Thrilling Until It Isn't

Book Review: The Housemaid Series by Freida McFadden

“He has no idea this is just the beginning.”

As 2025 began, there was one task I could not wait to start - my reading goal. After overachieving my 2024 goal by twenty books, I ambitiously set myself the challenge of completing fifty books this year!

Within the first week of the New Year, I found myself immersed in the thriller genre and devouring the entirety of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid series.

Good thrillers are gripping, great ones are addictive and it is without a doubt McFadden’s first two entries into this series were just that - addictive!

It is when I began the third book and accompanying short story where my interest waned. With a storyline that felt rushed to reach the “big” twist, which held no resemblance to McFadden’s previous shocks, the current ending of the series left me feeling indifferent to characters and a plot I had grown to love reading about.

As the dissatisfaction sinks in, my desperation to write an honest review (spoiler free - bar some general plot points!) for this series has doubled!

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The Housemaid

MILLIE THE ICON THAT YOU ARE

What a compelling start to the series! McFadden introduces us to Millie, recently released from prison and in a desperate search for a job. Believing she hit the jackpot when securing employment as a live-in maid for the affluent Winchester family, Millie is set for a fresh start. It is not long before the family's secrets emerge and Millie realises no one is truly safe under their roof.

McFadden's writing will not allow you to put this down. There is an expert balance between a fast-paced narrative and feeding readers just enough information to keep us hooked. I finished the book in less than twenty-four hours, only stopping to sleep if being completely honest.

When you think you have the story figured out, McFadden drops another surprise throwing you off the scent. It is the very much unpredictable ending, where everything clicks into place, that will leave you admiring McFadden's skills and wanting more!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Housemaid's Secret

MILLIE IS BACK IN THE THICK OF IT

McFadden returns to the world of The Housemaid with a suspenseful sequel. Millie finds herself undertaking the role of a housemaid once again, now for the wealthy Garrick family. Interacting solely with Mr Garrick, Millie fears for Mrs. Garrick who remains far from sight. Digging for the truth has never come with higher consequences.

McFadden's ability to offer consistent character development between books aids the unpredictability in her work. As you grow to trust a character, the interjection of a contrasting perspective offers a fresh lens to view the story through. This level of depth makes each twist and turn in Millie's journey more enjoyable as once again McFadden crafts a complex thriller to dive into.

This would have been a five star rating however, I predicted the ending. It may have been a lucky guess on my part but without a doubt this sequel still packs a punch!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Housemaid's Wedding

PLOT TWIST? NEVER HEARD OF HER

To say I struggled to finish this would be an understatement. Set between books two and three, McFadden had the opportunity to provide an explosive insight into what could have been the wedding of the century, but instead gave us nothing - harsh I know!

This was a complete shock after reading the previous books in the series to say the least. McFadden appears to be rushing Millie from one page to the next with the promise of a threat to keep readers hooked. But nothing was delivered. I was left waiting for McFadden's signature twist until the final page and realised nothing was coming. With little context, other than four hundred reminders that Millie was about to get married, McFadden falls short with this addition to the series.

Rating:⭐️½

The Housemaid is Watching

MILLIE IS TRULY “WATCHING” AND ONLY WATCHING

I have conflicting thoughts on this newest addition in the series. Set over a decade in the future, Millie is now juggling a new home and motherhood as she relocates her family outside of the city. When the neighbours begin acting strange and get a little too close for comfort, Millie is thrown back into the life she wished to leave behind.

McFadden attempts to create a gripping story using the mundane but does not quite hit the mark. Similar to the short story, the approach to Millie is starkly opposite to the previous two books. The no nonsense Millie we have grown to adore has become timid - she takes a back seat as the action occurs around her, fretting more over the whereabouts of her husband and if they should have moved at all.

You would expect after years of being seen as the ‘vengeful’ housemaid, Millie would see through the deception of her own family but no! I can appreciate McFadden's attempt at portraying Millie in a new era of her life however, focusing on the domestic over the thriller aspect nearly made me DNF the book altogether. With slow-pacing and a severe lack of twists until the end, perhaps McFadden finally ran out of steam for the once compelling Housemaid books.

Rating:⭐️⭐️½

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Now that it is confirmed a film adaptation is on the way, I am intrigued to see how this story will play out on the big screen and if McFadden will ever return to the world of The Housemaid for redemption.

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