One should never underestimate the women downstairs.

After being dismissed from her position, Mrs. King comes up with a plan to rob the house she worked for with the help of several other former staff. On the night of London’s most anticipated costume ball, Mrs. King and her eclectic group of ladies set out to steal every possession in the home. Will they succeed?

Perfect for fans Downton Abbey and historical fiction, this book kept a good pace and had my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Hay and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

The Housekeepers looked great to me! Edwardian heist with the downstairs staff very quietly engineering the downfall of the upstairs power-holders? Sign me up.

However, this one did not prove its promise for me. There are some terrific characters in this story, but we don't get to know enough about them to really figure out why they are willing to sign on to the heist. Mrs King and Mrs Bone, the two main conspirators, are very well drawn, and we know why they are doing what they are doing. That's part of what kept me reading. There are a LOT of other characters though, and I was left either not engaging with them, or being frustrated because I wanted more. Hello, Hepzibah.

One of my biggest struggles was not truly being able to figure out the mistress of the house, and what was actually going on in her head through all of this. That part of the storyline was muddy to me, and it needed to be clear in order to propel the story forward.

There are a lot of different threads in this story, and sometimes they get in the way of the main action of the heist. It became challenging at times to not want to flip ahead to find out what was actually happening in the context of the heist itself.

Alex Hay does a reasonable job capturing the upstairs/downstairs split, and the desperation that many women faced in this particular time period and place. A tighter story and cast of characters would have been helpful.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Net Galley and Graydon House for the e-arc.

This is a very whimsical book with a great concept that builds a wonderful picture in the readers mind.

This is quite good and has many helpful reviews already, so I'll just recommend it to mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!

In a glittering tapestry of power, intrigue, and audacious heists, this book weaves a mesmerizing historical novel. Set against the opulent backdrop of London's grandest ball, this captivating tale delves into the hidden lives of women who defy societal norms and unleash their formidable strength to exact revenge on Mayfair's elite.

At the heart of the narrative is Mrs. King, a woman with a past marred by deception and thievery, who has risen to a position of respectability as the keeper of a grand Mayfair home. However, beneath the veneer of wealth and power, secrets fester in the shadows, compelling Mrs. King to assemble a remarkable group of women united by their desire for vengeance.

The author has crafted a sumptuous and evocative narrative that transcends genres. Fans of historical fiction, heist thrillers, and tales of female empowerment will find themselves enthralled by the meticulously crafted characters, intricate plot, and poignant exploration of power dynamics. This novel is a testament to the enduring strength of women and a reminder that beneath the veneer of society, untold stories of courage and determination await their moment to shine.

A riveting heist story set in the high society of 1905 London where the tables are turned and a group of savvy women who’ve spent their lives in service take back what they’re owed by working together to steal everything during an elaborate house party. Such a fun story with really engaging characters - all of whom have distinct personalities and motivations- but are brought together to make this a robbery no one will ever forget!

Downton Abbey meets Ocean’s 8? I was intrigued…

As revenge for being dismissed from her housekeeping position, Mrs. Dinah King plans a heist on the evening of the grandest ball in London. She recruits an eclectic group of women, also previous house staff, in her endeavor. An audacious plan? Yes! Impossible?…

Taking place in 1905, Hay did an excellent job exploring gender and class relations at the time. These women would’ve been considered “lower class” with little to no rights. He created characters you couldn’t help but root for and I loved the strong female MCs.

While the buildup was slow, it did pick up momentum. However, it simply wasn’t an edge of your seat read. Too much backstory bogged it down and the thrill was a bit lost. The historical fiction was much more engaging than the suspense.

Solid 3 1/2⭐️

*Review shared August 14, 2023 on Goodreads, Instagram, and Amazon.

I want to thank everyone for this gifted copy of The Housekeepers.

First of all, I want to say that this book had a lot of promise, but it felt short. I feel like the author could have used some more support from their editor in the long run.

This book had a lot of promise from the overall premise, but there was never really that moment of me sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, waiting for what would happen next. I think that part of the problem could be that there was really no emotional connection to any of the characters (even with backstories), but it could have also just been how the flow of the book worked out.

Alex Hay’s debut novel, The Housekeepers, was originally described to me as Downton Abbey meets Ocean’s 8. I didn’t need to know any more than that. I was all in. And Hay delivered a historical heist novel that I was completely and totally invested in and had so much fun reading.

Here’s the book’s description:
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…
After all, one should never underestimate the women downstairs.
I love heist stories. I would watch the Ocean’s movies every week if I could. There’s something about a group of “good” guys trying to take on the bad guys by stealing everything those bad guys care about. Will it work? Will there be serious moments and ridiculous ones along the way? Please say yes to all of the above! Hay delivers all that and more with this book. I really wasn’t sure how the women were going to pull off their heist and I definitely didn’t have it all figured out before bits and pieces were revealed. I do think I was missing something at the end but I think I’m to blame by wanting to know how it was all pulled off so badly that I may have skimmed past something vital. I was happily surprised by a lot of the twists and applaud Hay for making it work.

The historical element was really smart and makes this unlike any story I’ve read before. It gave a fresh setting for a popular trope and allowed Hay to - as the description mentions - explore gender and class relations in the very early 1900s. The majority of the women in this story were from the so-called “lower” class and would have been found below stairs in any grand household. They wouldn’t have had many rights at all, as the women’s suffrage movement was only just starting to gain some serious ground. While the mystery part of this book was far more important than the historical, Hay did enough research and set the scene so well that I really felt like I had been plopped into a grand house in 1905 London.

There were a ton of characters in this book but I was easily able to keep them all straight (other than The Janes, naturally). Each woman had their own job to do and, for the most part, they didn’t interact while out in public - just during their meetings and the Big Heist. The plan depended on them not being connected to one another. As you might expect, each job was unique so each woman was very unique as well (again, other than The Janes) and I loved that. Their personalities came through and I was completely rooting for them and hoped the heist would be successful.

Anyone who likes heist stories needs to read The Housekeepers. And if you also like historical fiction? You’ll be just as thrilled as I was with Alex Hay’s debut novel. I enjoyed this one so damn much and kind of wish I could read it for the first time once again. Read it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
Publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing Graydon House
Release Date July 4, 2023


Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Suspense: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Oh hell yes! This book is awesome and I was caught right in the middle of this tale of the rich who have it all and housekeepers who will get their revenge and take it.

Miss King has had an interesting life growing up with con artists as well as thrives. So one might think that she would continue that line yet she became quite respectable while taking care of one of the grandest homes in the town of Mayfair. Yet, she is let go from her job and decides it is time to get even. How would one go about robbing a home full of expensive valuables? Get some friends together and allow revenge and greed to consume you. Can they pull off this heist?
Well that is something that you will need to read for yourself. All I can say is that it was so fun rooting for the “underdog”.
This book has it all.and the author puts it all out there with his writing abilities. The dialog and banter are so unique to the characters and that allows the reader to fully understand the historical era. The characters and the story were built up at a great pace. It was a perfectly paced read with great chapter lengths. I loved this book and am hoping one day soon we might see a movie or series made from it.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay was a cross between Ocean's 8 and Downton Abby. Mrs. King comes up with a plan to rob the house that she formally was employeed. With the help of several other former house staff they embark on the grand scheme of taking everything that is in the mansion. Between Mrs. King and Mrs. Bone they put Alice, Winnie, the two Janes and one actress they try to pull off the imposible. This book was a fast paced read that kept you on edge wheather they would suceed with the heist or not.

An audacious plan. A heist during the most prestigious ball of the Season. A group of women, a housekeeper and the help, you would never dream would be involved.

I always enjoy a heist book. But there is a lot more depth to the characters and the circumstances than you would suspect. All the better because it is revealed a bit at a time. It begins a bit slow, but I think that is needed to get a feel for the time, the circumstances and the characters. A very satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Houskeepers by Alex Hay is a well written story about a group of women finding their voice and value. It’s a fast paced, well laid out novel that introduces the characters and their backstory.
Mrs King and Ms Bone lead a group of women in a heist that will give each of them what they need for their future with funny twists and acrobatics. I enjoyed these powerful women and their audacity.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alex Hay for this wonderful ARC. Here’s to many more!!

This is a victorian robbery heist that happens during a costume ball, by the servent women that have been wronged! Yes yes yes! Not many myster books have female robbers so that alone should peak your interest. This was extremely good! The absolute perfect blend of historical and mystery.
I just reviewed The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. #TheHousekeepers #NetGalley
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I'm not normally a reader of historical fiction, but was intrigued by the premise of The Housekeepers--it's been described as a cross between Ocean's Eleven and Downton Abbey! When Mrs. King is dismissed from her position as housekeeper of the de Vries mansion, she and her accomplices plot their revenge--a massive burglary during a fancy ball held at the mansion.

I really enjoyed reading about this time period in London, and loved all the twists and turns and the plotting for the heist. A fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whoever decided to promote this as Downton Abbey meets Ocean’s Eleven was…half right.

Sure sure, Downton Abbey, but this book has absolutely no sense of humor and little surprise in the machinations of its heist, so Ocean’s Eleven is waaay off base.

It’s not a light, fun, exciting heist novel at all, and that’s frustrating when that’s what the publisher has led you to believe. It’s a perfectly alright revenge story, but the heist itself isn’t especially clever or exciting, and is satisfying only because it’s a step toward some justice for a series of horrible transgressions by the people on the wrong end of it.

To that end, those transgressions feel out of step with the typical vibe of a heist novel, and because the book is mostly backstory and more about the reason for the heist than the heist itself, the whole story just feels depressing and dreary.

I liked some of the characters, which were well written and had some complexity to them, and that helped lift a book that is mostly too bogged down in its tragic backstory to be sufficiently fun and compelling in what’s happening in the present.

This much-hyped debut historical mystery/thriller was a tad disappointing for me unfortunately.

After being marketed as a cross between Downton Abbey and Ocean's Eleven, in which the servants pull off a heist and thwart their employers. I really wanted to root for the main character and while parts of this were fun and enjoyable for the most part it felt longer than it needed to be and I contemplated DNF'ing at multiple points.

It definitely won't be a memorable one for but I will keep an eye out for what the author writes next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I did listen to this one and perhaps if I had read a physical copy I would have gotten into the story more.

3.5 stars that I'm rounding up to 4 simply because it was a pretty clever and engaging read. It truly is a mash up of Ocean's 8 and Downton Abbey having a lovechild. There were, however, a lot of subplots going on and I soon lost track of who was related to who and what trickery they were all up to. So, I'm sure some of the undertones were lost on me. I think many will definitely enjoy this, but for me this type of plotline works better in a movie than a book.

TL;DR: Feeling a little rusty reviewing new books after spending the last week counting down my 50 favorite books from the past 5 years, but time to get back to it. I really enjoyed this period mystery, part OCEAN’S ELEVEN, part DOWNTON ABBEY, about a group of housemaids who plan an elaborate revenge heist to steal every single item out of the house of the wealthy family they work for. I wish there had been more focus on the execution of the heist itself, but it’s a small complaint, and overall I found this to be soapy, scandalous, and serious fun; it’s easy breezy beach reading and a really enjoyable book for those looking for something to get them out of a reading slump. I listened to a good chunk of it on audio and found the narrator to be just delightful. Thanks to my friends at @graydonhousebooks for the gifted copy!

In English writer Alex Hay's glittering debut novel, The Housekeepers, a band of disgruntled employees and their criminal cronies seek revenge via a heist on a London mansion in 1905. When Dinah King is dismissed from her position at the de Vries' grand home on Park Lane, she immediately concocts a plan. Three weeks from now, Miss de Vries plans to host a costume ball she hopes will coincide with her engagement to Lord Ashley. With the help of two black-market mavens--pawnshop owner Mrs. Bone and Winnie Smith, Mrs. King's predecessor as housekeeper--along with a bevy of faux maids, actresses, and crooked cops, Mrs. King intends to clear the house of its opulent contents, sell them, and live off of the profits.

The countdown to the ball sets a rollicking pace. Hay gradually unfolds the various players' motivations to create an intriguing backstory. Wilhelm de Vries, who died just two months ago, was faking a posh background and, in fact, Mrs. King believes she has a legitimate claim to his riches. Others want vengeance for the abuses that went on under his roof. The ball is a showy affair that Hay describes with panache. The entertainment and the burglary alike involve circus-level feats of disguise and agility. Hired actresses add a veneer of nobility that distracts from the large-scale theft. Some characters, like Alice the seamstress, bridge the upstairs-downstairs divide. The ensemble cast is a delight of this delicious, Downton Abbey-like tale of the reversal of fortunes.