The Housemaid

I was immediately hooked when I found out the female protagonist was an ex-prisoner. She was guilty, too, and she wasn’t seeking redemption. Her motive was REVENGE–far more powerful and infinitely more intriguing. 

I never guessed the twists McFadden put in her fabulous psychological thriller. I had never read anything like it–the characters were so fresh, the plot was so intriguing, and the ending was so unexpected! This story takes the control issue from the popular movie Sleeping with the Enemy to an entirely new level. Every time I think of this title, I remember the story. Vividly.… show more.

Everyone can relate to an unlikeable employer. I love a beautiful home and a perfect life. This book has it all. It’s beautiful and horrific at the same time.

If you love descriptive narrative, this is the book for you. It has some house porn and high fashion. Frieda paints the perfect picture and then unravels the unsavory truths.

The housemaid is damaged yet likable. There is nothing like rooting for the underdog, and the housemaid is just that person. I loved this book.

Here is a harmonious blend of story, character, and an unforeseen twist, where the reader is left questioning who the baddie might be all the way to the surprising end.

It’s a story about toxic relationships, the dark side of marriage, and all those juicy, scandalous details that make for a page-turner. At its core, this psych thriller is about people taking control of their lives. Whether the law is on their side or not, they plot against the hidden malevolence lurking behind suburbia’s locked doors and those pristine houses with flawless façades. 

This book marked my introduction to this… show more.

I love this page-turner because it makes me curious from the start: What kind of strange family is this where the main character has to work as a housemaid?

I empathized the whole time and couldn't stop reading. Especially because everything only took place in one location: in a single house! The whole time, I was wondering what was behind it all. I would have preferred to write the story myself.

Exactly to my taste!

I love a psychological thriller that pulls me in right away, keeps me hooked all the way through and delivers a jaw-dropping twist at the end, and this books does just that.

The characters are so convincing but then Freida is a practicing physician specialising in brain injury. When I first started reading I was worried for Millie, the housemaid. Those creepy Winchesters weren’t to be trusted and I was convinced something awful was going to happen to her.

By the time I was halfway through the story I realised that the Winchesters had more than met their match. This… show more.

We follow three main characters, none of whom are your normal, likable, main characters, into a dark and twisted world.

Millie arrives on the doorstep of a wealthy couple with not much to offer. She is broke, homeless, and on parole. Even though she has a feeling something is off in the household, she has few options. The story is fast-paced—a what-will-happen-next pace that makes for a good thriller. As you follow the twists and turns, and you think you know how it will end—surprise. And that too, makes the perfect thriller.

I listened to this book in audio, when I was trying to understand how to misdirect the listener while still playing fair.

There is a fine balance between adding a red herring and dropping in clues so that the twists are a surprise but also inevitable. That was what I went into this book to learn but I immediately forgot that this was a forensic book analysis as I became completely engrossed with the heroine’s terrible boss and dangerous living situation and put-upon husband.

This is a masterful book that is super engrossing. It should come with a warning label… show more.

I listened to the audiobook edition on a long bus ride and almost gave up halfway. (On the book, that is, not the bus.)

The story’s direction seemed clear. The resolution was inevitable. Why continue reading? Man, was I wrong! A massive twist upended everything, leaving me reeling and desperate to turn the pages. I came away with renewed respect for both the author and dental hygiene.

(Sorry, no spoilers. You’ll have to read the book.)