AtaraxiaFreida McFadden is probably not a stranger to you. For the past few years, her books have been everywhere. The Housemaid trilogy quickly made its mark in the literary world—faster than anyone could have imagined.
Attention to all fans of thrillers and psychological horror: you’re likely to love these books. And even though it’s officially a trilogy, there’s also a short story—book 2.5—that lets you extend the pleasure just a little bit more.
Freida McWho?
Freida McFadden is an American author. A nurse by profession, she initially kept her identity hidden. After the worldwide success of her books, Freida was finally discovered by her fans and went on to embrace her literary identity.
In fact, she hasn’t just written a few books—she’s published around twenty. In France, however, only a few are available: after The Housemaid saga, we only have The Teacher, The Boyfriend, and Never Lie.
The Housemaid
Let’s talk a bit about her globally loved series: The Housemaid.
In the first book, we meet Millie, a young woman who, after serving time in prison, is looking for work. She quickly becomes the housemaid for the Winchesters, a wealthy family in need of some help around the house. But between the unstable mother, the spoiled daughter, and the charming father, Millie can’t help but feel uneasy. Living in the Winchesters’ home, Millie sees everything—even what she’s not supposed to see.
So what secrets lie behind this perfect-looking family? And more importantly, did Millie really make the right choice by taking this job, or will it be her last?
In The Housemaid’s Secret (Book 2) and The Housemaid Is Watching (Book 3), we find characters from the first novel. Personally, I didn’t enjoy the second book quite as much as the first, but of course, everyone’s taste is different—and it’s still a great story.
The short story 2.5 was written by Freida at the persistent request of fans who wanted more from the saga. Don’t worry—although the story takes place between Books 2 and 3, you won’t miss anything if you read it afterward.
Ultimately, The Housemaid is, in my opinion, a very psychological book. With Nina Winchester’s presence and certain scenes, it sometimes leans into psychological horror. You can really feel Millie’s unease in some passages.
The Boyfriend
We could have read The Teacher or Never Lie, but we decided to start with The Boyfriend. Why? Well, based on the French summary, we thought there might be a slight chance that Sydney (the main character) kills her boyfriend. Unfortunately—spoiler alert—that’s not the case. Sydney doesn’t kill anyone. But she should still be careful, because after one of her best friends is found dead, she could be next.
The Boyfriend is a stand-alone novel—quick to read and easy to get into. If you enjoyed The Housemaid, you’ll probably like The Boyfriend too.
Similar Books?
Unfortunately, we haven’t yet read all of Freida McFadden’s works, so we can’t give our opinion on her other titles. However, we can recommend some books we’ve enjoyed.
If you haven’t seen our other articles yet, among our favorites are Alexandra Benedict—with Murder on the Christmas Express and Murder at Endgame—as well as C.A. Larmer and her Agatha Christie Book Club series. And, of course, the queen of crime herself: the legendary Agatha Christie.
Another author we love is the brilliant Ruth Ware—one of her best novels is The Woman in Cabin 10.
For those who love the literary world but want to explore similar vibes on screen, we recommend The Woman in Cabin 10(now on Netflix), the Knives Out series, or The heritage.
And finally, back to Freida McFadden—The Housemaid is being adapted into a film, set to be released at the end of 2025, in December.
