The Housemaid is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 4th July 2024
Published: 11th June 2024
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…
I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.
Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…
The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.
Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?
I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?
From New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Freida McFadden comes the next installment of the unbelievably twisty, tension-packed and globally bestselling Housemaid series. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone read: and once you start, it will have you up all night racing through the pages until the final explosive twist.
She lives next door...she knows your secrets...
We are back with housemaid Millie Calloway and her hunky Italian gardener Enzo, now more than a decade after the events that took place in the first two books "The Housemaid" and "The Housemaid's Secret".
Millie and Enzo have been married for twelve years with 11 year old daughter Ada and 9 year old son Nico. After struggling to provide living in their cramped two bedroom shoebox in the Bronx, the couple have splurged on a mortgage and purchased a sprawling house on Long Island where they believe it the perfect place to raise their family.
From the first moment Millie sees her bubbly neighbour Suzette, she practically hates her on sight. The woman is an overt flirt, openly throwing herself at Enzo in front of both her husband Jonathon and Millie's eyes. Whilst Jonathon doesn't appeared to be perturbed by the spectacle, Millie is. And Enzo doesn't even seem to notice the woman's more than obvious innuendoes. But if they want to feel welcomed in the neighbourhood then Millie must bite her tongue. After all, Suzette apparently has some influential contacts to help Enzo in building his landscaping business.
There is one other house in their quiet little cul-de-sac and that belongs to single mother Janice and her young son Spencer, who is the same age as Nico. The boys hit it off as fast friends but the mothers do not. Janice is over protective bordering on weird. She questions Millie about Nico's vaccination status and will only permit the boys' playdate once this is proved via a certificate. She questions Millie about nits as well as what exactly her husband is doing at Suzette's so much. The woman is busybody if not strange. After all, she stands at the bus stop with Spencer, a leash attached to him!
Soon Millie begins to question the insight into the move. What on the surface appeared to be a safe place to raise their children threatens to implode their family. And then there's the murder...
I totally LOVED the first two books in this fantastic series and was eagerly awaiting this third installment after it was announced last year. However, for me, I found this one to be something of a disappointment...particularly when you compare it to the first two. On its own it could well suffice but this is the housemaid...and I guess I expected a little more. I know that Freida is capabale of brilliance in her thrillers and the final twist to her plots. But this one was just meh for me. Especially considering I was totally puzzled by the motive behind the crime, which incidentally is just an aside. I mean, toys? It made no sense. And there was no real reasoning behind Janice and her leashing Spencer. So many loose threads left at the end I was left a little confused by it all. Read it and see if you can figure it out.
Not a bad read, but it doesn't compare to the two that preceded this one.
I would like to thank #FreidaMcFadden, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHousemaidIsWatching in exchange for an honest review.
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