REVIEW: The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

 

The Housemaid is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 4th July 2024

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Amazon

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.

MY THOUGHTS:

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.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

SPOTLIGHT: The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden

Genre: Psychological thriller

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 11th June 2024

** Due to a change in circumstances I have had to drop out and relinquish my tour/review obligations until further notice. I will publish my review and thoughts after reading **

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.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid #2) by Freida McFadden

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 25th February 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 20th February 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

“Don’t go in the guest bedroom.” A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick’s face as he touches the door with his fingertips. “My wife… she’s very ill.” As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can’t risk losing this job—not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe…

It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.

It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…

That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.

Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…

This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone.

MY THOUGHTS:

The perfect home has one rule...don’t look behind closed doors...

So I was totally blown away by the first book "The Housemaid" and, being one of my reading highlights of the year, I was excited to discover that a sequel was coming...ready to blow our minds once again! But how could it possibly outdo the first one? They never can...or can they? So what did I think of THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET? Did it live up to the hype? Was it even better than the first? Let's just say that if you thought the first one good then be prepared for another addictive page-turning read.

Millie Calloway is back once again as the housemaid. In the years since she left the Winchesters (in the previous book...and yes, I needed a recap), she and former landscape gardener for the couple, Enzo, have kept themselves busy helping women leave abusive or unsafe marriages...for the greater good. But then Enzo returned to Italy and his dying mother, who then kept lingering, leaving both frustrated and angered Millie moving on with her life. 

Putting her old life behind her, Millie is taking college classes part time to become a social worker to help women in a more "legal" and traditional way. She is also dating successful lawyer Brock (Broccoli...lol) who loves her but Millie just can't seem to let herself be with him. She isn't sure why...maybe it's because he doesn't know everything there is to know about her...and if he did then maybe he wouldn't love her anymore and she would lose him. And Millie doesn't want to lose him. Brock is comfortable. Brock is safe. Brock is what she needs in her life...doesn't she?

Despite her now comfortable life with Brock, Millie still needs her own space...meaning she still has her own apartment and therefore she needs work to pay for it. Recently fired from her housemaid/babysitting job because the spoilt little rich girl's 9 month old toddler daughter spent so much time in Millie's company, because her own mother spent most of her time palming her off to her, that the poor little tyke thought Millie WAS her mother and thus threw her arms towards her declaring "Mama!" right in front of her own mother who was less than pleased. Convinced that Millie had told her little princess that she was "mama", the woman fired Millie who thus found herself jobless.

And then she receives a call from wealthy tech genius, Douglas Garrick. He is looking for a housemaid to cook, clean and do some basic laundry for them a couple of times a week int heir penthouse apartment for an eye-watering hourly rate that Millie cannot pass up. He has only one rule. Not to enter the guest room or bother his ill wife.

But when Millie hears Wendy Garrick crying in the guest room, she can't help but want to do something. She knows Wendy is ill and needs her rest but Millie is curious as to why she is so upset. She knocks. The crying stops. But Millie won't be swayed. She soon convinces Wendy to open the door. And what she sees changes everything...

Where to begin...? So Freida McFadden shocked me with "The Housemaid" with twist after twist but not so much with this one. I think maybe because having read the first one, or because I'm a seasoned psychological thriller reader, I've come to expect the unexpected and go where others fear to tread. I know what to look for, what to overlook and what to pick up along the way. There are clues peppered throughout if you see them and file them away for future reference. There is one little tidbit that is only there by a passing mention, so seemingly insignificant, that if not noticed you wouldn't even know it was there. It's things like that that can change an entire course of a story. 

I didn't know what to expect when I started THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET but I soon began to follow the trail of breadcrumbs and piece it all together long before anyone else did. I didn't see it all come together at once by any means. But little by little I did work it all out. There was one aspect I didn't foresee and that was a nice little surprise but the little twist at the end was already a given in my mind. But none of that ruined the thrill of the chase for me and I still thoroughly enjoyed this next chapter of Millie's life. I just found some of her decisions were a little irritating...but then what would I do in her situation? Maybe the same - who knows? OK, so some of the story was a little far-fetched but then so was the first book and it was still shockingly brilliant. And hey, it's fiction...that's what it is.

On the whole, I really enjoyed THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET but I don't think it packed that same punch or had that same shocking impact as the first one. And it is incredibly difficult to replicate the brilliance of a book into another. McFadden certainly came close...but I couldn't be hoodwinked this time and therefore couldn't be shocked. I was still thoroughly enthralled in the story and it was just as addictive and compelling as the first...but it lacked that impact and was less disturbing that "The Housemaid". I think that's where the impact really lay. Because that one truly was dark and disturbing...almost like an episode of "Criminal Minds". And this one just didn't have that.

But do not fear, THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET is still an addictive and thrilling fast paced thrill-ride from start to finish and will certainly entertain thriller fans far and wide, if not keep them guessing.

I would like to thank #FreidaMcFadden, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHousemaidsSecret in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Gift by Freida McFadden

The Gift by Freida McFadden

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 30th December 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 4th December 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke.

She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade.

Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?

MY THOUGHTS:

I came across this book as a recommendation from one of my favourite authors Daniel Hurst so I thought I would check it out. After all, I absolutely LOVED Freida's psychological thriller "The Housemaid" and have the sequel on my shelf to read next month. But this? This is something else.

THE GIFT is a Christmas quickie like no other. Don't be fooled by its genial title...for what lays within is anything but.

Stella is coming off a twelve hour shift on Christmas Eve. Her feet are aching. Her blisters have blisters. She's tired and fed up and just wants to go home to her husband Justin. It's their first Christmas together as a married couple and she wants it to be special. The only problem is, she has no gift to give him as all her money went on getting the heating put back on after it was cut off.

So with less than 15 minutes left of their shift to go, Stella and Bessie are finishing up with waiting for the two remaining customers to leave. One down but the other remains. An elderly woman sitting in a corner booth at the back. And then Stella realises that neither she nor Bessie have served this woman. How long has she been sitting there? Waiting to be served? 

With just 2 minutes left before they can close and she can go home to Justin (gift-less), Stella decides to tell the woman they are closing. But as she approaches the old woman and her attempts to rouse her fail, Stella then sees her once dark eyes clouded over and staring. And then she touches her. Her body is rigid. What the...?

UH-OH!

A creepy tale on Christmas Eve that is unlike any other Christmas story. It is chilling but deliciously so. Even so, it had the potential for greater things as a longer story but it sufficiently suffices with its well-earned creepiness as a short story. Still...I'd love to have seen how things panned out for those involved. And one hateful character.

A fast paced quick read that I devoured in half an hour. And that Epilogue? Brilliant. Though I saw the twist coming just before the reveal and thought how ironic and deliciously twisted it was. Just imagine how awesome it would have been as a full length tale!

If you enjoy creepy thrillers or are a McFadden fan, then you will love this short story.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense, USA

Read: 23rd April 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 26th April 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

“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.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Freida McFadden's chilling domestic thriller THE HOUSEMAID.

WOW! What a mind-blowing and intense read THE HOUSEMAID is! How do I even begin to articulate my thoughts into a review? For it is certainly a wild ride that didn't let up once the tension mounted. And mount it most certainly did! This is my first read by Freida McFadden...are they all as mind-blowing as this one?

Struggling to find work, Millie Calloway is living in Casa Nissan having lost her previous job and no way to pay the rent, when she comes across an ad for a live-in housemaid. She never thought in a million years that she would be successful, especially when her prospective employers run a background check on her. But when Nina Winchester calls to offer her the job, Millie cannot believe her luck.

But no sooner has she accepted the position that cracks begin to appear. The pristine house she was interviewed in is now a sloppy mess. The angelic child Cece she'd been told about is a spoiled brat who behaves like the spawn of Satan. Gone is the fresh-faced friendly Nina from the interview and a moody and argumentative one is in her place. She accuses Millie of stealing as well as claiming she'd told her things that were never mentioned or asking her to do things and then claiming she didn't. And nothing Millie does is ever right. No sooner has she cleaned than everything is filthy once again. The only saving grace is Nina's husband Andrew. He is kind, considerate and continually apologises for his wife's outbursts and behaviour.

And then there is Enzo, the gorgeous Italian landscape gardener who, although with very limited English, warns Millie that it is not safe and that she is in danger. But Millie cannot afford to leave...and so she takes Nina's constant criticism and mood swings as well as Cecelia's spoiled little rich girl attitude and just gets on with the job. And when she finds anti-psychotic medication in Nina's bathroom coupled with her recent change in behaviour, Millie begins to question Nina's mental health. Was Enzo right to warn her?

But Millie has her own secrets and she cannot risk them finding out or she can kiss this job goodbye. But she soon learns that this is the very least of her worries...because nothing is at all what it seems. 

With more masks than a masquerade ball, THE HOUSEMAID is un-freaking-believable! I thought I had it figured out (and no one hoodwinks me) but Freida McFadden sure did as I never saw the twist coming! But when it did - BOOM! It all made sense and I was shaking my head in disbelief and the pure ingenuity of it all. What can I say?

The first half of the book is narrated solely by Millie as the story reaches its peak as the tables are turned leaving the reader with a severe case of whiplash due to its ferocity. From there Nina takes over the reigns as narrator and it becomes a whole different ball game.

THE HOUSEMAID is fast-paced with short snappy chapters and strong engaging characters making it a suspenseful addictive read that will have you glued to the pages into the wee hours. It is most definitely a "just one more chapter" type of read that you will not be able to put down.

As my first read by this author, I am keen to seek out other thrillers by her and have put her on my watchlist to look out for. Especially if THE HOUSEMAID is anything to go by! Holy-flipping-heck! It was one hell of a ride that I didn't want to get off until the end...perish the thought I had to rejoin the real world before it did!

Dark, disturbing and chillingly twisted, THE HOUSEMAID is addictive and unputdownable with a deliciously malevolent ending. One of the best domestic psychological thrillers I've read.

I would like to thank #FreidaMcFadden, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHousemaid in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads