Mrs. King works in the household of Mr. de Vries, an Irishman who made a fortune in South African mining (and changed his name). But shortly after his death Mrs. king is dismissed from the staff after being discovered in the men's quarters.

Soon she's plotting revenge along with other dismissed staff and de Vries' unacknowledged sister, Mrs. Bone.

They're going to steal everything in the house. Everything.

The Housekeepers is set in 1905 London. I love the setting and the plotting and the characters. At the end, i even feel a bit sorry for Miss de Vries, who is a thoroughly unlikable character. Her father didn't have her interests in mind.