Adelais, partially disabled by polio meaning she must wear a leg brace and use a stick, is a determined young woman. Her parents are each increasingly absorbed in their own mental turmoil for reasons she does not fully understand. Her father is neglecting his business and has turned to drink, and her mother has embraced a life of prayer and good works in an effort to seek forgiveness for some unknown sin. Only her Uncle Cornelius recognises Adelais has the necessary spirit to overcome the obstacles she faces, setting her challenges such as learning to use a handcycle. He describes them as kindred spirits and treats her as a kind of protege, seeing in her a strength of will her parents seem no longer to possess.

Adelais’s success gives her the confidence to tackle other challenges, such as learning to dance, although she also has another very particular reason for wanting to do this following a chance encounter. That encounter gives rise to a friendship and a shared dream but one which will require a huge amount of money to achieve. The property she inherits on the death of her uncle which, curiously, given its rundown state is protected by nine sturdy locks and latches, offers a means to achieve this. She sets about acquiring the skills required with the dogged determination her uncle must have hoped and planned for. It’s an activity that involves months of practice to achieve the necessary degree of perfection and, having mastered it, Adelais embarks on a criminal enterprise with the help of her friend Saskia for whom the whole thing is something of a lark. They have success beyond their wildest dreams but slowly things begin to fall apart.

Meanwhile Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie is obsessed with a crime that has frustrated his efforts to solve it for years. It’s become a personal crusade, one he approaches with fanatical zeal spending hours poring over evidence he has accumulated and trying to detect patterns that will lead him to the culprit. His life in other respects has been a failure but solving this could bring him the recognition he craves. His superiors have come to think of it as a lost cause and a waste of police time but he’s determined to prove them wrong.

Although we always know more than both characters, the tension comes from Adelais never realising quite how close she becomes to being discovered and de Smet never quite realising how close he is to solving the case, or how easy it is to be distracted by prior assumptions.

By this time in the book you may have forgotten the events of the opening chapter but in a series of revelations we discover the answers to many things. It’s a brilliantly constructed bringing together of many threads in the story. But for Adelais, it sheds an entirely new – and unwelcome – light on the enterprise she has been engaged in leaving her with some difficult moral choices.

The House with Nine Locks is an enthralling historical mystery. I loved Adelais and the skilfully crafted plot kept me turning the pages, including looking out for the items that feature on the cover.

This was an intriguing mystery set in a period and place I know very little about and after a slow start it became an gripping read.
Adelais, blighted by polio which has crippled one of her legs, is born into a religious family. As WW2 ends her father finds it hard to get work, so the family is barely making ends meet. Along comes Uncle Cornelius who believes despite her disability, that Adelais can do anything.
The characters in the story are all completely different and well drawn, from Adelais very pious mother, to her drunken father and her friend Saskia, who is somewhat wild and unreliable initially. To say more about any of them or more about the plot would spoil the story for another reader but suffice to say no one quite turns out to be what they seem.
As I said, a rather sluggish start but the book picks up pace and I very much enjoyed it. There was an intriguing amount of detail about one activity in the story and the setting and historical details read well.
With thanks to Netgalley and Vintage Books for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

This is a very interesting book to read as I don’t normally read these types of historical books. Both the book cover and the blurb is what drew me in and so I had to give it a go!

In the beginning, it was quite slow paced as it’s trying to build up a background story of young Adelais and her family members but around 35% into the book, the pace starts to pick up from there and I could not stop reading. When Adelais was much older, she finds out that her Uncle has passed away and her name was in his will which his shuttered house gets passed onto her. She has no idea what had been going on in the house however as time went by, she finds out what her uncle had been working on in that house. She follows in her uncle’s footsteps and that’s when she experiences a whole new life ahead of her.

I think every character in this book was very captivating in their own way. I definitely really enjoyed Adelais and Saskia’s friendship as well as their business partnership and also loved experiencing Adelais and Sebastian’s relationship. The author’s writing style was very good and was quite easy to follow through.

This book was definitely a thrilling cat and mouse chase as it had been described and it was definitely intriguing to be on that journey with Adelais. It was lovely to dive myself into the 1950s, 60s and 70s era where there wasn’t that much advance technology involved. Also, there was this plot twist that took me by surprise which I did not expect and I will not spoil it at all!

This book eventually became a very entertaining read but it took a lot of determination not to give it up. The slowness of the pace of the first third of the book was painful. Thankfully it did pick up and all the layers of the story began to become interesting. In the end this was a cleverly constructed plot with a surprising ending but the slow beginning let it down.

A very clever book, which was not at all what I was expecting. I was totally caught up in the story, and the ending, although satisfying, was very unexpected. I will definitely be recommending this book.

I really enjoyed reading this. It starts giving the impression that everything is going to be a bit too goody goody with Adelais the girl with Polio rescuing her Prince Charming from drowning in the river then becoming best friends with Sebastian despite the difference in their backgrounds. But after Adelais receives the keys to the house with nine locks , the story becomes much darker with Adelais in cahoots with Saskia a wilder childhood friend. Their relationship is interesting and the reader is never sure what Saskia is going to do next or what her motives are , while Adelais is more simply trying to live out a dream made possible by her uncle Cornelius who dotes on Adelais. Some event in the past has affected her parents deeply with her mother turning to religion and her father to drink. Throughout the book we gradually discover what events in the past are behind these changes and how a major forgery enterprise has influenced things.
Major de Smet is the Flemish gendarme who is investigating the bank note forgeries and we soon discover that as well as being dedicated to his work he is also a bit too obsessed with this case for his own good, especially as there is rivalry and ill feeling between the Flemish and the French speakers in postwar Belgium.
The characters were all very real and believable and the story kept me hooked , always wondering whether De Smet was ever going to solve the case.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for the ARC

If you like mystery, you will easily like this book.
But if you had a reading experience similar to mine, having read mysteries when younger, and started to look for more than the mystery, you will love this book (phew, such a twist there).
Set in 1950s-1960s Belgium/Flanders, based on the movie references, we follow Adelais. She has a leg disability resulting from polio.
Adorable Adelais has adorable friends.
The story has many layers, one of which is the mystery behind what was left to Adelais by her uncle.
Forgery, guessing, anticipation, solidarity, standing up for yourself were some of the themes very well dealt with in this book.
The story took a while to start, however once it did, it was engaging and fresh.
I enjoyed the writing thanks to the detailed depictions. Cary Grant - and one particular prince’s comparison was a funny detail - the story had its light moments.

Unfortunately this book just isn't for me, and I have decided not to finish it, around page 100.

It's felt like a slog just to get through the first 100 pages because, really, not much seems to be happening. Just the events of the first two sentences of the blurb haven't yet happened, and another review suggests I'll have to wait till at least the 30% mark.

It's written well and, from what I've seen, doesn't sound like a bad book at all and probably would have been something I would have enjoyed if it had just picked up quicker.

When Adelais inherits a house in a run down part of Ghent soon discovers why it has nine locks on its doors and bars on the window. The house and its contents changes the life of this young woman for ever. and from them she literally forges a completely new life. From being a poor, lonely girl with a prosthetic leg, absentee mother and drunken father she succeeds in becoming the glamorous hostess of her own elegant hotel.
Phillip Gray has set this novel in the 1950's and has succeeded brilliantly tin conveying the atmosphere of that post-war era. The background of poorly lit streets, seedy bars and drearily dressed people , where the only entertainment seems to be the cinema and the occasional ball, utterly justifies why Adelais would do almost anything to break free.
Yes, there are one or two moments where there may be too much reliance on co-incidence to drive the plot forward, but these are minor niggles in what is a genuinely absorbing book. All the characters are sharply and empathetically defined and the twists and reveals in the plot come as genuine surprises.
The story's originality, its well balanced pace and the excellently nuanced definition of the characters thoroughly merits a 4 star rating and I highly commend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense and surprise in their reading.

Remarkable tale!
We are in Brussels post WWII with a fire at a warehouse where engraving is done. The dead body of the nightwatchman Verlinden is found leaving his wife Lisebeth a widow with two children in poverty. Major Salvator de Smet is the police inspector with a photographic memory investigates - is it a simple case of accidental death or are there political links (Flemish/German collaborators - even Communists) and then concerns over the engraving business which provided printing for bank notes.
The characters are incredibly interesting from the beginning. Adelais de Wolf is the daughter of a watchmaker who is also a drinker and gambler. Her mother suddenly turns to religion and becomes neglectful of her daughter who, suffering from a deformed leg due to childhood polio has to rapidly be independent.
Kindly Uncle Cornelius loves his niece "You've sharp eyes, little wolf" and gives her a tricycle to ride using handlebars. On her trips out she literally bumps into then saves a young boy Sebastien and their friendship, dreams, growing love spans the story in affectionate and arc a lot of the plot.
Along with her female friend Saskia, Adelais is later left another life changing inheritance from her uncle when he dies. This will dramatically change her fortunes. This leads to the house of the book title and a profession Adelais could never have imagined would be part of her life.
But life on the edge always returns to Smet, lurking to trace counterfeit banknotes with the Tournai Forger. As their lives collide, will Adelais's hopes and dreams be met or will it all tumble around her?
Loved this different novel and could imagine the characters fully formed in my mind. The setting of Belgium was different and its historical context added to the interest greatly.
Thanks so much to Netgalley for offering this book for reading and reviewing. I recommend it thoroughly.

This was a great read. The fast pace meant I got caught up in the story and kept turning the pages to find out what happened. I don't usually read books in the genre but I liked the cover and glad I tried something different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy.

This was a real delight to read, well written, well paced and with plenty of twists and at no point did I lose track of what was happening.
The story starts in Flanders shortly after the war with an arson attack leaving a young widow, the policeman investigating is sure there is more than just some political opportunism, when forged 500 franc notes start to turn up he is convinced. Here starts a game of cat and mouse covering several years.
We also meet Adelaide, a young girl affected by polio, gifted a hand operated tricycle by her uncle, she finds her freedom, leading her to save a boys life, forming a firm friendship with Sebastian, whose life she saved when he fell off his bike into the canal.
Her uncle leaves her the lease to a building, which is secured with nine locks, the reason for the security is soon clear, inside is a treasure trove.
A great read and I thank NetGalley for the chance to read it.

An excellent story that has surprises throughout, there are two strong female characters and a most unusual crime undertaken in post war Flanders.
Adelais is a young woman, with a disability, somewhat mollycoddled by her parents, and she fights against these restrictions in a defiant manner.
Her beloved Uncle Cornelis dares her to undertake activities that others feel she can not achieve, but she manages to become more independent when she is given an invalid carriage that is controlled by her hands and she sets off to explore her local area with the companionship of Sebastian and Saskia.
Her Uncle leaves her the titular house upon his death, she explores the hidden and forbidden secrets and becomes a brilliant forger. This money will be used as compensation for previous injustices, in a sacrificial, yet totally justifiable way.
When the females turn the house into a Casino, the fun really starts! The Police become interested, and family and staff loyalties are tested in many demanding scenarios.
What an adventure, who says that crime doesn’t pay! I really wanted Adelais to succeed in her endeavours, whether they were criminal or not.
I loved the characters of Adelais and Saskia, disability doesn’t mean stupid, their friendship is supportive and loyal .
I thought that Sebastian had a stronger role at the beginning of this story, but he became more of a bit player towards the end, a fairly weak and beaten person, I felt.
Uncle was an absolute charmer and rogue, with that hint of danger that made him appear very attractive. Only out for himself I’m afraid, that was an interesting twist.
The story keeps the reader guessing. There is manipulation, control and complex themes here. Is crime ever justified?
A five star read. My thanks to Netgalley for my e- ARC freely given in return for my honest review. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon upon publication.

A thoroughly absorbing and different crime story. set in post war Belgium. The story follows the life of Adelais, a young disabled girl who unexpectedly inherits a ramshackle house from her uncle. This leads her to start a criminal life of forgery to try and help her family out of poverty. Meanwhile the police have been trying to find out the identity of the person behind the forgeries for a number of years. As the story unravels I became invested in the characters and the inevitability of the police closing in on Adelais.. I so wanted Adelais to succeed. I encourage everyone to read this book and hope they enjoy it as much as I did especially the conclusion.

A wonderfully absorbing and immersive read, both extremely well written and cinematic in it's description making it easy to visualise and follow.

Set in the late 1950's in a post war Flanders this is a dual storyline following a detective and his long term hunt for a master forgery operation and young Adelais de Wolf, who we first meet as a child and follow into young adulthood.

We learn of Adelais and her backstory along with her parents and uncle, and how she comes to meet Sebastian and first visits a neglected large house that Sebastian dreams of owning when he is older. Challengers along the way allow us to get to know Adelais as we read of the events in her young life that shape her and how she becomes involved in the story's plot.
With a wonderful mix of mystery, suspense and well formed characters and an enticing blend of high tension and quieter more tender moments, the book kept me engaged throughout.
An imaginative and interesting storyline which allows the reader to fully understand what's going on and brilliantly paced leading to a cat and mouse chase towards the end that ends the book brilliantly.
I hadn't heard of this author before and will now definitely be reading his previous novel.

Strange, gripping and mysterious. I found it really thought provoking and fascinating, and the story genuinely kept my interest throughout the book. The writing style is very unique and unlike anything I've ever read before, definitely in a good way!

An absorbing story told from two sides of the crime of forged money. A ten year quest by the police and the story of Adeline growing up and taking on an unlikely career. Set in Belgium in the late 1950s, a very enjoyable read.

This is a wonderful, very different, crime detective story. I was initially lost, when a few chapters in there was a seeming jump in the story line. But reading on I was captivated and drawn into Adelais’ life, and found I had a hard time putting the book down. Soon all becomes clear as the story moves forward, and the tension starts to rise. Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

If you want a book to keep you guessing at what might be coming next, with amazing character development and subtle POV changes that give the perfect complete picture of the story this might just be the book for you.

Upon finishing this novel it instantly became one of my favourites of 2024 (it was also my last book of the year). Plus, the little Easter egg hunt embedded in the story adds a fun layer to the reading experience.

Part family history, part coming of age, and large part heist this book has a little something for everyone. Plus I can't say I've read many novels set in post WW2 Belgium so it made for a novel reading experience.

The House with Nine Locks is an intricately woven thriller of glamour, intrigue, and deception that had me hooked from the start. Set in post-war Belgium, the cat-and-mouse dynamic at the heart of the story is brisk and exciting, with each twist and turn elevating my anxiety.

When a notorious forgery operation comes to light, de Smet, a relentless investigator is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. At the centre of it all stand two fascinating women. One a master manipulator hiding a past she’s desperate to out-run and one, a brilliant yet underestimated player determined to thrive on her own, away from her wealthy family.

The theme of forgery was particularly fascinating, its complexity and the high stakes it carries added a unique tension to the plot. I really enjoyed the dual storylines which were brilliantly executed, overlapping seamlessly to create a narrative that feels both expansive and yet tightly controlled. A wonderful example of how a narrative can start wide, building a rich web of intrigue, only to narrow as the hunter closes in on his target. This gradual tightening creates a sense of inevitability that made the conclusion all the more impactful.

The House with Nine Locks is a clever, well-executed thriller that I would recommended for readers who enjoy sophisticated mysteries with strong, interesting women at their centre.

Thank you to the author and @vintagebooks for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.