Sarah A. Denzil is a million copy bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. Her books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cats, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.
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
This is the novel by Sarah A. Denzil. There is another by the same name that is also on my list, but I got this audiobook free, so decided to give it a shot. It is also around eight hours long, which is fairly doable in a day of work, so I didn’t have much to lose.
This is one of the only books I haven’t read a review for before starting, and I have to say I’m glad. Emily’s mom worked at the same house before she “abandoned” her as an infant. Emily, an ex-addict, needed a job after being incarcerated for a year prior to residing at the estate and the house likes to employ girls who have been troubled and need a second chance. Translation: The house likes to employ girls who have no loved ones and will not be missed by anyone outside of the house’s control.
The book starts off with Emily, who I find sad and a little desperate from the beginning. She ends up being attracted to the heir of the estate, Alex, and inevitably leaps off into a weird affair with him, that seems more like a power play by Alex than anything else. This is like Fifty Shades of Gray without the sex. She seems like a masochist to just go along with whatever he says or does, but she is desperate for work and, as he often points out, he is ultimately her boss.
I got very confused in several parts of the book. I couldn’t tell if it was Emily or her mother’s voice telling the story, or which story they were telling, several times throughout. Overall, it had some very unexpected twists and turns and ended well in my perspective, so I do recommend it.
Emily – narrator. Dark hair. Olive skin. protagonist. the maid and ex-jailbird. In a weird, very unhealthy relationship with Alex. Co-dependent. Needs external validation. Needs A LOT of very quality counseling and somewhere to go for holidays. Self-proclaimed slow learner. Only met her dad once. No family.
Aunt Josephine- Emily aunt
David – Emily’s father
Mrs. Huxley – head housekeeper and Emily’s supervisor. Not nice. Judgy.
Lord Bertie Howard- the estate king. Alex’s dad. Seems like a jerk. Questionable business man.
Lady Laura Howard – dead at the time of the story, Lord Bertie’s late wife and Lottie and Alex’s mother, married to Lord Bertie in the early 1990s. Only daughter of Margot and Robert.
Chloe – Emily’s predecessor, the maid that came before her and whose position she fills at the estate
Margot (husband, Robert) – Lord Bertie’s mother-in-law. Her daughter (Alex and Lottie’s mom) tried to hang herself, then ultimately met her death by falling down the stairs. Former actress. Blames Bertie for Laura’s death
Ade – gardner. Plant lover. Lives in a cottage in the village. There’s an attraction between him and Emily. Dark brown eyes.
Pavoll – cook
Rosheen – more seasoned housekeeper. Emily’s roommate and work mentor. Red, copperish hair. Delightful. Beautiful. Light. Having an affair with Lord Bertie.
Lottie – heir to the estate. Condescending, spoiled,but unaware of both and fairly pleasant otherwise.
Alex Howard- heir to the estate. 100% douchebag. Control freak. Probably handsome but also completely psychotic. Aren’t they all… needs A LOT of anti-psychotic meds after inpatient care. Nothing behind the eyes, as Ade says. Entitled and arrogant.
Pretty Colors Unabridged 