Samantha Hayes never fails to deliver and this book is no exception. It is totally enthralling from the first to the last page. Why was the housekeeper there? What was she looking for? Do you ever really know who is in your home? Do you really know your friends? I found myself holding my breath in parts. I would highly recommend this. I was totally enthralled. It had twists and turns, a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC of Her Housekeeper.

Samantha Hayes delivers a masterful psychological thriller in Her Housekeeper, keeping readers on edge from the first page to the last. The story follows Gina and her husband, Matt, who temporarily move into a friend’s house after a fire destroys their home. The setup seems ideal until Mary, Annie's housekeeper, arrives unannounced, bringing an unsettling energy to the household. As Mary and her mysterious son Tyler insert themselves further into Gina’s life, Gina’s gut warns her something is wrong—yet she finds herself increasingly entangled in their unsettling behavior.

The novel unfolds from Gina's perspective, offering readers insight into her mounting paranoia and maternal instincts as she tries to protect her young children. Hayes expertly builds tension, weaving between the past and present to reveal hidden secrets among Gina and her childhood friends, the "GALS." This backstory adds depth to the mystery, as past friendships and rivalries resurface, slowly exposing the twisted motives driving the present-day chaos.

One of Hayes’s strengths is her ability to create characters who feel real, flawed, and compelling. Gina’s naivety can be frustrating, but it’s understandable given her fatigue as a new mother and the reassurance from her friend Annie. Mary’s sinister presence creates a tense atmosphere that heightens the suspense, while her disturbing past hints at a dark motive that keeps the reader guessing.

The twists come at just the right pace, each revelation building toward a climax that’s as shocking as it is satisfying. Hayes balances suspense with psychological depth, leaving readers both intrigued and unnerved by the secrets lurking in ordinary lives.

Overall, Her Housekeeper is an addictive, twisty thriller that explores friendship, betrayal, and the haunting ways the past can come back to find us. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a gripping, character-driven psychological mystery.

A new Samantha Hayes book? Always a big fat yes from me! I’ve been a fan of this author for years now and I know that she never lets me down-her books are like a comfort blanket for me to snuggle into knowing I will not be disappointed. Her Housekeeper was a fantastic read and even though I thought from the start that I knew exactly where the plot was taking me, Samantha Hayes had a few perfect twists up her sleeve to wipe the smugness from my face!

Gina and her husband Matt have had a terrible fire at their home and are lucky enough to be able to stay at their friend Annie’s home whilst she is away travelling. Annie’s housekeeper Mary is also at their disposal while they stay there but Gina doesn’t quite trust her. When Gina discovers Annie snooping around, she handles it very politely but she is still on her guard and so she should be! Gina is a new mum with a baby and a challenging toddler to deal with so she’s tired and tiredness affects our ability to see what’s often right in front of us. So I wasn’t frustrated with Gina and her naivety because she had a lot on her plate and her contact with Annie reassured her that all was well.

The themes of friendship between the female characters is handled perfectly as the reader meets them in the past-where secrets are gradually revealed-to their present lives. There are some upsetting scenes sometimes as those secrets unravel in the present. What happened all those years ago and what does it have to do with the woman now working for Annie? I definitely thought I knew but things aren’t quite what they seem…

I loved this book so much and devoured it in one afternoon. It’s a gripping read full of unreliable narratives that pull you into the nightmare of who do you trust when you’re in trouble? Her Housekeeper is a warning to all that sometimes the past catches up with you in unexpected ways!

Highly recommend!

Her Housekeeper is a wild, unsettling ride that had me hooked from page one! This psychological thriller follows a seemingly innocent housekeeper who worms her way into a family’s life with an agenda she keeps chillingly hidden. The story is full of tension as she digs into the mother’s secrets while weaving herself deeper into their home. As the layers peel back, the mystery unfolds with shocking twists that kept me guessing. Hayes’ storytelling is gripping, suspenseful, and packed with enough psychological twists to make it impossible to put down. A must-read for fans of thrillers!

now this book is so Addictive. Gina and her husband and children have moved into Annie her best friend's house as there was a fire at their house Annie is travelling. On their first day there, the doorbell goes a woman says she Annie housekeeper. Her name is Mary. then a couple of days later she moves into the house with her son, this story will take you too past and present. of what happened to their friend it's just so good gripping twisty and sad

Who is Mary, really? Gina and her husband Matt are staying at her friend Annie's house while their own is being renovated and Annie is out of the country. Or is she? Mary shows up one day claiming to be Annie's housekeeper and then she moves in. Boy does she move in. This sets off one way and then turns into a tale of old secrets coming back to haunt. It's got some plot holes but it's also got some good twists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

Gina and her husband are invited to stay at Gina's friend's house while their house is undergoing repairs following a fire. Annie's house comes complete with an unexpected, daily housekeeper, Mary. Gina has doubts about Mary's position and her trustworthiness, but texts from Annie reassure Gina that Annie's background has been fully checked. When Mary moves into the spare room at Annie's house, along with her teen aged son, Gina's sense of unease increases and she isn't sure that she knows the whole story about Mary.

The first part of the book was a bit slow and somewhat repetitive. I felt frustrated with Gina's oversight of not checking out the legitimacy of Annie's texts when she knew that there was something a bit 'off' about them. Part way through the book, I was thinking of a three-star rating. However, the absolutely unexpected and stunning twist in Mary's identity made me like the book a little better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book had some twists and turns that I didn't see coming; however, there were a few times the author really tested my ability to see someone in a different light than the role they originally played so well.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would give it 3 stars.

Gina and her husband have a house fire, and Annie, her friend from school invited them to stay in her house while she is out of the country. When a lady named Mary knocks, and says she’s the housekeeper, Gina thinks nothing of it. But it is strange that she caught her going through belongings……..
This was intense and was filled with many secrets and lies from the past to the present! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

I am always delighted when a new Samantha Hayes book comes out! This one was great, I thought it was going to be a bit predictable at first but luckily I was mistaken and it veered off into a very unexpected direction! Great thriller and quite dark at times.

I thought the pacing of this book was a bit slow for my liking. The story itself was decent but there were few plot holes that I had trouble looking over.

I received a free copy of ‘Her Housekeeper’ by Samantha Hayes through Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I loved this book, it was an easy read and fast paced, I only stopped reading to sleep and work! From the off, you were introduced to characters and given information to make you question what was going to happen and who was linked with who. As I was reading, I thought I had figured out some of the twists, but not the final plot twist, I did not see that one coming! The ending was summed up well and not drawn out. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Samantha Hayes.

Samantha Hayes is one of my go to authors when I fancy a good psychological thriller and this one didn't disappoint. I spent a lot of this book silently shouting at Gina for being such a walkover especially as Mary's behaviour became stranger and stranger but that made me even more stunned at the twists and turns. Every time I thought we knew all there was to know about what happened to Sara there was another shock to be had. This author can do no wrong, her books just get better and better, each one is well worthy of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy of Her Housekeeper. It took awhile for Gina to check out Mary, that was frustrating for me. Then Mary and Matt had their arms around one another?? Gina never said anything, a bit ridiculous. Matt was a disgusting character totally despicable. The ending was so far fetched. All in All an unbelievable book but fast reading which is always good.

This was a bit too slow paced for me. I'm giving it a 3-star because it is well written and the beginning of the story is very interesting and ultimately so are the main plot twists, but the truth is I skipped most of it, especially midway because I got bored with the pacing. At one point, there were too many characters at play for my taste, but hey - it's well written and for the first 25% I was really into it.

4.5 ⭐️ - ''Her Housekeeper'' absolutely is a gripping psychological thriller with a lot of twists, it does not disappoint!

The story is about Gina and her husband Matt, who move into their friend Annie's house, after their house got destroyed in a fire. Soon Annie's housekeeper Mary shows up and insists on keeping on going with her job while Annie is on holiday. From that moment, a lot of strange things start to happen.

From the outset, Samantha Hayes crafts a tense atmosphere, skillfully weaving together multiple perspectives and the past and present, that keep the reader guessing. Slowly you will discover what happened many years ago and why that is still important in the present. I loved that at one point the GALS group is brought together and things start to unravel.

The author builds suspense gradually, layering small revelations that culminate in a thrilling climax.. I did NOT see that coming, what a twist! I just couldn't put the book down.

If you are a fan of books from Freida McFadden, you are going to love this one too, I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Twisty coming of age story about four devoted friends and what happens when of them disappears. The lives of the three remaining friends go in different directions.but they remain close. Then, the past comes back to haunt them and someone decides they must pay. The characters are well developed and believable. It was descriptive and I could visualize the scenery. The pace is fast as I turned pages in anticipation of the next twist and I wasn’t disappointed up to and including the final, big twist at the end.

This was another interesting read from the author. In addition to good mystery and suspense, the author adds enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested and page turning. This is a book which I would recommend to others who enjoy a good mystery.

You let her in and must now suffer the consequences is the premise of this latest gripping page turner by Samantha Hayes.
Gina, her husband Matt and two children are currently house sitting for her schoolfriend Annie who's away on a luxury holiday. Their home burnt down a few weeks previously so are staying whilst it's being rebuilt. A knock at the door one day brings Mary into the house, she says she's Annie's housekeeper. But not all is as it seems and tragic events from the past threatens all Gina knows.
As with all of Samantha's books the twists come thick and fast right to the last page. The book is told from the perspective of Gina and Mary and has short snappy chapters that keep you engrossed and engaged with the story.
I'm grateful to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I will post my review on Goodreads, Bookmory and Storygraph now and on Amazon on publication day