This was one of those books where I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it blew it out the water. It had one of those slow but steady enthralling plots that kept you reading page after page.

I loved the setting and it was a great historical suspense, thriller, theft in progress kind of set up. I was quickly invested and once I’d caught the measure of things, I knew I was hooked and would have to see it to the end. I was amazed at how quickly the pages and chapters flew by, and once I’d started, I finished it in no time.

Mrs King, Mrs Bone, Winnie, Alice, Hepzibah just so many intriguing characters and parallel storylines with the overarching countdown to the day of the ball. The biggest heist they’ve ever planned; the steal an entire content of house whilst the owner (and all her guests are in the house), just how will it be done?

As we got to know more backstory, slowly things started to make more sense and pieces fit together. I love that in books where they keep you guessing but slowly trickle feed you along the way until all the story is whole and before you know it, you’ve finished it! Such an entertaining and enjoyable book.

I was thrilled by the concept of The Housekeepers and desperate to get my hands on a review copy. A high stakes heist set in Edwardian London, it reminded me of Downton Abbey meets Oceans Twelve meets Peaky Blinders.
Mrs King and her gang of female con-artists plot to pull off the heist of the century, stripping one of the grandest homes in London of its entire contents, from rugs to portraits to furniture and gems, while high society mingles downstairs at a dazzling ball. At the heart of the story there are personal scores to settle and the threat of the criminal underworld looming if it all goes wrong. Alex Hay’s richly detailed and luxurious 1900s London enchants the reader and is utterly convincing.

A fast paced read that I couldn't put down. It was so well written, so engaging and so entertaining. I really enjoyed it

Fast paced book with plenty of scheming going on. Really good read that lived up to expectations. Very enjoyable.

Set in 1905, a housekeeper sets out to pull off the greatest theft of all time, completely stripping the home of her former employer. With her gang of women, Mrs King, organises a most audacious plan employing servants, actors, thieves and even circus animals.
The book features an interesting cast of characters. I felt that the character of Mrs King was rather flat, but I did like Mrs Bone, Winnie and Alice. These three, for me, were more fully developed characters.
The story was fast paced with plenty of twists and some moments of suspense. The plot was a good one but I did feel a little disappointed towards the end of the book as it seemed to just lack the edge that the earlier part of the book had promised.
In summary, this is an entertaining action-packed story that was fun to read.

I have never been so sold on a book's premise as I have with Alex Hay's The Housekeepers. The idea of a housekeeper avenging herself on her employer after her dismissal sounded so audacious. I knew I was in for a thrilling ride from the opening pages, but as the story progressed I realized that The Housekeepers has something else up its sleeve: heart. Firstly, I loved Mrs King and the group of women she enlists for her heist including Mrs Bone, Winifred and Jane One and Two. I also liked Miss de Vries, the mistress of the house, and how the author gradually showed the hidden layers behind her cold exterior.

I was fascinated by how the author explored the British class system, especially through Miss de Vries, who despite her wealth is somewhat on the outside of the elite due to her bourgeois origins. It was fascinating to see how she deploys class warfare in her own home through her system of favoring housemaids.

I also loved how the diversity of ages of the characters. Similarly, to Leonardo DiCaprio, fiction can sometimes feel as though it has a cut-off point once the characters reach 25. I loved the older characters who populated Alex Hay's debut and it was refreshing to see these women involve themselves in the heist not only for revenge but also to further their ambitions. Dreams don't have a sell-by-date and I loved seeing these women fighting for what they wanted. Overall, The Housekeepers did not disappoint and I look forward to reading Alex Hay's next book.

Interesting enough in parts, but never quite lived up to the hype I've seen about it.
There's a lot of plotting and scheming, and characters.
All of which is done nicely, yet I just didn't feel that spark that draws you into the book.

This starts on a knife edge and creates tension really quickly.
Lots of characters to take on board, and it just lost its momentum for me in the middle.
An unusual time period to choose but not sure it offered anything particularly.

An absolute joy of a book. The story picks you up on the first page and doesn’t let you down until the end. Intriguing, fun, and filled with the most wonderful characters who come alive from the page - this book would make a fantastic film! I loved Mrs King, Mrs Bone, Winifred and Alice’s story set against the backdrop of London in 1905 on a vast Park Lane mansion filled with maids, footmen, a cook, a butler and one Lady of the house. As others have remarked, the story has the feel of the ‘Oceans’ films as it is centred around a huge, seemingly impossible, heist pitting the wits of disgruntled housekeepers against the rest of the house. Perfect! I really hope we get to meet these fabulous characters again.