The Queen of Fives. They breathed the title with reverence on the docks, down the coastline. A lady with a hundred faces, a thousand voices, a million lives. She might spin into yours if you didn’t watch out…She played a glittering game: lifting a man’s fortune with five moves, in five days, before disappearing without a trace.
I enjoyed Alex Hay’s first novel, The Housekeepers, about a group of servants staging a heist during a ball in a grand London house. I hoped for something similar from his next book – and that’s what I got! If anything, this one is more complex, ambitious and inventive.
It’s 1898 and Quinn Le Blanc has five days to convince the Duke of Kendal to marry her and trick him out of his fortune. Why five days? Because Quinn is the ‘Queen of Fives’, the leader of a network of London con artists based at a house known as The Château who play by a specific set of rules. Their current game is called False Heiress and there are a number of steps that have to be carried out on each day of the con. The Château has been operating for generations and there have been many previous Queens. During Quinn’s eight-year reign, however, things have started going wrong: debts are mounting and the house is falling into disrepair. She desperately needs this latest scheme to be a success.
Quinn is assisted by Mr Silk, whose job is to serve the Queen and to guard the all-important Rulebook, which contains the instructions for the Château’s various games. But watching from the shadows is the mysterious Man in the Blue Silk Waistcoat – and also the equally mysterious Woman in the Cream Silk Gown – who will do whatever it takes to stop Quinn in her tracks.
As you can see, this is an unusual story based on an unusual premise and, to be honest, I was never fully convinced by it. I didn’t really understand why it was so important to complete the game within five days and to stick so rigidly to the Rulebook, when allowing more time or adapting the rules to fit unforeseen circumstances could have made it easier to win. Still, I managed to just suspend disbelief and go along with it! After a slow start, with time spent introducing the characters and the history of the Château, things gradually pick up pace and by the middle of the book I was gripped.
As with The Housekeepers, the reader is in the rare position of wanting the villains, in this case Quinn and her friends, to succeed. However, we also get to know the victims, the Duke of Kendal and his sister, Tor (short for Victoria). Tor is a single woman in her thirties who still lives with her brother and their stepmother and she is worried about losing her home should the Duke decide to marry. Tor is immediately suspicious of the woman who appears out of nowhere and introduces herself as Miss Quinta White, but the Duke himself seems unsuspecting. Later, we discover that he has reasons of his own for wanting to marry quickly, so Quinn’s attentions aren’t unwelcome to him – though, of course, he has no idea who she really is or what her plans are.
There are some great twists towards the end of the book and although in hindsight I feel I should probably have seen them coming, I didn’t and was taken by surprise. I think overall I preferred The Housekeepers, but both books are fun and I’m already looking forward to a third book by Alex Hay, whenever and whatever that may be.
Thanks to Headline for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
She Reads Novels 
I’ve got this book on order at the library after enjoying the housekeepers so I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Hopefully I’ll be able to suspend my disbelief too
I hope you enjoy it. It’s fun, even if not very realistic!
I remember your review of The Housekeepers so it’s good to know this maintains the standard, even if disbelief had to be suspended slightly more than usual!
It’s very entertaining, despite the unlikely plot!
Alex is a friend of mine, so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this! I have it on the shelf but have not started it yet.
Oh, I hope you enjoy it, especially as he’s a friend. He has a great imagination!
This does sound like a very inventive plot. I still need to read The Housekeepers. (Are you surprised?) ;D
It was very different! The Housekeepers is great too, if you get the chance to read it.
These do sound intriguing! I will check out The Housekeeper first.
They’re both enjoyable books, but I think The Housekeepers is an easier plot to follow.
I don’t know. The premise just seems so ridiculous.
I thought it was entertaining, but definitely a bit ridiculous.
Sounds like an interesting book to read! 😊
It’s very unusual!
I haven’t read The Housekeepers yet so I think I’ll probably start there, especially as I think I’d want more information on why the games rules are so important and similar details. I may be able to suspend my belief and just get into the story- I did for Dial A For Aunties – but I’ll have to wait and see. If I get on well with The Housekeepers I do hope to pick this up to though. I’m glad it mostly worked for you but hope the authors next book goes even better 🥰
I think this is definitely the sort of book where you just need to try to enjoy the story without thinking too deeply about it! I hope you like The Housekeepers, if you do decide to read it.
Thank you 🥰
Thank you for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge!