The Housekeeper

When the famous Chef Anton--Anne Morgan's boyfriend and boss--tells her he's in love with someone else, she's both devastated and suddenly in need of a job. Anne's always worked in professional kitchens, but, on a whim, she applies for the position of housekeeper for her idol Emma Helmsley, a lifestyle guru who is essentially the English Martha Stewart.

Soon Anne is practically the fifth member of the illustrious Helmsley family--enjoying working in their home and getting to know Emma; her husband, Rob, a prominent television personality and academic; and their two charming children, Jake and Lily. But she's surprised to discover that all is not as it seems on the surface and, as the months go by and Anne learns more of the Helmsleys' dirty secrets, her future becomes increasingly entwined with theirs. Meanwhile, shocking truths about Anne's own past come to light, with repercussions for all of them.

Suellen Dainty (After Everything) has created a detailed and slowly paced (yet completely addicting) story in The Housekeeper. Anne's repressed personality and the gilded Helmsley family don't seem to mesh at first glance, but as the novel unfolds and the Helmsleys' emotional vagaries play out, the reader will be frantic to know how it ends. Somewhere between chick lit and tense psychological thriller, The Housekeeper is a tantalizing glimpse into the everyday lives of the rich and famous--and the people who work for them. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

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