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Cover of The Housemaid by Freida McFaddenThe Housemaid
New · Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

The Housemaid

by Freida McFadden
2022 · 334 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller · Buzzing now
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Millie is out of prison, out of options and living in her car when she's offered a live-in job as a housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. The house is beautiful, but her room is a tiny attic space that locks from the outside, Nina Winchester's moods swing wildly from kind to cruel, and her husband Andrew seems more miserable by the day. Millie needs this job too much to quit, but she's starting to realize nothing in this house is what it seems.

Why it's worth reading

It's the definition of a page-turner: short chapters, a twisty plot and a payoff that made millions of people pass it on to friends. If you want pure, addictive entertainment, it delivers.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

Expect twists, and don't read reviews first. It deals with domestic abuse. It's the first in a series, but it stands on its own.

By the numbers

89.3Must-Read Score
  • Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz100 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (3 weeks at #1)One of the ten best-selling books of 2024 and 2025 (Publishers Weekly)
Shortlisted
Goodreads Choice (mystery thriller) finalist (2022)

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Housemaid worth reading?

Yes. It's the definition of a page-turner: short chapters, a twisty plot and a payoff that made millions of people pass it on to friends. It ranks #47 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 89.3 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Housemaid about?

Millie is out of prison, out of options and living in her car when she's offered a live-in job as a housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. The house is beautiful, but her room is a tiny attic space that locks from the outside, Nina Winchester's moods swing wildly from kind to cruel, and her husband Andrew seems more miserable by the day. Millie needs this job too much to quit, but she's starting to realize nothing in this house is what it seems.

How long does it take to read The Housemaid?

About 8 hours (334 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Housemaid?

If you liked it, try Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.