This book is different- a con set in 1898 London? How interesting! And it started out so good. I loved the beginning- the planning, plotting, and beginning of the con was so exciting. Then, as the con actually went on, it started to drag a bit at times. You'd think the tension would ramp up, but I found the opposite. By the end, I just wanted it to be over. Especially because I had the whole thing figured out fairly early on.

Polly Edsell narrates the audiobook. She does a good job.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mysterious and haunting. Significantly darker than her previous book, The Housekeepers. While I still really enjoyed this book, I found that the first part dragged and the ending was a little scarier than I was expecting. As someone who prefers a lighter/cozier mystery, this one wasn't for me.

This is a very clever take on a period novel, not filled with typical romance and fluff, but with schemes and wit. The premise of a con-woman posing as a lady, not to score the husband, but to keep her home and friends safe, is artful and fun. There were way more twists than I expected…fully enjoyable from start to finish! I listened to the audiobook in two days! Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Look, I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will like this. The mystery is twisty, and once you get about 60% the pacing picks up, but good lord this was such a slog for me and put me in a slump.

Firstly, I was able to figure out the big twist before we even reached 30% of the book. Secondly, the writing style was so aggravating. The whole time it just felt like the author they were so clever, keeping a secret and in reality it was just annoying. Lastly, the game made no sense and should have been null and void once Quinn realized that the Duke wasn’t responsible for what she originally thought he was doing.

Big miss for me.
Great narration from the voice actor though!

***Thank you to Harlequin Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

i loved Alex Hay's The Housekeepers, and was excited to see this one -- though I do worry that when I love the first book, my expectations will be too high for the second. Not to worry here, as this was simply stellar. The plot is intricate without being too convoluted to follow while listening on audio. I am struck by his ability to tell such an engrossing confidence game story while not sacrificing character development. Such a smart, thoughtful and at times, poignant narrative. Can't wait for the next one!
And specific to the audio version, the narrator is terrific in voicing different characters.

Alex Hay’s *The Queen of Fives* is a Victorian con game that’s equal parts *Bridgerton* glamour and *The Sting* hustle. Quinn Le Blanc, London’s slickest trickster, has five days to snag a duke and his fortune, posing as a dazzling debutante. The setup’s delicious—high society balls, shady backrooms, and a rulebook for pulling off the perfect scam. Hay’s prose is sharp and lush, painting 1898 London with gaslight and grit. Quinn’s a firecracker, dodging suspicious aristocrats and her own tangled lies, but the plot’s so twisty it occasionally trips over itself. The big reveal lands like a sucker punch, though, and I was grinning by the end. 4 stars—fun, fast, and a little chaotic, perfect if you love a historical caper with sass.

Quinn Le Blanc is the reigning Queen of Fives, the queen of schemes and scams. Now she is prepared to pull off the biggest scheme of all from the collection, 'False Heiress'. Quinn has just five days to snare a Duke, but she is not the only player in this game.
I love Victorian-era mysteries and schemes, but this one was slow-going and did not hit for me. It had all the right themes but was not executed in the right tempo. I am unsure if it was the narrator or the story itself.

This story was a little slow in the beginning, but it picked up towards the middle. I think the concept of the book was better than the actual execution.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. This is the story of Quinn le Blanc, a very talented con woman in 1898 London. She has set her sights on one of the richest families in England. Her target is to get the duke to the marriage altar then take the family fortune. As she gets closer to her goal, the more deceptions start to unfold. Quinn is hiding behind the facade of a wealthy heiress, but she finds out that she is not the only one keeping secrets. The twists and turns happen as each player moves forward in their games and what happens once all bets are in and the dice are thrown. I enjoyed the plot devices Hays used to keep the reader engaged, and it was a very enjoyable read. The ending was satisfying too. I would definitely recommend this book to those that like a good con.

Thank you to NetGalley for a audioARC to preview.

I absolutely adored Alex Hay’s debut The Housekeepers, so I picked up his sophomore novel without giving it a second thought. While I didn’t fall as hard for The Queen of Fives, I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and I loved the con itself that Quinn has set up. I think the only reason I didn’t love it as much was due to a slow start, and the time it took for me to REALLY get into the entire storyline and characters. I ended up having to set it aside for a couple of days due to library books I had to return, and it was really easy to immerse myself back in and not be confused so that was a plus.

I do think there was a bit of a missed opportunity with the audiobook only having one narrator, but as it was I did love Polly Edsell. She threw herself into her narration and I was very pleased with the way she was able to convey every emotion and every feeling no matter who she happened to be voicing at the time. Day five (All In) was my favorite section of the book by far and it is where much of the action takes place. We also get hit with a jaw-dropping twist that left me speechless. I would make sure to read the author’s note at the back of the book since it isn’t included in the audio as it gives context to how this story came about.

Read this if you enjoy books with caper and heist high stakes action, historical elements, and the Victorian era!

Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version of this book. This was much more enjoyable than the housekeepers!! So many twists and turns, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.
I listened to the audio of this book. I really enjoyed it! The plot was interesting and exciting. I enjoyed the narrator's voice. The characters were very likable and well developed. The story had a good twist. Very happy I picked this one up! I will be putting this title out on our Staff Picks display. If you are a fan of period pieces set in England pre WWI or a fan of thrillers, this is a good one for you! I think I will pick up The Housekeepers by Alex Hay next.

The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay is a captivating historical thriller set in 1898 London, following the exploits of Quinn Le Blanc, a master con artist renowned as the "Queen of Fives." Quinn embarks on an ambitious scheme to marry and defraud Max, the affluent Duke of Kendal, navigating a complex web of deception and intrigue. Hay intricately portrays a Victorian-era society teeming with elaborate rituals and hidden agendas, creating a vivid backdrop for this high-stakes narrative. The novel delves into themes of identity, trust, and the blurred lines between appearance and reality, offering readers a richly detailed and suspenseful experience.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵 𝑶𝑭 𝑭𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑺 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝑯𝒂𝒚 was my choice for escape today, courtesy of @harlequin_audio & @netgalley and @htp_hive of course! Published in January, this one is available now!

I was thrown back in time to the Victorian era of England but with a heist story that kept me on my toes!

Think all the marriage matches, wealth and entails, disgruntled family members, all mixed in with elaborate meetings, dinners, theater, oh, and a five step plan to swindle them all. I hesitate to say more, so I'll only give that Quinn, as our femme fatale, plans her heist and all seems to be going swimmingly until it is clear there is another player in this game!

I really had fun listening to this story! I thought the setting and characters were a great change of pace for me and the heist was clever, never giving me a chance. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained while Polly Edsell narrated, easily distinguishing the characters with all the pomp!

The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay
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Quinn is a talented con woman in 1898 London and she is in a bind. She needs to pull off one of the biggest schemes ever to set her debts in order. She is going to trap the most eligible duke of the season into marriage.
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What I liked:
-I admired Quinn’s ambition. She was a real go-getter and believed in herself.
-I loved that we got POVs from not just Quinn, but several other characters. It helped round out the story so well and created some delicious tension.
-Speaking of tension: this book was WAY more suspensful than I imagined it being! I was doing everything I could to not bite my nails listening.
-All the reveals were very juicy.
-I was quite impressed with this story, and the narration in the audio was spot on brilliant.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I very much enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for more fun books from this author.

This audiobook had me hanging by the edge of my seat! I was able to review this as part of The Hive (from Harlequin Audio) and it is a historical caper that twists and turns to a satisfying end. It’s told through multiple POV and had me guessing right up until the last minute what was actually happening. Seeing each character from the author’s POV added so much depth to the mystery and the moral grayness of all kept me intrigued. There’s just one narrator, but they do an excellent job reading with the weight/gravity of each character without doing any specific voices. If you love historical mysteries, this should be on your radar!

This is really a fabulous book. I much preferred it to Alex Hay’s first book The Housekeepers. It was similarly themed just much more well done.
The Queen of Fives describes a basic confidence game, except we never really know who the mark is and who the is the perpetrator. It’s very twisty with lots of subterfuge and double crossing but it never becomes confusing, like so many of these stories do. I thought all of the characters were interesting and I liked seeing things from their different perspectives. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the Duke and Quinn, it was very refreshing for this type of story.
This was a very well done audio, narrated by Polly Edsell. This a really fun book to listen to as it is fast paced and the story keeps moving at a quick pace.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Quinn LeBlanc is a confidence woman in 1890s London, running games to make her living. She's the leader of a group of charlatans and now she is about to attempt the ultimate game of marrying into a rich family and robbing them blind. But who is playing whom?

Full of intrigue and deceit, this story has one twist after another until the very end. It's a bit of a slow burn and the author dropped enough clues that I figured out part of the ending, but well written overall. It's a multilayered tale that fans of mystery and historical fiction are sure to enjoy.

The audiobook narration was well done.

3.5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

I was a big fan of Alex Hay's debut novel, The Housekeepers, and his sophomore release is just as good.

I love how his stories have you rooting for the bad guys, and catch you with a great twist that propels it to the next level.

These heist stories are so much fun, and I find them to be a great escape from the chaotic and messy world in which we are currently living.

If you enjoy books that are equally plot and character driven with complex storylines, I think you should give Alex Hay a try.

I do think I ever so slightly enjoyed The Housekeepers more, but The Queen of Fives is a force to be reckoned with.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this Audiobook Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Queen of Fives is a romp of a historical mystery. Our MC, Quinn is a con woman and she has set her heights on a Duke, a member of one of the wealthiest families in England. Quinn tries to draw the Duke into marriage but of course, nothing quite goes to plan.

Alex Hay has written a delightful, twisty story and I really enjoyed Quinn as a character. The audio version was excellent, great production quality and I enjoyed the narration. I would highly recommend reading that version. This story is perfect for fans of Victorian historical fiction or cozy mysteries. It read a lot like a PBS miniseries to me. I'm excited to read more of Alex Hay's work,