The Housekeepers by Alex Hay is an absolutely magnificent novel from start to finish. Eloquently written, the novel grabs you immediately and never lets go, making for a page-turner of a book.
The setting of the book in pre-WWI, with all of the social norms and morals - or lack thereof - of the time makes the intriguing story all the more rich and compelling.
The roster of female characters, who rise above their own unique challenges to make up the crew of a heist worthy of another Oceans 8 movie, consists of women who are relatable and fascinating. The struggles each of the women experience before and during the heist deepens the novel. But it is still, at its core, a wonderfully fun romp in which women engage in a high stakes crime to rise beyond the lot in life that has been meted out by the powerful men of the world.
The Housekeepers is satisfying, original, complex, and clever novel, and one of the best historical novels I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it.
I am happy to have received an ARC of #TheHousekeepers from #NetGalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing.

This was a turn of the century London heist during a masked ball! All pulled off by “the help”. I felt I would have given this 5 stars had the characters had more backstory. Overall enjoyable read. Would have liked to see a reconciliation at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc of this book, which I was able to get thru #killercrimeclub group on Facebook.

The Housekeepers is like no historical fiction I have ever read before. Someone said Downton Abby meets Ocean's 11 and that really says it all. I really loved the concept of the women who worked for the elite pulling off a heist.

Mrs. King is working as a housekeeper in 1905 London when she is let go of her position. She brings together a group of women, many of them with understandable grudges against the deVries family, to pull off the heist of the century. They are going to wipe out the mansion while Miss deVries, whose father recently passed away, hosts a ball at her home.

The descriptions of the mansion and London do an excellent job of taking the reader into the location. The characters are interesting but there are so many of them and so many relationships between them that I never felt like I truly became attached to anyone. I enjoyed the book but I would have liked it better if it had gone more in-depth with fewer people.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, Killer Crime Club and Harper Collins Canada.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

This an Intriguing story of the world of a housekeeper.

What happens when the lower staff members takes revenge on high society, The unimagine happens as you will be taken on a wild journey at a ball that will make an unexpected mark.

They say there is nothing like revenge by the opposite sex but when the lower class strikes, it will be a costly price in this game of war.
A fascinating read.

Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House for my ARC copy of The Housekeepers. What a fun read. We get to follow along with angang of women as they plan a hugh robbery during a ball. They also take the time to.seek out some revenge and some justice. This was a well written debut novel from Alex Hay and I will be watching for his future books.

THE HOUSEKEEPERS was an entertaining heist story set in London 1904. A group of women from the working class decide to strip the house of recently deceased Wilhelm deVries from top to bottom during a ball held by his daughter.

Each of the women has their own reason to want revenge on deVries and the plot twists and turns as each reason is revealed. The story was filled with twists and turns. It is a rather grim story spending a lot of time in the underworld that supports the glorious upper class with their homes, fashions, and folderols.

Fans of heist stories and of the time period will enjoy this one.

A former housemaid recently sacked for an apparent indiscretion with one of the butlers plans an elaborate heist of the mansion's contents. This reads like a mash-up of "Upstairs Downstairs" and "Ocean's Eleven" set in the early 1900's. Subplots concerning the family relationship between the newly deceased Master of the house, the housemaid and the Master's aloof and cold daughter add an additional level of the motive for the crime. I found this to be unbelievable; the characters too over the top, the entire plan comes together much too quickly and weaving in sub plots of "ruining young maids" and a possible lesbian relationship just don't flow well into the story. This would have worked better as as a script than as a novel.

The premise of this book was so exciting, a heist that takes place in the early 1900s. It sounded like pride and prejudice meets oceans eleven. However, this book was just not my cup of tea. From the start I found it very hard to get into, it was slow and confusing from the get go. I struggled to understand the characters motivations for wanting to do the heist in the first place, and there are so many characters and subplots, I found the story hard to follow and it just didn’t keep my interest.

Thank you to NetGallery for a arc ebook.

I can now say I have read my first historical fiction heist book! The Housekeepers brought Ocean’s 11 vibes to mind, and it would be so much fun to see on a screen!

Mrs. King has been plotting a massive heist- when the Madam of the house throws a grand ball, she and her crew will steal everything out of the house to sell off. She contacts several women she has known for years, who in turn bring others that they trust in on the plan. Nerves grow as the night of the ball grows near, and the women begin to snap at one another and worry that some may not be up to the task at hand.

The beginning of the book was such a delight, while Mrs. King gathered together her motley crew and sold them on her plan. Several of the women are place as workers in the home, giving them access to start packing things away. The characters were such a quirky bunch and all such fun to read about. The connections between several of the women were a bit confusing to keep track of at times, and I probably should have written myself a note to keep those straight.

The heist portion of the book was entertaining. It had the feel of something dirty and deceitful happening behind the curtains of a glamorous event, and I could just hear music playing from the ball as the thieves followed their plan. It was very well written and atmospheric. I was absolutely rooting for the housekeepers the whole time after hearing about the deplorable conditions of their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you love a great heist movie like Ocean's Eight you're going to love this delightfully clever historical novel. Hay has written an eclectic group of female characters who are complex and incredibly likable and you'll find yourself rooting for each and every one of them to succeed in their grand larceny and revenge. The plot is tight and fast-paced and will keep you glued 'til the very last page. The setting of the glittering world of the Mayfair set and the descriptions of the party to end all parties is down right cinematic (this book would make a great screen adaptation). This does touch on some sensitive topics, so take care and check the CWs. I loved every minute of this original and fun novel and look forward to reading whatever Hay come's up with next.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.5 stars

An interesting concept -- basically this is a heist/caper book but set in Mayfair London amongst the toffs. The gang are mostly female and they each have a score to settle. The book feeds out information on their past a bit at a time. It's quite an involved plot between the master plan, which has many moving parts, and the characters and their history.

Mrs. King is the ringleader, with the help of Mrs. Bones who is a strong presence in the shadowy world of London crime. The women operate differently from a male gang but they are motivated not just by financial need but by a strong sense of justice which has been denied many of them on the basis of their gender and class.

I found the culmination to be quite elaborate and a little hard to follow at times but it's easy to root for the women to succeed and guarantee their future away from scut work belowstairs. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An interesting read.
A group of domestics plan, plot, and execute a major heist against the rich social class they serve.
I loved the time period—1905- Edwardian England, a period hamstrung between old and new.
I didn’t have a good grasp on any of the characters and the plot was a bit muddled in places.
The book appeals to the us v. Them struggle.

I loved this novel - fun, rollicking, and constantly in action, it takes you on a heist adventure at the turn of the century.
As someone who is desirous of colloquial discourse in novels set in a period, The Housekeepers more than comes through for me ; “Hark at you”, “guts made of garters” for example. I know I’m not to quote in an early review , but it was so refreshing to have this novel written in an approximation of the vernacular. It makes you root for our protagonist and envelops you in the times. A satisfying read, with plenty of twists and issues to keep the reader interested.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Housekeepers has so much unrealized potential.

I loved the concept of a group of below stairs women banding together to exact some sort of revenge on Wilhelm de Vries (and his daughter), but the characters really felt like outlines, rather than full-fledged people to me. I wasn't particularly invested in any of them, or their success at pulling off this caper. And that there was ultimately no punishment for the reprehensible activity going on behind the scenes at the mansion really left me feeling blah about the whole affair.

The Housekeepers is a historical fiction tale involving a heist. Mrs. King is a housekeeper, not exactly an ordinary housekeeper.. Born into a world of thieves, con artists.
Lady con art, scandalous secrets, mystery, intrigue and suspense.
Entertaining, interesting exposure not class structures. Loved the setting and descriptions of the house.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A truly adventurous romp into the world of the downstairs servant while the upstairs aristocrat is unaware. It took a few chapters to become somewhat vested in the story, and then I needed to know if the downtrodden, below stair servants could pull off the greatest heist ever conceived.

3.75☆

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

As a Downton Abbey fan, I was excited to read this book about the household help set at the turn of the century. When the lord of the manor dies, Mrs King is simultaneously dismissed as the head housekeeper for an infraction of being found in a man's room. She seeks out her friends who are con artists and petty thieves to help her get her revenge.

For me, the execution of the book overall just did not work. The characters are a bit flat and were not developed as well as they could have been. Also, there are too many subplots to follow, and it became confusing at times. I also thought the heist was so unrealistic, especially in the time period. Perhaps the overall story would be more believable in the 1960s to 1970s? I just did not believe in or connect with any of the characters or their motives. Finally, it is a huge pet peeve of mine when historical fiction is not accurate. In 1905, Mrs King should not be getting off the 'tube'.

Overall, not a great read for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.

In the aftermath of Wilhelm deVries death, the head of the household Mrs. King is unceremoniously fired from her post.

But don’t worry about her, she will have her revenge.

You see, she is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves in the 1900’s, she somehow managed to make herself respectable, running the grandest house in Mayfair. It turns out, she never gave a hoot about being respectable.

Not interested in basking in her forced retirement, she recruits an eclectic, and slightly motley, group of women from the fringes of society. Each with their own score to settle. The job? Audaciously rob the estate of its every possession on the night of a masquerade ball, right under the noses of the distinguished guests.

It’s like Ocean’s Eight meets Gosford Park! I could see the screen adaptation with every turn of the page!

I will be recommending The Housekeepers to our patrons who enjoy a historical mystery, but I admit to not really enjoying it.
I wasn’t drawn in by the writing style or the characters even though the band of women and their helpers (and hinderers) all seemed to have more to them than meets the eye.
I bet this book would make a great film or TV show!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to pre-pub read "The Housekeepers" by Alex Hay.

In the end, I really enjoyed the story of "The Housekeepers." Throughout the novel the cast of main characters is many with complex stories of their own. I found this to be confusing and difficult to keep track of the characters and their place in the story. When I recommend this novel I would tell the reader that it is better to read it quickly because it is easy to loose track of what is going on.

"The Housekeepers" is a story of a complex heist in an estate in London in early 1900. A group of women band together to create a complex heist of the estate for many reasons as a group and reasons of their own. The heist is very chaotic and fast paced. This time in the novel is so big and complex that it is hard to imagine that it is in any way possible.

This is a great story. I would look forward to a book 2!