1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE HOUSEKEEPERS
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Housekeepers is an historical heist set in London in 1905. It tells the story of Mrs. King, sharp-witted housekeeper to one of Mayfair’s grandest mansions, who on being unfairly dismissed gathers a group of fellow servants and criminal associates to pull off the most audacious robbery high society has ever seen, right under the nose of her former employers on the night of the grandest ball of the season.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I had been longing to write a novel set in the early 1900s for ages, because I adore the glamour and gumption of the period – it’s so enterprising, complex, and you find such startling flashes of modernity. Plus, I’d read a brilliant book called The Lost Mansions of Mayfair, describing the opulent mansions that were once scattered all across West London, now mostly lost to redevelopment or bombing. I knew I wanted to tell a story set in a fictionalized version of one of those fabulous homes…
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I would ADORE to. But I’m not sure she’d put up with me for long. She’s sharp as a knife and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I fear she might get impatient with me! Plus, she has a little chip of ice in her heart – she needs her alone time.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Cool. Calm. Charismatic.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
First, countless historical details about London in 1905 – the price of stolen silverware, the quality of the carpets in a Mayfair mansion, how to clean dirty picture-frames, the dark side of the service trade…
Second, so much about how to shape a book and build the framework of a story. Writing a heist novel was an exercise in engineering, of learning how to mold and craft and move a plot. Working closely with my editors on both sides of the Atlantic was a game-changer and an eye-opener and I adored it.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I polish as I go, and if I’m really stuck on something I’ll circle back and start again. I might whisk through the prose I’ve written the day before, to get warmed up, but once the first draft is really cooking, I try to just power through to the end.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A British snack: Mini Cheddars. Less an indulgence and more a necessity.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I live with my husband in South East London and we both work from the box room at the back of the house. We have a large armchair beside the window, and we take turns as to who gets to work in it (we don’t have enough space for two!). The rest of the time I work on the edge of the table or with my laptop on my knees on the sofa. In short: I have diabolical posture.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I adore Kate Atkinson for the verve and vivacity of her books. There are some terrific debuts at work right now: Stacey Thomas, Lucy Barker, Hannah Dolby, Sarah Penner and more. AJ Pearce is a marvel – I absolutely inhaled Dear Mrs. Bird. Ruth Rendell is probably my all-time favorite writer, for the elegance of her prose, her psychology, the sheer force and range of her work. Daphne du Maurier is right up there too.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
I’m not sure there is. The thing that changed my life was being able to read lots of books - learning to read with joy, in abundance, for pleasure. If you can access books and stories and learn to LOVE to read, then you’ll read more, and everything improves: your empathy, imagination, academic achievement, future life chances. Reading is one of our most powerful building blocks in life. I’m incredibly passionate about the importance of giving children the chance to read as widely and freely as they can so that they can build this muscle – particularly if they struggle to access books or don’t have adults around them who can help them practice.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was in a meeting, blissfully unaware that we’d had an offer. Finally, I glanced at my phone and saw a message from my fabulous agent: “PICKKK UPPP!!” We’d been offered a pre-empt – and we had been given 60 minutes to make a decision. Half the time had gone already. So we had to move fast. It was one of the more nail-biting, life-changing, dream-making nights of my life.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love beautifully-written stories with gripping plots, so I’m genre-agnostic - I drink in suspense, historical, romance, literary, all sorts.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a toss-up between The First Wives Club, Persuasion (1995 version) and The Railway Children.
15--What is your favorite season?
I love them all! And love to watch the seasons shift and merge and change…
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
A walk, a pub, a lovely conversation, a big glass of wine.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’ve just started The Other Side of Mrs. Wood by Lucy Barker, which I think might appeal to readers of The Housekeepers too. It’s witty, thoughtful, acerbic, with a fantastic cast and a beautifully realized late-Victorian setting.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love Italian food beyond the telling of it.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read!
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I have drafted another novel set in the same world as The Housekeepers but starring a fresh cast and a new dastardly scheme.
Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.
When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.
Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…
After all, one should never underestimate the women downstairs.
Women's Fiction Historical | Suspense Historical [Graydon House, On Sale: July 11, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781525805004 / ]
ALEX HAY grew up in the United Kingdom in Cambridge and Cardiff, and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied history at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector and lives with his husband in London. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award.
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