Cassie’s husband Richie has died in a tragic accident and Cassie is determined to move on with her life. She buys a large derelict property, Hindon House, in the English countryside to convert into a bed and breakfast. The house is falling apart but she is determined to live there while the contractors are working. However, the lights keep going off and she keeps having strange accidents in the house. Is it haunted or is someone trying to get her out of the house? What is her secret about Richie? Unfortunately the main character really didn’t work for me. She is very unlikeable, angry at everyone and feels they are all out to get her. She thinks about violence at every turn. Maybe if the secondary characters were more well developed the book would have been more tense and exciting. Still, it was interesting to learn about the house and there was a twist at the end. With thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

** spoiler alert ** The Housekeeper is a psychological thriller. Cassie, recently a widow, has always dreamed of owning a Bed and Breakfast. This was a dream she shared with her husband. When he died, she used the insurance money to purchase a very dilapidated house at a good price to start her dream. We learn that before her husband died, he had wanted a divorce but a car accident that Cassie may or may not have caused, ended the need for divorce.

The Inn she purchases is in a very remote area and she promptly hires a company to help her with massive repairs. Almost immediately, everything starts going wrong. The lights keep turning off, she has mysterious falls, to name a few. She suspects the builder helping her. Is it him who wants to purchase the Inn out from under her, or someone or something else?

Cassie is living in the Inn while repairs are going on. It almost seems like she is happy her husband is dead so when we read in the blurb for the book that she is devastated, I'm a bit confused. I was able to guess who or what was responsible early on.

Valerie Keogh has been a hit or miss author with me. This book was a miss. I found it very drawn out and could not relate to Cassie at all. I found her unlikable and very wishy washy. I see I'm an outlier as far as my opinion on this book. I do like the way Valerie writes and will read more of her books. This one just didn't do it for me. The thrill factor was missing and I felt like I was reading for days just to finish the book.

Thank you to Baldwin Books and Netgalley for the ARC. I appreciate it greatly. I do recommend this book as many seem to like it.

Another great read from Valerie Keogh that kept my attention from the first page as is the same as her other books , Cassie is a woman with a past and is looking for a new start and finds her ideal house or so she thinks, someone is out to ruin her plans, it’s tense and goes in several directions before an ending I wasn’t expecting. Ms Keogh has written another five star read.

An unwelcome guest? Still in shock after the tragic death of husband Richie, Cassie Macreddin hopes that her new home, historic Hindon House, is the place where she can heal her pain and hide her secrets. But Hindon House has secrets of its own… Cassie soon realises that not everyone is pleased at her arrival and that someone is actively trying to make her leave Hindon House….but who? And why?

Another very enjoyable book by this author. Usually I am pretty good at picking who is the main culprit but I was way off with this one. A very fast read that had me taken in after the first page and kept me engaged throughout. A great cast of characters who do lead your thought processes to wonder who is actually behind all the shady incidents that Cassie is facing, I would think it was someone and then doubts would be cast in my mind if that was correct or not. It really was a case of twists and turns around each corner. Once you know who was the offender and what had really happened, it took the book to another level for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Housekeeper is a well written fast paced novel. The title is interesting in that I expected a book about a domestic worker but it is a play on words - Cassie, the new owner of a house, is the keeper of the home.

After the death of her husband, Cassie bought this home, in rather rough shape, to turn into a B and B. She hires Daniel to be the handyman and repair the home to it's former glory. However, it is not that easy.

Things keep going wrong and it seems that the house is possibly haunted or someone wants her out.

An adventure down several paths keeps the reader guessing.

I flew through this, the title threw me a bit. Enjoyable read, who was behind it all? Enough strange/angry characters to keep me wondering. Good build up and interesting ending. The only thing i found slightly irritating was the amount of times the main character fell over or hurt herself!

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Cassie is a widow who has bought a decrepit, run down house in Hindon to turn into a B and B.
She employs a building firm owned by Daniel to do the massive renovations that the house needs.
But everything seems to be going wrong! Cassie is injuredin small accidents, and almost killed in another, but saved by Daniel.
She feels that either the house doesn't want her, or someone is trying to get her out of there, and suspects the agent who sold her the house and also Daniel.
But Cassie is a strong and brave woman, with a dream, she fights against the forces that are making her life a misery.


Valerie Keogh never fails to write a page turner with multiple twists and turns. The reader is left gasping at the next revelation.
I decided not to bother suspecting the obvious people who were making Cassie feel threatened, but never, EVER would have suspected who it actually was! Brilliant, stupendous twist.
It is chilling when one realises who one can actually trust in this world.
Definitely a 5 star read, the suspense literally kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

4⭐️

Valerie did it again! I loved this book.

Is the house haunted or is someone messing with her! I could not stop reading! I was so anxious to find out what was happening!

This book pulls you in from the first page and then you can not put it down! Loved the fact that she combined the feel of a haunted house tale and a psychological thriller! You don’t know which one it is right up till the end! Also loved the sneaky little twist at the end!

Can’t wait for the author’s next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

This is another great read from Valerie Keogh. It’s fast paced and I raced through it in a couple of days. The plot is dark, engaging and very clever. It’s a great psychological thriller with an unexpected ending. It’s a must read for anyone who likes this genre or author.

Wow I loved this book and raced through it to see who was trying to frighten Cassie.

The truth is not what was expected. A great read which kept me interested all the way through.
4 stars
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc

I raced through it this weekend. Such a smart idea. Twisty, warped, credible. Brilliantly plotted and compelling. Deserves to be such a hit.

I have to say, there are quite a few books about housekeepers, nannies and the sort, so I was a bit skeptical when I started reading. But the title is a bit misleading,, as it suggests a unique perspective on housekeeping, not in the domestic sense, but as the guardian of a house. Cassie, the protagonist, embarks on a new chapter in her life by purchasing Hindon House, a partially derelict property she plans to turn into a bed and breakfast. Still reeling from the loss of her husband in a car accident, Cassie is determined to start anew in the countryside.

As Cassie begins the renovations, she enlists the help of Daniel and his company for the construction work. However, strange incidents start occurring—lights flicker off mysteriously due to a flipped switch in the fuse box. Despite having the electrical system checked, the issue persists. Is someone trying to drive Cassie away from her new home? The house has seen its fair share of short-lived owners, leading to rumors of financial woes, but Cassie is determined to uncover the truth. What secret is she hiding about her husband's death?

This book had me absolutely enthralled from start to finish. It's the kind of story that keeps you glued to the pages, and I found myself reading it in just a few sittings. The tension between the lines is brilliantly executed, making me eager to uncover the mystery behind the strange occurrences. The author skillfully planted several red herrings along the way, keeping me guessing until the very end.

I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say that the resolution is both clever and satisfying. "The Housekeeper" is a brilliantly written book that had me hooked from beginning to end. And a word of advice: you might want to avoid reading it alone in the dark!

This book was a decent read! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a crazy who done it and some really crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I will recommend reading this book as it was worth reading, it wasn't one of my top favorites but still worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Wow! Another great read from Valerie Keogh! I was hooked from the very beginning and stayed up way past my bedtime flipping pages the story moved at a fast pace and kept me guessing throughout. I loved all of the somewhat creepy characters.
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This talented author has written a cannot put down novel While fiction, this book reads like nonfiction at times. The characters are realistic. The story moves quickly. This author does not disappoint the readers. Thank you Netgalley.

An interesting title and one that made me think- not a housekeeper in the domestic sense but the keeper of a house. Cassie has bought Hindon house- an old partly derelict property with a view to making it a bed and breakfast. She lost her husband in a car crash a while ago and is determined to make a new start in the country. She soon finds Daniel and employs his company to do the building work for her, however since she has arrived the lights keep going out- a switch being flipped in the fuse box. She's had the electrics checked and it keeps happening. Is someone trying to put her off living there? Many others have only lasted a short time and no-one really knows why, just thinking they ran out of funds to do the place up. Who would want Cassie out, why, and what is her secret about what happened with her husband?
Oh wow! I know when a book is good that I read it in a setting or two in day- I couldn't take my eyes away from it. There is a brilliant tension between the pages which kept me turning to ever find out what on earth was happening and why. There are a few well thought out red herrings and the perpetrator…… I won’t give anything away. A very clever, brilliantly written book that totally had me hooked right the way through. P.S don’t read this one alone with the lights out….
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