Ms King and Ms Bones well they aren't exactly squeaky clean Miss King has just been sacked as Head House Keeper from one of Park Lanes (yes the monopoly one) most exclusive houses.

Can they work together can Ms King's plan to pull off the greatest heist of the century so far week is only 1904 so it's still early days. She has her reasons and she plans to empty the house whilst a Ball is in progress with the help of former employees and Ms Bone's team of operatives including a few circus 🎪 girls and her henchmen.

This is fun and has great characters all unique in their own way obviously but excellent for the plot and thrill of the ride. It's easy to read I was into it very quickly and enjoyed the twist that took you often by surprise but always added to the excitement. Times were naturally very different and beginning to change still a decade before the "great war" began but Victoria had waved goodbye. well she would of if she hadn't passed on.

This is definitely an escapist's dream book so far from our reality and a world 🌎 we've probably all heard of or seen on the screens. The servants getting the better or hoping to and a daring plan that you will want to see come to be as I did. There is something about the underdog getting or trying to get the better of the master and this had all that and some. I loved it and highly recommend it and really hope you love it as well.

This has been described as Oceans 8 in the Edwardian age and that is totally understandable as it is a devious robbery but I feel that undersells such a multi-layered book. It is a great read with some well developed characters that would make an excellent film.
This really is a great read and the Oceans 8 tag does it an injustice to say much about the other plot lines would give a lot away but needless to say this book is a must read.

It’s London in 1905 and a group of “downstairs” women are planning an audacious heist on one of the biggest, grandest and richest houses in the city. This book has a fiendishly clever plot, a stellar cast of strong and fascinating female characters and an unrelenting pace. The whole is a tremendously enjoyable read. Recommended.

The Housekeepers is a gripping heist novel set in 1905.
Imagine 'Ocean's 8, but in turn of the century London, with an element of 'Upstairs Downstairs' as we follow the journey of the staff as they plot against the lady of the house, Miss de Vries'.
The team plan a major heist for the night of a ball at the house, and the story is told from a variety of viewpoints as we move slowly towards the big event. I did struggle a little with learning how all of the characters fitted together, and indeed some characters were better drawn than others, with Alice, Winnie, Mrs. Bone and Mrs, King playing a bigger role than others and being easier to imagine.
The story moved rapidly, with plenty of twists to keep the reader on their toes. Definitely a book that I would recommend.

This is a heist movie in book form, a sort of turn of the century great con. It’s fast, exciting, fun and slightly hovering on the brink of failure… just as all good heists should be. The all-or-nothing ethos is awesome.

The Housekeepers is more than that though, There are people who utterly deserve to be brought low, and people who need to be saved. There are some very, very complicated family dynamics to navigate, and some home truths about real and found family. All the characters have their own story and their own reasons for what they do (apart, perhaps, from the Janes, who I think were just there for the risk. I loved the Janes).

The last few chapters wound it all up as tight as a ball of elastic bands – beautifully rounded. It was a very fast and satisfying read and I’ll watch out for more by this author.

If you're looking for Peaky Blinders wearing petticoats then this is the book for you.
A strong female cast of characters leads the reader through the story of women sconed and out for revenge. Their individual stories weave together as they work towards a common goal in bringing down the person who wronged them by carrying out a daring robbery of the richest house in London.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a change in choice for me to read something set in this era (1905) and after reading this book I won’t be so shy in future! I love anything ‘heist’ related and this book has the mother of all heists in it! Strong female characters who know what needs to be done and get it done!
A great read!

I loved this book.. it’s more like downton abbey meets ocean’s 11! I loved the characters, the plot and it was right up my alley!

A well-put together jigsaw or mystery, crime and suspense! The characters all intertwine and the storyline is thought out and has a few twists. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A really enjoyable read! I loved how the characters entwined throughout the story and we learnt more depth to each one as the book progressed. A big lesson in how to not underestimate a woman! And team work.

I loved the escapism of the big house, the ball preparations, the descriptions of sights and smells. The story really pulled me in and I struggled to stop at the end of a chapter. Definitely recommend.

Mayfair, 1905. Mrs King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest house on Park Lane. But Mrs King has just been dismissed. A host of treasures lie in the house. Scandalous secrets too. With the society event of the season looming and royalty possibly attending, nothing must go wrong. But what no one knows, is that Mrs King will be back on the night of the ball. She has masterminded a plan and she knows just who to recruit to help her.

Housekeeper. Sewing maid. Kitchen girl. Thief. All with their own scores to settle.

The book is set in the Edwardian age of opulent elegance, enjoyed by the wealthy, kept functioning by the working class. Think Upstairs, Downstairs collides with Ocean’s 11, with a sinister undertone. Except it’s Mrs King’s 7 a strong, all female crew. We learn how the team is put together, their histories, relationships and motivations, all of which will be put to the test as they attempt to pull off the most audacious heist.

The author skilfully builds the tension leading to the execution of Mrs King’s carefully crafted plan, where not everything goes exactly as envisaged! The characters are well developed. I particularly liked the positioning of Mrs Bone’s need for a ‘statement job’ to repair her ailing financial ledger and her reputation in the shady London criminal fraternity.

The story is full of twists and reveals, embroidered with details of texture and cut of fabric, tone of voice and sense and smell of atmosphere, delivered in prose which convincingly conveys heart and emotion, leaving you hoping for Mrs King’s crew to succeed, despite the rampant law breaking!

The novel calls out the class system of the Edwardian period and it’s injustices and inequalities, contrasting the few, born into privilege and power, with the servitude of the many from the working class.

I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend The Housekeepers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and Alex Hay for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review. The Housekeepers will be published on 6th July 2023.

This book has it all. It has suspense, intrigue, mystery, fleshed out characters, and the end absolutely makes sense for each of them. It also explores the upstairs and the downstairs life in that time period, along with classism, and what it might take to build wealth. Don't miss on this one, its truly a remarkable debut.

A large cast, a meticulous plan, an audacious crime. All fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. The characters are expertly bought to life, their backstory and their dreams. Everything comes together in a surprising and delightful conclusion. The author weaves a clever plot, yet it is an easy and enjoyable read. Something to read again for all the little nuances missed the first time.

Alex Hay has constructed a fun, exciting romp of a heist, with some fierce and fiendish women at the centre of the plot. There were several twists I didn't see coming, and I found my loyalties split in different directions throughout - one to read with concentration so nothing is missed!

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay is a wonderful historical fiction novel that entertains!

Mrs King was the housekeeper of a grand house in Mayfair. After a sudden dismissal, she plans a daring mission to rob the house of all its worth, recruiting a team of cunning women to join her. This coincides with the death of Wilhelm de Vries, leaving Miss de Vries as the heiress of the house.

Whilst the book is heavily focused on the planning and scheming, it still manages to weave in character narratives, which unfold through tantalising morsels of information throughout the story's progression. We get to know the elusive crime boss Mrs Bones, previous housekeeper Winnie, dynamic actress Hephizbah, sewing maid Alice, and trapeze artist sisters names Jane-One and Jane-Two. Each character has their own secrets or hidden life, and that is what makes the story so rich.

Whilst the pace is a little slow to start, with long explanations of back-alley deals and extensive plotting, it does
pick up once the plan is in action, when the robbery occurs on the night of the Park Lane ball. It's gripping, and keeps you on the edge of your seat, rooting for these women to enact their plan successfully and overcome surprise elements!

Underlying the exciting plot and unique characters was something deeper - an exposé into the class system in the 1900's, considering the disparate worlds of the upstairs elite and the downstairs "help", and the injustices caused by such systems.

If your looking for a fun heist book with unique characters and a strong element of mystery, then this is the book for you!

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for this arc!

The Housekeepers is Ocean's 8 with a Victorian twist. It's a heist like no other. Where the film of The Sting centred on the gorgeous Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their youthful days, this is a story that centres on women. (Hurray - about time!) Especially those who kept downstairs going in an Upstairs/Downstairs era. They are ballsy, diverse, and determined to exact revenge on a society that expects their invisibility and acquiescence. What is most impressive about this novel is the attention paid to historic detail. Every costume, every artefact is described carefully, as the housekeepers, headed by Mrs King, go in for the kill. There are twists and turns, unexpected slip-on-a-banana-peel moments, and poignant scenes - just as you would wish in a thriller. The Housekeepers has it all. A big thank you to NetGalley for my copy and well done, Alex Hay.

It's not often I come across a book which satisfies my love of historical fiction AND my love of HEISTS! 💰

🗝️ 'The Housekeepers' is the award-winning debut from Alex Hay. Set in 1905, it follows the story of Mrs King, who's just been dismissed from her job as housekeeper of one of the most luxurious mansions in Mayfair. She's out for revenge, so she assembles a team of conwomen & conspirators to help her pull off the most outrageous heist of the century.

🎥 This book was SO cinematic, it almost felt like I'd watched a film of it. The house and the characters were all so vivid - definitely worth reading if you enjoy heist stories like Oceans 8 or Money Heist! The stakes were high and the ambitions were even higher.

✍️ The cast of characters were what made the book for me. They each brought something different to the story, and their various motivations often came into conflict. Especially enjoyed seeing how Mrs King developed as a character and as a leader throughout the course of the book.

🎩 Very rich historical details throughout, I loved soaking up all the descriptions of the beautiful clothing, the food, the various locations. The whole novel felt very thoroughly researched with regards to its points on the class divides & power struggles of the time.

📖 There was a LOT of set-up in the first half when they're planning & preparing for the heist. I got quite impatient waiting for the heist to start, but once it did (about halfway through), I could not put the book down until I found out how it turned out! If you're impatient like me, stick with it, it's worth it.

🎁 Thank you to Headline & Netgalley for my advance reader copy.

🗓️ 'The Housekeepers' is out 6th July 2023!

- Katie

[Review posted to @katiespencebooks on Instagram, review to be posted to @katiespencey on Twitter on Friday].

Thank you so much #Netgalley, Headline, Headline Review and Alex Hay for an ARC of #TheHousekeepers.

When I saw this book on Netgalley the cover first caught my attention and then the tagline. "It's your house but it's their rules..." Now, I thought it was going to be more of in the lines of typical domestic thriller but was I greatly surprised that it was entirely something else. I missed watching Downton Abbey so reading this just made me imagine that series. I felt like it was a mix of the Netflix series "Kaleidoscope" and "Downton Abbey" which was such a delight for me because I loved those two shows. I had super high hopes for this and I was not disappointed at all. One of the few page turners for me this year and I just love how the story unfolded. How empowering is that to have a heist led by women? I haven't really read a lot of historical fiction lately but this was indeed one for the books. The characters, plot and setting just meshed all well together. If you love women empowerment, heist with a mix of downton abbey setting then this book is for you.

I do not usually enjoy books that are set in the past or are so far-fetched that the plot is ridiculous. This is an exception and I loved it. The descriptions of the house, the characters and the scenes in London were absolutely wonderful. I did have to read some chapters a couple of times to understand who was who and what was going on, but all in all I was gripped. Fabulous, and if this is a debut novel then bring on the next one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a delightful couple of days.

Set in 1905 5 women who are friends or relatives from the East End of London plan to rob the biggest house in Park Lane. By getting jobs there, two as housekeepers, they manage to inventorise the entire contentents. They then plan in great detail how they will steal every single thing from the house. There is of course a reason behind stealing from this house.
Quite an intriguing story and a great read.