Book Review: The Housemaid | Freida McFadden

This is a spoiler-free review of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. If you’re looking for a plot summary, explanation of the ending, and more information about how it compared to another popular book, head to my spoiler review.

Where are the Freida McFans (is that the correct nickname) out there? If you are on any psychological thriller groups on Facebook, then you’ve noticed that there isn’t an author out there currently that inspires the volume of praise and criticism that Freida McFadden does. Love her or hate her, she is one of the most talked about (and read) psychological thriller authors currently.

Though McFadden has been publishing for years (many self-published), her 2022 novel The Housemaid is what truly catapulted her to the juggernaut she is today. I’ve got a deep dive over on my spoiler-review including a full plot summary, the ending explained, and my thoughts on the comparisons between this book and a popular Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick from several years ago. Head over there to learn more about that scandalous theory!

Let’s do a quick and dirty rundown of The Housemaid over here though. This book packs the twists in. If you’re new to Freida, get used to the fact that none of her characters are ever exactly likable. Even the ones that are relatively the good-guy. It’s just the nature of her writing!

A beautiful ex-convict named Millie is struggling to find employment after spending ten years in prison. When she interviews for a housemaid position with the Winchester family at their stately mansion, Millie thinks things may be looking up. The position comes with room and board, which will be a relief after living in her car. And more importantly, they don’t seem to do the traditional background checks as other places.

Nina and Andrew are wealthy as sin. Millie spends her time cleaning, doing the shopping, picking up their nine-year old daughter Cecelia, and preparing food. While Andrew is handsome, kind, and open, Nina is the opposite. She’s messy, mean, and unstable. She’ll say one thing and then yell at Millie for doing it, claiming she said a different thing. Millie doesn’t understand what Andrew sees in her, and the more time she spends with the Winchesters, the more she pictures herself as the future Mrs. Winchester. Millie slips into Nina’s role, wearing her dress, dining with her husband. But when Nina finds out, it may be too late to save herself.

You’d think that Millie would be the likable character in this book, but she honestly isn’t. She’s kind of pathetic and she’s selfish. On the other hand, she’s nothing compared to Nina. It’s actually triggering to read about Nina if you’ve ever had a boss who acts that way. Meanwhile Millie (and myself) are left wondering what exactly Andrew sees in Nina. The way McFadden describes her is almost a caricature–the lipstick smeared on her face, the smudged make up, the ever-growing body. This is at the crux of what some (and I’ll loosely include myself here) find frustrating about McFadden’s books. They have a juvenile feel to them, like a middle schooler wrote them.

Now, The Housemaid is entertaining AF. It’s a popcorn thriller and it’s an easy, bingeable read. Nothing too deep here, and some great twists. It does bear similarities to that other book, which I unpack over on my spoiler review. And the similarities aren’t small. However, the last 20% of The Housemaid introduces different twists and turns that make this an enjoyable read, even if you’ve read the other book. A couple of stunners pepper throughout, and a nice ending sets up where the sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, might go.

I think this book gets a lot of positive attention and some criticism, and both sides are fair and valid. It’s worth a read if you just want a twist-filled shocker of a thriller that is easy to read, not too deep, and delivers a good old fashioned blindside.