The Housekeeper
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- Create Date：2022-08-18 10:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joy Fielding
- ISBN：0385695632
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Summary
A woman hires a housekeeper to care for her aging parents--only to watch as she takes over their lives in this riveting novel of suspense from the New York Times bestselling author called an ingenious master of domestic suspense （Samantha M。 Bailey）。
In the end， I have only myself to blame。 I'm the one who let her in。
Jodi Bishop knows success。 She's the breadwinner， a top-notch real estate agent。 Her husband， Harrison 。 。 。 not so much。 Once， he had big dreams。 But now， he's a middling writer who resents his wife's success。
Jodi's father， Vic， now seventy-nine and retired， is a very controlling man。 His wife， Audrey， was herself no shrinking violet。 But things changed when Audrey developed Parkinson's eight years ago， and Vic retired to devote himself to her care。 But while still reasonably spry and rakishly handsome， Vic is worn down by his wife's deteriorating condition。
Exhausted from trying to be all things to all people， Jodi finally decides she's had enough and starts interviewing housekeepers to help care for her parents。 She settles on Elyse Woodley， an energetic and attractive widow in her early sixties， who seems perfect for the job。 While Vic is initially resistant， he soon warms to Elyse's sunny personality and engaging ways。
And Jodi is pleased to have an ally， someone she can talk to and occasionally even confide in。 Until 。 。 。
She shuts Jodi out。 And Audrey's condition worsens--rapidly。 Who is this woman suddenly wearing her mother's jewelry？ What is she after？ And how far will she go to get it？
In the end， I have only myself to blame。 I'm the one who let her in。
Jodi Bishop knows success。 She's the breadwinner， a top-notch real estate agent。 Her husband， Harrison 。 。 。 not so much。 Once， he had big dreams。 But now， he's a middling writer who resents his wife's success。
Jodi's father， Vic， now seventy-nine and retired， is a very controlling man。 His wife， Audrey， was herself no shrinking violet。 But things changed when Audrey developed Parkinson's eight years ago， and Vic retired to devote himself to her care。 But while still reasonably spry and rakishly handsome， Vic is worn down by his wife's deteriorating condition。
Exhausted from trying to be all things to all people， Jodi finally decides she's had enough and starts interviewing housekeepers to help care for her parents。 She settles on Elyse Woodley， an energetic and attractive widow in her early sixties， who seems perfect for the job。 While Vic is initially resistant， he soon warms to Elyse's sunny personality and engaging ways。
And Jodi is pleased to have an ally， someone she can talk to and occasionally even confide in。 Until 。 。 。
She shuts Jodi out。 And Audrey's condition worsens--rapidly。 Who is this woman suddenly wearing her mother's jewelry？ What is she after？ And how far will she go to get it？
Reviews
Sarah Anderson-Pagal
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Thank you Doubleday Canada for the copy of The Housekeeper， available today！ This is my first book by Joy Fielding。 I loved her writing。 The book had wonderful flow！ She kept you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what was going to happen next。 All of the characters had dimension。 The main character， Jodi， was likeable and relatable。 She was a caring daughter trying to keep her parents safe in their advanced age。 Never expecting that the Housekeeper she hired was more than what she seemed。 Thank you Doubleday Canada for the copy of The Housekeeper， available today！ This is my first book by Joy Fielding。 I loved her writing。 The book had wonderful flow！ She kept you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what was going to happen next。 All of the characters had dimension。 The main character， Jodi， was likeable and relatable。 She was a caring daughter trying to keep her parents safe in their advanced age。 Never expecting that the Housekeeper she hired was more than what she seemed。 I flew through this book， needing to know how it all ended。 Such a great read！ 。。。more
Janice
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3。5 stars。 Entertaining， light summer read - finished in 1 day and enjoyed it。 Rather predictable with several really unlikeable characters。 The protagonist was annoying at times （don't apologize so much） but one I found myself pulling for。 3。5 stars。 Entertaining， light summer read - finished in 1 day and enjoyed it。 Rather predictable with several really unlikeable characters。 The protagonist was annoying at times （don't apologize so much） but one I found myself pulling for。 。。。more
Karen Margaret
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I can’t say this book offered many surprises， it is what one would expect yet I wouldn’t call it predictable， This was an excellent thriller that I couldn’t read fast enough and thoroughly enjoyed。 It’s a perfect easy read with just the right amount of dark， edgy twists one expects from a good thriller。
Irene MacIntyre
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Fabulous book！Loved the story。 Best book I’ve read in a long time。 So many unexpected twists and turns。 This author is so skilled。
Nadia Jonesy
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Thanks NetGalley and the publisher。 Joy Fielding writes some good ones。 and this one did not fail either。 I read Cul De Sac and I like this trope so it was entertaining。 Fast paced and had me wanting to read more as the book had many twists。 Good work！
PottWab Regional Library
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E
Nicole Yacobellis
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I absolutely loved this book！ I love the way Joy Fielding writes。 I love how well developed her characters are。 I loved the suspense， I loved everything about it。 Running to read every book she has written after loving this one so much！
Freda Mans-Labianca
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I read the synopsis of this one and had to read it！I wasn't disappointed either， on the contrary！！I was thrilled。 I was duped， because at one point I was convinced I was right but nope。 I was so happy with the outcome， it made the story even better than I had hoped。Fast-paced， thrilling， all of the things you want in a suspenseful story。 This is one that will be on my brain and recommended to many！！There really is nothing like reading a twisted family tale！ I read the synopsis of this one and had to read it！I wasn't disappointed either， on the contrary！！I was thrilled。 I was duped， because at one point I was convinced I was right but nope。 I was so happy with the outcome， it made the story even better than I had hoped。Fast-paced， thrilling， all of the things you want in a suspenseful story。 This is one that will be on my brain and recommended to many！！There really is nothing like reading a twisted family tale！ 。。。more
Diane Saul
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Jodi Bishop has hired a housekeeper to help her Father take care of her invalid Mother。 The housekeeper seems like a dream come true until disturbing things start to happen。 This book was a slow start for me， I almost gave up。 I’m glad I didn’t coz it finally hooked me and I couldn’t stop turning the pages。 There is a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming。 The whole end of the book was a surprise。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。
Gloria ~ mzglorybe
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3。5 stars rounded up。 I look forward to any domestic thriller that Joy Fielding writes as I am a longtime fan。 This grabs your attention pretty quickly and keeps the reader engaged。 I wouldn’t call it a thriller exactly， but a character driven novel of domestic fiction。， with realistic situations and a plot/subject matter that is prevalent in today’s times， the reliable care of elders and whom to trust with their professional care。The protagonist， Jodi， has hired help for her mother a victim of 3。5 stars rounded up。 I look forward to any domestic thriller that Joy Fielding writes as I am a longtime fan。 This grabs your attention pretty quickly and keeps the reader engaged。 I wouldn’t call it a thriller exactly， but a character driven novel of domestic fiction。， with realistic situations and a plot/subject matter that is prevalent in today’s times， the reliable care of elders and whom to trust with their professional care。The protagonist， Jodi， has hired help for her mother a victim of Parkinson's， who is now bed-ridden。 The rest of Jodi’s family， her husband and sister are selfish， unlikable people and no help to her。 Her father is a disgusting a$$hole always belittling Jodi’s actions and appearance with verbal abuse， and ignoring his sick wife。 Jodi brought in help to care for her mom， as she has so much on her plate。 Unfortunately whom she chose， Elyse， seemed perfect but was a drastic mistake， even though she did do her due diligence， and had no idea what was in store for her。 The old adage “be careful what you wish for” truly resonates here。 This is well-crafted with believable scenarios and characterization， albeit a difficult topic for those of us with elder parents to care for and wanting to do the best for them。 Thankfully it brings the reader to a satisfactory conclusion with a few unexpected twists along the wonderful way of this effort。 IMO it is not Fielding’s best work， but certainly worth the read。 Happy to recommend this to fans of domestic fiction。My sincere thanks to #NetGalley， Random House/Ballantine， and Joy Fielding for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of #TheHousekeeper and post an unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Gillian Odom
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LOVE Joy Fielding novels。 This one is no exception。 I wasn't sure what would happen when Elyse got her claws into Jodis father。 She seemed so sweet at first。 Just a helpful worker。 But what is Elyse really up to？ I was turning the pages as fast as I could to find out！ I loved the characters。 The parents and Jodi's husband are nasty and you're rooting for Jodi and Elyse。 But as the novel continues you will soon change your mind。 I found the sister to be hilarious and had me laughing out loud in p LOVE Joy Fielding novels。 This one is no exception。 I wasn't sure what would happen when Elyse got her claws into Jodis father。 She seemed so sweet at first。 Just a helpful worker。 But what is Elyse really up to？ I was turning the pages as fast as I could to find out！ I loved the characters。 The parents and Jodi's husband are nasty and you're rooting for Jodi and Elyse。 But as the novel continues you will soon change your mind。 I found the sister to be hilarious and had me laughing out loud in parts。 You will be Swept away in the tale！ Go out and get a copyOf this new novel！ It is a great and easy read and has an ending I didn't see coming。 Thanks to penguin random house and netgalley for this ARC 。。。more
Gillian Odom
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I LOVE Joy Fielding novels。 This one is no exception。 I wasn't sure what would happen when Elyse got her claws into Jodis father。 She seemed so sweet at first。 Just a helpful worker。 But what is Elyse really up to？ I was turning the pages as fast as I could to find out！ I loved the characters。 The parents and Jodi's husband are nasty and you're rooting for Jodi and Elyse。 But as the novel continues you will soon change your mind。 I found the sister to be hilarious and had me laughing out loud in I LOVE Joy Fielding novels。 This one is no exception。 I wasn't sure what would happen when Elyse got her claws into Jodis father。 She seemed so sweet at first。 Just a helpful worker。 But what is Elyse really up to？ I was turning the pages as fast as I could to find out！ I loved the characters。 The parents and Jodi's husband are nasty and you're rooting for Jodi and Elyse。 But as the novel continues you will soon change your mind。 I found the sister to be hilarious and had me laughing out loud in parts。 You will be Swept away in the tale！ Go out and get a copyOf this new novel！ It is a great and easy read and has an ending I didn't see coming。 Thanks to penguin random house and netgalley for this ARC 。。。more
Adriana Racu
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Jodi hired the perfect housekeeper for her aging parents。 Elyse is devoted， caring and very helpful even when it’s not required of her， but after a while things start changing and not for the better， and now Jodi wonders if she made a mistake hiring her。。“In the end， I have only myself to blame。 I am the one who let her in”。。This domestic thriller was pretty great。 I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it。 It was thrilling and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the story。 “The housekeeper Jodi hired the perfect housekeeper for her aging parents。 Elyse is devoted， caring and very helpful even when it’s not required of her， but after a while things start changing and not for the better， and now Jodi wonders if she made a mistake hiring her。。“In the end， I have only myself to blame。 I am the one who let her in”。。This domestic thriller was pretty great。 I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it。 It was thrilling and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the story。 “The housekeeper” is a fast peace thriller that will keep you with all the emotions on alert and you won’t want to stop reading it until you reach the end。。Thanks to Doubleday Canada and Penguin Random Canada for the finish copy in exchange of an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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Jodi has a lot on her hands。 Her mother is dying， her father is unable to fully take care of his wife or himself， her husband is a complete a$$ （there， I said it！）， and her sister is over the top self-centered。 I struggled a lot with Harrison and Tracy for the first part of the book。 I am not sure if the author emphasized this aspect of the relationships on purpose to excuse Jodi hiring Elyse。 But， despite how the book presents it， I do not think Jodi did anything wrong。 She checked Elyse's refe Jodi has a lot on her hands。 Her mother is dying， her father is unable to fully take care of his wife or himself， her husband is a complete a$$ （there， I said it！）， and her sister is over the top self-centered。 I struggled a lot with Harrison and Tracy for the first part of the book。 I am not sure if the author emphasized this aspect of the relationships on purpose to excuse Jodi hiring Elyse。 But， despite how the book presents it， I do not think Jodi did anything wrong。 She checked Elyse's references。 What else could she have done？ This was one of those chance situations and I wish Jodi had given herself some grace。 After Elyse is hired to take care of Jodi's mother， everything calms down like the eye of the storm。 Even Harrison and Tracy are less annoying。 But then， of course， things begin to change and there are more twists than a southern California freeway interchange！ From this point on， I was turning pages wondering what was going to happen next or to confirm what I knew must be ready to happen。 The story flow is good。 I could feel Jodi's stress and her sense of helplessness。 I did have an issue with the police since there usually is an elder abuse/fraud department that should have gotten involved。 And while I doubt it would have changed the story much， it would have helped shine a little light on an increasingly prevalent topic。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Ahuva Traube
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Easy to read， formulaic， by-the-book thriller。 You'll enjoy the read。 Easy to read， formulaic， by-the-book thriller。 You'll enjoy the read。 。。。more
Kari
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A hugely character driven domestic thriller written， looking back at the hiring of a housekeeper to help out with her parents。 Jodi Bishop’s mother has Parkinson’s and her father is her sole caregiver and could use help with her mom and chores seeing that he is in his seventies。 Tracy is Jodi’s sister and the favorite of both parents。It is not long after the new housekeeper is hired that their mother takes a turn for the worse and the housekeeper Elyse， albeit nice ，seems to be more controlling A hugely character driven domestic thriller written， looking back at the hiring of a housekeeper to help out with her parents。 Jodi Bishop’s mother has Parkinson’s and her father is her sole caregiver and could use help with her mom and chores seeing that he is in his seventies。 Tracy is Jodi’s sister and the favorite of both parents。It is not long after the new housekeeper is hired that their mother takes a turn for the worse and the housekeeper Elyse， albeit nice ，seems to be more controlling and even overruling their dad’s authority。 One day they receive a call saying their mother has died from a fall down the stairs。Jodi is beginning to have problems at home and there are things that have always kept Jodi and Traci from being close。 But when their father suddenly is married to the housekeeper and begins to nap all day， they both begin to question what is wrong with their father。 When they notice Elyse wearing their mother’s expensive clothes， jewelry and now wedding rings; it’s time they take a more proactive approach。 But Elyse has an excuse every time they stop by or call。 And when they find out their dad has put up the family home for sale for over $5 million dollars， they fear their father may be in danger and question if their mother’s death was not quite accidental。I love Joy Fielding’s evocative reads with such riveting words that flow and make each book impossible to put down。 There is a fire burning in this book and only your eyes can put it out。 。。。more
Michelle Herzing
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Nobody does domestic thrillers better than Joy Fielding， and The Housekeeper is another twisty page-turner with realistic situations and a plot that grabs you from the very first chapter。 Jodi's mother has Parkinson's and is now bed-ridden。 Her mother's care is becoming more of a burden than her aging father is able to handle， not that he would ever admit it， and certainly not to Jodi。 Tracy， her sister， is the golden child， the favorite even though she is not willing to work her parents'/sister Nobody does domestic thrillers better than Joy Fielding， and The Housekeeper is another twisty page-turner with realistic situations and a plot that grabs you from the very first chapter。 Jodi's mother has Parkinson's and is now bed-ridden。 Her mother's care is becoming more of a burden than her aging father is able to handle， not that he would ever admit it， and certainly not to Jodi。 Tracy， her sister， is the golden child， the favorite even though she is not willing to work her parents'/sister's concerns into her busy schedule。 Enter the housekeeper， Elyse， who seems to be the perfect person to help out。。。'seems to be' being the key。 I really enjoyed the novel， it was light， don't have to think too deeply， entertainment。 The characters were well developed， and their relationships with each other had the ups and downs typical of any family。 The ending was satisfying， with a bit of a twist， and although a couple of the twists along the way were not a huge surprise， they moved the plot along in a wonderful way。 Thank you to Netgalley， Random House/Ballantine， and Joy Fielding for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of The Housekeeper。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Tessa Talks Books
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What's it about （in a nutshell）:The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding is an insidious and deceptive domestic thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish。Initial Expectations （before beginning the book）:The cover doesn't give much away。 It's the back of a more traditional-looking housekeeper – hair in a bun and wearing a uniform or conservative clothing。 Without the title， I probably wouldn't even think that it is a housekeeper pictured。 The blurb tells a deliciously devious tale What's it about （in a nutshell）:The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding is an insidious and deceptive domestic thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish。Initial Expectations （before beginning the book）:The cover doesn't give much away。 It's the back of a more traditional-looking housekeeper – hair in a bun and wearing a uniform or conservative clothing。 Without the title， I probably wouldn't even think that it is a housekeeper pictured。 The blurb tells a deliciously devious tale I can't wait to sink my teeth into。 So， my initial expectations are for a chilling， thrilling story。Actual Reading Experience:The first thing that stands out is that the men in this story are just awful。 Self-serving with a tendency to stray， they are not winning husband-of-the-year awards anytime soon or ever。 I just wanted Jodi （the main character） to get away from the men in her life， forget about the housekeeper， and just go far away and enjoy a much-needed journey of self-discovery。The plot was very predictable， except maybe the ending。 But， boy， it didn't matter at all because I couldn't put it down regardless。 My need for Jodi to be free drove me， though， rather than what evil the to-good-to-be-true housekeeper was doing。 But I was completely fine with that。I love that the story addresses real concerns， such as elder abuse and schemes to rob the elderly of their retirement nest egg。 This is a not-often-enough-talked-about reality in our society that needs some more definitive solutions。 And it covers these topics without ever preaching but instead showing you a thrilling story that you can't put down。 I think books like that can have a much more lasting impact than ones that preach。Characters:All the characters are developed through the support characters could have developed a bit more。 However， I did feel that they were fleshed out enough for this story， especially Jodi。 Her layers are shown in tragic detail。Jodi Bishop is the person telling this tale。 She is a real estate agent in Toronto and a wife and mother of two young children。 She has been made to feel inferior to her sister， Tracy， and she lives with the many scars of being told how she's not good enough。Tracy is Jodi's sister。 She has never worked a day in her life， even though she is now in her 40s。 Instead， her father pays for everything， including her expensive taste in designer clothes。Harrison Bishop is Jodi's husband。 He is a published author working on his second novel （for the last 10 years） and teaches a writing course in the summer at the local college。 Elyse Woodley is the housekeeper Jodi finds to help her parents daily。 At first， she seems too good to be true， and you know what people say about that – if something or someone appears too good， they probably are。Narration & Pacing:This story is told through 1st person narration by Jodi。 This helps keep the pacing fast as the reader sees everything through her tension and anxiety。 Even in parts where not much is happening， the story still moved quickly for me due in part to Jodi and in part to the very short chapters。Setting:Toronto is technically the setting， but I would consider Jodi's childhood home the actual setting。 The house is where everything happens， and it is used quite effectively to keep the suspense levels high and to reflect important aspects of the different characters。To Read or Not to Read:If you enjoy deliciously devious domestic thrillers， The Housekeeper is a story you will enjoy from start to finish！ 。。。more
Tammy Lunsford
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Thank you to Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。 Let me take a minute to pick my jaw off of the floor！ Wow！ I have been totally immersed into the world of this book for hours。 I could not put it down。 Jodi Bishop only wants what is best for her mother and to help her father who is caring for his ailing wife。 She finds the "perfect" housekeeper。 Red alert - there is no such thing as perfect！ Elyse Woodley has a sunny perso Thank you to Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。 Let me take a minute to pick my jaw off of the floor！ Wow！ I have been totally immersed into the world of this book for hours。 I could not put it down。 Jodi Bishop only wants what is best for her mother and to help her father who is caring for his ailing wife。 She finds the "perfect" housekeeper。 Red alert - there is no such thing as perfect！ Elyse Woodley has a sunny personality and is immediately helpful in her parents' home， as well as compassionate with Jodi's mother。 She even wins over Jodi's father， Vic。 I immediately disliked Vic from the beginning pages with his condescending attitude and his constant insults directed at his very successful daughter regarding everything from her looks to her work。 You will despise him and cheer for Jodi。 I actually wanted to smack all of the characters in this book at some point except for Jodi！ You can see where the story is headed， but your curiosity will not allow you to put the book down。 However， there was one shocking twist that I never saw coming。 Mr。 Fielding knows how to draw the reader into the story。 。。。more
Kim C。
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3。5 stars rounded up due to a fantastic ending。 The first part was slow and dragged on。 You have to read at least half the book before it picks up。 It’s very easy to read and I read the bulk of in two nights。 I didn’t like Jodi’s character until towards the end。 I enjoyed the relationship between Jodi and her sister Tracy。 I like the fact it didn’t have too many characters to keep up with and wasn’t complicated like some of the more recent books I’ve read。 I like Joy Fielding’s other books bette 3。5 stars rounded up due to a fantastic ending。 The first part was slow and dragged on。 You have to read at least half the book before it picks up。 It’s very easy to read and I read the bulk of in two nights。 I didn’t like Jodi’s character until towards the end。 I enjoyed the relationship between Jodi and her sister Tracy。 I like the fact it didn’t have too many characters to keep up with and wasn’t complicated like some of the more recent books I’ve read。 I like Joy Fielding’s other books better。 This was definitely not my favorite。 。。。more
Oh Yeah， I Read That
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I really struggled with this book。 I did not care for any of the characters。 Overall， there are a couple of OMG， shocking moments， but I found this book to be rather predictable。
MicheleReader
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Jodi Bishop has a lot on her plate。 She's a mother of two juggling family life with her job as a real estate broker。 Her husband Harrison had seen early success with his first novel and has yet to write another book。 He's unsupportive of Jodi's successful career and is a bit of a jerk。 Vic and Audrey Dundas are Jodi's parents。 Her mother's Parkinson's disease is worsening so Jodi hires Elyse Woodley as a live-in housekeeper to help them， even though her father initially objects。 The 62-year-old， Jodi Bishop has a lot on her plate。 She's a mother of two juggling family life with her job as a real estate broker。 Her husband Harrison had seen early success with his first novel and has yet to write another book。 He's unsupportive of Jodi's successful career and is a bit of a jerk。 Vic and Audrey Dundas are Jodi's parents。 Her mother's Parkinson's disease is worsening so Jodi hires Elyse Woodley as a live-in housekeeper to help them， even though her father initially objects。 The 62-year-old， widowed Elyse seems perfect。 Jodi is initially thrilled and even Vic ends up being very happy with her。 But the clever and manipulative Elyse is soon calling the shots in the household leaving Jodi with no means to protect her parents from the very woman she hired。 The Housekeeper is a captivating domestic thriller。 Most people are faced with the challenge of ensuring the care of elderly parents at some point making this story very relevant。 Abuse of the aged is all too real a problem。 Author Joy Fielding has such a talent for creating interesting characters。 In addition to Elyse， who is clearly not the ideal housekeeper Jodi was convinced she was， most of the men are duds。 There's good tension and suspense。 When Audrey's possessions start finding their way into Elyse's hands， you can feel Jodi's angst。 Check out this fast-paced book from an author who never lets me down。Many thanks to Ballantine Books / Random House for the opportunity to read The Housekeeper in advance of its release。Rated 4。25 stars。Review posted on MicheleReader。com。 。。。more
Cassie’s Reviews
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This book was perfect I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in a day！ I stayed up way too late to finish it！ Jodi is a real estate agent and she’s trying to hold her family together。 Her mom is bed ridden with Parkinson’s， her husband is trying to write another book and it’s been ten years since his last book， and he makes her feel guilty for working to much， her father bully’s her and her perfect sister Tracy isn’t any help。 Jodi decides to hire a housekeeper to help her father and her bedri This book was perfect I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in a day！ I stayed up way too late to finish it！ Jodi is a real estate agent and she’s trying to hold her family together。 Her mom is bed ridden with Parkinson’s， her husband is trying to write another book and it’s been ten years since his last book， and he makes her feel guilty for working to much， her father bully’s her and her perfect sister Tracy isn’t any help。 Jodi decides to hire a housekeeper to help her father and her bedridden mother。 Elyse seems perfect she has amazing references and seems so helpful。 Jodi hires her and her father seems happy and her mother seems to be doing better。 Soon Jodi begins to notice red flags， she notices Elyse wearing some of her Mothers jewelry， clothing and her father seems to be getting pretty close to this new housekeeper。 She raises this issue with her father and he takes Elyse sides and the lines are drawn。 Her husband isn’t any help he seems to be getting a bit close to one of his students， and Jodi begins to feel alone。 Soon a tangled web of lies and scheming is apparent ， and Jodi with the help of her sister set out to prove that this “perfect housekeeper” isn’t who she says she is。 This book was a quick read！ The family was dysfunctional and it showed what can happen with the elderly and how easy they can be taken advantage！ 。。。more
Catherine （alternativelytitledbooks）
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**Many thanks to NetGalley， Random House-Ballantine， and Joy Fielding for an ARC of this book！ Now available as of 8。16！**Like the world's most famous nanny， she's practically perfect in every way。。。that is， if Mary Poppins were:*older*greyerand*had a devious streak。。。or perhaps even a deadly one！Jodi has had to work twice as hard in life， just to be noticed in her own family Golden child sister Tracy is quite LITERALLY golden。。。blonde， slender， and beautiful， and the apple of her parents' eyes。 **Many thanks to NetGalley， Random House-Ballantine， and Joy Fielding for an ARC of this book！ Now available as of 8。16！**Like the world's most famous nanny， she's practically perfect in every way。。。that is， if Mary Poppins were:*older*greyerand*had a devious streak。。。or perhaps even a deadly one！Jodi has had to work twice as hard in life， just to be noticed in her own family Golden child sister Tracy is quite LITERALLY golden。。。blonde， slender， and beautiful， and the apple of her parents' eyes。 Jodi has tried to make a name for herself in her own way， fighting and clawing her way to success in the real estate world， working for her wealthy father Vic's company。 She has a writer husband Harrison， on a mission to write the Next Great American Novel， and two adorable kids to boot。All is not well， however。。。Jodi's mom Audrey has been suffering with Parkinson's for ten years and her husband is growing weary of being her primary caretaker。 When slim， trim， and fashionable Elyse shows up to interview for a housekeeper position in Vic's home， Jodi feels an overwhelming sense of calm and relief: THIS woman is the answer to her prayers and will keep the family running。 And from jump， she settles smoothly into the family， even helping with the grandchildren and ticking off every box。。。。Until Jodi notices her mother's blouse in Elyse's closet and her Cartier watch dangling from Elyse's wrist。 Is there more to this 'charming widow than meets the eye。。。and is this PERFECT stranger more of a。。。perfect stranger？ Can Jodi and sister Tracy protect their father， their mother， and themselves before Elyse 'cleans house'。。。for good？Joy Fielding is one of those authors I've been meaning to get to for ages， and the creepy cover （which gave me Bates Motel vibes！） and the synopsis drew me in and got me excited to pick this particular book up。 I'm happy to say that this was a solid， quick， and fun domestic suspense book， and was JUST the sort of read I needed！Fielding drew me in right away with her character development （FABULOUS）， her sharp， snappy writing， and one of my favorite elements in thrillers or suspense: short chapters that WORK and make you think "Eh， I can read a few more， why not？"。。。and then by the time you look up， you realize you've blown through 5 or 6 of them！ It's so rare I finish a book in a few days lately， but this was an EASY read。 And yep， just like that easy Sunday morning the Commodores sang about， this book doesn't try too hard， doesn't reinvent the wheel。。。and doesn't NEED to do any of that。 It's absolutely PERFECT beach reading， which is not what I suspected going in， but I was pleasantly surprised to not have to sift through an overwrought plot， suspend my disbelief too much， or groan my way through an ending。 There's also an extra DELIGHTFULLY devious little twist thrown in towards the end， like the perfect dessert you didn't know you needed （but are THOROUGHLY going to enjoy anyway， thank you！） 🎂The plot of this book may not be new， but Fieldng uses just enough of her own personal flair and crafty writing to make it FEEL new。 And best of all？No spoonful of sugar required！😉4 stars 。。。more
Barbara Powell
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Totally predictable and yet enjoyable domestic thriller by fellow Canadian Joy Fielding :）Jodi Bishop is a successful real estate agent in her father’s firm with a husband and 2 kids。 Her parents are getting older and her mother has Parkinson’s which requires a lot of care and attention。 Since it is taking so much time away from her career and her own home， she decides to hire a housekeeper to help out with her parents and when she meets Elyse， everything seems to be a perfect fit。 She gets alon Totally predictable and yet enjoyable domestic thriller by fellow Canadian Joy Fielding :）Jodi Bishop is a successful real estate agent in her father’s firm with a husband and 2 kids。 Her parents are getting older and her mother has Parkinson’s which requires a lot of care and attention。 Since it is taking so much time away from her career and her own home， she decides to hire a housekeeper to help out with her parents and when she meets Elyse， everything seems to be a perfect fit。 She gets along good with all the family and takes good care of her mother-things are almost too good。 Especially when Jodi and her sister see Elyse wearing their mothers watch。 Is there more to the housekeeper than meets the eye？Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Mackenzie RM
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Jodi is our main character and narrator of THE HOUSEKEEPER; she wears many hats: wife， mom， main breadwinner as a real estate agent， and daughter。 Harrison， her husband， is an author working on his latest novel which has been in the works for the last 10 years and resents Jodi's success。 Jodi's father， Vic is retired and in his late 70s caring for his wife， Audrey， with advanced Parkinson's。 As the strain of caring for Audrey begins to weigh on Jodi and Vic， Jodi searches for and interviews many Jodi is our main character and narrator of THE HOUSEKEEPER; she wears many hats: wife， mom， main breadwinner as a real estate agent， and daughter。 Harrison， her husband， is an author working on his latest novel which has been in the works for the last 10 years and resents Jodi's success。 Jodi's father， Vic is retired and in his late 70s caring for his wife， Audrey， with advanced Parkinson's。 As the strain of caring for Audrey begins to weigh on Jodi and Vic， Jodi searches for and interviews many women in search of a housekeeper/caretaker for Audrey。 Enter Elyse Woodley - an energetic， attractive， and charming woman with glowing references from her previous housekeeper positions。 Elyse is hired to be the housekeeper for Vic and Audrey， but as time progresses Jodi finds herself being shutout from her parent's home and as Audrey's condition rapidly declines， she begins to wonder if Elyse is who she really says she is。 THE HOUSEKEEPER has an interesting premise， but I found the story to be plus ou moins predictable。 We know from the synopsis that something is suspicious about Elyse。 She's the perfect candidate - until she isn't。 But what's her end game？ Overall， I was underwhelmed by the plot with only a couple twists that truly took me by surprise。 There's an underlying sense of dread or suspense as you read， but every twist is delivered too cleanly with very little fall out。 There is also a heavy focus on Jodi and Harrison's marriage that I could have done without。 I did not find it added much to the storyline。 I did not care very much for any of the characters， Jodi least of all。 She is shown to be a woman who tries to do it all - be a good wife， a good mother， a good daughter， and a good employee - which is quite relatable。 I found that in doing so， she became the person who everyone walked all over， knowing that she would bend over backwards to cater to their needs rather than her own。 This novel is definitely a slow-burn character-driven domestic drama， with a focus on dysfunctional family dynamics。 Joy's writing style is clean and easy to read， allowing for a nice flow to the story。 Despite having been a predictable read， Joy keeps the reader engaged as they read along to find out who comes out on top and what the real motivations of each character is。 I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher， Doubleday Canada， of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！ All opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Joy Dutton
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Joy Fielding has always been one of my favorite writers since reading See Jane Run。 So I was so excited to get the chance to read her newest novel。 In this mystery thriller the main character Jodi is a middle aged wife with two children。 She’s the breadwinner in the family as her husband has been writing his second book for 10 years after the great success of his first novel。 Jodi while busy also is very involved and concerned with her parents wellbeing as her mom is slowing dying with Parkinson Joy Fielding has always been one of my favorite writers since reading See Jane Run。 So I was so excited to get the chance to read her newest novel。 In this mystery thriller the main character Jodi is a middle aged wife with two children。 She’s the breadwinner in the family as her husband has been writing his second book for 10 years after the great success of his first novel。 Jodi while busy also is very involved and concerned with her parents wellbeing as her mom is slowing dying with Parkinson’s disease and is getting too hard to care for by Jodi’s dad。 So she decides to help out by hiring a housekeeper for her parents with no help from her selfish， self-absorbed sister。 She finally hires Elyse and she can’t believe her good fortune in finding someone so accommodating pleasant and hard-working。 However is she everything that she seems to be is she really this nice kind and helpful？ Or is there something more sinister going on？ I found the writing very engaging and relatable。 I can definitely see something like this happening and how concerning it would be。 The story keep me wanting to read to find out what happens next。 However it was a little bit predictable at times。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy！ 。。。more
Brittany Mckeon
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Jodi thinks she has found the perfect solution for her family problems。。。。Elyse。 Elyse seems perfect to step in as a housekeeper/caretaker for her ailing mom and take the pressure off her and her mom。 But is she too good to be true？ Suddenly her mom's condition starts to rapidly decline。 Her stubborn grump of a dad is becoming more passive and even a little flirty with Elyse。 As things transpire there Jodi struggles to keep her parents safe all while trying to keep her marriage from falling apar Jodi thinks she has found the perfect solution for her family problems。。。。Elyse。 Elyse seems perfect to step in as a housekeeper/caretaker for her ailing mom and take the pressure off her and her mom。 But is she too good to be true？ Suddenly her mom's condition starts to rapidly decline。 Her stubborn grump of a dad is becoming more passive and even a little flirty with Elyse。 As things transpire there Jodi struggles to keep her parents safe all while trying to keep her marriage from falling apart。 I loved the pacing of this book。 While I did not particularly connect to any of the characters。 I could not help myself from flying through this book in a few hours without ever wanting to put it down。 It was fairly slow going， but it still kept me intrigued and wanting to keep reading。 This was the first book I have read by this author and I will absolutely be reading more from her。 Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Carolyn Walsh
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3。5 Stars I enjoy books by Joy Fielding， a Canadian best-selling writer of domestic suspense。 She writes in an engaging manner， and her books are easy， quick reads involving domestic drama and mystery。 This is a fast-paced， entertaining， character-based psychological thriller。 The story is based on twisted family dynamics with unpleasant， flawed characters。 Even the most appealing， Jodi， who narrates this compelling tale， has some annoying personality traits。 Jodi has always been searching for 3。5 Stars I enjoy books by Joy Fielding， a Canadian best-selling writer of domestic suspense。 She writes in an engaging manner， and her books are easy， quick reads involving domestic drama and mystery。 This is a fast-paced， entertaining， character-based psychological thriller。 The story is based on twisted family dynamics with unpleasant， flawed characters。 Even the most appealing， Jodi， who narrates this compelling tale， has some annoying personality traits。 Jodi has always been searching for approval and is subject to harsh， undeserved criticism from her parents， who clearly preferred her sister Tracy。 Nevertheless， she visits her aging parents regularly， a duty avoided by her sister。 Tracy is supported by her parents in a lavish style。 Jodi's husband is regularly finding fault with her， and she is hurt by his lack of appreciation。 She has an exhausting real estate position and two children to care for。 Her husband often isolates himself in the den， trying to complete a book he has been writing for ten years or absenting himself to teach classes for aspiring authors。 Jodi is the sole source of household income， but her husband resents the time she spends at her real estate job。 Jody is always apologizing for unfair criticism from her husband and father， failing to stand up to their constant fault-finding。 Jodi's father is a spry， dapper man approaching eighty years of age。 He quit a lucrative position to care for Jodi's mother， who has Parkinson's disease， and her condition is deteriorating。 Jodi realizes that her cranky， controlling father is approaching the stage where caregiving and house maintenance is becoming too much for him。 Jodi hires Elyse， an attractive， outwardly pleasant， obliging sixty-two-year-old woman。 She seems perfect for the job and goes beyond her required duties， offering to care for the children， working weekends， and quickly charms Jodi's children and her father。 We know from the beginning that Jodi has strong regrets about hiring Elyse and concedes it was a huge mistake。 Soon she notices that the housekeeper is wearing her mother's expensive jewellery and fashions。 She is not surprised that her father makes excuses and takes Elyse's side when confronted about helping herself to the mother's possessions。 After her mother's tragic death， Elyse and her besotted father soon marry。 A tangled web of lies， scheming， and deceit becomes apparent。 Jodi and her sister join forces to try to stop some alarming developments in their father's home。 They can find no help from lawyers or police with merely their suspicions and without concrete proof。 Jodi is concerned her father may be in mortal danger， and Tracy is worried that her inheritance will be lost to her。 Added to the story of a dysfunctional family， this book addresses some very real and significant social problems， such as elder abuse and defrauding senior citizens of their wealth and property。 Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for the ARC of this compelling thriller。 。。。more
Sharon May
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by one of my long-time favorites， Joy Fielding - 4。5 stars！Jodi Bishop is stretched - she's the main breadwinner in her household while her husband， Harrison， works on his novel。 She works as a real estate agent in her father's company and they have two small children。 Her mother has Parkinson's disease and it has progressed enough that her father needs help with her care。 Jodi Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by one of my long-time favorites， Joy Fielding - 4。5 stars！Jodi Bishop is stretched - she's the main breadwinner in her household while her husband， Harrison， works on his novel。 She works as a real estate agent in her father's company and they have two small children。 Her mother has Parkinson's disease and it has progressed enough that her father needs help with her care。 Jodi hires a live-in housekeeper， Elyse， to provide assistance。 Elyse seems like a dream come true and even watches Jodi's children when necessary and proves to be a good listener to Jodi's problems。 But be careful when things seem too good to be true！I'm a huge fan of Joy Fielding's books - and this one was no exception。 It was a quick， satisfying read with plenty of twists to keep things interesting。 I also loved how the author had Jodi's voice give us clues as to events to come。 This should also be a cautionary tale， as the events in this story are sadly all too common。 Pick this one up for a good read！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Housekeeper
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Housekeeper&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Housekeeper&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0