THE HOUSEMAID
By Freida McFadden
My only knowledge of Freida McFadden before hearing her interviewed by Jenna Bush Hager on the podcast, Open Book, was seeing multiple titles she had written in bookstores. After I listened to her fascinating story though, I was eager to read one of her novels. Did you know that Freida McFadden is a pseudonym under which she writes to protect her identity as a practicing physician specializing in brain surgery? That’s right, she still practices as an MD while writing up to two novels per year! She has written more than 24 novels that have sold more than 17 million copies and the first of her novels to be adapted to the movie screen came out in December 2025 (The Housemaid).
Post-podcast, I decided to read McFadden’s most popular book, The Housemaid, to see what all the excitement was about. Sadly, although I devoured The Housemaid, I didn’t think it was particularly high quality. McFadden’s writing drips with cliches and is filled with unbelievable events—not to mention some hardcore sadism. Although she executes a complete 180 degree change of point of view partway through the novel, the ensuing revelations are hard to believe and, frankly, hard to even care about. The Housemaid isn’t a demanding read. You can disappear into the book like you would a true-crime television series. But when you finish it, you may have that same slightly sullied feeling you get at the end of true-crime tv. It is for this reason that The Housemaid was not my cup of tea. (Liz)
