“The Housemaid,” a #1 New York Times Bestseller, is being remade into a movie that represents McFadden’s masterpiece of a novel. The author, known by the pen name Frieda McFadden, is actually a brain surgeon. McFadden, Freida (2022). The Housemaid [Book cover]. Bookouture. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review.

Frieda McFadden, an author of many psychological thrillers, is known for plot twists. In the majority of her books, it’s impossible to predict the outcome.

McFadden’s plots are very complex, and once you think you’ve gotten a wrap on what happens, there’s a typical McFadden twist to turn your attention. McFadden debuted with “The Devil Wears Scrubs” in 2013, and her tricks have only gotten better.

“The Housemaid” follows Millie Calloway, a determined maid who is desperately trying to find a job. Millie is struggling financially, living out of her car, and it’s clear we’re missing a piece of her past.

After a wonderful interview with the wealthy and perfect Nina Winchester, Millie is doubting that she has a chance to work for her as a housemaid because of something she refuses to reveal.

McFadden writes, “But whatever else I can say about Nina, she’s no dummy. She’s not going to hire a woman to work and live in her home and take care of her child without doing a simple background check. And once she does…”

Not only does this specific quote foreshadow later events, but it also helps develop a mystery. It is unclear what Millie’s past entails. With this burden constantly on her mind, McFadden shifts the reader’s focus to Millie’s past rather than the small, important details of the present when Millie gets hired.

“Nina never said anything about a peanut butter allergy. And they have peanut butter right in their pantry! If her daughter has a deadly peanut allergy, why would she keep it in the house?” McFadden writes.

Millie’s history affects her social abilities to the point where she struggles to identify social cues or body language. McFadden strategically implemented this distraction to make the plot twist more emotionally compelling.

In her other books, like “The Boyfriend” and “Do not Disturb,” McFadden twists the plot in directions that feels like a random left turn in the middle of the forest. Even with this knowledge as a reader, she persists in predicting what theory her readers will latch on to.

McFadden leaves hints throughout the book about important aspects, while simultaneously convincing the reader that they don’t mean anything. My opinions of the characters were constantly shifting due to their actions.

“It’s not going to happen for us. Nina is not going to get pregnant,” McFadden writes.

When Nina’s husband shares this news with Millie, it adds a new complexity between Andrew and Millie. This smaller detail will become a bigger part of McFadden’s master plan. McFadden knows her audience, laying a perfect trail of red herrings that easily mislead readers.

The plot twists and twists, and you realize why Millie was thinking about things. The little, boring, minuscule details all come back to haunt Millie, and the reader. These minor details ripped my heart out when I realized their importance.

I became so convinced of the story McFadden was telling that I fell right into her trap. In my opinion, it’s practically impossible not to fall into her trap.

It’s important to note that Millie is a rather unreliable narrator because of her past. Millie can barely trust herself without knowing about her overly biased opinions. This lack of objectivity caused her judgment to cloud the reader’s own perception.

Halfway through the book, Millie had built a foundation of trust around a specific character. However, as the book progressed, there was the stabbing pain of knowing that one of my favorite characters was not the person that I thought they were.

“And that’s when I get a sick feeling. Last night, I kept telling myself this was an accident. It had to be an accident. But suddenly, I’m not so sure,” McFadden writes.

In this quote, Millie is in as much denial as the reader is because of how expertly McFadden writes her first-person perspective. By writing the majority of the book this way, McFadden creates a sturdy foundation of bias towards certain characters to make the twist have a greater impact.

“The Housemaid,” being from Millie’s perspective, hooks the readers onto the side characters. You would expect that all of the loyalty would fall with Millie, but because of her lack of self-worth, it doesn’t.

McFadden’s choice to have Millie as a vague narrator makes the story even more emotionally powerful because it’s hard to decipher where the reader’s loyalty should fall.

Movie expectations

The movie adaptation of “The Housemaid” hits theaters on Dec. 19, 2025. Going into the theater, I have a few expectations. There are a few key points that the movie should encapsulate accurately so that the movie doesn’t change too much from the book.

One thing that definitely shouldn’t change is Millie’s bedroom in the Winchesters’ house. It’s a cramped room in the attic where Millie spends a decent amount of time in the book. It’s very important to develop the relationship between Millie and the Winchester family.

The family dynamic is very important to the plot, and in order for the movie to truly encapsulate the book, it needs to have an accurate representation of Millie’s bedroom.

Additionally, I hope that Enzo the gardener is included in the movie and that his personality matches the book fairly accurately. Enzo is an interesting character, and he has a more meaningful role than first meets the eye. He is also very important in the following two books of the trilogy.

Enzo’s part in the story only has a slight impact on the plot, but at the same time, the directors shouldn’t change his amazing character. Throughout the story, he gave mixed signals to the reader, but over time, Millie was able to peel back his layers.

I would give this book a 9/10 for the engaging mystery and a plot twist that remains perfectly in the reader’s blind spot until it suddenly cuts them off.