A former housemaid recently sacked for an apparent indiscretion with one of the butlers plans an elaborate heist of the mansion's contents. This reads like a mash-up of "Upstairs Downstairs" and "Ocean's Eleven" set in the early 1900's. Subplots concerning the family relationship between the newly deceased Master of the house, the housemaid and the Master's aloof and cold daughter add an additional level of the motive for the crime. I found this to be unbelievable; the characters too over the top, the entire plan comes together much too quickly and weaving in sub plots of "ruining young maids" and a possible lesbian relationship just don't flow well into the story. This would have worked better as as a script than as a novel.

The premise of this book was so exciting, a heist that takes place in the early 1900s. It sounded like pride and prejudice meets oceans eleven. However, this book was just not my cup of tea. From the start I found it very hard to get into, it was slow and confusing from the get go. I struggled to understand the characters motivations for wanting to do the heist in the first place, and there are so many characters and subplots, I found the story hard to follow and it just didn’t keep my interest.

Thank you to NetGallery for a arc ebook.

I can now say I have read my first historical fiction heist book! The Housekeepers brought Ocean’s 11 vibes to mind, and it would be so much fun to see on a screen!

Mrs. King has been plotting a massive heist- when the Madam of the house throws a grand ball, she and her crew will steal everything out of the house to sell off. She contacts several women she has known for years, who in turn bring others that they trust in on the plan. Nerves grow as the night of the ball grows near, and the women begin to snap at one another and worry that some may not be up to the task at hand.

The beginning of the book was such a delight, while Mrs. King gathered together her motley crew and sold them on her plan. Several of the women are place as workers in the home, giving them access to start packing things away. The characters were such a quirky bunch and all such fun to read about. The connections between several of the women were a bit confusing to keep track of at times, and I probably should have written myself a note to keep those straight.

The heist portion of the book was entertaining. It had the feel of something dirty and deceitful happening behind the curtains of a glamorous event, and I could just hear music playing from the ball as the thieves followed their plan. It was very well written and atmospheric. I was absolutely rooting for the housekeepers the whole time after hearing about the deplorable conditions of their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you love a great heist movie like Ocean's Eight you're going to love this delightfully clever historical novel. Hay has written an eclectic group of female characters who are complex and incredibly likable and you'll find yourself rooting for each and every one of them to succeed in their grand larceny and revenge. The plot is tight and fast-paced and will keep you glued 'til the very last page. The setting of the glittering world of the Mayfair set and the descriptions of the party to end all parties is down right cinematic (this book would make a great screen adaptation). This does touch on some sensitive topics, so take care and check the CWs. I loved every minute of this original and fun novel and look forward to reading whatever Hay come's up with next.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.5 stars

An interesting concept -- basically this is a heist/caper book but set in Mayfair London amongst the toffs. The gang are mostly female and they each have a score to settle. The book feeds out information on their past a bit at a time. It's quite an involved plot between the master plan, which has many moving parts, and the characters and their history.

Mrs. King is the ringleader, with the help of Mrs. Bones who is a strong presence in the shadowy world of London crime. The women operate differently from a male gang but they are motivated not just by financial need but by a strong sense of justice which has been denied many of them on the basis of their gender and class.

I found the culmination to be quite elaborate and a little hard to follow at times but it's easy to root for the women to succeed and guarantee their future away from scut work belowstairs. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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.

I loved this novel - fun, rollicking, and constantly in action, it takes you on a heist adventure at the turn of the century.
As someone who is desirous of colloquial discourse in novels set in a period, The Housekeepers more than comes through for me ; “Hark at you”, “guts made of garters” for example. I know I’m not to quote in an early review , but it was so refreshing to have this novel written in an approximation of the vernacular. It makes you root for our protagonist and envelops you in the times. A satisfying read, with plenty of twists and issues to keep the reader interested.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Housekeepers has so much unrealized potential.

I loved the concept of a group of below stairs women banding together to exact some sort of revenge on Wilhelm de Vries (and his daughter), but the characters really felt like outlines, rather than full-fledged people to me. I wasn't particularly invested in any of them, or their success at pulling off this caper. And that there was ultimately no punishment for the reprehensible activity going on behind the scenes at the mansion really left me feeling blah about the whole affair.

The Housekeepers is a historical fiction tale involving a heist. Mrs. King is a housekeeper, not exactly an ordinary housekeeper.. Born into a world of thieves, con artists.
Lady con art, scandalous secrets, mystery, intrigue and suspense.
Entertaining, interesting exposure not class structures. Loved the setting and descriptions of the house.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A truly adventurous romp into the world of the downstairs servant while the upstairs aristocrat is unaware. It took a few chapters to become somewhat vested in the story, and then I needed to know if the downtrodden, below stair servants could pull off the greatest heist ever conceived.

3.75☆

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

As a Downton Abbey fan, I was excited to read this book about the household help set at the turn of the century. When the lord of the manor dies, Mrs King is simultaneously dismissed as the head housekeeper for an infraction of being found in a man's room. She seeks out her friends who are con artists and petty thieves to help her get her revenge.

For me, the execution of the book overall just did not work. The characters are a bit flat and were not developed as well as they could have been. Also, there are too many subplots to follow, and it became confusing at times. I also thought the heist was so unrealistic, especially in the time period. Perhaps the overall story would be more believable in the 1960s to 1970s? I just did not believe in or connect with any of the characters or their motives. Finally, it is a huge pet peeve of mine when historical fiction is not accurate. In 1905, Mrs King should not be getting off the 'tube'.

Overall, not a great read for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.

In the aftermath of Wilhelm deVries death, the head of the household Mrs. King is unceremoniously fired from her post.

But don’t worry about her, she will have her revenge.

You see, she is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves in the 1900’s, she somehow managed to make herself respectable, running the grandest house in Mayfair. It turns out, she never gave a hoot about being respectable.

Not interested in basking in her forced retirement, she recruits an eclectic, and slightly motley, group of women from the fringes of society. Each with their own score to settle. The job? Audaciously rob the estate of its every possession on the night of a masquerade ball, right under the noses of the distinguished guests.

It’s like Ocean’s Eight meets Gosford Park! I could see the screen adaptation with every turn of the page!

I will be recommending The Housekeepers to our patrons who enjoy a historical mystery, but I admit to not really enjoying it.
I wasn’t drawn in by the writing style or the characters even though the band of women and their helpers (and hinderers) all seemed to have more to them than meets the eye.
I bet this book would make a great film or TV show!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to pre-pub read "The Housekeepers" by Alex Hay.

In the end, I really enjoyed the story of "The Housekeepers." Throughout the novel the cast of main characters is many with complex stories of their own. I found this to be confusing and difficult to keep track of the characters and their place in the story. When I recommend this novel I would tell the reader that it is better to read it quickly because it is easy to loose track of what is going on.

"The Housekeepers" is a story of a complex heist in an estate in London in early 1900. A group of women band together to create a complex heist of the estate for many reasons as a group and reasons of their own. The heist is very chaotic and fast paced. This time in the novel is so big and complex that it is hard to imagine that it is in any way possible.

This is a great story. I would look forward to a book 2!

I was invited to participate in a blog tour for this title. It sounded fun, and I went in expecting something light-ish with an edge - revenge served cold, if you still... Unfortunately, I felt the pacing was quite slow given my expectations based on the blurb and I had a really hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. The writing style just never grabbed me and I struggled almost from the opening pages. This just wasn't a good fit for me...

this did a great job in creating a historical mystery going on, it worked well with what I enjoyed about the genre. Alex Hay has a great writing style and it worked well overall with what was told. The characters worked well in this time-period and it left me wanting more in this universe.

The synopsis had me intrigued but I struggled to get into the story. The writing and the characters didn’t grab me. This one wasn’t for me.
Thank You to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a fabulously fun caper, but with much more to the story than meets the eye. I loved the twists and turns, the quirky characters, and the vivid descriptions. This was like reading a movie and I loved it.

Very well plotted heist novel set in 1905 London. What if the staff below stairs knew too much, used it to their advantage, and cleared out the household in magnificent fashion? The twisty personal relationships and detailed planning of a robbery during a vast costume ball make for delightful reading. There is some suspension of disbelief about the circumstances, but the various crimes ad the eventual outcoming are quite satisfying.

The Housekeepers....if Ocean's 8 were set in the early twentieth century....

Scorned housekeepers decide to take matters into their own hands when they plan and perform a heist of their employer's grand estate. The plot was intricate and the heist cleverly planned by the maids whose attention to detail was incredible. The writing made it feel as though I, the reader was a fly on the wall, watching how the servants deceived and designed their theft of priceless antiques and objects from the most exquisite home. The characters motivations and backstories helped to drive the plot as they each had their own agenda and vendetta against their employer. I've never read a book from the perspective of the hired help before, so I thought it was interesting and thrilling to read a story from characters who typically are forgotten and ignored. The time period also made this an enjoyable read because it was a very glamorous and prim and proper time that wouldn't seem conducive to such a crime.

My only critique is that there were some loose ends that were not tied up by the end of the story and perhaps a more dramatic ending with a plot twist would have been a better fit?

The cat and mouse games and slick performance of the characters will appeal to fans of the heist and crime thriller genres, while fans of historical fiction books will appreciate the uniqueness of this story.