Title: The Housekeepers
Author: Alex Hay
Genre: Historical Mystery/ Thriller
Publisher: Headline
Pages: 416
Release Date: 6 July 2023
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Hello fellow booklovers! I'm back with a review for The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. A lush and exhilarating heist novel that deftly explores the splendour, decadence and corruption of upper class living in Edwardian London — through the eyes of the women who know it best.
Synopsis
The night of London's grandest ball, a bold group of women downstairs launch a daring revenge heist against Mayfair society in this dazzling historical novel about power, gender, and class.
Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.
When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: 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.
Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…
Review
I absolutely loved this! I devoured it at breakneck speed and was soo thoroughly ensnared I didn’t want it to end. The ensemble cast of characters were all well written and fabulously multilayered, breathing life and purpose into each of their nuanced (and intricately intertwined) backstories.
It is a multi POV story which alternates between the POVs of each co-conspirator: Mrs. King, Mrs. Bone, Winnie, Alice and the Janes, with each chapter cleverly serving as a countdown to the heist and each woman’s thoughts and feelings leading up to it.
The complexity involved, from the drip-fed snippets which allow us to slowly piece together the motivations behind each woman, to the anticipatory sense of urgency that creeps into every aspect of their plans—made for such an engrossing and thoroughly immersive experience. And the shocking twists and big reveals were AMAZING!
Naturally, given the focus on characters from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; wealth, class privilege and corruption play a huge role in plot and really amp up the girl gang/ female empowerment vibes (which I absolutely loved.) It does however touch upon aspects of life in domestic servitude that weren’t so great for everyone, so I do suggest checking any TWs beforehand.
That being said, Alex Hay does a spectacular job of navigating sensitive issues and topics in his engaging prose without veering into an exploitative territory.
I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything so I’ll leave things here, however I do think this needs to be adapted into a movie or TV show ASAP. I mean, women getting back at the rich and powerful people who’ve wronged them—I’d totally watch that!
So, If you loved the scheming, no holds barred grittiness of Peaky Blinders or enjoyed Downton Abbey-not for the Crawley family’s escapades, but for the compelling glimpses into the lives of their servants—then you’re definitely gonna enjoy this ambitiously pacey and delightfully audacious debut.
Also, a huge thank you to Caitlin Raynor and Headline books for the proof.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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