Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

~ Book Club Mom

The Housemaid
by
Freida McFadden

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Well, I finally got around to reading a Freida McFadden book last and now I’m just getting around to writing a review! These books are very popular at the library and I was curious why. I chose the The Housemaid, the first of three psychological thrillers about a woman who works as a nanny/housekeeper. We meet Millie Calloway when she interviews for a job with the Winchester family. With bills to pay and a big secret, she can’t believe her luck when Nina Winchester hires her. The pay is terrific! And even though she senses a strange vibe in the family, she knows she can make it work.

Right away, Millie gets off on the wrong foot with their nine-year-old daughter, Cecelia, and Nina seems to make a complete mess of the house just to make Millie clean it up. But Nina’s husband, Andy is so nice to look at and he seems to be sympathetic to her situation.

No suspenseful book would be complete without a creepy attic bedroom with a weird door lock system. After several incidents, I wanted to tell Millie to turn around and leave, but she’s desperate for a job. Can she trust Nina? She seems normal some of the time. Maybe Cecelia will come around and trust her new nanny. But maybe she should just go to Andy who seems much more normal.

I really enjoyed this escape read. It was fast and fun and full of moments that made me want to scream at Millie to get out now while she can. The plot takes both predictable and surprising turns and, while I would never call The Housemaid great literature, I was completely entertained and there’s value in that. Not everyone in my book club felt the same way, but several members agreed with me. How about you? Have you read any books by Freida McFadden? Do you like the escapism? Leave a comment!

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24 thoughts on “Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden”

    1. Definitely a beach read. It has short chapters and you can easily pick up where you left off. And of course, there’s intrigue at the end of each chapter to make you want to keep reading! Thanks for stopping by, Lynette 🙂

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  3. Hilarious about there having to be a creepy attic. Because, of course! Sounds like an intriguing book! Haven’t read it. Not sure I’ll get around to, but good of you to explore and report back. 🙂

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      2. I was interested in your question and looked it up. It was Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764). I’ve heard of Horace Walpole but not this book. Walpole subtitled it “A Gothic Story” and it’s considered to be the start of that genre.

        It apparently includes all the bits we would now see as trite: a ghost, a crumbling, creepy castle, secret passageways and, of course, an equally creepy attic. Jane Eyre was almost 80 years later but did a much better job of whole crazy woman in a hose with a creepy attic bit. I read it when I was about 12 and it really had me going! Cheers.

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    1. Hi Tim, I think some authors know how to devise juicy plots and are very good at pacing. And even though I would never call this book great literature, I admire that talent – plus I like a little vicarious intrigue! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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  9. Sometimes I like to read “really good books” and other times I just want a fun plot to get into for a little while. This book sounds like the second, and nothing wrong with that!

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  10. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this one, Barbara. I purchased the book a long time ago and haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Your review is enticing me to hurry it up!

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  11. Hi Barbara,
    Tried to leave two comments on this book, but stupidly hit something that sent the comment in to the ether. Please disregard them if they don’t make sense.
    Jenny (Ramblings from a a Mum)

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