Well written but disappointing.
This was a well written and researched historical heist, however the inner thoughts of the characters were too modern and jarring and this prevented me from fully buy into the story and setting.
Overall I didn’t hate it but wouldn’t recommend it either.
*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***

Slow start, did get a bit confused between characters who used different names with different people, good ending

A brilliantly conceived plot, the heist of the housekeepers! Hard to describe the fast pace, interesting and intelligent characters, twists, turns and swinging from chandeliers! I enjoyed this book more than any I have read for a long time. It conjured up wonderful rich and intense images of Edwardian life above and below stairs, of poverty and patriarchy.

I'm not sure what drew me to this book as although I do love a good heist, I have a fairly deep dislike for period literature. I think this probably stems from the general obsession with grotesque wealth and status that TV dramas are so desperate for us to consume. But Alex Hay's The Housekeepers eschews this with an underdog tale of the downtrodden rising up against their masters.

The Housekeepers is extremely well written and had it not been pointed out, I would never have believed it was from a first time author. The characters are numerous and varied and it was a joy to get to know them. Told (initially) via a countdown, the scene setting is well presented and does a good job of not outstaying its welcome until we finally get to the what we came for, the daring attempt to take down a powerful household and strip it of all of its assets.

Of course there are twists and turns, hidden motives and bombshells along the way that kept my interest right to the final page. I really hope this isn't the last we hear of Mrs King, Mrs Bone and the other female protagonists of the first, best and probably last Edwardian Heist novel I will read.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay is a fun and entertaining historical novel that is a pure delight from beginning to end. With witty dialogue and a larger than life cast of female characters, this is a book that had me hooked from the very first page.

It is 1905 and, following the death of her father, Madam is planning a magnificent ball, hoping it will help attract a husband now that she is all alone in the world. But downstairs, the servants are plotting something entirely different: the heist of the century.

When she is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, housekeeper Mrs King decides to pull off a heist right under the nose of her former employer – and she knows exactly who to recruit to help her do it. And so she brings together an unlikely and eclectic group of women who, with Mrs King at the helm, plan an intricate heist that will take place on the night of Madam’s ball.

The Housekeepers is a fast paced, well plotted tale that counts down to the day of the ball as the women begin to put their plans into motion. As we learn more about Mrs King, Mrs Bone, Winnie and the other women, long held grudges and secrets from the past begin to emerge, giving the story a much darker edge that really does add depth to what is at heart an entertaining tale about a group of women trying to pull off the biggest heist that Park Lane has ever seen.

The setting, era and colourful cast of characters are brought vividly to life as this impressive debut novel, with its twists, turns, shocks and surprises, pulled me under its spell, refusing to let go until the final page had been turned.

The Housekeepers is enormously entertaining, with a wit and humour running through it that really did bring a smile to my face. Alex Hay’s writing is superb and I look forward to reading more by him in the future..

I don’t want to give away too much of what happens, so all I will say is that The Housekeepers is a well written, intriguing, whiplash fast, fun and entertaining debut novel that I would highly recommend. I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book - it's a satisfyingly twisty narrative with strong characters and a good historical setting. The heist itself was well-executed and I liked that we were able to see the aftermath and results as part of the story. Mrs King is necessarily distant from the audience as a character to preserve the secrets that come up throughout the novel, but I would have liked a bit more of a look into her past.

Well what can I say about this Edwardian heist?! It felt like stepping into a cross between Ocean's Eight, Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey. It is rare for a book of this nature to feature strong women rather than strong men, but that's exactly what it did.

It was quite a slow build up but quickly gathered pace and I loved the details about the heist and the twists and turns as we reached towards the end. Mrs King is clearly a legend and I'd like to read more about her! You do have to suspend a little disbelief but all in all it was a full on romp through 1905 and the ultimate revenge.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled at first to get into this book and understand all the connections between the characters, but as the plot thickened and the layers of deceipt unravel, I enjoyed it more and more. The main character of Mrs King was formidable and exactly what I would imagine a Mayfair housekeeper to be. I loved the idea of an all-female gang running the heist and pulling off one of the most audacious robberies of all time! Brilliant twists towards the end too. Highly recommend.

I was sent a copy of The Housekeepers by Alex Hay to read and review by NetGalley. What a delight! I loved this novel. It was filled with extraordinary and very believable characters and had a real atmosphere for the time it was set. There was a gentle surprize at every turn, with a generous mix of the exotic and the mundane. I loved the Housekeepers themselves and loved to hate some of the more ‘superior’ characters. This was a perfectly orchestrated story which kept me turning pages and wanting more. A definite 5 star must read!

When Mrs King is fired from her job as housekeeper in a fancy Mayfair mansion, she doesn't take it well. In fact, her bosses might have done well.to remember the phrase 'know your enemy'. Be ause Mrs King may seem like a well-ordered domestic, but appearances can be deceiving. She has quite a variety of acquaintances, amongst them a matriarch criminal mastermind (well, she thinks so) and an aspiring actress. There's something she needs in the house. And she wants revenge. Cue an audacious plan. Empty the house of everything during the ball of the season. She tells her motley team of Edwardian women it's a simple plan. Of course it's anything but.

So, an Edwardian heist, carried about by a group of women, some posing as the help, some actual servants. Revenge, double crossing, and cunning plans make for a 6 enjoyable book. The main letdown for me was that too many characters led to some interesting characters not being fleshed out enough, plus 21st-century wokeness crept in a few times. That's the only thing that stopped this been a 5 star book for me. Other than that great stuff.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
This story opens with Mrs King being dismissed from her role as housekeeper at the grandest home in Mayfair. She has been found in the men’s quarters. But Mrs King is no ordinary housekeeper and she is about to wreak her revenge. She was born into a family of con artists and thieves and she is about to draw upon her skills. She enlists the help of a range of people with a variety of skills from actresses to money lenders.
This is a historical novel set in 1905 and the period is well evoked. The way in which the robbery which she has panned is carried out has elements of Oceans Eleven and indeed this has been mentioned in other reviews. I found it an engaging read and would recommend it to others. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review it.

The Housekeepers is what happens when Oceans 8 has a baby with Upstairs Downstairs and it is beautiful. I do have a soft spot for a heist caper and this was a good one. Mrs King is the housekeeper at Mayfairs most illustrious home, its crass and brash, stinks of new money and drains so when she is let go for an apparent indiscretion with the hottest head footman, Mrs King is out for revenge. She ensembles a team of ladies with a particular set of skills and aims to strip the house bear right under the mistresses pert little nose as she hosts the party that aims to launch her into creditable society. Anyway it turns out Mrs King is a bit of a one and nobody is who they seem and can we trust anyone at all, it’s all about who has the strongest nerve and the most to lose. This was great, I loved the love/hate dynamic between all the characters and the relationship between Dina and her super hot footman was very well and subtlety done. It was a tightrope walk right to the very end. Top stuff.

Alex Hay’s ‘The Housekeepers’ feels like the perfect autumnal read. Centred around the dynamic and formidable Mrs. King, we learn she has been fired from her job as a housekeeper and now seeks to exact revenge on the wealthy inhabitants. The setting and characters really created a compelling story world, a Victorian London where the worlds of the wealthiest and poorest collide. Throughout the course of the novel the reader is pulled into the plot to rob the grandest house of all its possessions. To steal everything, from the fanciest jewellery to the very carpets people walk on. Mrs. King does not want to do this on a quiet dark evening, but rather during a social highlight of a costume ball. The individual female gang all have their parts to play, some acting with certainty whilst others are more dubious and sceptical about the success of such a heist as well as their own role and participation within it. During this time secrets are uncovered as the tension mounts incrementally, creating a fun and exciting reading experience that keeps you in suspense throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

### Upstairs is planning a ball. Downstairs is planning a heist.

*The Housekeepers* by Alex Hall is by turns funny and serious. The plot centers around a mansion in London in 1905 where the newly orphaned lady of the house is planning a ball - very scandalous, as she is supposed to be in mourning. Unbeknownst to her, the domestic staff are simultaneously planning a heist.

Hay’s writing was easy to read, but not simplistic, and the characters were well fleshed out - an impressive feat, considering how many were present. Though the narrative had an explosive plot, the book still felt character-driven because of the care Hay put into their development and interpersonal interactions.

The Housekeepers is an excellent exploration of social class and family ties in the early 1900s and is clearly well-researched. As a history lover myself, I appreciated the dedication to historical accuracy, wherever possible. It balanced very well between observance and commentary and the thrill of the heist plot and I rated it four out of five stars.

Ooh, I loved this. Such a good heist story, set in Edwardian times. A really good read, just what I needed to take my mind off things in my life.

I'm a little late to this party but my goodness I'm glad I showed up. Masterfully conceived, immaculately delivered, just like the heist at the heart of the book. #TheHousekeepers by AlexHay is smart, sumptuous, and so much fun! I fell in love with the cast of wonderful women as much as Hay's gorgeous writing. Congrats Alex!

This is a heist thriller with a difference. The protagonists of the heist are all women and the setting is the Edwardian era at the beginning of the twentieth century when female independence and emancipation was a rare commodity. Well written and with a good pace but the characters felt a bit too contemporary for the values of the time. Nevertheless, it is a good read.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This was a very strange story based in the late 1800s, were a group of people completely empty a very large house whilst there was a party going on downstairs. A great cast of people who were able to bring about his impossible feat. I really enjoyed reading it and wondered what was going to happen next when it finished!

I really loved the writing style in this fast paced, period tale of getting what is rightfully yours! Cleverly plotted and well written, I enjoyed it very much.

The housekeepers are planning a heist, a very elaborate, extremely profitable heist. An extraordinary plan to clear the entire house ….but can it work?
A triumph for strong women, and a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.