Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was an exciting read, while it didn't necessarily keep me on the edge of my seat, it definitely kept me guessing. Great storyline and interesting plot; it was a quick read as I had to get to the ending to find out what had happened. This story is told in two viewpoints, Millie and Nina.

Millie is fresh out of prison and currently living in her car while she tries to find a new job. A live-in maid position would be perfect for her and solves all of her problems, but she doesn't think she has a chance; she is so surprised when the lady of the house, Nina Winchester hires her. As she is moving in, the italian gardener, who appears to speak very little english, tries to warn her she is in danger. so many little warning bells are going off in her head, but she is desperate and needs this job, so she ignores them. When Millie sees that her attic room only locks from the outiside, she gets a creepy sensation, but again, ignores it. Nina Winchester seems to be a little unhinged, she is either treating Millie like family or yelling and threatening her; but Millie holds on because she needs the job and she is starting to fall for Nina's husband the handsome and enigmatic Andrew and it seems like he may be interested in her as well. But, maybe Millie should have run when she had the chance.

Wow, this was so good! There were so many twists and turns and messed up people and you didn't know who would get away with what. I can't wait to read another by this author

Millie has been in prison, hoping her luck has changed, she gets a job as a maid with the Winchester Family.

Nina her boss is a highly volatile woman who has been institutionalised but seems to not have gained any coping strategies. Her husband Andrew is a man Millie takes a shine to, especially as their daughter Cecelia is such a brat.

Perfect start for a thriller right? I disliked all the characters in this book and while it was a good read there were parts that made me wonder how on earth things had got this far,

A good read

This fast paced story threw me for a killer ride! The prologue grips you and pulls you in. Starting with the ending and then going back to the beginning is such a neat writing style. I thought I figured things out but was not even close.
Nina the beautiful stay at home wife and mom of Cecelia. Andy the doting husband. Millie the newly hired housemaid.
One dead body but whose body is it? Great who dun it!

A good thriller with some decent twists, but a large chunk of it felt rather too familiar.

Mollie is struggling to find employment - she was in jail for 10 years and Something Happened at her last job which means she has no references. So it seems too good to be true when she’s offered a position as a housekeeper with the rich and swanky Winchester family. But when you’re living in your car and have been turned down by even Munchburger, what are you going to do?

At first, all goes smoothly. But her employer, Nina, is wildly erratic and 9 year old Cecelia is a terrible brat. The only decent human being in the house is the dishy Andrew, though Mollie knows she should know better than to even think about her employer’s husband. But then Fate seems to throw them together.

The author does a terrific job of building up the infuriating instability of Mollie’s position. Nina seems to ask her to do things and then claims not to have done, Mollie is constantly undermined by both Nina and Cecilia. No wonder she can’t help herself from thinking about Andrew, particularly when she learns more about Nina’s past.

The claustrophobic atmosphere is nicely done - the swanky house, the ever present Italian gardener who warns Mollie of danger (though he doesn’t actually make any sense as a character), Mollie’s tiny room with the door that keeps sticking and the lock on the outside, Nina’s gaslighting, and Mollie’s lack of alternatives.

The plot felt just a little too familiar (there's definitely a whiff of B. A. Paris's Behind Closed Doors) and wandered into territory that lacked credibility, even within the genre. However, there’s a couple of terrific twists - possibly guessable, but, honestly, when I’m reading a book like this, I’m doing it at a pace where I don’t stop to think of what might be coming up.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This was okay, I did enjoy it but wasn’t blow away. It was a fast read and was pretty addicting but I didn’t feel connected as much as I was hoping to

I loved this book! 5 out of 5 stars!!! I didn’t expect what was going to happen about half way through but I loved it! The story flowed quickly and I couldn’t wait to see what happened. One of the best books of 2022.

Wow! Omg what a ride! Be prepared for a crazy ride when reading this book! It’s that good ! Had me turning the page so quick to find out more! Great book! Great plot!

The rich and wealthy love to outsource the busy work of keeping a house clean and tidy to others. And why not have those people pick up your kids and your trash while you're at it? But do they know who they're bringing into their homes? And is everything as nice and shiny in these homes as it appears at first glance? Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've said it countless times before, but domestic thrillers have become some of my favourite reads of late. Perhaps this fascination comes from being stuck at home so much, realising how uncanny your home space becomes when you have no chance of leaving it, recognising that even the people you enjoy living with begin to grate on you if you are stuck with them. So how about when you invite a stranger into your home and suddenly they're witnesses to your most intimate moments? Can this go well? Domestic thrillers will tell you no. But then, nothing really goes well in domestic thrillers. The Housemaid tries to add a layer of class-consciousness to this by bringing together characters from different backgrounds. Although it veers ever so mildly into caricature with its rich characters, the effort is nonetheless appreciated.

Millie needs this job. She has been living in her car and lying to her parole officer about it, so the sooner she can get back on her feet the sooner, hopefully, a sense of normalcy can return and the shadow of her past can dissipate. But something about Nina Winchester makes her uncomfortable and Millie can't help but wonder why a handsome and kind man like Andrew Winchester is married to her. As Millie gets pulled further and further into the Winchester family-secrets, the question of who can be trusted becomes more and more crucial. McFadden begins to tell you a story, but makes sure you question what you read at every step. You know that certain characters aren't telling you the full truth, but McFadden manages to make it feel earned when they do.

Freida McFadden has set up quite the twisty tale, split into three sections. The first sees Milly enter the Winchester home, naive and hopeful. The second brings with it a major twist and has some delightful format changes which I really enjoyed. The third brings us to another twist, which both illuminates Millie's background and brings the novel to a rather neat (perhaps too neat?) end. I enjoyed this clear structure, something that is missing in quite a few thrillers which therefore needlessly drag in the middle. Through perspective changes, McFadden is able to keep things fresh and make readers reconsider the scenes they've already witnessed. I do need to say that I wasn't too sure about the ending, specifically the last page or so. Part of me loved the 'Burn it all down' energy of the ending, but another part of me, which had grown very fond of Milly, wondered whether this ending was entirely fair to her, if it gave her the ending she deserved. I'm staying purposefully vague here, but if you do read The Housemaid, let me know what you think!

The Housemaid is a fast-paced thriller that holds quite some twists and surprises. Supported by its strong structure, McFadden's novel assures the reader a great time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdiVyVXLrXM/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=


Review of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another McFadden book I loved and flew through. I listened to this one on audio and I really enjoyed it. The characters and the pace of the book were spot on. I loved how the parts were told from different point of views and loved some of the twists.

Quick synopsis: Millie is thrilled when she is hired by Nina and Andrew to help them with the cleaning and cooking as well as with their child. She is very down on her luck and needs the money as well as a place to stay. But right away she begins to sense trouble with Nina’s cruelty as well as an outside locked door on her room.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for a copy of this book which is out now!

A fast paced, page turning thriller. Held my attention from start to finish, multiple POVs were well executed. Major twists and turns. This book was hard to put down.

I had been hearing a lot about this author, so I gave her a shot. Very good decision! This was an enjoyable and suspenseful, quick read. Told in three parts and from the POV's of two well characterized and strong women, I kept quickly turning pages. The character a little over the top and this is a well-worn, done-before story, but the author put a nice spin on it, and I would recommend. Definitely will not be my last from Ms. McFadden!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Freida McFadden and Bookouture for this copy.

4.5 rounded down to 4. To be honest I was gonna skip this one. I have so many books to read I just feel like I can’t keep up, but after seeing so many countless 5 star reviews I decided to read this one I wanted to see what all the hype was about!

I really ended up loving this one I read through this one quick! To me it was a familiar story but I really liked the authors take on it. I thought the ending was perfect and I’m so glad I ended up reading this one!

Thanks to the publisher and @netgalley for this one!

After doing time in jail, Millie is desperate for a job. Fired from her first position as a waitress, rather than disclosing it to the parole board, she takes on the role as housemaid to the seemingly perfect Winchester family.
Quite soon Millie realises that Nina Winchester is a psycho with a record of mental health issues. Together with her small daughter Cecilia, they do their best to make Millie’s life a misery. But why? Is Nina aware of Millie’s past?
Despite her unhappy situation, with no other choice Millie stays on and tries to make the best of it, even though Enzo the gardener tries to warn her about her belligerent employer.
Under constant stress and always in trouble with her boss, the only light in Millie’s life is Nina’s handsome husband Andrew, to whom she is immediately attracted. And when it seems the feelings are reciprocated, things hot up when mother and daughter go away for a few days.
There are two points of view, one from Millie and the other from Nina, giving a double aspect to the story. With elements of surprise running through the novel, though a little far-fetched, the plot is gripping. Would I read another book by this author? Most certainly yes.

Totally enjoyed this book, kept you interested from the very beginning right through to the end. Will definitely be reading more from this author. You think when you read the prologue at the beginning you know where the stories heading but no, plenty of twists and turns. Would highly recommend.

This book that was very addictive and I stayed up very late reading it. I was very concerned re the hype of the book as in my experience it sometimes is a disappointment. This wasn't and worked very well. I do have plot point questions but go with pure escapism which is why you read.


I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Millie is an ex-con, who's on parole and desperate for a permanent job (and a place to stay), when she interviews with filthy rich Nina Winchester for the role of a live-in maid. The Winchesters, Nina and Andrew along with Nina's daughter Cecelia, live in a gated community in a plush Long Island neighbourhood where crime rates are low. However, Millie can smell something fishy from the get go in the house, especially her tiny room in the attic. But her woeful circumstances coerce her to bite her tongue and give the job a good shot. As she works in the household (diligently), she uncovers deep-lying secrets that put her life in danger.

******MILD SPOILERS AHEAD******

The plot is the usual husband/wife/maid love triangle drama sprinkled with jealousy, infatuation, whodunnit suspense and revenge. However, the writing was not up to the mark. The story is told in three parts: the first from Millie's POV; the second from Nina's POV; and the third alternating between the two. My main gripe with the way these parts were written was that there was no difference in the voices of the protagonists. Hell, there wasn't even much tonal deviation in the way the men talked. Basically, Nina and Millie had very similar thought processes, circumstances and goals in life. Therefore, by the time part II began (and part of the suspense was revealed), I was bored and already looking forward to the end.

Now, the end was done well, I will give Ms. McFadden that. And it wasn't rushed, as is par for the course for the few mystery/thrillers I have read. All plot lines are tied up well and epilogue resonated hope for abuse victims, which I think is a very important message to purport.

Thank you Bookouture & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookture for gifting me this E-ARC of The Housemaid for an unbiased review!

🄰🅄🄳🄸🄾🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅
𝙱𝚢: @fizzziatrist
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛: @bookouture
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝙾𝚗: April 26th 2022
@𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎: 4.26
𝙼𝚢 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎: 🧺 🧼 🧹 🧽 / 5 Cleaning Items

"If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they've discovered what's upstairs, there's no turning back." ━ Freida McFadden, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅

Ⓢⓨⓝⓞⓟⓢⓘⓢ

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. 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…But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Ⓜⓨ Ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ

I don't know about you but I do love a twisty jaw-dropping psychological thriller! One with clever plot-twists and interesting backstories! This really was an unputdownable story! I like my thrillers fast paced and I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one. I do recall reading a similar book like this sometime ago but I still enjoyed this one just as much because both were different in their own ways. I can definitely see why Freida's books are all so highly rated, I'll be sure to read more of her in the future.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookture for gifting me this E-ARC of The Housemaid for an unbiased review!

🄰🅄🄳🄸🄾🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅
𝙱𝚢: @fizzziatrist
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛: @bookouture
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝙾𝚗: April 26th 2022
@𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎: 4.26
𝙼𝚢 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎: 🧺 🧼 🧹 🧽 / 5 Cleaning Items

"If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they've discovered what's upstairs, there's no turning back." ━ Freida McFadden, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅

Ⓢⓨⓝⓞⓟⓢⓘⓢ

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. 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…But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Ⓜⓨ Ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ

I don't know about you but I do love a twisty jaw-dropping psychological thriller! One with clever plot-twists and interesting backstories! This really was an unputdownable story! I like my thrillers fast paced and I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one. I do recall reading a similar book like this sometime ago but I still enjoyed this one just as much because both were different in their own ways. I can definitely see why Freida's books are all so highly rated, I'll be sure to read more of her in the future.

All too often the burb can be the best part of a book, but not in this instance!
What a rollercoaster ride this was! It was impossible to put down, deliciously decadent and just what you need on a lovely sunny day!
When ex con Millie applies for a job as a maid/babysitter/general dogs body for wealthy couple Nina and Andrew, she really doesn’t know what she is getting herself into! Nina is rude, obnoxious, a liar and as everyone is quick to tell Millie, a little bit cuckoo!!
However, all is not as it seems, for any of the people in this story! With a familiar theme, not unlike the last Mrs Parrish, the housemaid has its own sinister twists, making it totally unique!
There isn’t a single thing that I can say I didn’t like about this book - except finishing it - I did not like finishing it!! This is a must have for anyone who loves a dark, domestic thriller!! Brilliant!