This one was middle of the road for me. Might try it again later, but for now, I can't get into it. Really appreciate the review copy approval.

One of the hardest things for me as a reader is when I have a challenging time connecting with the characters. Such was the case with THE CARETAKERS, a debut that had a promising storyline that would keep me engaged with the story, but unfortunately I don’t think it was for me.

I absolutely love Saskia Maarleveld, and was so happy when I found that she was the narrator.

*many thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio for the gifted copy for review

When our kids were small, I had a demanding corporate career, and my husband worked all hours starting his own company. Getting them to and from daycare was stressful, and we couldn’t stay home with them when they were sick. Like most young parents, we couldn’t afford a nanny, so we got the next best thing, an au pair. We had five different au pairs from five different countries: Denmark, Norway, England, Germany, and Slovakia. The experiences were overwhelming positive, although our first one should have been sent packing after wrecking our car twice and several of her friends expelled licorice-flavored liqueur on our family room rug. Oh, and then there was the time we had a tornado warning and she sent our 5-year-old up to her bedroom alone to get her pajamas when she sheltered in the basement. There was a touchdown less than two miles away. Such was my perspective while reading The Caretakers.

Paris, 2015. A crowd gathers outside the Chauvet home in the affluent suburban community of Maisons-Larue, watching as the family’s American au pair is led away in handcuffs after the sudden death of her eight-year-old charge, Julien. The grieving mother believes the caretaker is to blame, and the neighborhood is thrown into chaos, unsure who is at fault—the enigmatic, young foreigner or the mother herself, who has never seemed an active participant in the lives of her children.

The novel explores the complex perspectives of several women: Charlotte, Julien’s chilly socialite mother; Lou, an incompetent au pair fired by the family next door; Holly, an anxious au pair who is desperate for friends in France; Charlotte’s sullen teenage daughter, Nathalie, who is desperate for her mother’s attention; Alena, the young woman accused of the child’s death, and Madame Geraldine, the French teacher who knows all the girls intimately.

Set during the weeks leading up to the event, The Caretakers is a poignant and suspenseful drama featuring complicated women. Contemplatively written with exquisite characterization, the author pulls in her readers and never lets them go. Amanda Bestor-Siegal’s debut was brilliant. The plot was unique, intricate and salacious, and the author’s gift for character development was obvious. Each of the au pairs had very different experiences—some were treated like family, while others were mere servants to demanding host parents. The Caretakers was a fast-moving thriller unlike anything I’ve ever read. 4 stars.

From my blog: Always With a Book

As someone who grew up caring for other children for many years, I was drawn to the premise of this book…and I’m so glad I read it. It was an anticipated read for this month and it definitely did not disappoint and I’m beyond surprised that it is a debut novel…the writing is just amazing!

This is a slow-burn, character study into the lives of six different women and I loved how each one was so vividly portrayed. I was riveted by this story and loved that hint of mystery throughout – what really happened to cause the death of the young child. The story starts with the aftermath of the death and then moves back in time to set the scene, if you will, allowing us to get to know all the players involved and I found myself so completely swept up in all the drama that ensues. The author really delves into just how toxic the relationships are amongst the adults of these families as well as how these au pairs are really treated. It was eye-opening to say the least.

I loved that this is all set against the backdrop of the Parisian terrorist attacks. That just seemed to add an extra layer of tension to an already fraught situation. The author clearly did her homework in highlighting the distinction of class while also exploring how caregiving is handled in Paris, quite different from my own experiences as a caregiver here in the states.

I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to see what this author writes next!


Audio thoughts: Saskia Maarleveld narrated this one and she did an amazing job bringing this story to life. She gave each character their own unique and personality and her pacing and intonation was spot on. I really enjoyed listening to this story.

This debut mystery/domestic suspense book had a great premise: a group of nannies/au pairs in Paris and the families they work for. Lots of secrets, affairs, lies and a murder. But honestly for me there was just way too much going on. It was hard to keep the characters and story lines straight and none of them truly kept my interest. Great on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, but even her amazing voice talents couldn't save this one for me. Sadly it just didn't live up to my expectations but I would still read the next book by this talented writer. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

This is a case of a book having a good story, but having so many characters telling it and really, none of them are particularly likable. I listened to the audiobook, so it's possible that I would have followed it better in print. Or maybe I would have not finished reading it.

At the heart of the story is the death of a young boy and mystery of what happened and who is to blame. It takes place in the suburbs of Paris, with a few forays into the city. The main characters are the mother and sister of the dead child and the au pairs who care for the children and the neighbor family's mother and their au pair. There is also the teacher who leads French classes for au pairs. I think that should help explain my problem with following too many characters. All those people, and I don't think there were any two people who actually liked one another.

The narrators were good, especially with having to portray different accents, but I didn't realize until I looked it up that there were two women reading. So, maybe they could have been a little more different if that was why there were two. I couldn't tell who was Janet Metzger and who was Erin Mallon.

My thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ARC e-audio in exchange for an honest review.

The Caretakers by Amanda Bestor-Siegal was a beautifully written and engaging read. The author brought this story to life through her in depth portraits of the various characters and her descriptions of France.

While I enjoyed the novel and got though it quickly, it wasn't the thriller I was hoping for. There is a mystery at the edges of the story, but it seemed more backdrop to the everyday lives of the au pairs and families they work for.

I recommend this title with the caveat that readers looking for a suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller may be disappointed. Those wanting a intricate look into the lives of ordinary people in Paris will be satisfied.

Read this if…you are interested in the French culture and enjoy a character driven mystery.

The book opens in 2015 as a crowd gathers outside a home in Maisons-Larue, a wealthy Parisian suburb. A child has died and the au pair is led away in handcuffs. The foreign nanny is being blamed for the child’s death, but outsiders wonder if some of that blame should be put on the mother. The truth isn’t as black and white as it seems. It lies somewhere within the stories of six women with very different life stories.

I was drawn to this story because of the French element and the promise of a mystery. While I very much enjoyed learning about all of the au pairs’ experiences in Paris, the mystery was completely overshadowed by all the drama. Honestly, this would have been much better if there were only two or three POVs as opposed to six. There were just too many characters to keep track of and in the end, only a few really added much to the plot. A great concept, for sure, but I wasn’t a fan of the execution.

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Harper Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I love a good "dysfunctional family" book and this one sure fits the bill. The story begins as sort of a murder mystery, but ends up being an intricate weaving of hopes and dreams, social striving, and some serious dysfunction in a group of au pairs, their host mothers, and the children in those families. While few of the characters are actually like-able enough that you'd want to get a glass of wine with them at a cafe, each are well drawn and I loved trying to figure them out. The narrator of the audiobook that I was gifted (thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley) was fantastic and kept me glued to the story throughout. I highly recommend this book!

A somewhat ordinary and predictable story. The first half read like a standard mystery - I almost abandoned it. It grew into something a bit more interesting with each chapter told from a different character's POV and slowly revealing the truth. I'm glad I finished it but promptly forgot all about it and probably would not buy it for our library collection.

The story open with a caretaker -- i.e., theoretically a nanny -- being led from a French household in handcuffs, accused of killing one of her charges. The four young women in this specific caretaker community seem to have signed up in order to escape their lives in their hometowns; it didn't appear to me that any of them really had training to be in these position in a foreign country. They all met in a French-for-foreigners class. It would been nice to learn how they related to each other, a more cohesive story, rather than just how they all found themselves in the same position. Some of the characters were nice, the one whose child died was not. And the French teacher was almost too involved with the girls she taught. The story reminded me of the death of a child in the Boston area, where the English nanny was charged and tried for murder.

I wasn't a big fan of the audiobook, it was a bit too confusing in places. But the story was interesting, if very sad.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to listen to an advance copy.

The story of American au pairs and their French families, each has their own expectations of what the relationship will look like. Reality is much different.

I did enjoy this audiobook which revolves around four young women, all who signed up to be Au Pairs for families living in the suburbs of Paris. The author, Amanda Bestor-Siegal, explores the lives of these girls and the reasons why each of them seems to be escaping from their current situation and looking for something else. They all meet in the same school taking a french class whose teacher, Geraldine, seems a little too involved in the lives of her students. The story circles around one of the host families when a child is found dead and the au pair is arrested for the crime. While I liked listening to the stories of the four au pairs, Lou, Holly, Nathalie, and Alena, I would have liked more about how they related to each other, a more cohesive story, rather than just how they all found themselves in the same position. When their stories did eventually start to come together, the book was basically over. #netgalley Pub Date Apr 2022

This book came across to me more as a beautifully written collection of intertwined short stories rather than a novel. That said, each of the six characters' stories was captivating and compelling and each had a distinctive narrative and voice. Some of the characters were quite likeable, others not at all, but all were excellently crafted. I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and the narrator was great; her wonderful French pronunciation added to the experience. Many thanks for HarperAudio and NetGalley for an audio e-ARC of this book.

I wasn't a fan of this book. Honestly, I found every single character annoying--entitled, whiny, and most ultimately didn't redeem themselves. The plot intrigued me but the characterization just ruined it.

This is a wonderful audiobook, set in a suburb of Paris, in a world of the Parisian rich, and their au pairs, whose lives intertwined despite of their cultural differences and personalities. There are six wonderful major characters introduced: The American au pairs, their host families and the French language teacher and mentor, each one with their unique personality and life story! The story is of triumph and tragedy! “The Caretakers” by Amanda Bestor Siegel, whose narration by Saskia Maarleveld is so superb it is a pleasure to listen to! Of course, it is made possible by the exquisite writing of the author! A bestseller for sure!

I was fortunate to have access to both the audiobook and NetGalley editions of this debut title that explores the complex lives of young au pairs, their French mothers who employed them and their children living in the banlieue outside Paris. The term caretaker is essentially the best way to describe the roles of women who were not emotionally engaged with their families to be true “caregivers”. From the outset we learn that one of the au pair’s charges has died . Who is responsible? The author answers this question as she traces the story back through the narrative of six different women. Layers are pulled back on the intertwined relationships among the characters , immature young girls eager to spend time in Paris or self centered mothers emotionally unavailable to their children. Two women were so unlikeable it was only the author’s masterful writing style that kept me reading . This book will appeal to those who respond to strong female characters. Because of longer chapters I’d recommend the audio version. It was beautifully performed with admirable an French accent and excellent pronunciation.

The Caretakers opens with the death of a child, and the presumed guilt of the au pair who was watching him. Using a rotating cast of narrators and multiple timelines, the events leading up to the incident are laid out, providing hints of the resolution but keeping the reader guessing. This would be an excellent book club selection: the characters are believable and sympathetic, even when they aren’t particularly likeable. The audio version is beautifully narrated.
I will recommend to fans of suspense novels featuring parents and children like Little Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies, and Robyn Harding’s The Party and The Perfect Family.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAudio for digital review copy.

Paris 2015. A group of onlookers watches an American au pair led away in a pair of handcuffs, she has been charged with the death of the child under her care. The rest of the story unfolds in the voices of 6 women, mothers and au pairs, including Alena, the woman under arrest. Nothing is as it seems in this complex domestic drama, narrated by Maarvel in a matter of fact delivery that only serves to heighten the suspense