Millie finds herself out of a job and living in her car which is a big no-no for a parolee. She is desperate to find a new job but her criminal record keeps getting in her way. Grasping at straws, she widens her search to include housekeeper jobs, landing an interview with the incredibly wealthy Nina Winchester.

Beyond all luck and reason, Nina decides to hire Millie, looks like she didn’t do the background check after all. BUT soon after she is shown up to her tiny little cell like bedroom with a door that sticks shut in the attic, Nina begins to be a nightmare.

All the local moms and nannies and housekeepers know about Nina’s past and are willing to share that gossip, soon Millie begins to see why Nina is so unpredictable. But how does her amazingly handsome, sweet and patient husband deal with her and why?

Millie finds herself in a bit of a predicament when Nina goes out of town, and that’s when the story really starts.
There are lots of twists and turns to keep you reading this fast paced read. The epilogue may well have been the best part. I didn't like or empathize with a single character in this book; every single one of them had a big of dark, twisty worm burrowing through them.

A solid 3.5 star domestic thriller.

Wow! I was so excited to read McFadden's newest book and knew I would be in for a wild ride. This book had so many twists and turns and I loved the dual timelines. I flew through this one and couldn't wait to know how it would end. You think you know the direction that the story is going and then about halfway through there's a major twist...I loved it!

I just reviewed The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Millie is desperate, desperate for this job... To work as a maid in the beautiful home for the immaculate Nina..

Her situation has gotten dire and she needs this job more than Nina needs a maid.

Never in a million years does she think she will get hired then one day…. The call came. Nina offers her the position! The best news she has heard in years! She will do the best job and give Nina no reason to fire her. Millie comes with a dark past and all she wants is a new start but is the Winchesters home the place to get that? Has Millie made a mistake getting caught up in their lives or is the mistake theirs?

The goosebumps still haven’t gone down! I got severe whiplash from the twistiest turns no book has ever had! You know that feeling you get in your stomach, when it gets all knotted and it feels like you are falling down.. I had that feeling through most of the book. Everytime I thought I had it figured out…. WRONG!!!

Millie…. Oh Millie. I felt all kinds of emotions with her. I felt sorry for her, I felt afraid for her, I felt disgusted with her… You never really know how to feel from one page to the next and it’s so expertly done, I am still reeling.

Nina is the worst kind of boss. I would have quit after a day but Millie wasn’t in a position to and I felt aghast for Millie but that soon turned into outrage! What kind of people are any of them! Don’t even get me started on Andrew. He is the very reason I am so glad I am married haha.

No one in this book ends up being who you think they are and I adore that! I couldn’t trust my own judgment towards the end.

The pace was outstanding. It held the pace where it needed to and accelerated just in the right spots. I have a severe book hangover right now and I don’t see how any psychological thriller can top that!

If you love a top notch psychological thriller that will have you questioning your own sanity, then this 5 star read is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

This book was everything!

Honestly if this is not the next hot read this summer I will be so surprised.

I loved how well written the characters were, how all the events interlinked and just the brilliance of the story.

When I first read the blurb and Part 1 I genuinely thought this book was going to have the overused storyline of girl becomes obsessed with rich woman's husband and tries to get her out the picture to get him but I am so glad I was proved wrong.

Although I was not a fan of Millie in Part 1 for her distaste for Nina, I felt she was harsh, way too invested in the husband and unkind but as the story progresses I did have a new found respect for her by the end.

Nina is an absolute genius and must be protected at all costs. To suffer the way she did and persevere through because of the love of her daughter really made my heart hurt for her. When reading her side I so desperately wanted to reach into the book and tell her what to do but I guess that is the reality of these situations. We all want to help but sometimes we can't.

The writer details domestic abuse and manipulation and the battle to overcome so well.

This is an addictive thriller that I could not put down, as hard as I tried I just needed more and ended up reading the book in one sitting. Absolutely loved the book and will definitely be rereading again!

Publication date: April, 2022

Another book that I stayed up all night reading!
Fresh out of jail, Millie is homeless and living in her car. She has had a hard time finding a job, until she lands a position working as a live in housekeeper for wealthy couple Andrew and Nina.

As is popular, the story was told in alternating points of view. The characters have the right amount of complexity and chemistry. The storyline is full of twists and thrills...I cannot recommend this book enough!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

Book Review
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller
Author: Freida McFadden
Format: Digital ARC
Publication Date: 26/04/22

Synopsis:
“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…
---
I loved how the story started with a very loud bang. It hooked me from the first page.
The first half of the book is told from Millie’s POV, the second half is narrated by the woman of the house,
Nina Winchester, a lying, manipulative, tantrum-throwing, hoity-toity snob.
Millie's POV is very "dear diary" style, which I liked, but her character made no sense. Millie spends 10 years in prison (not a spoiler btw) and yet appears to have no survival skills, seems relatively unscathed, and not at all bothered by the fact she was locked up for an entire decade. I think I’d have some severe attitude problems and anger issues if that were me!
That said, I liked her very much and really wanted her to turn her life around.

This is your standard popcorn thriller, so you will not be mentally stimulated in any way. However, I loved it. The story itself, managed to be engaging and suspenseful, fast-paced and at times unexpected, which speaks to McFadden’s storytelling skill.
“The Housemaid” is the first book I’ve read by Freida McFadden, and I am definitely going to put her on my must-read author’s list, going forward.

Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre, who provided this ARC. This is my own voluntary and honest review.

Millie is a woman in last chance saloon. Sleeping in her car and in danger of going back to jail if the parole board find out she is unemployed and homeless. So when she interviews and is given the job as maid of all work by Nina Winchester it is a dream come true. But of course nothing is that simple and from the moment Millie is interviewed by Nina there is never a dull moment. Who knows what crazy Nina and her bratty daughter Cecelia will do next. Unfortunately Millie has limited choices and determines to hang in there despite her better judgement and dire warnings from the gardener Enzo. Probably the worst decision she could make.

This is a book full of wonderful twists. Nothing is as it seems, which is the hallmark of a good psychological thriller. I could not stop turning the pages waiting for the next shocking event to unfold. I was so invested in the storyline that I felt quite bereft when I finished reading this book but OMG the ending!!!

Oh my goodness, how have I ever missed this author before, this is definitely one of my top ten reads this year.

It was extremely well written with great characters and it kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first page until the fantastic ending. I especially loved the short chapters, each one ending so you have to read more, I will definitely recommend this book to my various Facebook Book Groups, I just cannot stop thinking about this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this brilliant ARC which I can thoroughly recommend and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A fun, fast-paced thriller that kept me hanging on every chapter! Following the perspective of Millie, a woman struggling to hold down a job after being incarcerated finds herself working as a live in housemaid for the Winchester's, a wealthy suburban family.

The mystery begins right away with the strange treatment Millie receives from the Winchester family. Mixed messages from the parents, a creepy child, her room in the attic that locks only from the outside, and to make matters worse - the gardener warns Millie that she is in danger on her first day.

This book was thrilling and page turning. There isn't much to distinguish it from other contemporary female lead thrillers, however, I still found it highly enjoyable and exciting.

I am still reeling from this book! It's a fast paced thriller that will keep you awake at night because it's just so good. Absolutely enjoyed this gem and I absolutely loved the fact that I went into it bling because it made it even more sweeter. I look forward to more Freida books

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed were entirely my own

Another riveting read from Freida McFadden! She knows how to keep you turning the pages with short chapters & interesting (albeit not always likable) characters. This book will have you carrying it around everywhere with you, sneaking in sentences whenever you can until the very last chapter.

The Housemaid is definitely full of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. Millie is a young woman with a troubled past when she takes a job cleaning a wealthy family's house. The wife, who hires her, alternates between hot and cold, and there are rumors that she is mentally unstable. The husband is handsome and kind to Millie, and she develops a crush on him. I don't want to say anything else, but I was surprised! And then I just couldn't put it down.

Not sure if I can fall asleep tonight, but I will be looking for other books by Freida McFadden to read!

Man, Frieda McFadden knows how to write twisted and dark psychological thrillers! This book was SO GOOD; I didn’t want to put it down! I read 70% in one sitting.

I am always a sucker for multiple POV and McFadden has perfected how to use it to increase the suspense! During the first half of the book, I hated Nina but when you learn more about the plot, I learned to appreciate her attitude and reasons for her actions.

I was on the edge of my seat for almost all of the book. There were so many plot twists throughout the book! If you are anything like me, you will not see the ending coming! Drop what you are doing and pick up this book!

***** Many thanks to Bookouture, Frieda McFadden, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

I am rating this as 4.5 stars but rounding up on Goodreads.

Review will be posted to instagram (thriller_book_sisters) on 4/25/22

I honestly didn’t expect too much from this but this book hooked myself from the first chapter and kept it going to the the end. So many plot twists that unravel a little bit when you least expect. So fast paced,well written,it had everything I needed for a ,thrilling and suspenseful read. Really excited to read more of this authors catalog !

Freida McFadden has done it again!!! I freaking loved every delicious page of this book and devoured it in a matter of hours! Packed with drama and fabulously cringeworthy moments, I couldn’t tear my eyes off the pages! I loved the way the parts were divided and I loved how the whole story unfolded! Absolutely recommend this book!!!

This story had a very interesting twist. Millie, recently released from prison, is pleased to get a job as a housemaid with the Winchester family. However, the situation and her employers aren't quite what she expected from the interview. It's difficult to describe the plot without giving anything away, but nobody is quite who they seem, and events take a surprising turn. There are some very tense moments., and some extremely twisted characters. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
I give this book 4.25 stars

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

This book hooked my interest from the first chapter and kept it going to the the end.Plenty of plot twists and surprises that unravel a little bit at a time.( don’t want to say too much about the storyline as you need to enjoy this for yourself) Fast paced,well written,it had everything l needed for a superb,thrilling and suspenseful read. I had a hard time putting this down and lm so glad l found this new to me author .Would l recommend this book …..absolutely!
With thanks to Netgalley,Freida McFadden and Bookouture for my chance to read and review this book

Twisted! The plot and the characters are all so twisted. When ex-con Millie, finally lands a job as a housemaid, things start looking up for her.
Her employers Nina and Andrew seem like a perfect couple with their 12 year old daughter Cecelia.
The house hides it's own secrets and as Millie discovers Nina's madness she knows it's time for her to look for another job.

The plot is in 3 parts, told by Millie & Nina. Another fast paced thriller finished in a day.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

I had a few issues with this book that are what caused me to rate it so low.
First of all, the book is roughly split into two parts, the first of which I did not enjoy in at all. The writing was simple, unassuming and unimaginative, and the plot itself, although didn't have holes like I found there to be in the second half of the story, was lacklustre and altogether not great.
The part of the plot I struggled to understand the most was the romantic subplot. Although the reasoning behind it was explained in the second half of the book, I felt it wasn't written well, nor entirely necessary in the way it was written.
The second half of the book takes a turn for the better. In this half, the plot was more interesting and there were some fairly well executed plot twists. Despite this, the second half of the book are where the plot holes started to appear. I can not say too much without spoiling the plot, however the resolution of the book seems rushed and altogether unrealistic even in a book of this genre.
Despite all of these negative points, I did enjoy my read of this book enough for me to recommend it. Personally, I felt it lacked a lot, but for people who are fans of Verity by Colleen Hoover, this has a similar vibe. This book definitely makes for an easy read for people who are looking for a book that they can read in one sitting and do not have to think too hard about.

This book had all the elements of a perfect thriller--interesting characters, excellent pacing, and a twisty plot. I absolutely loved this book, especially Millie's sense of humor and the way that the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending didn't surprise me, but the writing is so excellent that that didn't matter. Thanks for the advance review copy. Bravo!