About the Book
UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.
All eyes are on the grandest house in Mayfair as the countdown to their lavish summer ball begins. Everything must be perfect. But with the chandeliers gleaming and the cellars stocked, loyal housekeeper Mrs King is suddenly dismissed.
DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.
As the clock strikes twelve on the night of the ball, Mrs King will return to strip the house of its riches – right under the nose of her former employer. And she knows just who to recruit to pull off the impossible: a bold alliance of women with nothing left to lose and every reason for revenge.
Format: ebook (365 pages) Publisher: Headline
Publication date: 6th July 2023 Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime
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My Review
This was a book club pick by members wanting something lighthearted after a series of rather serious books such as last month’s choice, The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis.
‘Imagine it, ladies: the grandest house in London, licked clean on the biggest night of the season.’
I liked the idea of a group of women coming together to plan an audacious heist, a female equivalent if you like of the group of men in the 1960 film The League of Gentleman in which the involuntarily-retired Lieutenant Colonel Hyde (played by Jack Hawkins) recruits seven other dissatisfied ex-servicemen to commit a bank robbery. Although the women who christen themselves ‘The Housekeepers’ each have slightly different reasons for wanting to take part, the underlying motivation is revenge but other motivations become apparent as the book progresses. As a result, the operation turns into a desire to obtain justice for others as much as for themselves.
I found the book entertaining although a bit on the slow side as the heist doesn’t actually take place until nearly two thirds of the way through the book, at which point it all becomes rather frenzied and a little confused. I found the mechanics of the heist (involving the use of rope swings, winches and extendable poles amongst other things) stretched credulity, although perhaps it was the author’s intention to introduce an element of outrageous absurdity to the proceedings. The secret of what has been going on in the de Vries household didn’t come as much of a surprise although it did provide some vindication for the women’s actions. The relationship between sewing maid Alice with her mistress Miss de Vries introduces what has become a familiar trope in historical fiction.
My favourite character was Hephzibah Grandcourt whose gift for acting produces some very amusing scenes and whose sheer chutzpah proves vital to the mission when it encounters some sticky moments. I also liked Mrs Bone, a woman who has built a criminal enterprise to rival – if not outdo – her male counterparts.
To steal an observation by one of my fellow book club members, The Housekeepers ‘does what is says on the tin’. It’s an entertaining book that doesn’t take itself too seriously but sets itself apart from the current wave of ‘cosy crime’ novels by focussing on those carrying out the crime rather than those solving it. (Readers may also want to note there is a bonus chapter in the paperback edition which is not in the ebook. The audiobook version was also highly praised by book club members.)
In three words: Engaging, undemanding, humorous
Try something similar: The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
About the Author
Alex grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff in the United Kingdom. He studied History at the University of York and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector and lives with his husband in London. His debut novel, The Housekeepers, won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022 and was published to great critical acclaim. (Photo: Amazon author page)
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