The Housemaid

Suspenseful, mysterious, and entertaining audiobook while I listen to when I run errands and do my chores. The storyline was interesting, with just the proper narration that brings the story to life. Every bit enjoyable. ?

That was nasty ?<br /><br />Trying to make a life on her own after being abandoned by her mother when she was a child, a young woman is accepted as a housemaid for a rich family of Highwood Hall after years of battling addiction and rehabilitation.<br /><br />Mrs. Huxley who has been working there for the past twenty three years has been guiding all the workers but something is there about her which is quite unsettling for Howard.<br /><br />"Her, Miss Trunchbull, me Matilda." Exactly.<br /><br />She gets disturbing mail threats depicting her dead. And more disturbing mails which depict threats to the rest of the Bertie family. And things about the family has so many secrets to uncover. The house just haunts it seems. The Bertie family members are quite interesting but quite bizarre.<br /><br />I like the writing. It's haunting and intriguing. It gets more creepy the more you read.<br />Each of the character introduced seems like they have a big mystery hidden with them. Everything makes the reading quite fun and interesting. It makes you feel like a big reveal is going to happen anytime and you cannot afford to miss any of it.<br /><br />The ending surprised me.<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's such a thrill.<br /><br />Thank you, author and the publisher, to the advance reading copy.

What you should know about THE HOUSEMAID!<br /><br />1. I've created a Spotify playlist of piano music to listen to while reading the book. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UJB8q0VTjLPsMsuttG2be?si=a012f1103f20441b">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UJ...</a> The main character sits with the mysterious Alex Howard and turns the pages of his music as he plays the piano. Why not transport yourself there!<br /><br />2. The stately house, Highwood Hall, is based on Haddon Hall in the Peak District. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.haddonhall.co.uk/">https://www.haddonhall.co.uk/</a> I visited when I was a child and thought it was very beautiful. I wanted to go while writing The Housemaid but unfortunately, it coincided with lockdown. But at least I could look through the gallery on the website.<br /><br />3. The publication date is 20th July. You can go here to buy the book! <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://geni.us/thehousemaid">https://geni.us/thehousemaid</a><br /><br />4. The Housemaid is one of my favourite books. It was such a challenge to write but I'm really proud of how it turned out. I can't wait to share it with you all and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!<br /><br />Sarah :)

If you like torture, conspiracy, murder and a class of people getting away with it for a generation this is for you. I'm not a fan. 1 of 10 stars

Stop what you are doing and grab this book! Seriously, The Housemaid is a clever and addictive novel that you won't want to put down. I have read alot of Sarah Denzil's books and this is up there as my favourite. You will never see where it is going and the ending with absolutely shock you.<br /><br />Who wouldn't want to work as a housemaid and personal assistant at Highwood Hall, a beautiful stately home in Yorkshire. Accommodation included and a great wage. The chance comes up for this young woman, an opportunity for her turn her life around after a rough few years. It also allows her to look into a family mystery. But behind the walls of Highwood Hall, dark secrets are being kept by the family and the staff. Why is there a high turn over of maids? And who is sending the sinister packages, that are targeting the people that live there? You will have to read it to find out.<br /><br />Thanks to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishing on July 20th

DNF 60%. 1 Star!! FREE on Audible! Dark and Heavy!! Abandoned because of that!

3.5 stars. This one works as a Gothic-style novel, complete with the huge house, creepy rich family and strange sounds. You will need to suspend quite a bit of disbelief and some of the surprises and reveals are easy to guess. All in all, this was good.

I've read most of Sarah Denzil's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. This one, not so much. The writing was excellent but the characters simply didn't ring true, especially Emily/Ruby. The entire plot line was rather hard to follow; it read as if it were Victorian gothic until there was suddenly a cell phone. Perhaps it would have been more believable if it were Victorian? I don't know. I found the characters unlikeable, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the protagonist was completely unbelievable. The twist at the end with Pawel made no sense at all. It felt as if it were just thrown in there to create a situation that had no relevance to the story. Where did Ruby/Emily and friends get the money and time to set up their/her elaborate plan? A "GoFundMe" plot in the background? And Alex happens to get away? Did Alex die (it's not clear), and what finally happened to Bertie? Mrs. Huxley's illness was very convenient, and what was the story with Charlie? He was thrown into the mix without any real purpose that I could find; certainly left unclear. If he was the motivation for Mrs. Huxley's actions, could he not have been fleshed out a little more? What about Margot and Lottie? There is really no closure regarding any of the characters, The more I think about it as I write this review, the less I am inclined to recommend this book to anyone. I may again be in the minority, but being fan of Sarah Denzil, this book was a big disappointment.

"No one aspires to be a maid. You are one because you are desperate."<br /><br /> I enjoyed this audiobook so much. This is the first time I've listened to a novel narrated by Sophie Rundle. Her voice reminds me of Rosie Jones. I was so captivated. Highly recommend. ❤❤

Entertaining enough but storyline was a little predictable will no real twists. Characters were a little one dimensional. I kept hoping for more sides to them but seemed they all just had the one purpose. Easy story but nothing special.