A historical heist with a difference

This is a cheeky little play on the traditional heist novel, featuring some really strong female characters. I really enjoyed it!

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. And what a revenge it is! No half measures here – Mrs King is out for blood, and it turns out that she has good reason for doing so. Enter a cast of resourceful and resentful women, all tooled-up with skills, cunning and a desire to right a family’s wrongs.

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… As Madam is planning the ball of the century, Mrs King is planning to take her for everything she’s got.

In short, The Housekeepers is a real romp of a heist novel. It’s well-paced, well-plotted, and features some really original characters. Add to the mix a bit of a sapphic romance, a family secret and an elaborate setting, and you’ll find that The Housekeepers has enough sugar and spice to keep you gripped right up to its satisfying ending.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel and enjoyed Jasmine Blackborrow’s narration, who I felt was a good choice for delivering this story.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay was published on 6th July 2023. Thank you to NetGalley UK, Alex Hay and Headline for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

‘Upstairs, Madam is planning the party of the Season. Downstairs, the servants are plotting the heist of the Century.’

My thanks to Headline Review for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Housekeepers’ by Alex Hay. The audiobook is narrated by Jasmine Blackborow.

In Edwardian London, Mrs. Dinah King, housekeeper at an elegant Mayfair residence, has served the de Vries family loyally for twenty years. Following the death of Mr de Vries, it’s not long until Mrs King is summarily dismissed; with Mr. Shepherd, the odious butler, clearly delighting in her fall. Yet there is more to Mrs. King than anyone in the household suspects and it isn’t long before she begins to plan her revenge.

Miss de Vries had already decided that it’s time to establish herself in Society and specifically to snag herself a titled husband. She had announced her intention to hold a grand costume ball and preparations are well underway. Yet for Mrs. King and her associates, the Ball provides the perfect opportunity to execute their audacious burglary.

Her first point of contact is Mrs. Bone, a black market queen with her own scores to settle with the de Vries family. She has access to the resources that Mrs King needs to execute her plan as well as the international contacts to dispose of the stolen goods.

What great fun this was! It was brim full of fascinating characters including Alice Parker, a young gifted seamstress who is embedded in the de Vries household, Hephzibah Grandcourt, an actress who utilises her talents in various ways, the Janes, two circus performers in Mrs. Bone’s employ, and Winnie Smith, Mrs. King’s predecessor who has kept the dark secrets of Park Lane for far too long. The target of the heist, Miss de Vries, is herself quite a formidable character.

‘The Housekeepers’ was such an interesting take on the Upstairs/Downstairs dynamic with plenty of interesting twists and turns along the way. It celebrates the ‘invisible’ women in service. As one character comments: “Never underestimate the kitchen girls, Mr Lockwood. They’ve got brains the same as anyone. They see everyone coming and going.”

With respect to the audiobook, this was my first experience of Jasmine Blackborow as a narrator. I found her voice very rich and felt that she did an excellent job of bringing the novel’s various characters vividly to life.

Overall, I found ‘The Housekeepers’ a highly engaging work of historical crime fiction that delighted from start to finish. Alex Hay clearly had undertaken considerable research into life in Edwardian London and was able to translate this into a powerful immersive experience. There were thrills and wry humour throughout.

After this impressive debut, I will be looking out for news of Alex Hay’s future projects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

One of my favourite podcasts, All About Agatha, have a saying as they read and review each Agatha Christie novel: "never underestimate the help". And this couldn't be more true for The Housekeepers by Alex Hay.

When housekeeper, Mrs King, is dismissed from her role at a luscious house in Mayfair, she has a plan. A plot that has been brewing for quite some time. She plans to pull off one of the biggest heist from her former employer. And she knows who she can call on to pull it off...

A black-market queen, an actress, a seamstress, a former housekeeper. All have a reason for the heist to work. But can they pull it off while the Mistress of the house is planning to host the biggest ball of the season?

Well, that was as fun, delicious romp. Imagine Ocean Eight's meets Upstairs Downstairs and this is what you get. And with the audiobook, you can hear that the narrator (Jasmine Blackborow) was having fun with this as well, and that is always a good sign.

The writing was solid, the story was solid, the characters were likeable, I had such fun with this.

So, I hear you ask, why did I give it only four stars on Goodreads? It took a while for me to sink into this world and warm to the characters. Once I was in, I was in. But it did take a while for me to warm up to this and want our characters to succeed.

If this doesn't get picked up to become a TV series or a movie, I will eat my hat. It deserves a faithful adaptation!

If you want a fun heist caper, this is the book for you.

This is a story of a heist, where a collection of women who are striving to make a place for themselves in society, decide to help themselves by liberating the riches of a dead man, Wilhelm De Vries, who may have been a criminal but was certainly crooked. The mastermind is the ex-housekeeper Mrs King, but many of her female gang have a connection to the De Vries household, and as their stories are revealed you are wanting them to succeed. But there is also Wilhelm′s daughter who also has ambitions which will be thwarted if the heist succeeds, so the reader also gets to admire her plotting.
The heist is going to take place on the night of a costume ball, and the countdown to the ball gives a sense of movement to the narration.
The narrator Jasmine Blackborow conveys a good range of emotions and manages to delineate the women for the most part although they are from similar backgrounds so can′t sound too different from each other.
The story is complete in itself, but I could see there being a new heist with the same crew, although it would be difficult to top the scope of their first scheme.

Loved this book, nice steady start developing all the characters and the connections. Found it very entertaining and hilarious in places although it was meant to be very serious and formal. The plot is well planned and executed well with some twists at the end. You don't mess with Mrs king and her band of very reliable ladies, revenge is also best served cold. There has been a great deal of research done for the historical and social history, very well done. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

A really enjoyable take on a heist but with a historical twist. I found the story slow to start but once you’re past the first few chapters the story speeds up

This was a good story with some funny bits. It was good to listen to while pottering in the house. I loved the cover and the narration was easy to listen to.

This was a fun, adventurous read. A great heist where you root for the anti-heroine and with all the complicated planning, can’t quite believe if it will really be pulled off.

There are some dark undertones to this book yet the dark humour gives the book its edge. The characters are more than what they seem and the back stories that are revealed throughout add layers to the heist plot. What I couldn’t keep up with was the number of characters. The narration was flawless yet there were so many characters, it was difficult to remember each of their relevance to the story and where they fit in with the heist. The pacing was slow from start to finish which only added to my confusion as I tried to remember who was who. I did connect with the main two characters and stayed interested in how their strained relation would work out in the end.

I’d recommend to readers who enjoy historical crime with glamour and complexity.

I do enjoy a good heist story, one where the mark has been carefully chosen and every little detail planned to the most exacting perfection. This story is just that. A fiendishly clever group of women plotting a most audacious crime - empty the entire contents of one of London’s biggest houses on the night of its costume ball. The women behind this masterpiece each have their own motives for carrying out this particular act and together they are truly unstoppable. I thought this was highly entertaining and I can really imagine it as a terrific film! Full of brilliant characters and as the cover quite rightly says, never underestimate the women downstairs!
The audiobook is well narrated by Jasmine Blackborow: she brings each of the characters to life and the story flows with good pace and sense of anticipation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

I was dissapointed with this audiobook as the description and cover attracted me but I found the story itself poor. It is the first time I've ever abandoned a book before I'm finished, although I may have finished it if it was a physical copy instead of audio. I found the narrators accents naff and was not engaging to keep me listening, overall boring. I will give 3* to be fair as I did not finish, but personally would not recommend.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

3 stars. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. Maybe a book more suited for my mum?

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay was a great exploration into the hidden lives to those who worked downstairs and it was perfectly fine. The writing was easy to follow and well written and the audio narration by Jasmine Blackborow was a perfect choice and well executed.

This book would be perfect for readers of Stacey Halls and similar works as the book provided an action packed narration while still managing to keep a cosy connection to the characters and kept you rooting for their antics. It also works as a good introduction to the historical genre as while the setting is always present, it is still relatable for a modern audience without the historical knowledge.

I did, however, find some parts of the story to he lacking and I am not sure I would have finished the book without the audio. I felt the story did wander a bit and at times became a little unbelievable. I also felt not all concepts were fully explained and were there purely to push the plot along without any real substance. I thought the idea of the story sounded great but I am not sure it was the perfect execution for me unfortunately. Hence the 3 stars.

Despite all this, i would still recommend this book if you are looking for an easy historical read that isn't too intense but still holds action. I would also not rule our reading another book from the author in the future.

I would like to thank Netgally and the publishers for an early access to this audiobook for an unbiased review.

On the night of London's grandest ball in 1905, Mrs. King and her eclectic group of women have planned a heist to take all the prized possessions of Manor house right under the noses of its owner and her esteemed guests. It's going to be the heist of the century!

After being thrown out of the Manor House because she was seen in the men's quarters after hours, revenge is on Mrs. King's mind and she gathers a group of women who can help her do it — 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, with her own desire for vengeance. But through this heist, they not only discover the hidden treasures of this house but also its dark secrets.
Will they be able to pull it off? or will they get derailed? or will they be betrayed by someone of their own?

This was a very interesting character driven story and each character was so distinct and unique that I had a great time with them! I absolutely loved the two Janes! They were very entertaining. The plot was clever and the book had a lot more going on than what the synopsis suggested.
But I felt that the heist itself could have used some work. I wanted more details on how they're getting things done. It did not wow me or surprise me that much and I also felt that the heist sort of took a back seat by the end of the book.

All in all, it was pretty entertaining and I had a good time. The audiobook narrator gave a great performance in this book which elevated my enjoyment of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alex Hay, and Headline Publishing for giving me an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love historical novels set during the Victorian and Edwardian periods and so was looking forward to listening to The Housekeepers, set in London in 1905.
When housekeeper Mrs King is dismissed from her position at a grand Park Lane house she comes up with a plan to take revenge on the household.
This worked so well as an audiobook. Jasmine Blackborow is a fantastic narrator, she differentiates between the characters well and I enjoyed the range of accents and voices she used. The novel did become a little slow paced for me in the middle section with some overly long descriptive sections but apart from this it was a well paced and enjoyable listen enhanced by the narrator.
3.5 stars for the novel and 4 stars for the narration.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this digital audiobook.

What a ride! I loved the concept of this novel and listening to the audio book didn’t disappoint. The revealing back story which explained why this unlikely but strong group of women want revenge on a rich family, is dark and intriguing. The connections between the women and their loyalties and disputes added a depth to this 1905 set Oceans 8. It was historically believable but had a modern twist, which I really enjoyed.
The novel is written with a clock ticking down to the day of a ball where a robbery will take place, and the tension builds beautifully. The cast of characters are warm, funny and likeable. The narration is well done and I was able to follow the plot and large ensemble with ease. I will definitely be recommending this book, in audio or on paper.

3.5 stars

I really liked the look of the premise of this story and jumped at the chance for an audiobook ARC.

Set in London at the start of the twentieth Century, it follows several strong female 'downstairs' characters as they plan a heist timed perfectly to take place during a ball. It is not just the heist storyline which does take quite a bit of build up, there are a few side stories and other characters to follow which make interesting reading.

I enjoyed the audiobook narration and think the narrator did well with all the different characters.

I really enjoyed this book, audiobook’s are fast becoming a favourite because you can listen and do other things.
I the characters to be dynamic and intriguing. The story had layers and layers which I found kept the story really good and didn’t want to put it dow. Overall if you like mystery and a great plot this is a perfect book for that 4.5 stars.

Not too bad at all. I listened to this on audio (I don't think it would have been as good in hard copy) and the narrator was good, with a pleasant voice and clear enunciation. Readers shouldn't expect anything like historical accuracy - let's face it, the concept is ridiculous for the era - but putting that aside, and suspending a modicum of disbelief, there are no majorly hideous howlers of historical blunders, or at least, nothing like as bad as I've heard in other "historical" novels.
The book's main strength is in its pacing, and I must say it kept me weeding in the garden far longer than I had intended, as the tension mounted and I waited to see whether the ladies would get away with their heist. Peppered throughout the countdown to the big day are flashbacks from the main characters, which give us an insight into their reasons for doing it, and - of course - the revelations of their real relationships. And Hay's skill in portraying the characters, in conjunction with a skilled narrator, draws the reader in, investing one in the outcome, which only increases the tension.
I wasn't madly keen on the postscripts at the end, they were a bit too emotional for my taste. but I'm sure many readers will appreciate the tying up of loose ends.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own, but I'll definitely be recommending it to my audio book clientele.

Absolutely loved this brilliant audiobook. I went in to reading The Housekeepers blind and didn't really know what the story was. I knew it was going to be historical fiction and an 'upstairs downstairs' story but that was all. What I discovered was a fantastic crime thriller, heist novel that had me totally addicted. I listened on a long journey to Devon and back and the miles just flew by. I loved Mrs King and Mrs Bone. In fact I loved the whole cast of misfit characters and their audacity in pulling off one of the crimes of the century! I thought the narrator did a really fantastic job with a huge cast of characters. This was an engaging story and I very much look forward to more from this author.

Rating: 4.25

A thought-provoking novel - would recommend

I was hooked with listening to this from the first minute. Well narrated and excellently plotted. Lots of twists and turns, and sweeping themes. The characters were also very likeable although I think more could have been done to draw them out earlier on.

Like a Downton Abbey where the downstairs rebel!

I was surprised how much I hated this book and was glad to finish it.
It really isnt my thing.It wasnt helped by the audiobbook's reader's novel style of pronunciation. Any words from "olden days" are said in an arch style whilst names and even common nouns and verbs are delivered in a mosy peculiar way. Ermine, the fur is " er-mine" for example and silent letters e are unisually pronounced in the middle of words.
It sounded at the begining as if a mock Dickens dtory then degenerated to 21st century Eastenders with the occassional 1980s Boycie style of delivery - most odd.
Trying tyo set this aside, it's hard to be fair to the actual book. But I did not enjoy it.
It seems to be a lighthearted caper, but it's so dark. Overlooking modern expressions such as "Been there, done that." It's probably very well researched but so incredibly dark. No doubt based on true scandals but as if out to settle scores rather than be entertaining.