The Housemaid

A young housemaid is desperate for work and a place to live - both of which she finds at Highwood Hall. The typical fairy tale mansion with plush carpets, oil paintings on every wall, and priceless antiques throughout. Yes, her boss, Mrs. Huxley, is beyond strict - but it is a large estate to run and there are only a handful of workers to keep it going. Lord Howard doesn't seem that bad, he prefers to hire girls like her from the Providence rehab program, who deserve a second chance. The company of his son, Alex, will also make the job quite enjoyable - he breathes life and vitality into the household. And his killer looks don't hurt, either. Add to that an eccentric old mother-in-law and Alex's sister, Lottie, who's lounges about all day, and it makes for one wealthy, but ultimately harmless, family.

But what's with the large turnover of housemaids who have come before her? Why is there that one wing of the house that no one goes in? Exactly how many secret corridors can one mansion have? And why does she get the impression that it's all a carefully conceived façade, with danger lurking behind every false panel?

You'll get the answers you seek when you read The Housemaid - a stunning tale of suspense and intrigue that will caution you against questioning what lies behind closed doors. Some secrets are better off locked away. Just ask the Howard family.

A mindbending thriller that hurtles towards a shocking conclusion. I absolutely loved this book. I kept feeling like the main character, she was incredibly easy to relate to.

There is so much to this book that it makes writing a review quite difficult. A cleverly plotted mystery with an incredibly dark twist, The Housemaid is also a narrative on the British class systems and the value we place on human life. The unnamed housemaid remains nameless not just to add to the suspense, but also to hammer home how such people - the cleaner, the cashier, the delivery driver - are viewed within society. Nameless, faceless, all merging into one. I thought this theme was incredibly clever and provides a brutally honest view into modern British society.

A poignant, deliciously dark novel which kept me gripped.