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The Housemaid  By  cover art

The Housemaid

By: Sarah A. Denzil
Narrated by: Sophie Rundle
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Publisher's summary

The latest dark and twisty thriller by the million-copy best-selling author of Silent Child.

Housemaid wanted.

Skills required: discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile.

It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past....

But I soon realise I’ve made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard’s son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he’s bad for me. There’s a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It’s easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.

On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I’m dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?

I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare.

©2021 Sarah Denzil (P)2021 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about The Housemaid

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

FANTASTIC@@@!

Wow… was not expecting much because well, it’s a free book. I honestly have had very little luck with the Plus collection.
However, this was stellar writing, great narration and awesome story. It has all the thrills , secrets, creepiness, sense of foreboding and yes even some romance , very very little, which I appreciate. I’m not into lots of sex and romance in my thrillers. Just hints here and there is enough for me. There’s one 4 letter word in the entire book that I can recall, no sex scenes , yet there is everything you want.
Emily goes to work for the weird Howard family. She notices a high “
Turnover “ of maids. Yet , because they are usually hired from a local rehab center there are good reasons for the maids to leave or just disappear. Most have no ties no family etc. You think it’s highly possible they leave because of inappropriate behavior by the master of the manor. He’s very handsome, lady’s man etc. but tends to behave very badly considering his position of authority.
Not in your wildest dreams do think of the darkness and evil going on.
This isn’t a ghost story there is no supernatural nonsense, thank goodness.
There is a mystery but actually it’s a true psychological thriller.
I’ve been extremely down for you lack of access to audiobooks lately since I get only 1 credit per month. I “read”almost a book a day. So I’ve heard many many books and am extremely picky. So, I was not expecting to be so immersed that I got nothing done until I listened to the last word.
Lastly, I have to mention the wonderful narration. Absolutely spot on for this story. I love this author but this is her best work and I’ve read all of her books.
If you like psychological thrillers, and gothic settings this is the book for you.
Ty to the author for giving this to us here at the holidays as many of us are lonely and a good book Is great therapy and a great escape.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays …. Enjoy!

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149 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Great storyline. Great Narration. All around great job from the author. Cant believe it was free. This one definitely did not disappoint.

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39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly Perfect

It’s official.
Sarah Denzil has honed and evolved her craft and has become my personal no 1 pick in the mystery genre.
When I read “One For Sorrow” last year, I fell instantly in love, but I was disappointed by a couple of her books that followed that one and I had to give it a rest.
Well, when I saw this title added I figured this would be a make or break moment.
It sounded intriguing but we’ve all been sucked in by a great summary but then brought down quickly once we start actually reading the book.
This was an absolutely exceptional listen in every way.
The narrator is literally perfect, I could listen to her all night.
But this story had so many fascinating characters, it had depth, and such an established sense of place.
Sarah Denzil knows how to write. She is articulate, thorough, and she has a gift with descriptive language.
Never too flowery, and never getting bogged down but always totally descriptive and atmospheric.
I loved this crazy family.
I loved the protagonist, as she is relatable, real, and it’s nice to actually feel like you’re a part of the story because you can so identify with what she’s going through.
This is a fantastic book. And it was precedent setting for me as I truly binge read this book in one sitting with no breaks.
I could NOT put this one down.
Exceptionally well crafted, spooky, multifaceted, and believable, I can’t give higher compliments than these.
It’s also performed beautifully, the narration truly could not get any better.
A brilliant pairing, this title and narration.
I highly recommend ✨✨✨✨✨
Thank you for a great story performed incredibly well and for keeping me up all night for the first time in years.
This one was a lot of fun.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another elaborate and devious British winner!

I do so enjoy my British audiobooks. It’s always a treat to find a hidden gem, and at no cost, an additional plus. “The Housemaid,” suspenseful and mysterious, is such a book. A favored author of mine, Sarah Denzil, interweaves menacing, conniving, charming and alluring family characters as they play their psychologically vexing and menacing games. This complexellent thriller is filled with suspicious and intricate subplots. Centering on a newly hired staff member with personal and private intentions of her own kept my attention from the very first chapter. Ominous gifts arrive and secrets are kept; loyalties are questioned. Sophie Rundle’s narrative skills show off her proficient pitch-perfect vocals. Kudos to both of these two gifted women. Please, may we have more? A gratuitous nod to Audible for making this available. Highly recommended. Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ok I guess

Not what I expecting. Too Long and drawn out. I kept thinking it would get better but it didn’t. It is what it seemed and so was boring and unsatisfactory.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Narrator

( no spoilers but I make a general comment about the end)
Sophie Rundle was excellent. She gave this modern day story a classic feel.
The story started out very strong, dwindled a little , followed by a slight twist, then a bit of corny unrealistic-ness was thrown in,. It was tied up nicely at the end. I’m not a big fan of open endings so I was fine with the conclusion.
Overall it kept my interest and I wanted to know what happened, however, the narrator is truly what made it worthwhile .

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14 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Not worth listening for free!

what a long boring 20 chapters that did not make me want to finish the book!

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13 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not my cup of tea

What have I just read? This is a bizarre mongrel of Victoria Holt novel and Fifty Shades of Grey. I grew out of Victoria Holt books about the time when I was 12, and Fifty Shades is (in my opinion) one of the worst books ever written. In short, it is a childish book for unmature audience. But you might like it, if you still dig old Victoria H.
Regarding performance - I had to listen it on 1,6x speed, otherwise I couldn't follow as the narrator reads really slowy.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A Dark Tale

The performance made sticking with this book worthwhile. The narrator does a wonderful job of catching the tones of the various characters. The story itself was much darker than I had expected, and touched on themes of mental health and abuse that might trigger some readers who have suffered at the hands of others.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed it

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. The lady that narrated it, she did a wonderful job! I like how the storyline kept you guessing throughout. I would definitely recommend.

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10 people found this helpful