The Housekeepers

In Hay’s glittering debut, a former housekeeper in Edwardian London embarks on an ambitious plan to burgle the mansion where she used to work. Assisting Dinah King in robbing the de Vries house, home of Dinah’s late employer Wilhelm, are Winnie Smith, Dinah’s predecessor and close confidante; Mrs. Bone, a black-market trader and Dinah’s mentor in crime; a pair of circus performers each named Jane; and servants Hephzibah Grandcourt and Alice Parker, the latter of whom still works in the house. The crew hatches a scheme to rob the house on the same night Wilhelm’s daughter plans to hold the biggest ball of the season there. What initially appears to be an act of revenge against Dinah’s former employer evolves into a multifaceted tale of individual desires, social machinations, and the reckoning for long-buried secrets. Hay spins a remarkable yarn of daring and defiance, and gleefully piles on one outrageous event after another over the course of the party, involving both thieves and guests. Though the hijinks require a broad suspension of disbelief, readers will delight in the shenanigans. This lighthearted romp is a treat. (July)