The Queen of Fives: A Novel

A mysterious heiress sets her sights on an illustrious family and nothing is quite what it seems in London high society in this clever novel from the bestselling author of The Housekeepers

"Audacious, cunning, quick-witted--this is a jewel of a book from the seriously talented Alex Hay. I was rooting for the Queen of Fives from the very first line."

--Louise Candlish, author of The Other Passenger

1898. Quinn le Blanc, London's most talented confidence woman, has five days to pull off her most ambitious plot yet: trap a highly eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England.

Masquerading as the season's most enviable debutante, Quinn puts on a brilliant act that earns her entrance into the grand drawing rooms and lavish balls of high society--and propels her straight into the inner circle of her target: the charismatic Kendals. Among those she must convince are the handsome bachelor heir, the rebellious younger sister, and the esteemed duchess eager to see her son married.

But the deeper she forges into their world, the more Quinn finds herself tangled in a complicated web of love, lies, and loyalty. The Kendals all have secrets of their own, and she may not be the only one playing a game of high deception...

"A thrilling and multi-layered story of trickery and deception, truth and lies, poverty and riches, that is sheer delight from start to finish. Absolutely enthralling!"
--Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

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384 pages

Average rating: 8.5

2 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Colleen Haasmann
Feb 21, 2025
10/10 stars
A huge thank you to the publisher, to Alex Hay, and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the audiobook to read in exchange for an honest review. Now, to the good stuff. Alex Hay is a rare talent in historical fiction telling women’s stories without the male gaze impeding their characters, and I cannot say how here for it I am! I adored the Housekeepers and have to say that The Queen of Fives has stolen the crown of my most recent historical fiction favorites. The twists on twists on twists keep you guessing the entire time you are reading, and once the action really gets going (around day 2) it doesn’t let up! From a would-be assassin, to con women conning literally everyone all of the time, to a three way carriage race, this is action-packed in a way few historical fictions are. A true triumph of a second novel! I can’t wait to read the next!

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