Release Date: July 4th 2023
Publisher: Headline
Pages: 368
Find it on: Goodreads. Waterstones.
Source: I received a copy of this book to review through a Tandem Collective readalong
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

The night of London’s grandest ball, a bold group of women downstairs launch a daring revenge heist against Mayfair society in this dazzling historical novel about power, gender, and class.

Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.

When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.

Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…

After all, one should never underestimate the women downstairs.

Review

The Housekeepers is a compulsively readable tale that follows Mrs. King, a housekeeper who has recently been dismissed from the a wealthy home in Mayfair. Mrs King is much more than she seems and decides to recruit a team of women to help her enact the ultimate revenge: robbing the house of every single possession on the night of the house’s huge costume ball. But Mrs King has many secrets and her quest for revenge isn’t just about the money. Will the team be able to successfully pull off the heist?

I really love heist stories and The Housekeepers is incredibly well executed. I really enjoyed the way Hays wove this story, the way we get to meet and know all the women on the team, the way we see the plans are put together, and how the heist takes place. There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding this story and there were a few surprise twists that I didn’t expect. The story is brilliantly done and comes to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.

I really liked the writing style and the short chapters meant I was turning pages long into the night. The story is a quick paced one and there were definitely some moments I was on the edge of my seat. The characters were well crafted, I really liked Mrs King and Mrs Bone and I loved seeing the dynamics between the different women in the group. The Housekeepers is an entertaining and addictive read – if you’re a fan of historical fiction and heists, this should without a doubt be your next read.