The Housekeepers – Alex Hay
UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.
DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.
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.
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, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.
Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…
THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.
My thanks to the publishers for a review copy which I recieved through Netgalley. Thanks also to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the tour for The Housekeepers.
It’s 1905 and The Housekeepers is bringing readers a mashup of Gosford Park and Oceans Eight – I am here for that! This is a glorious piece of historical crime fiction, grand in its ambition and delivering some engaging subplots and distractions which all threaten to derail the characters from the successful execution of their ambitious plans.
A word of caution though, this book starts with a bit of a slow burn while characters are introduced (there were a few and I frequently mixed them up) while backgrounds are established and while territories are determined. Keep going! Once the slow burn fully ignites the main event there is plenty of sizzle to enjoy.
In one of London’s exclusive family homes there’s a period of mourning underway. The master of the house, a self-made man who had shaken up London society has passed away. But the new lady of this manor (Miss de Vries) isn’t following conventions – she decides she must host an elaborate party, a grand ball and she wants the guest list to be filled with the great and good (and rich) of the town. Naturally there’s a shocked and scandalised reaction that Miss de Vries would even consider such an event during the official mourning period she is expected to observe.
Below the stairs there’s a very different scandal when Mrs King, the housekeeper, is fired from her post for being with a man. Mrs King isn’t one to retreat and lick her wounds – she’s on a mission to extract revenge and to do this she’s going to need some very special people to help her.
And so begins Mrs King’s recruitment and planning challenge. She wants to rob the house, strip it right down and leave Miss de Vries with nothing. It’s wonderfully excessive and she knows she’s facing huge challenges but the grand party will provide the cover she needs.
With the date set and the plan revealed in stages for readers it’s fun to follow this story and see how the various players in this elaborate heist fit into their respective roles. We see them find places of employment in the house, recruit the brute strength needed to move heavy furniture and arrange costumes, drivers and equipment to make sure they have the tools they need.
Unfortunately for Mrs King there are too many random variables which are out of her control and this is where the fun and thrills will creep in. Her team will keep secrets from her, the staff in the house unwittingly thwart ideas, there are more secrets in the household that Mrs King can’t know and Miss de Vries is an astute and observant lady – she’s hard to distract.
The Housekeepers offers readers a highly entertaining period thriller. The social history elements of the book feel nicely balanced with that gloriously extravagant crime which is being planned. There are several key characters to follow and you’ll likely enjoy some more than others but you’ll also find yourself sympathetic to these characters too – everyone has their own burden to shoulder.
All in, this was a fun read. Definitely not one I took too seriously but with lots of nice touches and some fascinating characters that I was willing to see succeed.
The Housekeepers is published by Headline and is available now in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-housekeepers/alex-hay/9781472299338