Wow - this was a wild ride. I felt so many emotions reading this and felt SO frustrated for the daughters the entire time. I did not see the ending coming at all, although looking back there were a lot of clues that led to it. I did have an inkling that made me think something like the ending would happen but didn't expect it to happen in the way it did. This was a unique take on an overly done concept of a caretaker infiltrating an elderly person's life in order to get written into their will. Much of this was predictable because of that trope, but I did not expect things to play out the way they did at all. This was fast paced and exciting and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I am really looking forward to what else Joy Fielding brings us because I truly enjoyed her writing style. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been seeing a few other positive reviews for this one and while I enjoyed certain aspects of the read, it didn't keep my attention! I wanted to love it but felt there was a lot of introspective thoughts and could have used more in the first half to speed things along. But like I said others really loved this one so maybe I read it during a slump!

In the end, I have only myself to blame. I’m the one who let her in..... - The Housekeeper

How does that sentence alone make you feel? I know, personally, I had full body chills and I was ready to leap right in and have my mind blown.

Joy Fielding, delivers. I have yet to come across even one of her books that didn't leave me in complete adoration. Fielding has a way of sucking you right in and keeps you hanging on her every word. Her writing style is euphoric and completely consumes me. I have been a long time fan of Joy Fielding, and its safe to say I will continue to be for a very long time.

Prior to reading The Housekeeper, Cul-De-Sac, had been my favorite Fielding novel. However, after concluding The Housekeeper, there is not one doubt in my mind that not only is this my favorite Fielding book but my favorite book this year.

What scared me most about The Housekeeper is that it felt incredibly real. The psychological roller coaster I was put on crashed through family drama and marital secrets, two key elements for an explosive thriller. There was no shortage of twists, deceit and betrayal. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, I was proven wrong and thrown into a different direction. The climax was intense and left me in complete shock.

So let me leave you with this....

If something is too good to be true, isn't it?

'The Housekeeper,' by Joy Fielding is an engaging thriller. If you are a fan of the author it may not be what you are used to insomuch as the characters while still well written are not as engaging as usual. But, overall, a great fast paced read.

Jodi’s mom is very ill, and her father is struggling to care for her. When Jodi steps in, and hires Elyse as the housekeeper, everyone is happy. Elyse is a wonderful, caring women, and seems like the perfect person to run the household.

How wrong was Jodi?
Struggling with her own marriage and career, Jodi begins to feel that something isn’t quite with Elyse. It seems that her Dad has taken a fancy to the housekeeper!

This was a very enjoyable book. It was fast paced, and well written. Although predictable, there were a few surprises , and overall it was a very good mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!
5 stars from me!!

Wow! What a rush. This one was straight out of my nightmares. I was hooked in the first few chapters. There was definitely an eerie and tense vibe through out the plot. The characters are everyday folks who take a ride on the psycho side. My knuckles were white because I was so uneasy reading parts of the book at bedtime when it was weirdly silent. I definitely recommend this book.

When you become the person responsible for caring for your parents, you will make sure that they receive only the best care possible. When Jodi hires elyse to be her fathers housekeeper and to help care for her mother- she got much more than what she bargained for. So, think about all the Nanny books you’ve read and substitute a parent for a child and you’ve read the Housekeeper. Same premise, different generation. Kind of ew. Kind of unbelievable that anyone would fall for it.

I love Joy Fielding and her new book did not disappoint. You have an idea from the beginning what is going to happen but she still knows how to throw unexpected twists in that make you keep turning the pages as fast as you can. Can’t wait til her next release m. They don’t come fast enough.

I read this book in a single sitting! It was easy to get into the characters. I immediately thought I knew how it would end, but I was incorrect. I've read many books about maids/housekeepers/nannies in a rich home with secrets, but this book felt unique.

📚 Book Review 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding

When Jodi’s mothers health becomes too much for her dad to handle, she hires Elyse. She is perfect….her references, her attitude, her overall being is…..too good to be true?!

I DEVOURED this book!! It is a super fast read because the drama doesn’t stop! I couldn’t get enough and didn’t want it to end but WHAT AN ENDING!!!

Highly recommend this one! This was my first book to read by this author but definitely won't be my last. The characters will stay with you long after you finish the book and you will find yourself wishing the story would never end.

I never thought I would give a Joy Fielding book a not so nice review, but this one just did not work for me. First of all, the characters were so unlikeable. I really didn't care what happened to any of them. Secondly, it was very predictable. There really was no mystery as to what was going to happen.

This was my first by this author and will definitely not be my last! Suspenseful to the max!

Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy!

Jody Bishop leads a busy life as a wife, mother, and daughter. Additionally, she leads a successful career as a real estate agent. Not only must Jody manage her household, but she must also assist with the care of her aging parents. Jody’s mother, Audrey, is afflicted with Parkison’s and Jody’s father, Vic requires help in caring for Audrey. Jody hires Elyse to assist with the care of her parents. Elyse seems perfect in every way for the job, even with impeccable references. Is Elyse as perfect as she seems? Jody begins to observe some alarming incidents, but she can’t get anyone to believe her. Jody is trying to keep her own house in order, while also, keeping an eye on the suspicious events occurring at her parents’ house. This book was truly enjoyable and difficult to put down. Read this book, you won’t be disappointed! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book and author!

I love all the books by Joy Fielding and this one was no different!
Her books keep me engaged and invested in the stories!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the arc for the review.

Where is the option for ten stars? This book, I just can't believe it!!!!!!!
It's one of those books that now that I've read one by this author I must read them all, pronto!
This is not my normal genre type to read but I decided to give a new to me author a go and the book sounded pretty good so hey, why not?
By no means is it a new plot, not really sure new plots are even possible at this point with how many books have been written but I still read it and fell hard for it.
The plot twists kept me reading until early in the morning hours. You know how you read and you say, okay I'm waiting to get to the good part? There's no down time in this one, it's all the good part.
The more I read the more the book became like an onion as the layers are slowly revealed with each flip of the page. The thing of it was is it sounds like it couldn't be possible but I can actually see this plot happening in real life. The suspense it's maddening. You read and expect one thing to happen then you say to yourself, no way when something totally different happens!
Highly recommended, this book is a mind game!

Pub Date 16 Aug 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 ⭐️‘s
If something looks too good to be true, perhaps it is…at her wits end with trying to keep her own life in tact, let alone taking care of her ailing mother (with little help from her sister, Tracy), Jodi convinces her father to hire a housekeeper. Elyse is perfect in every way, that is until she’s not. When Elyse moves in things are smoother than they have been for years, but all of a sudden their mother is worse, Elyse is wearing her jewelry and has moved into her husbands room. How could things that were so perfect deteriorate so quickly and why is their father oblivious to her nefarious schemes? How far will Elyse go to walk away with everything? Is there a chance that Jodi and Tracy can intervene before it’s too late? While entertaining, the story held little suspense and the twists were quite predictable.

Jodi is the scapegoat for her narcissistic family and her narcissistic author husband and it shows in every conversation that she has with them. She is run ragged trying to be the best mom, wife, daughter, and breadwinner. Her mom has Parkinson's that's getting worse, so she finds a housekeeper to help her parents while also giving herself a break.

There's all sorts of red flags after Jodi hires Elyse and Elyse ingratiates herself into the family. Jodi is desperately seeking good attention and at first Elyse showers her with it. But then Jodi's mom deteriorates under Elyse's care, her dad becomes enamored with Elyse, Jodi's mom's jewelry goes missing, and her husband is hiding something. As Jodi seeks out to investigate the housekeeper, things get shadier and shadier. Situations happen that end up connecting all the dots.

This is another book where I empathize with Jodi because she is living in a toxic environment but there are so many flags right in front of her face. She needs a backbone. No is a complete sentence. None of the characters are likable. The book did hold my attention though.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this eARC. This book is out now!

Finished in 1 sitting! This domestic suspense story written by the fabulous Joy Fielding is a winner! 2 adult sisters, one with a cheating husband and their elderly parents. Dad needs helps taking care of his wife, thus hiring a housekeeper. The signs were there, right from the start, but they hired her anyways because she seems too good to be true. Then we begin the unraveling. Such a well woven family drama that I couldn't put down.

I’ve loved Joy Fielding ever since I read “See Jane Run”, and I started off enjoying this book as well. Unfortunately, it went downhill for me. I thought some of it was predictable. My biggest problem was that I hated the characters. I didn’t think any of them had any redeeming qualities. I was surprised at the end, so I’m giving it two stars.