The Housemaid

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Pub Date 20 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 11 Jun 2021

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Description

Housemaid wanted.

Skills required: Discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.

It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past...

But I soon realise I've made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard's son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he's bad for me.

There's a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It's easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.

On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I'm dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?

I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare.

Housemaid wanted.

Skills required: Discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.

It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of...


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ISBN 9781838280758
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Featured Reviews

A young housemaid is desperate for work and a place to live - both of which she finds at Highwood Hall. The typical fairy tale mansion with plush carpets, oil paintings on every wall, and priceless antiques throughout. Yes, her boss, Mrs. Huxley, is beyond strict - but it is a large estate to run and there are only a handful of workers to keep it going. Lord Howard doesn't seem that bad, he prefers to hire girls like her from the Providence rehab program, who deserve a second chance. The company of his son, Alex, will also make the job quite enjoyable - he breathes life and vitality into the household. And his killer looks don't hurt, either. Add to that an eccentric old mother-in-law and Alex's sister, Lottie, who's lounges about all day, and it makes for one wealthy, but ultimately harmless, family.

But what's with the large turnover of housemaids who have come before her? Why is there that one wing of the house that no one goes in? Exactly how many secret corridors can one mansion have? And why does she get the impression that it's all a carefully conceived façade, with danger lurking behind every false panel?

You'll get the answers you seek when you read The Housemaid - a stunning tale of suspense and intrigue that will caution you against questioning what lies behind closed doors. Some secrets are better off locked away. Just ask the Howard family.

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A mindbending thriller that hurtles towards a shocking conclusion. I absolutely loved this book. I kept feeling like the main character, she was incredibly easy to relate to.

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There is so much to this book that it makes writing a review quite difficult. A cleverly plotted mystery with an incredibly dark twist, The Housemaid is also a narrative on the British class systems and the value we place on human life. The unnamed housemaid remains nameless not just to add to the suspense, but also to hammer home how such people - the cleaner, the cashier, the delivery driver - are viewed within society. Nameless, faceless, all merging into one. I thought this theme was incredibly clever and provides a brutally honest view into modern British society.

A poignant, deliciously dark novel which kept me gripped.

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