The Housekeepers: They come from nothing. But they'll leave with everything...

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Okay, I admit that the storyline does wander into the utterly fantastical at times (and occasionally unbelievable) it us nonetheless a good, fast-paced tale that has some interesting characters, a few twists and an interesting denouement. Ocean’s Eight meets Downton Abbey! Well, maybe an Ocean’s Eight/Ocean’s Thirteen hybrid, since there are a couple of revenge elements involved. I definitely have not read anything like this and enjoyed every minute of it. The prelude, planning, and scheming…all the way to the action, the heist, the high stakes…and finally to the conclusion and ending. Says Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said, on one of the blurbs: “Imagine Ocean’s 8 had an illegitimate baby with Fingersmith — a big fat diamond of a book, sharp and shiny, joyful and generous, intricately plotted and featuring an ingenious use for a trapeze.”

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay - Publishers Weekly The Housekeepers by Alex Hay - Publishers Weekly

I was impressed by how this was written because there is a vast cast of characters, some by first name, others by Mrs/Mr/Miss and somehow I was able to keep pace while identifying the who's who; that has to be down to the writing. While the biggest ball of the season is in progress under the very same roof at the very same time. The Housekeepers is a smartly written Downton Abbey like story with humor, intrigue and empowered women during the early 1900’s. When a group of housekeepers band together to plot the heist of the century from the estate of a recently departed wealthy businessman who it seems left everything to his narcissistic spoiled daughter, well, they have had enough. Especially because as housekeepers they see all and know all and it’s not pretty. The housekeepers plan the con of cons, and chaos ensues! While the heist is Mrs. King’s daring initiative, she enlists the help of a few shrewd and skilled women, including Mrs. Bone, who provides the finances, Hephzibah a talented actress, two trapeze artist sisters known as Jane-one and Jane-two, Winnie the former housekeeper and Alice, a sewing maid, to name but a few.Downton Abbey meets Oceans 11… that certainly had my attention. I have never read anything like this, an historical heist novel and it was a lot of fun. The audio narration was excellent, with such a large cast of characters, they made it easy to distinguish between them all. Aside from feeling a little long at times, I really enjoyed my time in 1905 London.

The Housekeepers (Alex Hay) – Book Review – Set The Tape The Housekeepers (Alex Hay) – Book Review – Set The Tape

I was intrigued by the plot, setting and period - the promise of a good heist from a wealthy London mansion - all very ‘upstairs and downstairs’ vibes. There are secrets and revelations to keep readers engaged as the countdown to the big day plays out. How are the various characters connected? Why is Mrs King so driven? Is this plan feasible? The rich house descriptions and eclectic group of characters are certainly unique. The twists or secrets were not that big, in my opinion, and, at the end, it all felt farfetched. Also, the reason for the heist was a bit weak and unrealistic. When Mrs King, the respected housekeeper in one of the grandest homes in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed from her post, she decides to take action— by stripping the place bare. In a Nutshell: Ocean's Eleven (or rather, Ocean's Eight) meets Downton Abbey. Good premise, but tries too hard. A praiseworthy debut though. But Mrs. King had her own reasons for entering service in this particular household and rising through its ranks. Her dismissal, as much as it most definitely rankles, frees her up to begin step one of a fiendishly clever plan.Set in 1905 (but often with a more Victorian era vibe), from the blurb I expected a story about a good 'ol heist with a nod to Upstairs Downstairs. But the execution of the story, with its myriad of characters and subplots fell far short of my expectations. Headline has pre-empted Alex Hay’s "extraordinarily entertaining" debut novel The Housekeepers for a six-figure sum. But it was the intrepid plan to remove every single item from the grand house, all while a costumed ball is underway that really intrigued me. Leave your disbelief in the servants quarters and just enjoy the dancing. Dazzling, stylish and wildly entertaining, The Housekeepers lets loose an outlandish alliance of women you’ll never forget… I loved the premise of the story but for me, it lost its excitement and momentum halfway through but thankfully regained its buzz and hyper towards the end. I found I couldn’t connect to some of the characters, but found others complex and brilliant and that overpowered the negative.

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay | Hachette UK

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball - and play out right under the noses of her former employers... Despite years of service, Mrs King is unceremoniously dismissed from her role as housekeeper at the de Vries residence on Park Lane in Mayfair. Mr Shepherd, the Butler, has advised the lady of the house, Miss de Vries, that Mrs King was seen entering the male quarters the night before. An example must be made; no whiff of impropriety can stain the reputation of the de Vries family. The two lead scammers are Mrs. King who works as a housekeeper at The Mayfair a huge estate owned by the wealthy late Wilhelm de Vries in Park Lane London and Mrs. Bone, the owner of a pawnshop in town, but owner of much more. They have much in common, especially intelligence and a history of getting what they want.A treasure trove of contradictions: fast-paced but thoughtful, vengeful but compassionate, satisfying but completely unpredictable. Alex Hay has written a deliciously clever novel... You'll never have so much fun cheering on grand larceny." - Nina de Gramont Anyone who knows me knows I adore a good heist book or movie, and The Housekeepers by Alex Hay gave me everything I could have hoped for! This would make a super fun movie, but as a book, I loved it just as much. It has all the elements of a great story with interesting and dynamic characters, humor, a revenge plot, and plenty of tense moments. I loved the way Hay structured this debut, and the countdown to the day of the heist was an excellent way to build extra tension. There are even some surprises along the way and not only is it historical fiction, but it has a mysterious quality as well that added to my enjoyment. You shouldn't forget where you come from,' said Mrs King thoughtfully. She took out her pen, signed the first letter with a flourish. ' The Housekeepers will do nicely.' Mrs. King plans to strip the de Vries house of all its opulence and wealth with the help of her crew of carefully recruited servants, from its priceless art on the walls to the books in its library, furniture, and plush carpets to all the silverware, until nothing is left.