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Review for 'The Housekeeper' by Valerie Keogh..


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Valerie Keogh, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random resources Tours.


Publication date 9th October 2023


This is the third book I have read by this author. I have also read 'The Librarian' and 'The Nurse' and would highly recommend them both!!



This novel consists of a prologue, 44 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

'The Housekeeper' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Valerie discusses miscarriage and infant death.

If you are ever looking for a fast paced thriller then Valerie is definitely the author for you!!! I don't even bother reading the synopsis before I start reading her books now because I just know they are going to be fantastic. As you can tell I LOVED the storyline!!! I found it to be extremely fast paced and I just could not put it down and ended up reading it in one sitting. The only thing I will say that I found to be a shame when it comes to the storyline is that by the end of the book I did find the ending to be questionable when it came to the realism. I still enjoyed the storyline and the book but I have to admit that, for me, I preferred the other books I have read by this great author. I loved the gothic type setting and the creepiness during the storyline. I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! Valerie's evocative writing skills ensures you are dragged deep into the storyline seeing everything that is happening and feeling the tension and suspense throughout. I was on the edge of my seat and biting my nails wondering what was going to happen next. My heart was in my throat throughout reading this fast paced, gripping and gritty psychological thriller! It is ram packed with twists, tension, stress, suspense and everything you could ask for in a psychological thriller. I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!!


The characters come to life with Valerie's fantastic writing skills. They are well rounded, complex, realistic and strong making them all the more believable. I had mixed feelings when it came to Cassie where at times she annoyed me with her snappy attitude at some of the male characters, other times I felt sorry on her and then at other times I wanted to shout at her for being so clumsy or not using some sense, for example in regards to the lights going out you would like to think she'd learn to keep a torch on her after the first couple of times!!! Although she did annoy me in occasions I was still completely invested in her and needed to know what was going to happen and the reasons behind everything that was happening. I enjoyed meeting Daniel Cody and Elsie Morgan but would have liked to know more about them and see their characters fleshed out more . Although there are definitely mixed feelings about the characters I still enjoyed this fantastic storyline which is definitely a bonus as usually when I'm not a fan of the characters it puts me off reading the book or I won't enjoy it but Valerie's fantastic storytelling skills definitely makes up for it. I won't go into more details as I don't want to risk giving anything away but Valerie has done an amazing job constructing an addictive and explosive psychological thriller with varied characters that you just won't be able to put down!!


Congratulations Valerie on another great read!!! This is exactly why you are in my favourite author club!! Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!


Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!!


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapters of Valerie's 'The Lawyer' which promises to be just as addictive as this book and is one I'm looking forward to reading myself!!!


Overall an absolutely page turning, addictive, gripping and gripping must read that will keep you addicted from the very start to the fantastic ending!!!


288 pages.


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon, free with kindle unlimited and £12.99 in paperback which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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Cassie Macreddin is heading into Wiltshire to look at a home she wants to buy. It’s called Hindon House. She knows it has been vacant for a couple of years and certainly needs a lot of work. She wants to redo it and open it as a Bed and Breakfast.

Her husband, Richie, had been killed in a car crash leaving her uninjured. So, six months after his death, Cassie quits her job, sells her apartment and furnishings, and using Richie’s large insurance policy money, heads off for a new life.

Settling on the house, she realizes there’s more to repair than she thought but plans to do a lot of the work herself. She hires Daniel Cody who has a great reputation for doing good renovations.

But, soon things start happenings that make her wonder if someone is trying to make her leave the house. She certainly doesn’t believe in ghosts so could someone else be behind these events and if so, why?

This book is so twisty and scary that it sent chills down my spine the whole time I was reading it. The ending was a real shocker and left me shivering. A great story to read with all the lights on in the house. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Housekeeper is an addictive read with a snappy pace and an intriguing storyline.

Cassie moves from London to an old house in the country to open a B&B and help her get over the pain of her husband's death. Things don't go according to plan and immediately sinister things happen. Several of the village residents don't seem happy that an outsider has taken over Hindon House, but it's up to Cassie to find out who and why.

The book was also a little creepy at times. The lights going off suddenly, the eerie kitchen, the previous owners just getting up and leaving suddenly... it gave me the odd shiver throughout.

I will say there is a certain amount of suspend your disbelief at the ending but it was still thoroughly enjoyable.

The housekeeper was the perfect read for these long autumnal nights.

The House Keeper is the title and it's misleading as you think of hired help but it is not that at all rather a keeper of the house and all it's secrets which the title makes perfect sense just not in the way the majority of people would think. I personally think it is very clever and after reading the entire book I was not disappointed. It started out slow paced but at the 50% mark it picks up and will bowl you over. I got the haunted house vibes which is perfect reading for this month especially. The characters while likeable are untrustworthy and the plot has a secret twist that I did not expect.

This was a good book, with a twisty ending. It was well written and fast reading.
Cassie is a widow, with a desire to start her new life. With the life insurance money after her husband’s death, she buys an old house, with the plan to open a country B & B.
While renovations get under way, Carrie continually finds strange things happening in the house: lights going on and off, bars on windows, even a pet cemetery. However, she remains determined to proceed with her plans. That is, until she’s stopped.
By the shocking end of the book, the secrets of this old house are finally revealed! Valerie Keogh has written a very good, entertaining book!
4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. The author has done an excellent job of creating an interesting narrative that kept me engaged throughout. Although I classify myself as a fan of this genre, this book managed to surprise me with its unexpected twists and turns. The book does a great job of captivating the reader from the beginning, with a captivating first page and a brisk pace that never lets up.

The narrative invites readers to form their own theories about who the culprit might be, and then masterfully casts doubt on those assumptions, creating a sense of suspense and intrigue. The plot of the book is intricate and cleverly designed, with each revelation adding complexity to the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery with plenty of surprises and a satisfying payoff. Another recommended read by Keogh that you don't want to miss out on!

This is definitely my favourite thriller by Keogh to date.

I love books set in old houses, there's so much to be explored in them and they usually have a great history to them. Hindon House it turns out had plenty of both, and it made for such a great read. I was a little disappointed that there didn't turn out to be a haunting, well not of the spectral kind anyhow and no one would suspect a nonogenarian would they?

Fast paced, suspenseful, disturbing and definitely one to immerse yourself in for several hours.

This was yet another compelling read from Valerie Keogh. I did enjoy the twists and turns of this book. the development of the growing sense of dread, of the knowledge that someone or something was working against the heroine and her attempts to renovate a neglected house. Highly recommended Thank you #BoldwoodBooks and #Netgally

Cassie buys Hindon House as part of her plan to move to the country to start a new chapter in her life. Trauma has left her questioning everyone around her as she moves forward with renovations to open a B&B. But old houses hide their own secrets and Hindon House is no exception. As the cast of characters move around the pages, their place in the overall story is sometimes unclear. But secrets will be revealed and Cassie's step forward may not be so straight forward. Make your reservation and setlle in with a good book....this one....for a twisted trip.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the ARC #TheHouseKeeper by #ValerieKeogh. This book is disturbing and suspenseful in that someone or something thing wants her gone. Already dealing with guilt over her husbands death, should she give up or keep going?

Another absolutely superb psychological thriller by Valerie. Cassie leaves her past life in London and buys an old country house with the vision of turning it into a B&B, the perfect place being Hindon House - or so she thinks! Soon after moving in, she finds out about the previous owners who stayed a matter of months before leaving and selling up. Not long after this, strange things start happening around the house making Cassie think she is going mad or at the least, that the place may be haunted.

I read this one in just over a day, unputdownable and a real page turner, each chapter ending on a cliffhanger or revelation. I’ve read quite a few of Valerie’s books now, and they never disappoint.

The House Keeper was an unputdownable, page turner of a story that I loved. There were plenty of twists and turns to throw the reader off track and quite the unexpected ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Cassie Macreddin leaves her London apartment to be the new owner of Hindon House. She found the home property on the internet, an old home that needed extensive repair and redecoration such as enlarging the floor plans, knocking down the walls, and without exception extending the kitchen. Her heart is set on getting the new house and there seems to be a delay that has stopped her dream. The Hindon House was the ideal outside of London for her to quit her boring job in civil service and start afresh was her dream that had to be made possible. She meets up with Chris Baker the real estate agent of Hindon House who is ready to show her around the house. Her plan was to run a country house B&B.

Cassie had given herself six months since the accident that had killed her husband - Richie. Having widowed she was hiding the truth behind her husband's death from her friends. It wasn't something she could tell. She kept it to herself regardless otherwise it would ruin everything she had planned. For ten years they have been married the matter that they couldn't have children began to impact their relationship as Richie was obsessed and desperate to have children.

Cassie finds a pet cemetery on the grounds of the house. A graveyard or cemetery she did not want in her garden. Daniel Cody promised to take up renovation for the Hindon House - getting rid of those small rooms gutting the kitchen, getting rid of excess furniture and replacing the light-fitting. Surely the house had dark secrets and a history of having previous owners. Always the lights go out which makes her unsettled. This made Cassie cry, frustrated, desperate and cold angry. There is a fault with the electrics or someone is playing tricks on her? Some are ghosting her. The unreliable electrics were unsettling and to add were a burden on Cassie. Some of the suspects of Cassie were - Chris Baker and underbidders who had an interest in the house. Somebody wanted the house to themself.

Mrs. Elsie Morgan is another interesting character, who knows a lot about the Hindon House.

I found the story mysterious and intriguing. A cozy lovely read for those who love crime and thriller stories that have compelling twists. Never I guessed what was happening throughout the story but it ended well. Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Publishers for an advance digital review copy for my honest review.

Smitha Agy: Novel Nerd Blog: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

WOW, what a story this is. Addictive from the very beginning with so many twists. The title didnt seem to fit but became relevant towards the end of the book. Great story that I thoroughly recommend. Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. I look forward to more writing from this author

Excellent book! This is my second book my this author and it won’t be my last! Great character development and it kept me on the edge of my seat guessing who it was. This is about a woman who buys an old home with plans to turn it into a B&B. Shortly after she moves it, strange things start to happen. Who could it be? The realtor who wanted to buy the home? The contractor? Previous owners of the home? The lights randomly go out and she feels a strange vibe in the house. I don’t want to ruin or give any spoilers except to say…. Read this book! You won’t be disappointed. I stayed up way too late reading this book to get to the end. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Cassie Macreddin has moved from London into her new home, Hindon House in the Wiltshire countryside, leaving behind friends and family. Cassie hopes to begin to recover from the shocking death of her husband Richie, whilst putting into action the couples long term dream, to turn the place into a B and B.
But Cassie arrives with a monumental secret, one which haunts her during the day and through her dreams at night. Creepy Hindon House has secrets of its own and Cassie has a feeling that there is something wrong with the house. Whilst Cassie starts to unearth the houses past, she gradually starts to unravel both physically and mentally. Is somebody trying to harm her or is it all in her mind?
For me, this book was a bit of a slow starter. It took quite a long time to build up, but once it got going it had some great twists and the final part was compulsive reading. An enjoyable read.

The House Keeper by Valerie Keogh

A fabulous read that kept me guessing until the last chapter , throw in a few twists and I didn't want the book to finish.
Cassie has lost her husband in a car accident and as part of her recovery from the loss decided to follow her long ambition of running a bed and breakfast.
She discovers Hindon House and sets to renovate it to enable her to start her business.
She employs local builder Daniel Cody and they set to the task.
However all is not as it seems and the house has secrets and soon things begin to happen.


.

Cassie is about to live out her dream. She quits her corporate job and invests all she has into purchasing an old house in the countryside to open her very own B&B. When Cassie starts renovations, she realizes she may have bit off more than she can chew. She also feels like she is going crazy -- did she leave that light on? Why does she feel malicious vibes in the kitchen?
The House Keeper is a perfect read for spooky season! Reading it at night brought out the most nail-biting parts of this story. Keogh's characters are simultaneously likable and unlikable (something I really appreciate in reading characters). This book keeps you on the edge of your seat til the very end! (A satisfying ending, I may add). Her writing consistently takes you into Cassie's thoughts and you can truly feel the emotions and fear that she is feeling.
I truly enjoyed every page of this book. It's a quick read that you don't want to put down, except maybe to turn the lights on...

If you want an addictive and twisty read this is the book for you. Cassie lost her husband he died in a car accident.so she has decided to give up her job and do her dream of opening a bed and breakfast. And her dream house has come on the market. Hindon house very old and in need of a lot of work. Cassie gets the house. And gets a local contractor in Daniel Cody work begins. And she forms a relationship with an elderly lady. But things start to happen the electricity suddenly going off. now this book is very creepy. What secrets does this house have? And what are Cassie secrets to once you start you won't want to stop reading? so recommend all these authors books .

Another great read from Valerie Keogh that kept my attention from the first page. An utterly addictive and unputdownable psychological thriller that keeped me oreading into the night. Although the title didn't seem to fit in with the actual story, it all becomes clear towards the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.