Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Amidst morally grey characters and an addictive plotline comes a domestic thriller that feels fresh and self-aware.
Freida McFadden's The Housemaid is a domestic thriller where nothing is as it seems. I was first made aware of this novel in February when it was selected to be read by my book club. Initially, I was looking forward to picking it up. It came across as a typical thriller that should be able to hold my interest. A girl thrust into an all-too-perfect home and somehow, there ends up being a dead body in her bedroom.
I’m not the biggest fan of first-person narratives in novels. When I saw the first chapter was written from the perspective of the main character, Millie, I wasn’t sure at all. In fact, I put it down for two weeks and almost forgot about it until my next book club meeting was looming around the corner.
It was at this point that I knew I just had to get on with it, and so, as you may have guessed from the photo above, it became my trusty bathing companion. Once again, I fell into the intriguing world of the protagonist, Millie Calloway.
We’re thrown into the destitute world of Millie, a young homeless woman who was recently released from prison and is currently living in her car. This opens up the first question: what did Millie do?
Of course, we know that Millie will eventually become a Housemaid, as per the title, but nothing prepares you for Nina Winchester. The entire meeting felt unsettling, with the employer’s family living a Stepford existence. On the surface, Nina appears to be the perfect wife with her big fancy house and more money than she knows what to do with but when in reality, she has some serious psychological problems and is borderline abusive to Millie and her husband.
There, I said it: a husband. It was at this point I internally rolled my eyes and prayed that McFadden couldn’t be so obvious. And God, I was right.
The Housemaid manages to set a scene that feels all too familiar: a pretty young helper, a wealthy yet charming husband and a wife that’s clearly ‘let herself go’. However, this must have been McFadden’s plan as you fall into a false sense of security before going on a wild ride that features twists, turns and tiny bottles of water.
This was an exhilarating read that honestly surprised me. After a couple of chapters, I fell into the rhythm of Millie’s mind and enjoyed questioning her unreliable narrative. Then, came Part Two and my mind was blown as we explored Nina’s viewpoint.
What felt like it was going to be a strenuous task, ended up being a five-hour-long bath and finished book. I can honestly say that this story felt refreshing and I now need to get my hands on the sequel!
