The Housemaid: An absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "OMG!!!!!! WOW, WOW, WOW!!!! This story had it all. I did not want to put it down and now that I'm finished with it I want to read it again. This is one of Frieda's best books yet and that is saying something because all of them are amazing. This one blew my mind. I love her writing style and the way she ratchets up the tension by keeping you guessing and then second guessing what you guessed and then finding out you were wrong about everything you thought you knew. Lol. If you have to choose one psychological suspense to read this year this is it!!!! It is hands down the best book I have read in a long time and that is saying something because I read all the time. Bravo Frieda McFadden you have outdone yourself."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Nina Winchester has it all. The Perfect house. A gorgeous husband who is so kind and rich. She even has a cute little girl. She decides to interview and eventually hire Millie for a live in nanny/housekeeper position.\n\nMillie applies for this "dream job" to be the housekeeper/maid for the Winchesters. It is a live in position with amazing pay. Too good to be true. Well, she should have listened to that feeling. Nina is a horrible boss and treats her like dirt, the sweet little girl isn\'t very sweet and has an attitude problem. The only person in this house she can relate to is the husband Andrew.\n\nWhen Millie takes the job, Nina is ecstatic and takes Millie to her new room. It is small, very small but better the sleeping in her car, which is what she has been doing for the past month or so. The only weird thing is the lock is on the outside, but Nina explains this used to be a storage facility. Millie then noticed scratches near the door on the wall...she has no idea what happened in that room before she was hired, the horrors she is about to face and that NOTHING is as It seems.\n\nThis book will leave you shaken, terrified, disgusted and at the same time wanting more. I couldn\'t help but keep reading despite the revelations that come and it will have you thinking the worst about those seemingly perfect spouses.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "You know how some authors love to give you lots of details about the scenery, weather, visuals etc.? Freida McFadden does none of that. She grabs you by the shirt collar in the first few pages and doesn't let go until the story is over. I bought this one on audiobook (I've read many of her books at this point) and listened to 4.5 hours each day for two days. The ending was so fantastic I actually purchased the kindle version, too, so I could re-read it two more times! I swear her books are so scary you're practically begging the characters not to go into the dark room, look behind the door, sneak into the office, etc. The synopsis does a fine job of laying out the storyline. Not to give away any spoilers - but in case this is your first McFadden book, I'll tell you she's known for throwing you curve balls that you'll never see coming. I think this is probably my 8th book of hers and I'm dreading the day I realize I've read them all."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Absolutely a true psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist in every sense of the word. I have to say, I just finished the last page of this book and I already want to read it again. I have just a few very favorite authors and Frieda McFadden is in the top two. But this book may have pushed her to number one. I love all of this author’s books. When I hear that a new book written by her is coming out,I wait patiently until release day and I snap it up the same day. This book is my new favorite of hers. It was just so good! The sequence of events just floored me and I absolutely couldn’t put it down. Everything I thought I knew as I was reading was proven wrong. VERY WRONG! I am positive that you will not see that twist coming. Buy this book! And if you haven’t read her other books GET THEM NOW! After you read this book you’re going to binge read her other books because you will realize she is soon to be one of your top two very favorite authors. Without a doubt!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'The description "Thriller" is right on! From the first page to the last, I was completely engrossed in this novel. The twists and turns are completely unexpected and I could hardly wait for the next one.\nMs. McFadden has crafted a tale of evil that keeps you guessing. As soon as I felt I knew one character intimately, the story would take a turn that left me totally in the dark.\nThis story is told by the two women main characters. The psychological element is trying to determine which of them is unbalanced.\nI highly recommend this book to those of you who enjoy a great psychological thriller.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "Every day Millie cleans the lavish Winchester family home. She is in charge of picking up Nina's daughter and cooking delicious meals for them before heading up to eat alone in her tiny room in the attic. Nina purposely makes a mess and tells Millie strange lies about her daughter. Millie feels bad for Nina's handsome husband, Andrew, who seems like a broken man. Millie wishes she had Nina's life. But something is strange, especially when she realizes that her bedroom door only locks from the outside. But rest assured, the Winchester family has no idea what's coming.\n\nTHE HOUSEMAID is a story of a woman's chance of redemption while struggling not to fall into the trap of her wealthy employer's destruction. Narrated in the first person, Millie became a prominent figure I completely respected. Her witty personality shined through, as did her saint-like patience. Nina, the lady of the house, enraged me to my core. What a nightmarish boss to have, and don't get me started on her bratty daughter. Despite the horrid treatment, Millie's class and strength dealt with these dreadful personalities like a champ! As for Nina's husband, Andrew, I found him to be quite dreamy and kind-hearted compared to the rest of his family. \n\nOnce I reached the second part, the twist hit me like a ton of bricks. Freida, you got me. Even though I didn't see it coming, my heart sang with the juicy drama. Considering the spoilers, I can't say much other than how revolting the Winchester family is. I cannot imagine anyone going through the craziness that ensued in this phenomenally written novel. By the end, everything wrapped up perfectly, and Freida officially won me over as a devote fan. I beg you to purchase THE HOUSEMAID, a true gem in the thriller genre. It will hit every element you look for while leaving you psychologically stunned and wanting more!"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I initially wanted to wait until my brain was a little less jumbled to post my review, but now I wish I has posted it as soon as I was finished reading as the fire I felt then has cooled off. I'll try my best to recapture it though.\n\nThis book was so well developed that I couldn't get enough, I sped through it, happy to get the gratification of a story starting in the middle. You'll feel unnerved as soon as you start reading, there's something tense about the prose, you feel as though you need to look over your shoulder, there's something there if you just look a little closer...\n\nI had no idea where this book was going to go when I first started reading. And that's okay, I long for books to stupefy me and this delivered. I guessed the twist at about the half way point, but that's to the author's credit for making it so believable and realistic. I have to admit, I didn't truly understand what was happening in the house until it was revealed and I can't help but cringe as I think about it.\n\nWith an awesome ending with a bow tied neatly on top, this book begs the question, Can you always trust those you live with?\n\nLoved it!!"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "This author has outdone herself! I've read several of her books and they were all excellent except for one (Do You Remember? was a bit of a dud). But this is her best yet, of those I've read. I will definitely read the rest of her books because this is a fabulous writer. Original ideas, richly developed characters, and well-crafted writing.\n\nI read, on average, 2 novels a week and I gotta say, The Housemaid is one of the best I've read in this genre, or maybe even across genres. It was brilliantly plotted and all the characters really came alive. I don't think I will forget these characters or the story!\n\nI truly believe that the few negative reviews are from people who didn't even read the book, or maybe got it confused with a different book, because their reviews make no sense. There was nothing repetitive about The Housemaid and the story clipped along at a fast pace.\n\nWith most novels, I usually find a few nits even if the book is overall enjoyable. It's rare to come across a book that is pretty near perfect. The Housemaid is one of those books. There's really nothing to critique - it's just that awesome!\n\nREAD IT. Be prepared to put your life on hold!"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I decided to buy this book for two reasons.\n\n1. People in one of my book groups kept raving, so it was low-key on my radar.\n\n2. The author is in that book group and is fine with criticism, but if anyone bashes her fans, she politely, yet firmly stands up for them.\n\nTHAT is what me decide to support the author by buying this book. I figured that even if it wasn't my cup of tea, I could support an author with oodles of integrity.\n\nI decided it would be the first book I read when my new Kindle arrived. That Kindle seemed to take forever to get to me, but holy smokes was it worth the wait!\n\nThis book! I enjoyed it start to finish. The twists (of which there were several) were perfectly timed and sometimes quite jaw-dropping. It was amazing! It's the best book I've read for a long time. I'm so glad I gave it a shot!\n\nAs an aside, there is no graphic sex or violence and no cursing that I can recall, so if those are triggers for you, this book will suit you."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'First of all, I would like to say this book is nicely printed in that the pages were thicker and of better quality paper than your typical paperback. It was an easy read as well. Often, I will find myself having to look back to previous pages to double check information about a character, place or something else in the book. I think that oftentimes authors can get a little carried away on too much "fluff" to fill up space in the overuse of technical information, adjectives and descriptions of people places and things - this book is not like that. It was direct and to the point which makes it the page turner it is.\n\nI enjoyed the the writer\'s satirical humor - especially at the beginning of the book. I found myself smiling to myself when reading some of Millie\'s perceptions of people and situations. The book is a page turner indeed, so much so that I could not put down, I read it in one day but stayed up until 3:30 am. doing so wanting to get to the end. The twists and turns are never ending and I couldn\'t wait to read what was going to happen next. Some of the other reviews I read said it was predictable and unbelievable. Hmmm, that confuses me a little - how can something be predictable if you couldn\'t believe it could happen? As is often the case with fiction writing, some of the situations can seem a bit out of the ordinary, but that\'s what makes for interesting reading. As the spouse of a man who has been a cop for over 30 years, believe me when I say I have heard EVERYTHING, but this book took me in a direction I did not foresee. I\'m kind of glad I didn\'t see it coming because I think if I did it might be a disturbing indication of my own thought process. lol\n\nIf you are looking for a quick, entertaining vacation, beach/poolside read, this is a winner.'}]