Mrs, King is the housekeeper for a grand English house and has a plan for a heist to clean the house of its possessions. Her heist involves a cast of characters, who take on various roles as servants to case the house, and her plan commences on the night of a grand ball. As the heist goes on, more information is revealed about King's background, to explain why she's so invested. Readers interested in the workings of an English house or heists will like this one.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was amazing! The plot, the characters, the pacing, all of it. Everybody who was praising this book months and months before the release were 100% right. It's great! I can't decide if I want this to be a standalone novel or part of a series. What a treat!

An interesting read.
A group of domestics plan, plot, and execute a major heist against the rich social class they serve.
I loved the time period—1905- Edwardian England, a period hamstrung between old and new.
I didn’t have a good grasp on any of the characters and the plot was a bit muddled in places.
The book appeals to the us v. Them struggle.

This one just didn’t work for me, but Mrs. King was a very interesting character. About half way through the pace did pick up.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Planning, plotting, scheming, there is a huge amount of this going on in this story. Mrs. King, the head housekeeper and ring leader of the group and along with a team of servants and maids they plan a heist of revenge, plotting to remove valuables right from under their rich employer's noses during a ball. The revenge is planned and plotted throughout the book and this is some of the most intriguing parts to me. It held my interest watching the scheming of who was going to do what and when and how, would it really work? This is a story spotlighting the social disparity between the classes around the turn of the century. I love novels set in this time period and this one was pretty good. There were a couple of places where the pace slows down some, but it quickly picks back up enough that the reader doesn't lose interest.
I give 4 stars and recommend if you are looking for a interesting, attention holding look at the lives of the maids and servants that work "below stairs", this is a great portrayal of those times.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Thank you, Netgalley, Harlequin Trading Publishers, and Alex Hay for this ARC. This debut novel is a genuine page turner.

Imaginative historical fiction with characters you believe and enjoy their story. Set at the turn of the last century, representing the contrast between the upstairs and downstairs characters. Written with a poignant view of the classes and the narrative of the era. One of the most intriguing twists and turns from beginning to conclusion.


The House Keepers will become available for purchase on July 4, 2023.

A super fun new take on Upstairs Downstairs. You will find yourself rooting for the downstairs maids! Set in London during a grand ball. Fabulous!

The Housekeepers started off very strong and I was interested in what each of the characters' roles would be in the heist. The ringleader Mrs. King was one of my favorites and while I was reading this book I was kept entertained but after a while, I did start to lose interest. Then an interesting component would be introduced and I would be curious about where the story was going, then a boring spell would kick in. While this was not my favorite read it did have interesting components and if this is a genre you are interested in it's worth a shot.

have two copies of this one so just closing this one out will be reviewing in the other feedback sheet. Thanks again

Set in West London in 1905, this historical fiction was a bit strange but very interesting. The class system is very much alive.

With the death of Wilhelm de Vries, the truth of Danny O'Flynn's life becomes exposed by his 2 daughters. The disparity between his daughters lives becomes a problem needing solving.

Two housekeepers, along with various former maids and servants, set out to correct some wrongs against the maids, and everyone else in town, is explored and revealed.

“The Housekeepers” by Alex Hay is an interesting book. This book is about planning to rob all the contents inside a house while a fancy ball is also going on. There is a lot of planning - including hiring the right people for the stealing, the right people for guarding, and the right people to sell the items too. There’s also trying to keep those attending the ball occupied while, literally, things are being whisked away under their noses. I found the planning part to be interesting - who to involve, who could be counted on doing what and how. My one negative was that there were a number of characters to track - along with a number of secondary characters, who had some of their own plots. I think what makes this a historical fiction book is that it takes place back in the early 1900s … but not that this actually happened (pity). I liked the idea of this book, but the pacing felt a bit rushed in places … and I’m not sure the ending part needed to be included. It was a book that held my attention - and part of the story was wondering just how it would (could it?) work in the end.

"Downton Abbey meets Ocean's Eight" is what drew me in and I'm so glad I did. It was a great historical novel, I enjoyed each part of the story. The plot worked so well with the time period and I was invested in what was going on and was glad to read this. The characters were so well done and worked with all the elements. I enjoyed the way Alex Hay wrote this and look forward to read more from Alex Hay.

“Earn them an afternoon off,” said Mrs. King quietly.“And those girls took liberties. Grew cheeky. Felt they were favored. I chalked it up to a lapse in discipline. The master allowing indulgences, just to favor Miss de Vries.”