After sacking a loyal member of housekeeping staff (who maybe shouldn’t have been employed there given her previous record) and organising the biggest ball of the year, it’s easy to see what might clash and what could happen if the employee holds a grudge and decides to form a team to steal from the former employer. What could go wrong? You might be thinking you’re back inside Downton Abbey and you’d be almost right. The vibe is the same, but there’s no lady Mary to save the day. The twists were not expected (are they ever?) but were more predictable than the band of merry fellows who think Robin Hood is a nice team of people just spreading the wealth around, which is great when they haven’t got any to begin with, apart from maybe Mrs Bone, who is not exactly likeable, but she is the boss in town, away from the stately homes. This is a good read and interesting story and the reader is left wondering which ways this novel will go, which is good and helps with the narrative. I’d read more by this writer. I learnt a lot about the black market over one hundred years ago.

Upstairs - Downstairs!
The ball of the century is being planned upstairs and downstairs the servants are planning revenge.
Mrs King, the Housekeeper has been dismissed after many years and she is planning her payback. With the help of friends she puts her plan into action.

Downton Abbey meets The Sting in this wonderful unique story!

👩Our Protagonist...let's call her 'Mrs King' 😉, has recently been sacked from her position as housekeeper at the grandest house in Park Lane, Mayfair.... But there's much more to Mrs King than meets the eye, she has scores to settle!!!!

💰..Cue a sensational heist involving some fantastic female con artists all wrapped up in a turn of the 19th century bow of splendor...

I absolutely recommend this to everyone, it's compelling, great fun with plenty of twists and turns 👏

This was such an enjoyable and entertaining read. It combined my two favourite genres, historical fiction and thrillers. Set in a similar vibe to Downton Abbey, this has all the drama and more.

An interesting and imaginative plot with strong female leads.

This book is set in an opulent time before the reality of war changed much of the world for ever. It is set in a time where women were increasingly frustrated with the expectations of a male-dominated society. It is set in a time where cynicism had not taken a grip on the views and behaviours of many.

The plot is well thought out and this book will be well received by those who enjoy a historical crime novel.

The cover is definitely a "pick me off the shelf" cover.

UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

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, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

I loved this great romp of a book. I grew to love Mrs King and Mrs Bone and worry deeply about Alice. Underneath the fun exterior was something much deeper and the more I read the more the threads and layers of the story drew me in. With strong and believable female characters, it was fast paced and immersive. Recommend

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Headline for approving me for an ARC of this book.

🎧The narration of this story was brilliant. Jasmine Blackborow makes each voice feel distinct and unique. meaning the story was easy to follow.

🪜Set against the backdrop of a Mayfair Manor, this upstairs, downstairs heist is entertaining from start to finish.

👧🏻Our leading lady, Mrs King, is joined by an eclectic collection of ladies. From the ever-resourceful Mrs Bone to mild Alice, each woman plays a significant role in the heist. The Janes were my favourite of the group.

🌟Alex Hay has created a story filled with tension, entertainment and secrets. I was engrossed from the beginning, constantly wondering if the heist would be successful and asking myself why all these ladies would be willing to take part in this dangerous operation.

All the answers are revealed in this Ocean’s 8 meets Upstairs, Downstairs, thrilling read.

An interesting and well written story. It felt as though it kept the reader at arms length though so I never really cared enough about the characters which lowered the stakes somewhat. It also felt as though the heist itself, what should have been the most exciting part, was left rather vague and so lost some of the sparkle.

Really enjoyed this historical fiction. Full of engaging characters with plenty of secrets. I would look forward to reading the authors next books.

Wow! This is one of my favourite books of 2023 so far! What a cracking historical.crime debut. Alex Hay is definitely a name to look out for.
Set in a mansion on Park Lane in Edwardian London, it has a very upstairs/ downstairs feel to it. The servants are dismissed frequently and after the master dies, they plot the robbery of the century to take place while the new mistress is holding a grand society ball.
The characters are well written with different facets to their personalities which develop throughout the book and really grew on me,( particularly Mrs King). There is a lot of humour, repressed emotion, deception, fraud, dodgy dealings and even acrobatics! A wonderful immersive read you won't want to end! This will be one of the top reads this summer!

‘The Housekeepers’ is like Ocean’s 8 meets Upstairs, Downstairs. Dismissed by her employer, Mrs King recruits a gang to completely strip the contents of the Park Lane mansion she has just left. As the heist is planned, we meet Mrs Bone, Winnie, the Janes, Alice and Hephzibah, each with their roles to play.

I felt like the book had a bit of a slow start but by the end I was eager to keep reading to find out if the heist went ahead as planned. I found I was more invested in some characters than others – Mrs King, Alice and Miss de Vries particularly – and it sometimes felt like there were just one or two too many characters to keep track of, though this did add to the atmosphere of the busy, chaotic ball. I liked how the book ends by sharing what the women did next after the conclusion of the heist, too.

An enjoyable read, especially if the reader is able to maintain a good grasp on all of the different characters and their relationships to each other. The author leaves the possibility of another book featuring these characters open ended; I would be interested to keep reading if there were another.

Many thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the advance copy on which this review is based.

This is a brilliant debut novel with all the excitement of a heist story combined with a turn-of-the-century historical setting — and a peek at the darker side of life in service.

The story has an ensemble cast of strong women who contribute their own perspectives, but at the center is Mrs. King, former housekeeper to Ms. de Vries and mastermind behind the heist. The book keeps a fast pace and the intrigue remains high throughout as pieces are revealed about each woman's backstory and the de Vries family history. Although we're privy to the plans behind the heist, we're left to piece together why each woman joined in and make sense of the tensions involved as it plays out.

If you enjoy these genres along with non-linear narratives, large casts of characters, and women taking justice into their own hands, I'd recommend this as a very enjoyable read!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced historical romp, look no further – ‘The Housekeepers’ is thrilling, memorable, wildly entertaining, and utterly satisfying.

When Mrs King gets dismissed from a mansion in Park Lane, heiress Miss de Vries doesn’t know what’s coming. With the help of other servants, a network of thieves forms to pull off the heist of a lifetime to claim back what should be theirs. I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot and found it interesting how the characters come together and perform their roles. However, I did find it confusing at times as chapters shift between different character’s perspectives. I found the book quite surface level and would have liked to know more about the backstory of the De Vries family and ultimately the rationalisation for the plot, study I think got introduced quite late.

A historical heist of epic proportions and one of this years most dazzling debuts!

As soon as I saw The Housekeepers announced I knew I wanted to read it. When I saw it was being pitched as Ocean’s 8 meets Downton Abbey, I was hooked! I wanted to see how two such juxtaposed worlds could melt together and all I can say is that Alex Hay has done it to perfection. This book combines all the best elements of a classic heist caper with the human aspects of costume drama. It’s a book that is multi-layered, giving readers different ways to read it and find enjoyment. I was absolutely obsessed with the audacity of the plan to rob the de Vries house, but as the novel progressed it is fair to say that the lives and relationships of the protagonists became equally (of not more so) engrossing. Hays expertly transports readers back to the turn of the century and this novel is both evocative in time and location, as well as authentic in the characterisation. I really felt that I knew the women behind the narrative and Hays has created a cast of characters that are so three-dimensional they leap from the page. I loved spending time with them and was fully invested in every aspect of the narrative. This is no small feat either, as this book is resplendent with characters!

Whilst the intricacies of the heist and the rationale and mystery behind it are certainly gripping, The Housekeepers is ultimately about female relationships. Hays explores this through the life of these women, looking at friendship, rivalry, a variety of bonds, romance and family. The relationships at the heart of this story are as complex as the dress design Alice creates for Miss de Vries’ ball. They are simultaneously beautiful, powerful and salacious, giving Hays a spectacular platform by which to explore womens’ place in society at the time. It also allows for an unsettlingly dark subplot to emerge as the narrative progresses, helping to bolster the reader’s allegiance with the housekeepers.

I was very fortunate to receive both a proof copy of this book, but also early access to the audiobook, so I took a blended approach. The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Jasmine Blackborow, who imbues each woman’s unique character into her narration. I particularly enjoyed her dialogue as Hephzibah, which frequently made me chuckle! Blackborow really got to the heart of the story though and all of the emotion of Hays’ words was expertly transcribed to the audio. I had to force myself to pause the audio and pick up my proof to read, because I was enjoying listening to this so much. The audiobook cemented my opinion that this story would make an excellent television series. I hope we see it on our screens soon!

If you love a historical novel, a heist novel, a story of female empowerment, a narrative that sticks two fingers up at the patriarchy, or just a beautifully and engagingly written story, make sure you pre-order The Housekeepers immediately.

THE HOUSEKEEPERS is out on 06/07 from @headlinebooks. Thank you so much to the publisher for my #gifted copies.

This was great read! The writing was brilliant along with an excellent plot. It had a great bunch of characters Mrs Bone being my personal favourite. I look forward to reading more from Alex Hay thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

Absolutely gripping, entertaining novel. The twists and turns of Mrs King and Mrs Bones and their girls was really entertaining and held my attention throughout. The description brought the time period alive and the storyline was gripping.Thoroughly enjoyable read and would totally recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

Mrs King is housekeeper to Miss de Vries, who's father recently passed away. Miss de Vries is keen to get married and become an independent woman, so decides to throw an amazing ball. But just before the big day Mrs King is dismissed; so she plots an amazing revenge to gain what she considers to be rightfully hers.

The result is great fun - a heist by housekeepers, as Mrs King enlists the help of the shady Mrs Bone, the actress Hephzibah, little Alice and Winnie. But the story is much more than this, as we find their motives and drives to do this job. I found the robbery itself a bit unbelievable - as if you could really remove all those goods and furniture while a party took place downstairs - but it makes for a great tale. The characters are well defined, and their motives veer from self-interest to righting wrongs, much as real people do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book ! Loved the setting , the characters the plot was fantastic !
Unusual storyline not like anything I’ve read before .

Mrs King is fired from her housekeeping job that she's held for 20 years and decides to plan a heist to strip the house of its treasures on the night of a ball, in order to enact her revenge.

For a book where the whole concept is the heist, it really doesn't cover much to do with it. I had such a hard time picturing how they would carry out the heist even when those parts were mentioned. Everything happened way too slowly for me with the actual heist not beginning until the 57% mark, which made me want things to be sped up. I was worried for the ending as there was still so much to tie up and evidently, it suffered as a consequence as it felt rushed and I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion.

There were a lot of subplots mentioned in this book, a lot that did not make any sense to the main plot line of the heist and I think this book fell victim to wanting to include too much. It would have worked better if there were less subplots because it was giving very much let's include this subplot then later on, oh never mind, let's backtrack on that and shut down that subplot in a way that makes you question what was the point in including it in the first place? There were some plot twists that worked well where I was shocked but others that fell flat.

I felt bored reading this because the heist and the action weren't at the forefront in this story. It took more of a back seat and for all the drama that was in this book, I just didn't care for any of it as I didn't feel like I knew the characters at all to care about any of them. I feel like they were all forgettable. I was confused for the entirety of this book as it took me a while to realise who was talking in each single POV chapter, then it switched to each chapter having multiple POVs which completely lost me. The transitions between these POVs were not as clear as they could have been. I also had problems with the timelines as they would jump quite a lot and I couldn't keep up with them.

⚠️ CWs: mental illness, violence, classism, alcohol use, sexual assault; mentions death, guns ⚠️

* Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Review for the opportunity to read this book! *