Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
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?
Contributor Notes
Joy Fielding is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Wrong Places, The Bad Daughter, She's Not There, Someone Is Watching, Charley's Web, Heartstopper, Mad River Road, See Jane Run, and other acclaimed novels. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida.
Editorial Review
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Named one of the best books of 2022 by Reader's Digest
"Joy Fielding [is] Canada's answer to the late, great Mary Higgins Clark. . . . I admire Fielding's ability to write relentlessly paced novels. . . . I never put The Housekeeper down—I read it in a single sitting." —Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
"Unexpected plot turns, crisp dialogue and an (at last) emboldened heroine enhance the appeal of this well-crafted domestic suspense thriller." —The Wall Street Journal
"A totally relatable topic—caring for aging parents—takes a harrowing turn in The Housekeeper. . . . True crime afficionados looking for a fictional take on folks who are up to no good will want to add this to their reading list, stat." —Reader's Digest
"[An] engrossing psychological thriller . . . [with] well-wrought characters. . . . This insightful exploration of the complexities of caring for aging relatives deserves a wide readership." —Publishers Weekly
"An exciting roller coaster of family dysfunction, maritial dynamics and gaslighting. . . . Fielding's novel is gripping from the beginning, and Jodi is a fleshed-out, relatable protagonist. The plot builds to a nail-biting climax. . . . Recommended for fans of women-led suspense novels such as Mary Kubica's The Other Mrs. and Ruth Ware's The Lying Game." —Library Journal
"Jodi is a very likable and relatable character, and the novel delivers on its promise to wrap things up satisfactorily, but not without many juicy twists along the way." —Bookreporter
