The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay publishes January 30th with Headline and is described as ‘twisty and original’. Last year I reviewed The Housekeepers by Alex Hay where I said that it was an outrageous and entertaining plot and I think it’s safe to say that The Queen of Fives fits the same bill.

In the Author’s Note at the back of the book Alex Hay provides plenty of detail about the inspiration behind his latest novel and his wish to ‘conjure up yet another devious scheme‘. Using the notion of five card movements in a game invented by his imagined Queen of Fives, Alex Hay creates a wonderful character in Quinn Le Blanc. Central to this rather crooked and extremely inventive scheme is a rulebook, one that states, with very strict instructions, how the game is played and the penalties attached if failure ensues. The pure novelty of this idea for a plot appealed to me so I was looking forward to immersing myself in this Victorian escapade.

Quinn Le Blanc is a con-artist but once her history and personality are revealed, one cannot but be drawn into her madcap plans and the world of shadows she inhabits. The latest game that Quinn embarks on is one of a grand scale, unlike any she has participated in the past. Quinn is unafraid of risks and with her experience to date she has the confidence to expect successful results. She sets her sights on an influential family, in particular the bachelor son. The plan is simple, ensnare him, accept his hand in marriage and walk away with a heavy purse. Quinn knows this will be challenging but she has her aides and places complete trust in those loyal to her leadership.

But Quinn is very much unprepared for the scale of duplicity, greed and revenge that soon entraps her, causing her to rethink her plan and take seriously the possibility of a threat to her own life. What follows is a riotous escapade through Victorian society as trick outclasses trick and masquerades become confusing. Who really is the innocent party and who is the puppet-master controlling the strings?

The Queen of Fives is a rollicking romp through Victorian London, plunging the reader into a world of intrigue and danger, where appearances are deceiving and trust is a rare commodity. Alex Hay stated that in writing this novel he ‘deliberately played with some of the tropes of fin de siècle literature, a genre that revels in duality & savagery & repressed desire…’ giving the tale a really tantalising spin. The Queen of Fives is a wholly imaginative and creative story that will appeal to all who look for the fantastical element in their book choices. It’s pure entertainment, a perfectly delightful and beguiling read with plenty of twists and turns to keep most readers guessing.

The Queen of Fives follows competing cons in the laser-focus of the marriage market. It is a historical mystery with great characters and a fiercely compelling plot.

I really enjoyed The Housekeepers where Hay burst onto the scene. This is an equally scheming gem of a book with twists aplenty and a great mystery at its core. Hay has a great aptitude for creating these layered characters that are larger than the page. Within just a few lines, you have a complete sense of who they are and their motivations. Quinn is a formidable protagonist with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is intelligent, able to adapt and has a deep sense of loyalty for those she loves, though she is willing to do anything to succeed. However, this might not be quite the game that she is used to playing.

Hay has a subtlety to world-building, with some fascinating threads buried in here. Between The Queen of Fives, the con-school and the Kendal family, there is no shortage of rich detail that is excellent to delve into. There are so many tangled relationships and secrets within and a power system that is fantastic. I would happily read several spin-offs about elements of the book. You have so many questions, but part of the allure is the mystery. It is like magic, seeing the trick done is awe-inspiring, but so it discovering the set-up behind it. Sometimes it can feel like a house of cards though, with everything hanging on a precipice. As a reader you are aware of the foreboding force playing in the shadows. It adds more tension to a situation where the stakes are already sky-high. Placing this within the high society marriage market is ingenious. It adds in themes around class and gendered expectations, which are played with to decieve both those around them and the reader themselves.

The Queen of Fives is a high-stakes historical story with all the drama of the ‘big con’.

Quinn Le Blanc is the Queen of Fives, living at the Chateau with Mr Silk and their associates creating games to scheme and steal from the rich whilst sticking to a strict rule book. She has five days to become Miss Quinta White and broker a marriage as a false heiress.
I thought Alex Hay wrote the story well, I had a clear Victorian image in my mind of both the High Society and the grubby London Streets. I really enjoyed getting to know each character especially the characters of Quinn and Max Kendall but would have liked to read more of their joint story.
It was an enjoyable and easy to follow read with each chapter being from another perspective.
This story is very different to any other books I have read but I am glad I gave it a go. I will certainly be recommending Queen of Fives to anyone who loves a historical mystery book.

I loved reading this book, it is so well written and kept me gripped from start to finish. The characters and plot are so exciting to read and I look forward to reading anything by Alex Hay a must read author. My thanks to Netgalley, the Publishers and Alex Hay (The Author) for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I saw a blurb for this stating it was ‘a sheer delight from start to finish’

Hmppph I said with NY grumpiness we shall see about that

I now bow to the blurb writer as honestly I couldn’t have put it better myself

What a gem of a book, late 1800’s is described robustly via sights, sounds, smells, clothes, food, housing and the social snobbery of the era and in the middle of this is the ‘Queen of Fives’ who is the crime alternative of royalty and has 5 days and 5 stage to lure, catch, trap, keep and rob her victim ( that is a quick way to put it, the rules are much more intricate )

But all does not go to plan, at all and the story takes a real old romp through Victorian life with all its foibles and restrictions

The writing for me was magical, modern old fashioned terminology used understandably and joyfully versed…..everything about this book was a genuine pleasure

Loved every bit of it

What a book!
Set in 1898 in London, Quinn le Blanc, The Queen of Fives, head of the Chateau, a house of con women. She has five days to con the Duke into marrying her.
Intriguing, complex characters and jaw dropping twists.
I was taken back to living in Victorian London while reading this cunning, fast paced, historical thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC of this book.

'To be the Queen of Fives required a certain darkness after all. To deploy all sides of oneself, in the service of one's ambition. No queen could reign without some force'.

Quinn Le Blanc is the reigning Queen of Fives, queen of schemes, scams, lies and fraud, residing at the chateau. However, lately, her rouses have been routed and with debts mounting, she needs to pull off the biggest scheme of all, 'False Heiress', and nab a fortune from a titled fop. Quinn has given herself just five days to dupe a Duke but as her game continues, it appears that she's not the only two-faced player: everyone has secrets they are desperate to hide and ill intentions abound.

'The Queen of Fives' has more twists than a box of pretzels! After a bit of a slow start, I found this story to be a real page-turner; never knowing what path I'd next be led down. Although I'm not sure the ending quite worked for me, I appreciate wrapping up such a complicated plot is tricky. All in all this Victorian-set story is a fun and worthy read.

What a novel, an absolute wonder and delight. It was tricky to get into with so many characters and back stories, but the story shines and intrigues in equal parts,
There is a Rule book in play here, that gives steps about a planned confidence trick. Quinn le Blanc is a fraud, a confidence trickster, Queen of her very own underworld, who has plans to dupe a rich man, remove him from his fortune and then disappear, all this must be completed in the tight time space of five days. She is mistress of the Chateau, that was once a very profitable organisation, but now has mounting debts. Her proposed trick will hopefully pay off her debts, the Chateau never blackmails its clients, just gives gentle reminders of what is owed.
The rulebook gives a heading of each step in the game, The Mark, The Intrusion, The Ballyhoo, The Knot and finally The All In. Each step must be undertaken in order for success to be accomplished. This sounds simple, but life always deals hands that are hidden and complex in treachery.
This is real heart in the mouth reading, so many variables in play, one slip and all goes pear shaped.
I loved the character of The Duke, his character was stubborn and obstinate, he had his own plans about how events would turn out.
Quinn was beautifully drawn, determined and foolhardy at times, but not a character I warmed to.
Very Gothic in tone, with a side helping of betrayal and cross dressing to complete the story. Many old scores are settled, long running disputes come to the fore. I was very happy with this novel.
A five star read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Headline for my advanced eARC freely given in return for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

The Queen of Fives is a cleverly written compelling work of historical fiction.
Set in Victorian London with a brilliant cast of scheming characters it will keep you entertained and guessing until the very end.
Recommended to readers who enjoy stories about confidence tricksters.

This book takes us to Victorian England where we follow Quinn Le Blanc, the con woman Queen of Fives, who has five days and five moves to charm a wealthy man into marrying her.

I wanted to love this novel more than I actually did. The concept of the heist and the Rulebook of previous heists was captivating and there were lots of twists and turns. However, the book dragged somewhat and I found some aspects confusing. I think this would actually work better as a film or TV series as it has a lot of potential.

A recommended read for fans of The Housekeepers and historical fiction heists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Alex Hay’s first novel, The Housekeepers, about a group of servants staging a heist during a ball in a grand London house. I hoped for something similar from his next book – and that’s what I got! If anything, this one is more complex, ambitious and inventive.

It’s 1898 and Quinn Le Blanc has five days to convince the Duke of Kendal to marry her and trick him out of his fortune. Why five days? Because Quinn is the ‘Queen of Fives’, the leader of a network of London con artists based at a house known as The Chateau who play by a specific set of rules. Their current game is called False Heiress and there are a number of steps that have to be carried out on each day of the con. The Chateau has been operating for generations and there have been many previous Queens. During Quinn’s eight-year reign, however, things have started going wrong: debts are mounting and the house is falling into disrepair. She desperately needs this latest scheme to be a success.

Quinn is assisted by Mr Silk, whose job is to serve the Queen and to guard the all-important Rulebook, which contains the instructions for the Chateau’s various games. But watching from the shadows is the mysterious Man in the Blue Silk Waistcoat – and also the equally mysterious Woman in the Cream Silk Gown – who will do whatever it takes to stop Quinn in her tracks.

As you can see, this is an unusual story based on an unusual premise and, to be honest, I was never fully convinced by it. I didn’t really understand why it was so important to complete the game within five days and to stick so rigidly to the Rulebook, when allowing more time or adapting the rules to fit unforeseen circumstances could have made it easier to win. Still, I managed to just suspend disbelief and go along with it! After a slow start, with time spent introducing the characters and the history of the Chateau, things gradually pick up pace and by the middle of the book I was gripped.

As with The Housekeepers, the reader is in the rare position of wanting the villains, in this case Quinn and her friends, to succeed. However, we also get to know the victims, the Duke of Kendal and his sister, Tor (short for Victoria). Tor is a single woman in her thirties who still lives with her brother and their stepmother and she is worried about losing her home should the Duke decide to marry. Tor is immediately suspicious of the woman who appears out of nowhere and introduces herself as Miss Quinta White, but the Duke himself seems unsuspecting. Later, we discover that he has reasons of his own for wanting to marry quickly, so Quinn’s attentions aren’t unwelcome to him – though, of course, he has no idea who she really is or what her plans are.

There are some great twists towards the end of the book and although in hindsight I feel I should probably have seen them coming, I didn’t and was taken by surprise. I think overall I preferred The Housekeepers, but both books are fun and I’m already looking forward to a third book by Alex Hay, whenever and whatever that may be.

I loved it. It’s 1898 and in London Quinn Le Blanc is the Queen of Fives, the leader of the Chateau, a house of con women. There has been a lot of ‘work’ falling through and the house is in debt so Quinn is determined to pull a big job to repay their debts and restore their fortunes. In line with their rules she can only con a man who deserves it and has just five days to complete the con. She has set her mark, the Duke of Kendal, and the game is on.

Briefly, as wealthy heiress Miss Quinta White (Quinn), she arranges to be in the duke’s company at a number of grand events. But her path is full of obstacles, Tor, the Duke’s sister and his stepmother Lady Kendal and an unknown person who has a longstanding grudge with the queen of fives.

A fabulous mix of Victorian upper class life and the lower class crime community. There are so many secrets on both sides of the class divide and people playing both sides of the game. It was hard to decide who you could trust and who not to. Everyone is playing for high stakes and there are some brilliant double crosses coming. A well plotted and thrilling story full of lies and deception. A very entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Loved this - very different to the first story which was great. Loved the twist at the end

The Queen of Fives
Quinn Le Blanc who is also known as Miss Quinta White is a con woman making her way in Victorian London. Acknowledged as being at the top of her game and heavily in debt, she has set her sights on marrying the Duke of Kendal and fleecing him out of his fortune within five days. Hence her nickname, ‘The Queen of Fives.’ She is alone in the world and has survived on her skills throughout her life.
But there are indications that all is not well in her world. Silk, her factotum and fixer at the ‘fraud palace’, the Chateau, which was founded on ‘parting rich men from their fortunes’ is becomingly worried about deals falling through or debts accumulating and bills being unpaid. They need the money from the marriage to become solvent again. Someone is watching them from the shadows and coming closer. Someone who has returned to London who he had hoped never would. They plan to destroy Quinn.
The Kendals are a troubled family. Tor, the Duke’s sister, is headstrong and chafes against her role as a woman in Victorian society. But she is a wealthy woman in her own right and, with the support of their stepmother, she feels that her position within the family and their wider circle is assured. But she and Max, the Duke, made a pact to never marry and now suddenly he is. She and Lady Kendal have joined forces to prevent it.
And as events begin to career out of control it begins to lead to an explosive climax….
This is the author’s second book and is again fast paced and set in 1898, almost of the cusp of the 20th century. It’s as audacious as its predecessor, ‘The Housekeepers’ but it seems a little incredible that Quinn could present herself as an heiress and push her way into the Duke’s circle by various means within five days. But then he has his own motives for marrying so quickly.
I found that the mysterious character was a more interesting one than Quinn in that they don’t follow conventions and are adept at disguise. I felt that the author was far more interested in developing them than Quinn. ‘The Queen of Fives’ has the same rumbustious and audacious feel as ‘The Housekeepers’, the author’s previous book. In both books I had a strong sense of ‘Will they pull it off or not?’ Five days was an interesting time frame in which to frame the plot.
However, there is a long list of characters to keep track of with new, minor ones being introduced. The reader is told that Quinn is the greatest con artist and it would have been interesting to see her in action and more about her rise to the top before the main plot starts. The training for the rising generation of confidence tricksters is touched upon and it seemed to be a trade to aspire to.
It's a really twisty plot with multiple POVs and I couldn’t put the book down. Victorian London was really well created especially the rituals of society such as changing outfits several times in a day. I liked Silk as he supported Quinn and the Chateau. It was an intriguing piece of historical fiction which revealed another strata of Victorian London in which determined and upwardly mobile women could achieve their goals by nefarious means. I did not expect the climax or the ending. Looking forward to the author’s next book!
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

This book was very cleverly plotted, well written and had an interesting ending. But I can't say that I enjoyed it. Somethings about it felt like I was reading a YA novel and I couldn't really get on with the main character, Quinn le Blanc. An adventurous novel for a second publication and Alex Hay did well, but it just wasn't for me. 4 stars for the good writing and clever plotting. With thanks for an e-ARC to read and review.

Quinn Le Blanc is a grifter who has fallen on hard times. As the Queen of Fives she has 5 days and 5 moves to charm a wealthy man into marriage, with the help of Silk, her right-hand man. The novel is set in Victorian England.

I was intrigued reading the blurb for this book but sadly, for me, the novel didn't serve up what I expected from it. I found it difficult to engage with the characters as they sometimes didn't seem to know their own role in the novel so didn't come to life. I also thought that there was a lot of irrelevant detail which subtracted from the story - the novel could probably have been 100 pages shorter, which would have kept me more involved.

Having said this, there were lots of positives too - particularly some of the detail about Victorian England. I could see this being very successful as a TV adaptation

I was intrigued by the idea of Queen of Fives. A Victorian woman heading up a house of heists (the Chateau). Quin, the queen needs to secure funds to pay off The Chateau's debts and proposes to get Lord Kendal to marry her.
But in the background there is someone who is determined to ring Quin's reign down to become the new Queen of Fives.
Sadly, for me, the flow didn't work. I didn't get caught up in the plot sufficiently to get excited.

A thrilling, plot-twisting breathtaking novel where we follow Quinn, Queen of Fives, with her devious plan to con money out of her 'mark', a duke, and his dubious family. But who is manipulating whom? Set in London, we see Victorian Spitafields, bus to Marylebone and take coaches to electrically lit Mayfair, gallop through Hyde Park and race through St. James. There's even an unexpected trip to Chelsea. The book thrums with secrets. There is danger, mounting debts, glittering treasures, remorseless risks, exhilarating double-crossings and deception and a gripping, time ticking plot. The blood-red house in Berkley Square, the Duke's stronghold in Mayfair, is a deeply unsettling house. The author Alex Hay describes barely audible susurration in servants hidden stairways, as though the walls are filled with hidden, scurrying sounds. She describes the vinegar, kippers and champagne, the smell of orchids and ferns. Always a tension between the glittering wealth and a dark, unpleasant undertow squirming beneath the glossy surface. This is a brilliantly written, must-read, five stars of a book.

This is a great piece of historical fiction. This is a really compelling read with great characters who connect you to the story. I really loved Quinn and her second in command Silk. I liked their relationship and the way they worked together, which I felt have the story a certain charm. This is a well paced read with lots of well timed twists and turns and one explosive ending!

I found the premise of this book to be intriguing.
Quinn is the Queen Of Fives, The head con-artist in Victorian London, carrying out swindles and cons by following a strict set of time- honoured rules.
This con is called "False Heiress " and involves Quinn marrying a Duke in just 5 days.
However, the family that Quinn has set her sights on have their own secrets, that only confuse the issue.

There aren't too many characters to familiarise yourself with and the settings are all well researched and atmospheric.
I did struggle with how slowly I felt the story moved and there were a few times where I would find myself skimming pages, just to get to the important stuff.

I found the ending rather unlikely and unbelievable and i didn't feel a connection with any of the characters.

A disappointing read for me.