Review of THE HOUSEKEEPER by Joy Fielding (New Release)

3.5 Stars

This domestic suspense novel is a good summer diversion.

Jodi Bishop hires a housekeeper to help her aging father Vic and her mother Audrey who is largely bed-ridden because of late-stage Parkinson’s.  Elyse Woodley is the perfect candidate for the position; she is energetic and has such an engaging personality that she even wins over Vic who is initially resistant to the idea of a live-in housekeeper.  She seems too good to be true and that quickly proves to be the case when Audrey’s condition worsens and Elyse starts wearing her jewelry. 

Meanwhile, Jodi’s life is not the happiest; at one point, she describes it as “a churning, cloudy mess.”  She tries to balance her demanding job as a successful real estate agent, her marriage to a self-involved writer struggling for the last decade with his second novel, her home with two young children, and her filial duty to her parents.  Harrison, her husband, is not supportive and her self-absorbed sister Tracy does little to help with Vic and Audrey, so Jodi feels overwhelmed and under-appreciated. 

The plot is not particularly original.  It is quite predictable, especially because there is so much foreshadowing.  Jodi, the narrator, ends virtually every chapter with comments like “Now I realize that it was one of the few honest things [Elyse] ever told me” and “Just another one of the voices I chose to ignore” and “In the end, I have only myself to blame.  I’m the one who let her in.”  I suspected a connection between Elyse and another character as soon as that character is introduced.  There really are no shocking twists or revelations. 

The characters are clearly differentiated but unlikeable.  The men in particular are insufferable.  Vic is emotionally distant, overbearing, and critical.  He even insists that the housekeeper be good looking.  Harrison complains whenever he is asked to take care of his own children; though Jodi is the breadwinner for the family, he argues that she is not spending enough time at home.  He is an expert at gaslighting his wife.  Tracy is so shallow, self-centered, and entitled.  Though she is 45, she has no income and relies on her father to pay her bills and cater to her expensive tastes.  Jodi is such a doormat; she lets people walk all over her.  As the novel progresses, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with her unwillingness to stand up for herself.

What is difficult to understand is why Jodi cares so much for people who seem to care little for her.  Vic mentions her weight and criticizes her in some way every time he speaks to her.  Harrison insists on being supported in his career, but doesn’t support his wife and is constantly pointing out her faults.  Tracy manipulates her sister to help her and then uses her as a scapegoat.  I can guess that her low self-esteem, the result of her upbringing, accounts for much of her behaviour, but she is in her forties and should have acquired some backbone. 

Written in an easy, approachable style with short chapters, the book is a good choice for a light, quick read for the summer. 

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.