The Queen of Fives

'Sheer delight from start to finish' Janice Hallett

'Audacious, cunning, quick-witted' Louise Candlish

'As fiendishly clever as its characters' Jennie Godfrey

They whisper her name in every corner of town.

The lady with a hundred faces, a thousand lives.

Five moves, five days - for such are the rules of her game.

1898. Quinn Le Blanc, London's most talented con woman, has five days to pull off the seemingly impossible: trick an eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England.

Masquerading as a wealthy debutante, Quinn is the jewel of the season. Her brilliant act opens doors to the grand drawing rooms and lavish balls of high society - and propels her into the inner circle of her target: the corrupt, charismatic Kendals.

But as she spins in and out of their world, Quinn becomes tangled in a dangerous web of love, lies, and loyalty. The Kendal family all have secrets of their own, and she may not be the only one playing a game of high deception...

'A period piece, a full-throttle thriller and a masterclass in characterisation - historical fiction doesn't get more exciting than this' Erin Kelly

'A fabulous mix of Victorian skullduggery and high society, full of twists that keep you turning the pages, this is a fantastic read where no-one is ever quite what they seem' Katy Watson

'High stakes, high society and high drama, with a gleaming cast of characters and a game that keeps you guessing till the last' Kate Foster, author of The Maiden

'Rich in delicious detail and enticing prose, while terrifically fast-paced, Alex Hay's The Queen of Fives has stolen my heart' Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

Praise for The Housekeepers:

'The perfect holiday read' Guardian

'Punch-the-air good' Kiran Millwood Hargrave

'Delightfully mischievous' The Times

'Imagine Ocean's 8 had an illegitimate baby with Fingersmith' Erin Kelly

'Impressive' Sunday Times

'Kept me hooked 'til the last page' Jennifer Saint