Learn why millions of readers are raving in this The Housemaid book review. This popular thriller book by Freida McFadden is quick and easy to read, and it’s filled with devices readers crave, like domestic suspense, an unreliable narrator, a love triangle, and, yes, murder. But, you’ll also learn why some readers on BookTok and Bookstagram think it’s too close for comfort to other books of this type. Let’s peer behind the doors of the Winchester family home! (Spoilers are hidden.)
The Housemaid Book Review: An Analysis Without Spoilers
The Housemaid is quick, easy, and twisted. This winning combination has cemented its status in the unofficial thriller hall of fame. What lacks is originality and significant plot and character development. But, who cares?! It’s a guilty pleasure.
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Key Details of This Psychological Thriller
- Genre: psychological thriller, domestic thriller
- Accolades: New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller; winner of a 2023 ITW Thriller Award
- Age Rating: best for adults ages 18+ due to graphic abuse and murder content
- Romance Trope: love triangle, forbidden romance
- Spice Level: 1.5 out of 5 (Most of the romantic action occurs off the pages of the book.)
- Themes: psychological manipulation, deception, class disparity, power dynamics
Quick Plot Summary of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
The Housemaid is one of those books that starts with a dead body. Then, it flashes back to three months earlier.
Wilhelmena “Millie” Calloway is an ex-con desperate for a job. She is elated when Nina Winchester and Andrew Winchester hire her to be their live-in housemaid and caretaker to their daughter, Cecelia — even after the groundskeeper, Enzo, warns her of danger lurking inside.
Behind closed doors, Nina and Cecelia are difficult to deal with, but Andrew seems increasingly more attractive to Millie. Indeed, this crush becomes dangerous.
The narrative switches between the first-person voices of Millie and Nina until all is revealed.
Millie attacks Andrew with pepper spray left by Nina, locks him in the attic, and tortures him until he dies. Nina is willing to take the blame, but the police officer (the father of Andrew’s ex-fiance) lets her go by determining the death was an accident. At Andrew’s funeral, his mother reveals she abused him, suggesting a cycle he repeated. Later, Millie starts a new housemaid job for a woman who suspiciously needs “help,” implying this woman, too, wants to kill her abusive husband.
Pros and Cons
PROS AND CONS
PROS
- Fast-paced
- Propulsive
- Easy-to-read
- Satisfying conclusion
CONS
- Limited plot development
- Limited character development
- Predictable plot twists
- Lacks originality
The Housemaid is the ultimate beach read for mystery book readers. It’s one of the quickest and easiest, most unputdownable books I’ve read, likely contributing to its massive success. You can turn all the pages in one relaxing day in the sand. Is there any better feeling?!
As a critical reader, I wasn’t expecting to like it, but I did. There’s nothing wrong with a guilty pleasure once in a while, especially one with a satisfying ending, both tying up loose ends and hinting at the future. It’s the kind of book that pulls you right out of a reading slump and makes you feel like you can tackle reading no matter what’s happening in your life.
Since it’s such a great escape, that means, on the flip side, that it lacks plot and character development. The events that led to the climax felt very bare bones, and the characters lacked anything beyond superficial stereotypes. At one point, Millie said she felt she was in love with Andrew, and I thought, “Why?” There was very little support for… anything.
It also follows a predictable pattern of thrillers with unreliable narrators and love triangles involving a woman who infiltrates the lives of a seemingly happy couple. Namely, I’ve heard, more times than I can count, that The Housemaid was a book like The Last Mrs. Parrish to a fault.
These criticisms are very fair, as the similarities are numerous. Thus, the plot twists also became predictable to avid thriller readers, but I still found the differences kept me engaged.
My Overall Impression: Is it worth reading?
The Housemaid is worth reading for readers new to thrillers who won’t mind its faults, including similarities to other popular books in the genre and lesser quality writing than the best of the genre, such as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
It’s also worth reading for dark thriller readers who love unreliable narrators to see what the fuss is all about, so long as they look at it as a great escape and not think too deeply about it.
News on The Housemaid Movie Adaptation
The Housemaid movie adaptation starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Brandon Sklenard is set to be released on December 25, 2025.
It will be a tall order to adapt this book successfully. The plot is so sparse that many gaps will need to be filled in — and done so in complex ways. Today’s moviegoers have high standards and expectations for depth in what they watch. While Gone Girl’s adaptation achieved nuance and psychological layers in the unreliable narrator, The Girl on the Train’s adaptation made her look like a blubbering idiot.
More Housemaid Books In Order: It’s a Book Series!
The Housemaid begins a book series of three total novels and one short story! If you loved book one, then keep reading these books in chronological order to follow the plot best:
- Book 1: The Housemaid (2022)
- Book 2: The Housemaid’s Secret (2023)
- Book 3: The Housemaid’s Wedding (2024; short story)
- Book 4: The Housemaid Is Watching (2024)
Other popular Freida McFadden titles you may like include The Coworker, The Locked Door, or Never Lie.
Related Posts About Similar Thriller Books
If you enjoyed this The Housemaid book review and want a good book to read on vacation (or a mental vacation), then check out these posts next:
- The Last Mrs. Parrish Series
- Summary of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- Books For Fans of Verity
- Summary of Layla by Colleen Hoover
- Ruth Ware Books Ranked
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
