I was invited to participate in a blog tour for this title. It sounded fun, and I went in expecting something light-ish with an edge - revenge served cold, if you still... Unfortunately, I felt the pacing was quite slow given my expectations based on the blurb and I had a really hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. The writing style just never grabbed me and I struggled almost from the opening pages. This just wasn't a good fit for me...

The synopsis had me intrigued but I struggled to get into the story. The writing and the characters didn’t grab me. This one wasn’t for me.
Thank You to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a fabulously fun caper, but with much more to the story than meets the eye. I loved the twists and turns, the quirky characters, and the vivid descriptions. This was like reading a movie and I loved it.

Very well plotted heist novel set in 1905 London. What if the staff below stairs knew too much, used it to their advantage, and cleared out the household in magnificent fashion? The twisty personal relationships and detailed planning of a robbery during a vast costume ball make for delightful reading. There is some suspension of disbelief about the circumstances, but the various crimes ad the eventual outcoming are quite satisfying.

The Housekeepers....if Ocean's 8 were set in the early twentieth century....

Scorned housekeepers decide to take matters into their own hands when they plan and perform a heist of their employer's grand estate. The plot was intricate and the heist cleverly planned by the maids whose attention to detail was incredible. The writing made it feel as though I, the reader was a fly on the wall, watching how the servants deceived and designed their theft of priceless antiques and objects from the most exquisite home. The characters motivations and backstories helped to drive the plot as they each had their own agenda and vendetta against their employer. I've never read a book from the perspective of the hired help before, so I thought it was interesting and thrilling to read a story from characters who typically are forgotten and ignored. The time period also made this an enjoyable read because it was a very glamorous and prim and proper time that wouldn't seem conducive to such a crime.

My only critique is that there were some loose ends that were not tied up by the end of the story and perhaps a more dramatic ending with a plot twist would have been a better fit?

The cat and mouse games and slick performance of the characters will appeal to fans of the heist and crime thriller genres, while fans of historical fiction books will appreciate the uniqueness of this story.

A fun and fast-paced novel with a clever plot and a cast of unforgettable characters. Hay’s writing is witty and suspenseful. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun book! Mix up Downton Abbey, the Artful Dodger's gang, and Oceans 8 for an intricately plotted heist book! For various reasons, a group of housekeepers plan a caper to completely empty a huge house during a ball, and all the machinations that go into the plan are detailed in the book. I loved all the housekeepers and enjoyed their backstories (I think my favorites were Jane 1 and Jane 2). The novel kept me turning pages to see what obstacles would come in the way and whether they'd pull it off. I hope the Housekeepers have another caper in mind (and this would also make a great movie!)

This book has well-written characters that take the reader on an adventure of revenge. This is a delightful historical fiction story that looks at the disparity between the classes- the haves and have nots. I was immediately pulled in to the story by the characters and their stories. The different stories can be a little hard to keep straight at times, but it all comes together rather nicely. I enjoyed this book.

An abruptly dismissed housekeeper puts together a team of women who have been in service or operate in the criminal underworld to rob the grand Edwardian mansion where she worked of every single possession under cover of an extravagant costume ball. Each member of the team has their own desires and weaknesses - though the Janes remain something of a cipher - and the women face a very intelligent and ruthless young heiress as well as the challenge of trying to anticipate and control everything that might go wrong. The house holds many secrets, some of them very dark. An intense historical heist novel with fascinating characters - I could not put it down!

Thank you Netgalley, Invitd and Graydon House for the ARC of The Housekeepers.

Synopsis:

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…

This book was fast-paced and delightful. Vivid characters and a great plot. I enjoyed the intricately planned heist. 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

This is an amusing tale of ultimate female revenge, well-planned and well-executed but there are also serious issues connected to the characters. Set in Edwardian London, we see the excesses of wealth and the class divide viewed through servants' eyes as they struggle to survive. Misogyny and sexual exploitation are a way of life but it is glorious when these women fight back. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and when other women have her back, watch out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. The review is my own.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
********************************************************
On 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 is 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.

Perfect for fans of Birdgerton and Downton Abbey, this book will make you question the intentions of the staff you see serving them. Revenge is sweet and this eclectic group of women will delight you: as they say, women are like tea bags as you can never underestimate how strong they are until you put them in hot water.
Well written and utterly enjoyable, I will recommend this book far and wide as it was a riot to read and I was actually bereft when it finished: these women NEED ANOTHER CAPER!!!!
#shortbutsweetreviews

An interesting concept for story - I just couldn't get into it as much as I'd have liked. The characters are nicely detailed but there are a lot of them - even so, the book dragged on a bit in the middle.

I've seen this one compared with a couple movies, which I can see, but I just couldn't connect to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a digital, temporary ARC in return for my review.

A heist, a costume ball and a group of determined women are the basis of this fantastic tale. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading but was quickly engrossed in a story that took unexpected turns. The characters are deep and intriguing and the plot takes you down paths that wind their way to clarity. A mix of historical fiction and suspense I highly recommend.
#TheHousekeepers##NetGalley#HarlequinBooks

Thank you for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Mrs. King has been dismissed from her position by her employer. She was a dedicated employee at the Devries' Park Lane Home. After years of dedication, she decides it is time to take matters into her own hands and recruits a team to seek revenge. An upcoming ball presents the perfect opportunity for her to plan the biggest heist.

The premise of this book was incredibly intriguing, and I found myself eager to get to know the various characters. I was rooting for the underdog to successfully pull off this heist. There were several engaging plot lines woven throughout the story, which added to its appeal. This narrative has the potential to be adapted into a captivating movie or television series.

The Housekeepers is a fun adventuire. it includes a grand plan for a daring caper and a wonderful collection of friends. I was on the edge of their seat as the plan unfolded with one surprise after another, and one twist after another. I felt like I could not put this book down until the very last page. Overall, the writing, characters, and plot make this book so entertaining. This book is great! I highly recommend it. Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This entertaining yet thought-provoking novel opens in 1905 with a housekeeper, Mrs. King, being dismissed from her post. The tycoon Wilhelm de Vries has just died, and his not-exactly-grieving daughter is taking every opportunity to rid herself of his staff so she can replace them with workers loyal to herself. So when Mrs. King is found in the menservants’ corridor after dark, Miss de Vries fires her despite her willingness to help plan a spectacular costume ball for London’s high society, in defiance of the stricture that young women should avoid all social gatherings for one year after the death of a parent.

Mrs. King (as was typical of housekeepers at the time, there is no Mr. King) doesn’t take her dismissal lying down. She started life as a pickpocket, after all, and she rallies her old friends as well as other former servants of the de Vries household for a massive heist, the proceeds to be split among the seven women. During the costume ball, they will strip the Park Lane house from attic to cellar, taking not just valuables but every single item it contains.

As the novel follows the planning, preparations, and performance of the heist, we gradually discover how all these women’s lives intersect and overlap, with one another and with the de Vries family, often in surprising ways. It’s a difficult book to review, precisely because so many secrets come to light, so it’s best just to relax, not ask too many questions, and enjoy the roller-coaster ride.

The story is, on the surface, a well-plotted heist with the sort of satisfying climax and ending required of the genre. But the historical setting gives it an unexpected twist, and the compelling characters make this more than a simple caper. And yet in the end, it's just really fun.

The housekeepers

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

Although I enjoyed this book, I have worked as an editor and writer for decades, and the errors ruined things for me regarding the "suspension of disbelief" aspect.

Writing a historical novel is a challenging choice for a first-time author, and unfortunately I feel the book's fact checker (editor) really "dropped the ball" when it came to idioms or references that did not EXIST in the time period in which this book was written to represent.

Here just a few errors (there are more):

The novel is set in 1905

"More skin in the game" - idiom first used in 1986 in a Wall Street Journal article.

"No use putting a canary in a coalmine when he doesn't have a "nose" for gas".
In the first place, birds don't HAVE noses, in the second place, it wouldn't matter if a canary had "a beak for gas" or not, because when any bird breathes a certain amount of gas, they DIE.
Lastly, the practice of using canaries in coal mines only dates back to 1986.

Until next time, remember, "the devil is in the details"! Circa the 1800's.

Says Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said, on one of the blurbs: “Imagine Ocean’s 8 had an illegitimate baby with Fingersmith — a big fat diamond of a book, sharp and shiny, joyful and generous, intricately plotted and featuring an ingenious use for a trapeze.”

Most of these blurbs or summaries comparing a new book to one or two others are exaggerations or downright false. Not here — although I would have called Alex Hay’s debut novel a cross between Ocean’s 8 and Upstairs, Downstairs. Dinah King — Mrs. King to you, thank you very much — has been dismissed from her position at the grandest house on Park Lane in Mayfair, a seven-floor marble temple to nouveau riche splendor and ambition. But Mrs. King has plenty of ambition of her own — and a grand plan for a daring heist and a grand collection of friends. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as the plan unfurls, step by step, with one surprise after another, and one twist after another. It was very hard to put down until the very last satisfying page.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley. Harlequin Trade Publishing and Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.