The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is one of the chart buster bestselling novels of 2022 according to the Wall Street Journal.
Millie is making a clean break from her troubled history. Millie has responded to an ad for a housemaid posted by the Winchesters. Nina Winchester arranges to meet with Millie at her house.
She gives Millie a tour of the house and outlines Millie’s duties, which amount to light housekeeping and meal preparation. Nina takes Millie up to the attic and shows her the bedroom she’ll be sleeping in.
When Millie finally hears from Nina a few days later, she is overjoyed. She will begin her employment with the Winchesters the following Monday. The house is a shambles by the time Millie comes the following day.
Despite of being from medical background, Freida McFadden knows her subject really well and have complete command over how to present her characters in the most emphatic way.
The house looked spotless when Millie arrived for the interview, so she assumed she wouldn’t have to do any tidying up before her arrival.
Millie gradually finds out about Nina’s misdeeds as the days pass. Or, more accurately, she learns the hard way about Nina’s erratic emotions. Millie is picking up Nina’s daughter Cecelia from school, as requested by Nina.
Millie finds out Cece has extra classes and her friend’s mom would take her when she gets to school. While on the phone with Nina, Millie gets the response, “I never told you to pick Cece!”
Related Post: The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden (2020)
Everything that doesn’t actually happen is attributed to Millie. Millie’s only sympathizer appears to be Nina’s husband, Andrew. He’s wealthy and good-looking. Millie is powerless to resist her growing feelings for him.
But things go downhill from there. On her first day of work, Millie received a warning from Enzo, the gardener. But Millie didn’t listen to his words of caution. And now she must bear the repercussions…
The best part of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is its gripping narrative and realistic characters. Once you start reading, it becomes very difficult to put it down before finishing.
Millie starts off the story by lying to her prospective employers. Millie’s fresh beginning has not gone as planned: she was just dismissed from her job and evicted from her apartment for failing to pay the rent. Millie wanted to start again after escaping from her troubled background. However, progress has been slow.
Millie is ecstatic when Nina Winchester calls to tell her she may start the next day. The next day, she visits the Winchesters and finds their home in disarray. She had come last week for an interview, and the house had been spotless for her arrival.
So, what’s different now?
Millie soon finds herself the target of Nina’s erratic behavior. Millie is the victim of Nina’s gaslighting, and she is also falsely accused of something. Cecelia, Nina’s eight-year-old daughter, is also not a saint. Millie has been met with strong distaste from both of Millie’s parents.
Andrew, Nina’s husband, is the only one who has any idea what Millie is going through.
Millie finds out via Nina’s other pals that Nina was admitted to a mental institution. Even though Millie now understands why Nina is acting so irrationally, the fact that she is the recipient of Nina’s rage does not make her any happier.
Things are about to get much worse. Millie has to get out of the house as soon as possible. But… she can’t since her bedroom door doesn’t lock from the inside.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read, without a doubt. The plot twists and turns kept me reading until the very end. There are three acts to the story. The first section focuses on Millie and how she is treated while staying at the Winchester residence.
The second part is just… WOW!
That was a surprising turn of events. What the heck is going on, I thought. Don’t even get me started on how great the third part is!
I assumed The Housemaid would be “just another domestic suspense with a shocking ending” when I first started reading it. Oh, how wrong I was! Not just the climax, but nearly the entire novel is full of unexpected turns and shocking revelations.
Fast-paced, nerve-wracking, spine-chilling, twisted, and riveting best describe the novel, her latest psychological thriller.
This is a book you should read immediately.
If you like reading The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, find out her five must-read books here.
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About the Author
Benjamin Hughes is a literary enthusiast with a lifelong passion for books. He has an extensive knowledge of classic literature and a profound interest in exploring the depths of philosophical and existential themes.
With his articulate writing style, he guides readers through complex narratives and leaves them with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the written word.
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