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My Starry Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reason for Rating: I’ve never read a book about maids/servants taking revenge, and I thought the mystery and heist were cleverly crafted by the author
What I Learned: I am definitely a fan of mystery thrillers set in a specific location
Publication Date: July 4, 2023 by Headline Review
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller,
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60714918-the-housekeepers
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.
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Review:
The Housekeepers….if Ocean’s 8 were set in the early twentieth century….
Scorned housekeepers decide to take matters into their own hands when they plan and perform a heist of their employer’s grand estate. The plot was intricate and the heist cleverly planned by the maids whose attention to detail was incredible. The writing made it feel as though I, the reader was a fly on the wall, watching how the servants deceived and designed their theft of priceless antiques and objects from the most exquisite home. The characters motivations and backstories helped to drive the plot as they each had their own agenda and vendetta against their employer. I’ve never read a book from the perspective of the hired help before, so I thought it was interesting and thrilling to read a story from characters who typically are forgotten and ignored. The time period also made this an enjoyable read because it was a very glamorous and prim and proper time that wouldn’t seem conducive to such a crime.
My only critique is that there were some loose ends that were not tied up by the end of the story and perhaps a more dramatic ending with a plot twist would have been a better fit?
The cat and mouse games and slick performance of the characters will appeal to fans of the heist and crime thriller genres, while fans of historical fiction books will appreciate the uniqueness of this story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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