expose the de Vries once and for all. A deliciously scandalous book, wonderfully narrated to capture all the suspense. #thehousekeepers #Alexhay #netgalley #headlineaudio

The book is a dazzling historical novel about power, gender, and class. The plot revolves around a bold group of women downstairs who launch a daring revenge heist against Mayfair society. The book is fun, fast-paced and totally immersive. The book is a page-turning delight from beginning to end.

An Upstairs Downstairs Downton Heist, why has no-one ever done this before?

The revenge of the kitchen maids, the housekeepers, the lady's maids, the 'fallen women' pushed by those they served but rising from the gutters to get their own kind of payback.

I really enjoyed this, and the narrator of the audiobook kept me hooked. Though the accents were often stereotypical/mock Eastenders at times, they were vivid and distinct, and I always knew who was speaking which was incredibly useful for a book that really requires an ensemble cast.

I hope this gets made into a period drama, I'd love to watch an ambitious period drama heist, and I'll definitely be re-reading this, the way the various relationships, murky secrets, and past lives were revealed was cleverly woven in throughout the book, and the pacing kept me hooked throughout.

I read and listened to this book. I enjoyed the ebook version more although I found the change in character names difficult to follow on the audiobook. Mrs Bone and Mrs King become Winnie and Dinah which was sometimes hard to follow who was who. At first, there were strong parallels with Sarah Waters 'Fingersmith' but, there a few twists along the way. 'The Housekeepers' tells of the revenge against the De Vries household now that Mr De Vries is no longer here. But is the name all it seems and what truths will the women uncover? Truly, there is nothing worse than a woman scorned as the housekeepers and women staff do their best to get what they are owed.

Very pacy! The characterisation was excellent, would love to see how their journey progresses after the book ended!