The Housekeepers: They come from nothing. But they'll leave with everything...

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You shouldn't forget where you come from,' said Mrs King thoughtfully. She took out her pen, signed the first letter with a flourish. ' The Housekeepers will do nicely.'

Book review of The Housekeepers by Alex Hay - BookPage

Despite years of service, Mrs King is unceremoniously dismissed from her role as housekeeper at the de Vries residence on Park Lane in Mayfair. Mr Shepherd, the Butler, has advised the lady of the house, Miss de Vries, that Mrs King was seen entering the male quarters the night before. An example must be made; no whiff of impropriety can stain the reputation of the de Vries family. Revenge is sweet and this group of eclectic women intend to get theirs. Mrs King was the housekeeper for William des Vires until the butler found her in the men's quarters after hours. Thrown out on the streets, Mrs King plans her revenge and calls in the favours she's owed to pull off the biggest heist - stealing all the contents of the grandest house on Park Lane while a ball is taking place. This is a historical work of fiction set in 1905. The author has definitely done his research on what it was like living below stairs in Edwardian London. The females are strong, likeable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. When Mrs King, the respected housekeeper in one of the grandest homes in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed from her post, she decides to take action— by stripping the place bare.It starts off slowly, introducing the characters and you become privy to their lifestyles and how they came to be there. Upstairs and downstairs really not being that different when you have the knowledge of Wilhelm de Vries previous identity being Danny O’Flynn.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Goodreads The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Goodreads

I was invested enough to want to know what happens and whether they succeed or not, but the heist fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t find the actuality particularly tense or nail-biting (although the reliance on Hephzibah’s superlative acting skills was enjoyable). The strong, determined and memorable female characters pull you into their web of intrigue' JENNIFER SAINT An intricate conspiracy is put in place, and they must convince the cast of characters they have chosen to accept. They must convince the daughter, Miss de Vries to throw a costume ball. Difficult since her father has just died, but quite easy when you believe the world revolves around you. So hence it begins. Alex Hay commented: “I couldn’t be happier that The Housekeepers has found such a perfect home with Frankie and the team at Headline.

Okay, I admit that the storyline does wander into the utterly fantastical at times (and occasionally unbelievable) it us nonetheless a good, fast-paced tale that has some interesting characters, a few twists and an interesting denouement. The two lead scammers are Mrs. King who works as a housekeeper at The Mayfair a huge estate owned by the wealthy late Wilhelm de Vries in Park Lane London and Mrs. Bone, the owner of a pawnshop in town, but owner of much more. They have much in common, especially intelligence and a history of getting what they want.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Hachette UK

First, there’s an invitation. The oh-so-correctly worded and printed invitation to an opulent masquerade ball at the recently inherited and ridiculously opulent Park Lane mansion of the wealthy Miss de Vries. A young woman who should still be in full mourning for her recently deceased, utterly unlamented and very obviously nouveau riche father. A man who may have been buried as Wilhelm de Vries but was born plain old Danny O’Flynn but made his fortune and his name – literally in both cases – in the diamond mines of South Africa. When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge. I was intrigued by the plot, setting and period - the promise of a good heist from a wealthy London mansion - all very ‘upstairs and downstairs’ vibes. There are secrets and revelations to keep readers engaged as the countdown to the big day plays out. How are the various characters connected? Why is Mrs King so driven? Is this plan feasible? The rich house descriptions and eclectic group of characters are certainly unique. Mrs. King laid out all the knives on the kitchen table. She didn’t do it to frighten Mr. Shepherd, although she knew he would be frightened, but just to make the point. She kept good knives. She took excellent care of them. This was her kitchen.The focus of the first two-thirds of The Housekeepers is pulling together the operation to strip Stanhope House bare to the walls (Stanhope House really did exist although the O’Flynn/de Vries family did not). The final third of the story is, naturally, the edge of the seat thrill nail-biter of pulling off the meticulously planned caper. A treasure trove of contradictions: fast-paced but thoughtful, vengeful but compassionate, satisfying but completely unpredictable. Alex Hay has written a deliciously clever novel... You'll never have so much fun cheering on grand larceny." - Nina de Gramont I've always enjoyed heist movies but hadn't ever considered if heist fiction would generate the same high in me. So when the opportunity to read this historical heist novel came up, I couldn't resist grabbing it.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Crime Fiction Lover The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Crime Fiction Lover

Imagine Ocean’s 8 had an illegitimate baby with Fingersmith– a big fat diamond of a book’ Erin Kelly So, If you loved the scheming, no holds barred grittiness of Peaky Blinders or enjoyed Downton Abbey-not for the Crawley family’s escapades, but for the compelling glimpses into the lives of their servants—then you’re definitely gonna enjoy this ambitiously pacey and delightfully audacious debut. They say that history has been largely told by men, but over the past few years crime writers have been throwing light on a hidden past, where women have the starring roles on both sides of the law. The Housekeepers by Alex Hay is an excellent case in point. Get ready to be taken away to Edwardian London for a unique heist story in the author’s debut novel. The goal? Clean out the estate. Of everything. Leaving nothing. Of course, along the way they come to many crossroads but with determination they will not fail. They will stay strong not for themselves but for the justice that will be served for all the housekeepers who have had to pay with sweat, tears and sometimes their lives. These housekeepers will learn they are extremely strong and capable with more skills they ever thought they had which gives them the courage needed to get the job done.Enter Dinah King (or Mrs. King as she’s referred to throughout the story), housekeeper to the late Mr. de Vries, who has been dismissed from her position and seizes the opportunity to exact her revenge by planning the most daring robbery of the century under the very nose of Miss de Vries and her privileged invitees. But it was the intrepid plan to remove every single item from the grand house, all while a costumed ball is underway that really intrigued me. Leave your disbelief in the servants quarters and just enjoy the dancing. I’ve read a criticism that there is an inappropriate 21st century sensibility in the book, but I think that’s slightly off point. It’s true that contemporary idioms pop up from time to time, but they didn’t really bother me. And at times there are words or concepts that seem out of place for a young woman with a minimal education, but that would be true regardless of whether the book was set in the early 20th or 21st century. Anyone who knows me knows I adore a good heist book or movie, and The Housekeepers by Alex Hay gave me everything I could have hoped for! This would make a super fun movie, but as a book, I loved it just as much. It has all the elements of a great story with interesting and dynamic characters, humor, a revenge plot, and plenty of tense moments. I loved the way Hay structured this debut, and the countdown to the day of the heist was an excellent way to build extra tension. There are even some surprises along the way and not only is it historical fiction, but it has a mysterious quality as well that added to my enjoyment. 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." - Erin Kelly