This was a tense, and dramatic, and exciting read. Joy Fielding does a fabulous job of creating stories and characters that are easy to relate to and follow. I read this in a single setting, couldn’t wait to finish but didn’t want it to end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Genre: domestic suspense/thriller
Pub date: 8/16/22
In one sentence: Jodi hires the perfect housekeeper, Elyse, to care for her aging parents - but things quickly turn not so perfect.

Jo Fielding's Cul-de-sac was one of my favorite reads of last year, so I had to pick up The Housekeeper! Fielding does a good job ratcheting up this tension - Elyse quickly turns into a nightmare for Jodi, and it's clear this woman has a lot of secrets. Elyse is a character you'll love to hate, but sometimes her actions felt a bit too heavy-handed and predictable. As a result, the book dragged a bit in the middle before getting to its explosive conclusion. Although this one wasn't as good as Cul-de-sac, I'll definitely read Fielding's next book.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, as per usual with a Joy Fielding novel. The story centers on Jodi, who hires a housekeeper to help her dad in the care of his wife who has Parkinson’s. Elyse seems absolutely perfect and you know what they say about when something seems too good to be true…

The book is narrated by Jodi and is told from the point of view of looking back at the events as they unfolded. I find this to be a good storytelling method that I don’t see all that much. Jodi herself is a flawed character but I found myself understanding why she made the decisions she made based on all the deplorable people in her life. Though she was frustrating at times, I empathized with her. As a sun side note, she mentions at one point that she goes through names starting with each letter of the alphabet in order to fall asleep at night, which is something I do and I’ve never met another person who knew what I was talking about!

Though the subject of the book is not all that unique, there were some surprise twists throughout, a couple which I wasn’t even close to having seen coming. I liked the end (though some of the characters deserved a less happy ending in my opinion) and felt like the loose ends were tied up.

Overall, another winner from Fielding that had me reading late into the night. Would recommend for those who like domestic suspense books. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Jodi and her family decided to hire a live in person to care for her mom who has Parkinson's. Rhe women seems confident in her position. When things in the family start happening, Jodi questions whether hiring a care taker was a good idea. I enjoyed this book.

I could not get enough of the drama. It’s a story you've probably heard a million times before but it was so good I stayed up pass my bedtime into the wee hours of the morning to finish it because it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I love Joy Fielding and finished this book quite quickly. I wouldn't say it's the most original of plots with the father remarrying (in this case a housekeeper and not the usual nanny), but there are a few unexpected twists to add a fresh shine to the story. The characters aren't exactly those who you are going to bond with--to be honest, most are seriously deplorable--but the main character has a few positive qualities to keep things afloat.

A fantastic read! I read this in a sitting. I can’t wait for more by author. Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC.

I am a big fan of Joy Fielding and her newest novel does not disappoint. Jodi has a lot on her plate. She has two small children, works full time, and tries to care for her ageing parents. Her mother has Parkinson's disease and Jodi knows her farther needs more help than she can offer while still maintaining her own household.

She feels she has found the perfect candidate in Elyse Woodley and hires her right away. What starts out as a Godsend to her family quickly spirals out of control as Elyse starts to grow her roots into the home.

Elyse and Jodi wind up in a full out battle--who will win? This one will suck you in fast and due to her easy to read writing will allow you to devour it quick.

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

And with that, we were off. Even though this concept was not a new one, there were several elements in this book that made it stand out above others that explored the same trope.

Jodi Bishop, a successful real estate agent, is the breadwinner of her household. Her moody husband had one successful novel a decade ago, and he's been struggling to replicate that success, so he's often abrasive and withdrawn. I hated him almost immediately. Then we get to the real meat of the story. Jodi's parents are struggling. Her father Vic is almost 80 and is struggling to take care of his wife, who has been ravaged by Parkinson's for the last several years. Jodi's sister is too self-absorbed, and Jodi is too busy, so the only thing that makes sense is to hire a housekeeper.

Jodi feels like she's struck gold with Elyse. She is kind, warm, and best of all, knows how to put Vic in his place. Jodi thinks she's a dream come true...until she isn't. Jodi's personal life soon begins to fall apart as allegations of her husband's cheating come to light. Depressed and distracted, she begins an affair with a client; soon after, she is taken by surprise when her mother dies, having fallen down the stairs after attempting to get out of bed.

Soon Jodi realizes that Elyse was indeed too good to be true. She finds her mother's personal things in her possession, but Elyse always has a convincing story. Mere months after her mother's death, she is shocked when her father announces that Elyse is his new bride. It's then that Elyse begins to change. She cuts off communication, and on the rare occasion Jodi is allowed to see her father, he appears confused and disoriented.

What made this book hit home was the fact that Jodi's father was never warm and effusive. He talked down to Jodi every chance he got, mentioning her weight and what she ate when she wasn't overweight to begin with. It is such a struggle to deal with an aging parent that never gave you the unconditional love you so desperately wanted. For those who say she should have seen all the red flags with Elyse, I think we can all admit that we've ignored red flags. This was a completely immersive read that I thoroughly enjoyed, Releases August 16, 2022.

Jodi Bishop hires a housekeeper to care for her mother, who has Parkinson's, and her stubborn father, who won't admit that they could use a little help around the house. Vic has always favored Jodi's sister, Tracy, and no matter what she does it's never good enough, so why would this situation be any different?
Elyse is the perfect candidate for what her parents need, Jodi finds, and hires her immediately. Vic agrees to a trial period, amid his ever-present doubts of Jodi and her ability to make any good decisions-this despite her success as a real estate agent, wife, and mom.
But is Elyse TOO perfect?
As time goes on, Elyse becomes a part of the family, and strange things start happening.. was that her mother's watch Jodi saw Elyse wearing? Why do her dad and Elyse act like young lovers when her ailing mother is upstairs? Why is Elyse always seemingly right around the corner, listening?
Is Jodi just being paranoid?
Meanwhile Jodi's husband Harrison struggles to complete his second novel, getting too close to some of the students he teaches, Tracy has her own issues to contend with, and of course there are the two children to take care of. Jodi feels like her life is starting to spiral out of her control, and there's no one to blame for it but herself.
Or is there?
A wild ride ensues, and the ending totally took me by surprise.

This book reminded me a lot of the Netflix movie ‘I Care Alot.’ It was pretty predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story is very slow moving which I don’t usually like.

I love the premise of this book--hiring the "perfect" housekeeper who is almost too good to be true. When Jodi hires Elyse Woodley to help her dad care for her mother who has Parkinson's disease, and to take care of the house, she is mostly confident that she has done the right thing. Not only will that help her parents, but it will ease the burdens that she carries as wife to Harrison (a struggling novelist), mother to two young children, and full-time real estate agent. The dutiful daughter, Jodi is always trying to do the right thing for her parents, while her sister Tracey, the favored one, flits from one thing to another, never settling down to a career or a lasting relationship. Though their father does not think he needs any assistance, he agrees to allow Elyse to work for him. Never the easiest man to please, he is putty in her hands. While things go well for a time, the doubts that have niggled at Jodi's mind flare into full-blown crises. While the storyline, that something too good to be true likely is not so good, is somewhat predictable, the events that unfold in the lives of the characters are not so easy to foresee, with twisty turns along the way. The reader is left with surprises that satisfy as the books ends.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this advance copy.

Joy Fielding has written a twisty, interesting thriller in The Housekeeper.

I enjoyed the story of two adult sisters, one with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and one with none, hiring and getting to know a caregiver for their mother with Parkinson's disease. The book offered many surprises, just one of which was the relationship between the sisters.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns and would fully recommend this book.

I liked this story a lot. The storyline and plot were spot on and exciting! I would definitely reread this book. The drama in the story was definitely there but it was excellent! I stayed up reading way past the time I should've!!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Zoomed through this one in one sitting! A woman hires a housekeeper to clean and help take care of her ill mother. Things are going perfectly…until they’re not. Lots of twists and turns in this one! Also I have never hated a male character quite as much as I hated Harrison. Even more than the husbands in scary books that always say “No, our house isn’t haunted/child isn’t a bad seed, that’s in your imagination, you’re so tired, honey.” I hate those guys too. But Harrison was THE WORST. In fact, the protagonist of this book had not one good person in her life (besides her kids) a everyone sucked sooo bad. Anyway. A very good book!

This book drew me in from page one. A dutiful daughter hires a seemingly perfect housekeeper to look after her aging and ailing parents. But this woman is nothing like what she seems. Great twists and story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Housekeeper, by Joy Fielding, was a fun, mildly suspenseful page turner. Jodi’s chronically ill and mostly bedridden Mother has come. To the stage in her illness where she needs a caregiver. Jodi’s Father, an Eighty Something Curmudgeon, has been caring for his wife for years, but her increasing disability and his advancing age no longer make this possible. Once Jodi convinces him they need to hire help, it falls to her to conduct the interviews and find someone. There’s also a running subplot about Jodi’s marriage. PpTherein lies the story…….. I didn’t find any of the characters especially likable, yet they were all so well written as to make them totally believable. I felt like I knew them. I was especially interested in the plot as I had to hire a caregiver for a relative not too long ago. Also, from another angle, my husband and I are of an age where I could imagine needing at home help in the foreseeable future. Joy Fielding’s novel has give me a lot to think about!!!! Thank you for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Housekeeper.
#TheHousekeeper. #NetGalley

This is the second book I’ve read of Joy’s and I really need to pick up a third. I love her writing style.
I loved the thrill of the story, though it made me upset to watch elyse and her son do all these rotten things to this family.
It was hard to read at times, just because of how awful it was.
I like how I kept guessing what was going to happen next, and it kept me on my toes.
I will definitely be recommending this book to others !

Wow. What a book. So much of our world is based on trust. We trust people to stop on a red light. We trust people to take turns when waiting at the store. We trust our housekeepers. But should we? That’s the question. This book had me hooked from the first page. I was on a tropical cruise and I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s a great beach read. I highly recommend.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own..

This book was slow at certain times but did get better and kept me on the edge of my seat. So glad I kept reading. Loved the mystery and suspense.