An unnamed young woman, age 21, applies for a job as housemaid at Highwood Hall, home of the Howards. Her mother had worked here as a maid 21 years ago but she disappeared. She had a baby that she had left her aunt saying she would be back for her when she had made some money. The Hall was built in the time of the Tudors and is quite large. Lord Bertie Howard is in his 50s, owns a successful finance company. Upon arrival, our housemaid is interviewed by Mrs. Huxley. She is a cold woman and obviously disapproving of her. But, Bertie has hired her from the Providence program for former addicts which he supports and she is now clean and sober. He believes in second chances. Bertie’s wife died when she fell down the stairs some years ago. They have two children, Alex, the heir, and a daughter named Lottie.

Our new maid is working and rooming with another maid, Roisin. They get along quite well and both work long, hard hours each day.

The second day of her employment, she receives a fancy box but inside is a diorama, or depiction of a doll that looks like her. She has fallen down the servants spiral staircase and her body is laying in a pool of blood. She and the entire family are shocked. When another box arrives for Lottie, it is not as sinister but the diorama is a depiction of something naughty Lottie had done as a child. That’s when Lord Howard insists on getting the police involved.

As things and people become even creepier, she is determined to find out more about the Hall and what happened to her mother.

There were some times I wasn’t sure about this book but as more secrets come to light, I realized that it is a very scary read. The evil that some people do is mind-boggling. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and is very much a spooky Gothic read.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love a Sarah A. Denzil's mystery and this one didn't disappoint.
It's complicated and twisted, not an easy read, but challenging in a positive way.
Extremely well written, definitely a slow burn that gets more and more engaging with every chapter.
Very good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, author Sarah A, Denzil, and publisher for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
"A housemaid is like a ghost!"
If you are looking for a great domestic psychological thriller that will keep you reading until the very end, then this book is for you!
When Ruby hears about the Highwood Hall, a beautiful stately home in Yorkshire, looking for a new housemaid and the position includes accommodation and a great wage, Ruby answers the ad with enthusiasm. She also has another reason for accepting the position and that is to solve a family mystery and she believes the answers can be found within the walls of Highwood Hall. But Ruby will find more than a hard days work within Highwood Hall. There are dark secrets being kept by both the family and staff. Why can the family not keep a maid? Who is sending creepy packages to the different members of the household and family?
This book was well written with fantastic twists and turns that left me reeling from the big reveal. I loved how much the author was able to immerse the reader into the class system within the British society. This book will lead you into a mind blowing conclusion! This book was well written with fantastic twists and turns that kept me turning pages very quickly to see what was going to happen next. This was my first book by this author that I have read and it will not be my last. I would recommend this book to those who are fans of domestic psychological thrillers. I can't wait to read more books by this author!

I found The Housemaid to be a bit of a slow burner at the beginning but as I got further into the story I was hooked. It had plenty of twists to the story and I did not see the shocking twist at the end coming at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Sarah A. Denzil writes great mysteries and this was definitely one of them. It takes a bit for the story to get moving and develop, but with each chapter I became more and more hooked. The Housemaid is a top notch mind-bending psychological thriller with a dark twist which kept me gripped.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an ARC to review.

Quite a complex book with lots of characters narrating but was a good mystery book until the end,,well written and easy to ‘imagine’ it all in yourmind,agood overall story

I have been a fan of Sarah since I read her trilogy! Overall I really enjoyed this but the transition was very confusing for me initially causing me to stop and skim back through the whole book because I felt so lost and confused certain I must have missed something - after completing the book I understand what I think she was trying to do but for me it just really threw me off (happens at about 70 percent through the book). If it weren’t for that I would give it five stars because she has excellent character development and I really enjoy her stories and suspense.

Thanks for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The concept of this book suggested something edgy, tense and spine chilling. It did not disappoint, but I found myself feeling like I’d been mislead for a large portion of the book.

It was well-written, there was a range of characters but I felt like I was in a murder mystery until we headed towards the end of the book when all the action ramped up.

The plot was complex and twisted, and I appreciated the surprise of Emily - didn’t see that coming.

I would recommend this to a friend.

Stop what you are doing and grab this book! Seriously, The Housemaid is a clever and addictive novel that you won't want to put down. I have read alot of Sarah Denzil's books and this is up there as my favourite. You will never see where it is going and the ending with absolutely shock you.

Who wouldn't want to work as a housemaid and personal assistant at Highwood Hall, a beautiful stately home in Yorkshire. Accommodation included and a great wage. The chance comes up for this young woman, an opportunity for her turn her life around after a rough few years. It also allows her to look into a family mystery. But behind the walls of Highwood Hall, dark secrets are being kept by the family and the staff. Why is there a high turn over of maids? And who is sending the sinister packages, that are targeting the people that live there? You will have to read it to find out.

Thanks to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishing on July 20th

Unusual and intricate story,a little confused towards the end as to who was narrating the story. The suspects were fairly obvious but there were plenty of twists to keep it interesting.

A young woman takes up the maid’s position at a historic manor house called Highwood Hall, that belongs to Lord Bertie.

Apart from needing the money, she has her own reasons for working at Highwood Hall.
The manor is occupied by Lord Bertie, his two children and his old mother in law.
There is also the housekeeper, a stern woman called Mrs. Huxley.

As soon as the new maid joins, strange boxes arrive. They are diorama’s of different places in the manor with various scenarios. The first one is addressed to the new maid and it shows a little figure of her lying dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Everyone is spooked by these bizarre gifts.

The maid is attracted to Lord Bertie’s handsome young son, Alex, who needs her help as a page turner while playing the piano. Alex seems to be interested in her too.

The gift diorama’s keep arriving and another maid in the house apparently commits suicide. There is something strange going on at Highwood Hall, and you’ll be shocked to discover what it is.

I found this novel to be an exciting read. I like the writing style of the author as it’s easy to read and keeps your interest. I never found myself getting bored or impatient and finished the book in a day. I enjoyed all the twists along the way, especially the twist at the end.

The characters were well fleshed out, with their own stories and motivations and not just 2 dimensional characters. One can easily emphasize with the main character.

All in all, the mystery was quite engaging and kept me turning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book for mystery & thriller fans.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy for an honest review.

"Ghost is another word for maid."

The opportunity to work at highwood hall looks very appealing. Good money, a place to stay and a boss willing to give a second chance at life, a.k.a. everything that Emily desparately needs. But behind this facade, lie several disturbing secrets.

I was attracted to this because of its premise, which seemed creepy and very appealing to me (Not a psychopath :p). This story had a lot of potential but unfortunately it didn't live up to it. The story felt rushed from the very beginning. The author did not spend time on establishing the background of the characters, which is something I would have liked, especially considering the interesting background that the important characters had.
The flow of the story is very predictable and the climax was too far fetched. The only surprise was an unexpected perpetrator, which also felt rather unnecessary.
The protagonist seemed disoriented. In the beginning she talks about how "Getting ditched by your own mother strips away the safety net and never truly allows you to be naive." But it doesn't take long for her to moment of naivety to be realised. At several places she recognises that she is being naive and falling into a trap and yet she finds it difficult to stop herself. Her ignorance of the survival instinct is frustrating.

If you like reading books set in old manors with sneaky corridors and dark secrets, you will enjoy this book. But if you are not a fan of a far fetched or convulting climax, you might wanna skip this one.

#netgalley #thehousemaid

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Unfortunately this book was super slow and disbelieving for me.

When I saw a new Sarah Denzil book was out, I HAD to get it. Her books always take me on a thrilling ride and The Housemaid was no different!

Emily has secured a job at a prestigious manor as a maid, but all is not what it seems. Emily is also looking for answers…answers she’s hoping to find buried within the walls of her new workplace.

But when Emily receives an ominous package on her first day…tensions are high and someone knows more than they are letting on!

Great page turner, full of drama and suspense that will have you reading late into the night!

Dark and Cleverly written.!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this free eARC. This review is made with no monetary compensation whatsoever from the owners of this eARC.

I’ve read books by this author before and loved them all but this was just not for me.

It felt more like a Victorian romance novel than a crime/mystery thriller. The writing, as always is wonderful and that’s what kept me going. Sarah has a real talent for creating imaginary landscapes.

I felt this book was a bit too slow for my liking, the plot was a bit obvious and cliche and so I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by the cover and the blurb of this book. It turned out to be completely different to what I had expected, .but that certainly wasn't a problem.and I was definitely not disappointed. The plot kept me hooked from the start . The tension grew with each chapter . Several suspects in the mix which made for a gripping read .

My attention goes to a girl without a roof who finds a job with a place to stay. She has a turbolent past but niw she is determinated to do better. The house where she is working as a housmaid is very misterious. And the people living there even more. She is also looking for answers about her mother that also worked there when she was a baby but she never met her couse she left without a trace. She met few new other people and she becomes more and more suspecious about everything there. Carma is a bitch that is all I can say. An interesting reading.

I received the copy in echange of an honest review from Netgalley.com and Victory editing. Thank you

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I have just finished the housemaid by @sarahadenzil what an insane book, didn't expect what happened thats for sure! An exciting read filled with mystery and lots of questions and confusing moments! Great read I felt for poor Ruby all she wanted was to know her mother :( excellent Page Turner, if your like me then you will keep reading till it's done with! Thankyou for the opportunity to read @sarahadenzil @netgalley
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"Housemaid wanted.
Skills required: Discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.
It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past...
But I soon realise I've made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard's son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he's bad for me.
There's a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It's easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.
On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I'm dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?
I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare."
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#murder #mystery #suspense #thriller #keepsyouguessing #bookrecommendations
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Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Sarah. A Denzil.
Interesting read about the life and challenges of maids in England.
Enjoyed the characters. Quick read.