Note : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author : Freida McFadden

Release date : 2023

Genre : Thriller

Page number : 326 pages

ꕥ Synopsis :

Every day, Millie cleans the beautiful house of the Winchesters, a wealthy New York family. She also picks up their daughter from school and prepares meals before retiring to her room in the attic. For the young woman, this new job is an unexpected opportunity, a chance to start anew. However, beneath the respectable facade, her employer becomes increasingly unstable and toxic. Moreover, there’s a disturbing rumor circulating in the neighborhood: Mrs. Winchester allegedly attempted to drown her daughter a few years ago. Fortunately, the kind and charming Mr. Winchester is there to make the situation bearable. Yet, danger sometimes lurks beneath deceptive appearances. And when Millie discovers that the door to her attic room only locks from the outside, it may already be too late…

ꕥ Book Review :

Millie is a young woman who wants to do well and is desperate to find work. What luck when she manages to land a job as a housemaid for an enviable wealthy family that seems perfect. In addition to a good salary, she is provided with accommodation. She will be at the forefront to witness the first cracks in this family that seems a bit too pristine and a bit too smooth. A red stain on a garment, strange noises in the room, the strange location of her own room, and… the locked door ?!

Psychological thriller

Today, I bring you the literary review of « The Housemaid », which is the first of three volumes. It’s a recent series, as this first volume was released just a year ago at the time of writing this article. The author is a successful physician and novelist, and here : we love successful women 👏👏👏. This book has an overall rating of 4.4/5, and I share this opinion ; we’re on the verge of perfection !

Plot analysis and review : critique of a never ending suspenseful fiction !

Indeed, one wonders which of the three main characters is the most unhinged ! And even though we can guess who is the most twisted in the final pages, we cannot fathom the extent of their vices. I assure you, there’s enough to make you ragequit when you reach the resolution of the plot !

The writing style is in the first person, allowing us to truly delve into Millie’s mind through everything she faces. Freida McFadden’s writing is highly immersive, making us experience unique situations we would never find ourselves in. It’s accessible, rendering the characters realistic and relatable, eliciting empathy from the readers.

Specialties of this series : a unique cover.

To be honest with you, I hadn’t noticed this detail right away since I read the first one on an e-reader… but there’s a detail on the cover that caught my attention : the eye through the keyhole. On the first cover, it’s brown with a hint of blue, like heterochromia. On the second volume, it’s entirely blue, a dark blue, and an eye that looks almost worn out by life. And finally, on the upcoming third volume set to be released on June 11, 2024 (I can’t wait!), the eye is light and vivid blue, as if she is in danger… « She » supposedly being Millie, the cleaning lady who embodies the main heroine. I won’t delve into the analysis here to avoid spoilers; I’ll do that in my upcoming review of the second volume !

Gripping and complex characters…

I’m a big fan of well-rounded, deep characters with a past that impacts the present story. I wasn’t disappointed in this book ! When I say we’re on the verge of perfection : we have simple writing that flows as easily as a piece of butter melting in the sun, lively and realistic characters—in the sense that they are believable and could be your neighbors—and an addictive plot ! And to top it all off, a final plot twist, perhaps not the madness you were expecting…

Where you can find it :

‣ If you’re tempted you can find the first volume of The Housemaid (which is in the 9th position in Amazon charts) in paperback : here

‣ Or in the kindle version here

ꕥ Book review :

Writing : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Story : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Characters : ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Intrigue : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Addicted : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emotions : ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Smut : no spice

Tempted ? Tell me in the comments ! 😉

Otherwise you can find my previous thriller review : a community where everyone knows everyone until a dead body is found on the beach. Will you find who did it ? (Spoiler alert : you won’t). By the meantime, I’ll give the full synospis :

Secrets worth dying―and killing―for, in a novel of suspense inspired by a horrific true crime. When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect… As the lives of three women become inexorably entwined, one thing is clear: when it comes to survival, ordinary people can do the most terrible things.