What’s It About (Without Spoilers)

Millie is desperate. Broke. Jobless. And living in her car. So when she lands a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family, it seems like a miracle. Room and board in a stunning home, generous pay, and a fresh start.

But from the moment she arrives, things feel off.

Nina Winchester, the lady of the house, is beautiful, erratic, and increasingly unhinged. Her husband, Andrew, seems kind… almost too kind. The daughter is distant. The doors are locked. The rules change daily. And Millie—who has secrets of her own—is starting to realize that this house may not be a safe place for anyone.

What I Loved

This book was wildly entertaining. It read like a thriller-meets-telenovela-meets-escape-room. Every chapter ended in a twist, a gut punch, or a cliffhanger—and I found myself whispering “just one more page” until it was suddenly 1 a.m. and I was halfway through the sequel on my Kindle.

What Freida McFadden does best is play with your expectations. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, she pulls the rug from under your feet—and then sets it on fire for good measure.

I also appreciated that Millie is not your typical passive thriller heroine. She’s flawed, scrappy, and full of grit. And her internal monologue? So satisfying. I was rooting for her even when I wasn’t sure I could trust her.

And can we talk about that final twist? No spoilers, but—wow. Everything you thought you knew? Rethink it.

Personal Reading Experience

I read most of The Housemaid curled up in bed under a blanket, thinking I’d just get through a few chapters before sleep. Instead, I found myself wide awake, heart pounding, eyes scanning the shadows of my room like I was living inside the book.

It reminded me how thrilling it is to be a reader again—to feel that childlike urgency of “I need to know what happens next.”

This book also came to me at a time when I had just started reclaiming my inner peace. I’ve been more relaxed lately. Less in my head. Less prone to overthinking. And strangely, diving into this twisty, anxiety-filled thriller didn’t shake that peace—it made me appreciate it even more. The chaos of the Winchesters made me thankful for my quiet nights and ordinary days.

What It Left Me Thinking

• Appearances are deceptive. Always.
• Power often hides in the most unassuming people.
• Even in darkness, survival is its own kind of intelligence.
• Sometimes, you don’t need to fight to win. You just need to wait.

Final Thoughts

If you love stories with unreliable narrators, hidden agendas, locked doors, and impossible-to-predict twists, The Housemaid is your next obsession. It’s the kind of book that’s fun to read—clever, fast-paced, and cinematic in the best way.

Freida McFadden has mastered the art of addictive suspense. You won’t put this book down easily. And even when you do, you’ll be thinking about it for days after.