I thought this one had a great premise but I just could not get into it. I found the characters unbelievable and I just struggled. Really sorry as I thought it sounded right up my street.

I loved this one. What a genius idea situating a classic heist story within a historical London novel. Upstairs/downstairs themes are aplenty and it's very propulsive from the outset. I'd say this is the most page-turning historical novel I've read in a very long time. Hope it gets adapted for the screen!

This may be my ideal book! It is the story of a group of women who set out to pull off one of the most ambitious heists in history. I was worried that the book wouldn't be interesting until the heist actually started but Hay makes sure that the plotting and planning are well told and reveals snippets of information about the characters throughout. The Housekeepers is excellently plotted and the heist and all of twists are extremely well executed. The characters are also well drawn and complex. Hay managed to find voices for the different women and makes them all compelling characters.

Perfect for International Womens' Day!

An entertaining take on revenge set in 1905 with a disgruntled former housekeeper leading a hand-picked motley crew of servants into a daring heist during a high society ball in a fancy house in Park Lane, London.

The book begins with the sacking of Mrs King, the housekeeper being summarily stripped of her position in the household and in return she plots to strip the house of its assets. A daring and meticulous plan follows with Mrs King using her organisational skills to make sure she has thought of everything...

The book has a 'girl power' vibe (among the other obvious heist film comparisons) and there were some very interesting characters in the mix. Alex Hay has thought up some hugely entertaining people and situations within this debut novel.

Perfect for a little TV drama - hopefully it will be snapped up, I can see it airing as a 3 parter near to Christmas :)

This story was marketed as Ocean’s 8 meets Edwardian heist… sign me up! It’s a great tale of what motivates an individual and what it means to make your own way. ⁣
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We get different POVs throughout and perfectly placed twists. I really enjoyed the pacing in this. I’d love to see it on the big screen!

I dont think I have read an Edwardian heist book before so that was a first. Brilliant scene setting and the premise just chilled me from the start. I loved the style of writinnd and the whole novel was just a feast of gothic discovery.

I love a book with a good heist and The Houskeepers by Alex Hay was definitely one of the most interesting ones I have read- think of Oceans Eight meets Downtown Abbey.
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The book is full of strong, independent women who know what they want and will do anything to achieve this despite the limitations placed on them in 1905. The women come from all classes from thieves to housekeepers, maids, trade to the nouveau rich but they all have the same predominant issue- how to survive in a male-dominated world.
As expected in a heist, there is plenty of planning, twists, negotiations, setbacks and action. I loved how it all came together, in the end, there were times when I thought that Mrs King and her gang of women would not pull this off.
Like all good heists, the motive is much more than greed- Mrs King has a complex but understandable motive behind her need to steal from the household that fired her after many years of loyal service.
I struggled at times to keep up with all the twists and revelations and it felt at times there was too much going on, the subplot of the abused housegirls just felt a little unnecessary.
But despite this, The Housekeepers was a quick and enjoyable read, and I couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened to all the amazing women.
Content Warning
References to sexual abuse
Perfect for fans of
A good heist featuring strong women- I know it isn't;s a book but Oceans Eight springs to mind.

I enjoyed reading about this extraordinary plan to usurp the usurpers, although at times I have to confess to confusion and astonishment at the dastardly plan which takes up the whole book. Strong women are at the very heart of it, and (mostly) quite nasty controlling men. Family ties are obscured and revealed, friendships thrive and money/class divisions dissolved. The plan is a remarkable and slightly absurd one, to right wrongs, with other darker secrets coming out, apart from the inheritance of a fortune, possibly ill-gotten in the first place. With a host of colourful characters, and bizarre scenarios, it makes for quite entertaining reading, and is quite giddying in its plotting.

It was a fantastic book, which was hard to put down as I became so engrossed in the characters. I loved the interaction, the mystery surrounding their initial relationships to each other, the social comment, and the humour. I can't wait for the next one!

I started with high hopes but found this novel over complicated with too many characters and pointless diversions and sub-plots. The book developed into a large mish-mash with confusion just adding to the ridiculously unrealistic theme. Unfortunately I became bored but intent on giving it a good try continued to the end but without improvement.
2* as I am yet to give lower but my thanks to NetGalley and Headline Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review and I can say I’m charmed by this book so much I finished it in 2 days!
Reading the 1st few chapters my brain kept reminding me it’s like a version of Oceans 8 the women’s one and I cheered at every point of this story.
I’m going to buy this for my mum to read too.

Mrs King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest house in Mayfair. The house glitters with treasures beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. But dark secrets lurk in the shadows.

When Mrs King is suddenly dismissed, she recruits an eclectic group of women from the fringes of society, each with their own score to settle, to launch the most audacious robbery London has ever seen.

The Housekeepers reminded me somewhat of Laura Wood’s recent Agency for Scandal (highest praise indeed, as I loved that). There is a satisfaction in watching people pull off an audacious con so, even though at times I found the disjointed narrative somewhat off-putting, this was a solid 3.5 star read rounded up to 4 stars.

This book had a great start for me, I loved the premise of the book. I love heist stories and to add that in a historical setting is really intriguing! The book was fast paced too due to the short chapters which I loved as I thought it added to the tension even more. However, I thought there was too many characters. When this is combined with the short chapters, it was easy to get confused with who’s who and how they’re connected with one another. Despite this I did enjoy this great story!
Thank you to Alex Hay, NetGalley and Headline Publishing for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very good and the characters were all interesting and different. The descriptions of the time period and the house were good. I would really recommend this book.

This book is brilliant. The plot is so original. I especially loved that the audacious plan was created by and run by women at a time when they would not have been given the credit for being able to pull off such an audacious robbery. Bravo.

A highly enjoyable novel depicting the greatest heist of the Edwardian era, all plotted and carried out by a fabulous fierce female crew. I loved the uprising of the “big house” downstairs staff and the fight against class and male domination set in the most ostentatious monstrosity of a house on Park Lane. Excellent fun.

You're in for a treat with "The Housekeeper's Heist"! This historical novel set in Mayfair, London, is a page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat. You'll meet a group of fascinating women led by a resourceful and cunning housekeeper as they plot to pull off an audacious robbery. The characters are complex and relatable, and the author's attention to historical detail will transport you to early 20th century high society London. If you love heist stories and historical fiction, you won't want to miss this one.
Thank tou NetGalley and the publisher for providing ARC for me.

I loved this book. The story is completely engrossing, and I liked the way that all the different strands of the heist were pulled together on the day. The characters are excellent - believable as characters from the early 20th century without descending into pastiche. I loved the idea of a gang of feisty ladies pulling off a major crime, whilst righting wrongs in the process. I will definitely recommend this book.

Loved this book and the strong characters in it. Mrs Bone starts off as a bit of a female Fagin but rapidly emerges as so much more than that when she helps one of her friends, Mrs King, to plan an audacious heist. This is much bigger than anything they've tried before and carries enormous risk. As the story emerges, we find out much more about their reasons for planning the heist. Will they succeed .......

Alex Hay is a new author to me. I fully commend her on this book, it is extremely well written . I loved the way the women were fighting back against what they felt was their unfair treatment. All were easy to relate to. I recommend this to lovers of historical fiction.
I look forward to reading more books by Alex Hay.