This is a story of a very dysfunctional family who hires a housekeeper to help their mother/wife who has Parkinson’s Disease. The twist and turns in this story surprises you. You have to feel for Jodi who never seems to get the love she needs. I really enjoyed this book and the ending was a big surprise. I received an arc and the views and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding
This was a great novel, at times I wanted the pace to pick up a bit, I loved the main character and hated how the others walked all over her. Jodi is married to Harrison, has 2 school age young children, she is a real estate agent and he is a novelist, she has a sister Tracy who cares about her looks and clothes and lives off their parents still. Jodi's mother is ill and she feels her father needs help so she goes in search for a Housekeeper and finds the perfect lady. Elyse has glowing reviews from her previous employers and makes a huge impression as she fits right in immediately. Things take a turn for the worse and Jodi's mother passes away. Elyse becomes very close to Jodi's father and before they know it they are married. During all this time Jodi is dealing with her own family issues and trying to be supportive of her husband as he struggles to complete the novel he has been working on. This novel has twists and turns, the author does a great job in making the main character loveable at the same time as the reader wants her to buck up and not take so much crap from her family.
This is the first of Joy's books that I have read and will read more. I also love that Joy is Canadian as is the setting.

Thought provoking and scary! The author knows how to manipulate the feelings of readers! Totally believable scenario and one faced by many people these days.

Another fast, entertaining summer read from Joy Fielding. As expected and did not disappoint. A timely topic for today's reality of aging populations and need for caregiving. Great to see this addressed, however darkly, in a thrilling novel!

Finally finished this book - and glad to have done so!

The lengths that some people will go for the sake of the almighty dollar never seems to amaze me *SMH*

This was a story told entirely from the POV of Jodi (FMC), which I didn’t mind at all. The fact that everyone in her family accused her of being paranoid, and the fact that she didn’t listen to her gut feeling that something was amiss, quite literally had me yelling at my ereader the whole time! I guess that’s the sign of a good book, when it draws you into the world of the story to that extent and, for that reason, I recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a tale of domestic and familial relationships that will have you guessing which end is up until, well, the end.


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DNF

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I got up to chapter 15 and bailed. It had nothing to do with the story, which was pretty engrossing thus far - the ARC that was sent was in PDF format and difficult to read (small print) on my phone, and I couldn’t zoom the page or read it in landscape.

I’ll try to remember to pick it up again when it’s published (August 16, 2022).

First I’d like to thank Netgalley and Doubleday Canada/penguin random house for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

To be completely honest I found this book terribly difficult to get into but once I got to that point I couldn’t put it down. As a home health care worker this ploy hurt my heart and I needed to know there was justice served.

Jodi hires the perfect live in caregiver/house keeper for her parents - a little too perfect but by the time she figures out what Elyse is hiding a horrible tragedy has happened.
Struggling in her own personal life, as well as balancing the care her parents require and her full time job, she’s exhausted.

A good read but be prepared to block out time to read because you’ll need to know how it ends!

✔️set in Toronto
🔘although quite predictable, the plot isn’t all that bad
✖️ pretty much everything else . I had to work hard not to DNF this book . Not one decent man in site; a verbally abusive dad; a cheating gaslighting husband ; these two made the “villain” of the story - the housekeeper of course - look good . And Jodi - I got so tired of reading about her putting herself done and trying to please all these awful men in her life. The sister was the only half decent character - I mean she was spoiled rotten ( and I thought maybe she was in her early 20s. But she was 45! ) but at least she knew it and redeemed herself in the second half of the book a bit .

Needless to say, I didn’t like this book 🤷‍♀️

First time reader of Joy Fielding, I have heard good things about the author. Unfortunately, I Was not a super fan of this book. The plot was predictable, and my interest was not peaked.

This was a short, fast paced book that was a little predictable but fun either way. If you like domestic thrillers, this might be the book for you. Although riddled with unlikeable characters, it was still worth the read. I’m curious to read more from Joy Fielding.

Really enjoyed this fast paced twisty story! Joy Fielding is definitely one of my favorite authors!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

When Jodi hires housekeeper, Elyse, to help with her elderly parents, she gets more 'help' than she anticipated.
The Housekeeper was a well written, domestic thriller full of unlikable characters and frustrating moments. I felt how trapped Jodi felt.
This was my first novel by Joy Fielding, and although this plotline was predictable and I felt like it was a little long, I am interested to check out her backlist.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Joy Fielding's 30th novel The Housekeeper is everything you would expect from a master of suspense. Intricately woven tale of cat and mouse that will have you turning pages way past your bedtime. This is the kind of domestic thriller

Jodi Bishop decides to hire a housekeeper for her parents who are in their 70s, as it's becoming challenging for her dad to provide care for her mom who has Parkinson's. Elyse Woodley seems like a dream come true to Jodi - pleasant, eager to help and even able to charm Jodi's dad who was not very happy about the idea of live in help. Maybe now Jodi can dedicate more time to her marriage that seems to be on the rocks. Her once successful author husband seems resentful of the fact that she is the one supporting them financially and maybe a bit too enthusiastic around some of his female students. Then suddenly dynamic in her parents home starts to shift and Jodi starts to wonder if the new housekeeper might have been too good to be true....

This was a quick, fun and very intense read for me. Complex relationships between various characters, sense of entrapment so vivid, and gripping tension building slowly were some of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Joy Fielding, enjoy domestic suspense or are just looking for a tense but enjoyable read, The Housekeeper is the book for you!

My gratitude to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Jodi has a full time job, 2 children, a dependent (annoying) husband, a mother with advanced Parkinson's, and an insufferable sister and father. What she doesn't have, is time to juggle all these things at once so she sets out to hire a in house-keeper to help care for her mother. Enter Elyse- She's perfect for the position.. but if something seems to good to be true, it usually is.

This is my first book by Joy Fielding but it won't be my last. Although the story was a bit predictable, her writing kept me intrigued. For such a dramatic, serious book, there were times I was laughing out loud. Some of the supporting characters were not likeable at first but grew on me (looking at you Tracey). Overall, I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to checking out more by this author!

This is a true to life story about elderly abuse. As much as we try to to what is best for our parents, we have to be careful who these people are. The plot was predictable but I don't often find that I don't like at least one of the characters. Jodi, the main character, lets her family walk all over her. She has low self esteem and I was hoping the she would stand up for herself, but she didn't. The rest of the characters I wanted to slap some sense into them. I liked the writing style and was curious enough to keep reading to find out what would happen. I received a free advance copy of this book via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

First of all, thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A woman hires a housekeeper to look after her aging parents, only to watch her take over their lives. Are they in danger? What does the housekeeper want? How is she able to manipulate the family to her advantage?

The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding is a fast-paced, twisty thriller. The cast of characters is relatively small, but they’re well-drawn and complex. The writing is easy and descriptive, with a nice sense of humour. I flew through this book.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book by Joy Fielding, who at one time was one of my favourite authors. Somehow I’ve drifted away from her books, but it’s clearly time I got back to her.

3.5 Stars

This domestic suspense novel is a good summer diversion.

Jodi Bishop hires a housekeeper to help her aging father Vic and her mother Audrey who is largely bed-ridden because of late-stage Parkinson’s. Elyse Woodley is the perfect candidate for the position; she is energetic and has such an engaging personality that she even wins over Vic who is initially resistant to the idea of a live-in housekeeper. She seems too good to be true and that quickly proves to be the case when Audrey’s condition worsens and Elyse starts wearing her jewelry.

Meanwhile, Jodi’s life is not the happiest; at one point, she describes it as “a churning, cloudy mess.” She tries to balance her demanding job as a successful real estate agent, her marriage to a self-involved writer struggling for the last decade with his second novel, her home with two young children, and her filial duty to her parents. Harrison, her husband, is not supportive and her self-absorbed sister Tracy does little to help with Vic and Audrey, so Jodi feels overwhelmed and under-appreciated.

The plot is not particularly original. It is quite predictable, especially because there is so much foreshadowing. Jodi, the narrator, ends virtually every chapter with comments like “Now I realize that it was one of the few honest things [Elyse] ever told me” and “Just another one of the voices I chose to ignore” and “In the end, I have only myself to blame. I’m the one who let her in.” I suspected a connection between Elyse and another character as soon as that character is introduced. There really are no shocking twists or revelations.

The characters are clearly differentiated but unlikeable. The men in particular are insufferable. Vic is emotionally distant, overbearing, and critical. He even insists that the housekeeper be good looking. Harrison complains whenever he is asked to take care of his own children; though Jodi is the breadwinner for the family, he argues that she is not spending enough time at home. He is an expert at gaslighting his wife. Tracy is so shallow, self-centered, and entitled. Though she is 45, she has no income and relies on her father to pay her bills and cater to her expensive tastes. Jodi is such a doormat; she lets people walk all over her. As the novel progresses, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with her unwillingness to stand up for herself.

What is difficult to understand is why Jodi cares so much for people who seem to care little for her. Vic mentions her weight and criticizes her in some way every time he speaks to her. Harrison insists on being supported in his career, but doesn’t support his wife and is constantly pointing out her faults. Tracy manipulates her sister to help her and then uses her as a scapegoat. I can guess that her low self-esteem, the result of her upbringing, accounts for much of her behaviour, but she is in her forties and should have acquired some backbone.

Written in an easy, approachable style with short chapters, the book is a good choice for a light, quick read for the summer.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved the this latest novel from Joy Fielding! I was completely hooked from the get go and couldn’t put it down. The plot moved along well and admittedly, even during the times I was so frustrated with the characters (aka majority of the novel) I just wanted to know what was going to happen next (definitely says something about the effectiveness of Fielding’s writing).
I would consider The Housekeeper a strong domestic suspense with quite the build-up. Even though I found it easy to see where the plot line would go, there were still a few twists that I was pleasantly surprised by.
A big thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this ARC!

Strong 4 stars.

I enjoyed this story of elder abuse but it was rather predictable. It’s just a little too easy to guess each twist before it happens. That said, this would make a terrific made-for-tv movie! 3.5 ⭐️

It's been awhile I have read Joy Fielding books,and this was a good book.
It had all the elements of intrigue,mystery,suspense and thrills which makes her a great writer.
Her books never disappoint.

I can’t say this book offered many surprises, it is what one would expect yet I wouldn’t call it predictable, This was an excellent thriller that I couldn’t read fast enough and thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a perfect easy read with just the right amount of dark, edgy twists one expects from a good thriller.