Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid 

by Freida McFadden

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…

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. 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!

Review:

*The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden started well and has every potential to be a great mystery thriller, but unfortunately, it fell a little bit short with the execution.*

*With its gripping prologue and exciting premise, The Housemaid will get you reading until the end.*

This book looks extremely fascinating at first glance. The first few chapters introduce us to Millie. She's looking for a position as a Housemaid at the Winchester residence. She is anxious for work and has made every effort to make a good first impression. She got the job she desired, with an enigmatic boss named Nina and a big mansion. She senses an unsettling vibe about the place, however. She'll be completely out of breath by what occurs next.

One aspect of the mystery thriller genre that I enjoy is the unpredictability of the plot. This novel is surprising until it isn't, in my opinion. I honestly believe that the execution of this book fell a little short. [Spoiler] I get the twist and all, but the second part of the book just gave it away, which I realize is necessary to progress the story. [End of Spoiler]

I've read two books by the author, and I must say that I adore the way she writes. It's simple to read, and like I said in my earlier review, it's a great place to start if you want to read a mystery thriller. I can't deny that the book I recently finished is as intriguing as this one, but the parallels between this novel and that one kept me from enjoying it. I'm not sure whether this is just a coincidence because the book cover is identical. I ignored the parallels and carried on reading the book for entertainment.

Apart from the idea, the characters kept me glued to my seat. Millie is an intriguing character who resonates with me. She is desperate for work and will go to any length to impress her boss. Nina, on the other hand, was a demon in disguise. She's a walking red flag from beginning to end. It had me raging and flailing until I discovered the truth, which infuriated me in the greatest manner conceivable. Their actions were comprehensible, but I despised them throughout the process. Finally, I thought that they were all unlikable and vilified throughout the novel.

This is an excellent book (minus all the similarities from a different book). If you want to read a fascinating story about a housemaid with an unexpected twist, I recommend this one!

That’s all for now ~

- Jay xx

P.S.

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