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Freida McFadden is the queen of psychological thrillers<\/a>. Her books keep you up all night, reading with the light on, not just because you need<\/em> to know the ending, but because even as an adult, they’ll have you too on edge to fall asleep. They’re fast-paced, easy to binge, and always come with a twist at the end that you probably won\u2019t see coming. Talk to any Freida McFadden fan, and they’ll agree that the majority of her books are five-star reads, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our favorites. So I decided to rank all of her thrillers, from the ones that didn\u2019t totally do it for me (I’m sorry, Freida, I promise I still love you) to the ones I still think about at random moments during the day.<\/p>\n I took a deep dive into my Goodreads ratings<\/a> to come up with my definite ranking list so you know exactly which ones you should add to your TBR shelf. Most of these are definitely worth reading, but fair warning\u2014minor spoilers may be ahead. Don\u2019t worry, though. I saved the shocking plot twists for you to discover on your own.<\/p>\n Use code ‘TheEverygirl’ to get 3 books for the price of 1 with a new Libro.fm membership<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Abby wants a baby more than anything. But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer to serve as a surrogate. But soon, strange things start happening. And it turns out Monica isn’t who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby’s child has an unspeakable secret. And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Coming in last on my list is The Surrogate Mother<\/em>\u2014a book that just didn\u2019t sit right with me from start to finish. Abby can\u2019t have children, so her assistant offers to be her surrogate using her own egg. From that point on, I felt on edge. The book kind of alluded to the possibility that Sam (Abby\u2019s husband) might cheat or leave her for the surrogate, and I had this awful pit in my stomach thinking Abby was about to be completely cut out of her own baby\u2019s life. Since the baby would legally belong to Sam and the surrogate, the stakes felt extra high and not in a fun, thriller sense. It just made me feel uneasy.<\/p>\n Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he\u2019s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she\u2019s found the guy she\u2019ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n I was hoping for more from The Ex<\/em>, but it didn\u2019t quite deliver. I was completely thrown by the ending, and not in a good way. The chapters kept switching between POVs and also between first and third person, which made it hard to follow. By the time the big twist hit at the end, I didn\u2019t feel surprised\u2014I just felt lost. I even considered rereading it to figure out what I\u2019d missed.<\/p>\n Today is supposed to be the happiest day of Millie’s life. She’s engaged to the man of her dreams, and in a few short hours, she’s going to stand before a judge, who will declare them husband and wife, till death does them part. Despite some bumps in the road, this day is everything Millie dreamed it would be. There’s only one problem: Someone out there doesn’t want her to live long enough to say her vows. And if she’s not careful, they may very well get their wish.<\/p>\n The Housemaid\u2019s Wedding<\/em> is a short story taking place between Book 2 and 3 of The Housemaid <\/em>series.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n This novella truly felt unnecessary. Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014I was excited to see more of Millie and Enzo\u2019s relationship, but this 76-page short story didn\u2019t really bring anything new to the table. There was no big twist (which, let\u2019s be real, is what we\u2019ve come to expect from Freida McFadden), and the plot was super minimal. A courthouse wedding, a too-small dress, and Enzo confronting the guy who had been leaving Millie threatening phone calls. That\u2019s pretty much it.<\/p>\n In my opinion, it would\u2019ve been better as an extended epilogue to The Housemaid\u2019s Secret <\/em>than a standalone story. If you’re a diehard fan of the series and just want a little more time with the characters, you might enjoy it for what it is. But if you\u2019re expecting a plot twist or a deeper look into their dynamic, it will likely leave you feeling a little underwhelmed.<\/p>\n Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Tess has no choice but to accept her new life and hope her memory will return. After all, why should she doubt the letter she wrote to herself? Or the kind man from the wedding photos on her dresser who seems to genuinely care about her well-being?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Do You Remember?<\/em> had such a promising concept, but it didn\u2019t totally land for me. I liked getting to read from Tess\u2019s POV, but the constant repetition of her forgetting everything every morning made it feel like I was reading the same chapter over and over. I get that it was part of the story, but it started to feel more exhausting than suspenseful. I just felt myself getting more and more frustrated with her.<\/p>\n Debbie Mullen is the woman every wife in her New England town turns to for advice, doling out sympathy and neighborly wisdom in her weekly newspaper column. But her own life is quietly falling apart: she just lost her job, her teenage daughters are acting strange, and the tracking app she installed on her husband’s phone says he’s keeping secrets. So Debbie stops being the bigger person and finally starts taking her own advice. Darkly funny and gleefully vengeful, it’s the kind of thriller that has you cheering “good for her” by the halfway point.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Dear Debbie<\/em> was an entertaining read filled with eccentric characters and plenty of bizarre moments, but it just didn’t wow me. The main character was very unhinged at times, which led to a few moments that genuinely made me laugh. While the darker subject matter set this book apart from Frieda McFadden’s other novels, it ultimately lacked the fast-paced, twist-heavy storytelling that usually keeps me glued to her books.<\/p>\n In this final installment of the series, Millie finally has her own home. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where her kids can play. Even though she’s wary of the new neighbors’ maid, it isn’t the only strange thing on their street. A shadowy figure watching them. Her husband leaving the house late at night. Millie thought she’d left her darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?<\/p>\n The Housemaid is Watching<\/em> is the third installment of The Housemaid<\/em> series<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n The Housemaid Is Watching<\/em> is the third and final installment in the series, and honestly, it was the least compelling story for me. I usually fly through Freida\u2019s books because they pull me in right away, but I struggled to get through Part 1, which was over half of the book. It felt like the entire first half was just setting the scene and dragging out the buildup for what was to come.<\/p>\n I also didn\u2019t find myself rooting for the characters the way I did in the first two books. I loved Millie and Enzo before, but in this one, they didn\u2019t feel like themselves. Millie came off kind of naive and weirdly unaware of everything going on around her. As for Enzo, I feel like his character did a complete 180; he was acting so sketchy!<\/p>\n Naomi thought she had the quintessential love story until she came home to find the locks changed. Her husband, Jeremy, convinces her to move out under the guise of a home renovation, then asks for a divorce the very next day, and she soon learns he’s already involved with a much younger woman named Veronica. What starts as a familiar story about a man who leaves his wife turns into something far darker as both women dig in and refuse to lose. The prologue opens with dead bodies, so you know exactly how high the stakes are going to get.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n As Freida’s newest release, I couldn’t wait to dive into The Divorce<\/em>. Unfortunately, it just didn’t keep me guessing throughout my read. While I didn’t predict every single detail, I caught on pretty early that the main character, Naomi, was an unreliable narrator. Because of that, the ending didn’t pack the punch I was hoping for. I still found myself emotionally invested in the characters, but I kept waiting for one final, jaw-dropping twist to completely catch me off guard\u2014and it never came.<\/p>\n YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she\u2019d rather you didn\u2019t know. Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what\u2019s buried in her backyard? Everyone has secrets. But April\u2019s secrets are enough to destroy her.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n PTA meetings, cheating spouses, and way too many baked goods\u2014that\u2019s basically the entirety of Want to Know a Secret?<\/em>. The book felt pretty repetitive and didn\u2019t offer much in terms of actual plot. Most of it is told from the perspective of April, a suburban mom who starts receiving anonymous texts threatening to expose her secrets (very Pretty Little Liars<\/em> coded\u2014my favorite show, so that earns it a few brownie points).<\/p>\n There is a twist near the end that is meant to make you see the previous chain of events differently, and while I normally enjoy that kind of thing, in this case, it made the bulk of the book feel a little pointless. It had potential, but ultimately didn\u2019t do much for me.<\/p>\n Claire Matchett needs this trip. A week of hiking and hot tubbing with friends at a luxurious hotel in the woods, disconnected from the pressures of real life. Until Claire’s minivan breaks down. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to walk the rest of the way. But the forest is dark and difficult to navigate and, hours later, they are lost. As they venture deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously, one by one. Are they being hunted? And by what\u2014or who?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n I was really excited about this one when I first read the summary. Six \u201cfriends\u201d lost in the woods, people dying off one by one, and the killer is one of them? Sign me up. I love a good whodunnit! I was hooked at first, but after a few chapters, it started to drag. The pacing felt slow, most of the characters lacked depth, and I found it hard to really care about any of them. Also, there was so much cheating<\/a>?? I get that it was part of the drama, but it just made everyone feel super unlikable, which made it even harder to care about who lived or died. There were a few creepy scenes that gave me anxiety in a fun way (like when they reached the abandoned cabin), but overall, this just didn\u2019t hit as hard as I wanted it to.<\/p>\n Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime. But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kind owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night. Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick’s ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Do Not Disturb<\/em> was a fun read; it just wasn’t one of my top picks. The overall vibe was super cool\u2014it reminded me of the movie Psycho<\/em> with the creepy Baxter Motel, but not in a full-on retelling kind of way. Freida McFadden always nails those eerie, unsettling settings that you can totally picture in your head, and that was really well done in this book.<\/p>\n However, while I did fly through this one, the plot twists felt a little predictable and, honestly, not super well-executed. There was a reveal toward the end that didn’t quite match the tone or writing of the rest of the book, and I found myself wondering what the subtle hints were because it kind of came out of nowhere.<\/p>\n Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. Stranded with a dead car and broken ankle, she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their cabin until the snow clears. But something isn’t right. As time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n The Crash<\/em> was one of my most anticipated reads earlier this year, and while it wasn\u2019t a total miss, it definitely didn\u2019t live up to the hype for me. Tegan, who\u2019s eight months pregnant, crashes her car during a snowstorm and ends up being \u201crescued\u201d by some locals. She\u2019s then trapped in their basement by Polly, the wife, and almost the entire book becomes a repetitive cycle of Tegan trying to escape and Polly keeping her hostage. I liked the initial setup and thought the dual POV with Polly added to the story, but it never really went anywhere new. Not to mention, the ending lost me\u2014it felt way too unrealistic, and the characters didn\u2019t face the consequences that I was expecting.<\/p>\n Victoria Barnett appears to have it all\u2014a successful career, a loving husband, and a beautiful home. However, after a tragic accident leaves her unable to walk, speak, or care for herself, she is confined to the top floor of her house with 24-hour care. Sylvia Robinson is hired to assist Victoria, but she soon discovers that Victoria isn’t as impaired as she was led to believe. Through a hidden diary, Sylvia uncovers shocking secrets that reveal a story Victoria desperately wants to tell.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n I finished this book in one sitting. It was fast-paced, the tension kept building, and I actually really enjoyed Sylvia and Victoria as characters. Watching their relationship evolve as Sylvia cared for her was one of the more compelling parts of the story.<\/p>\n But I couldn\u2019t help but feel like I had read this book before. Oh wait, it\u2019s because this book is basically Verity<\/em> by Colleen Hoover<\/a> (which came out first). A shady husband, the incapacitated wife hidden away upstairs, and big reveals told through someone\u2019s writing. This time, it was Victoria\u2019s diary instead of a manuscript. Still, I appreciated that the ending wasn\u2019t left open-ended. We got a clear answer for why and how things played out the way they did\u2014and that made it worth the read.<\/p>\n Casey’s remote cabin was never built to withstand a hurricane, and as the storm rolls in, the roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside sways ominously. Then comes a knock at the door and a runaway child with a mysterious past. Isolated setting, dark and stormy night, alternating perspectives, and one seismic plot twist after another\u2014it’s McFadden doing what she does best.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n One of my favorite things Freida does is lean into a creepy atmosphere, and she absolutely nailed it in The Intruder<\/em>. The secluded cabin and surrounding woods were described so vividly that I had such a clear picture of them in my head while reading. My only hiccup with The Intruder<\/em> came at the reveal. While I didn’t see it coming, it completely shifted my understanding of the story, and I found myself rereading a few chapters to make sure I had connected all the dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExclusive Libro.fm offer!<\/h2>\n
24. The Surrogate Mother<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Surrogate Mother <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n23. The Ex<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Ex <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n22. The Housemaid’s Wedding<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Housemaid’s Wedding <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n21. Do You Remember?<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n Do You Remember? <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n20. Dear Debbie<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n Dear Debbie <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n19. The Housemaid is Watching<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Housemaid is Watching <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n18. The Divorce<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Divorce <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n17. Want to Know a Secret?<\/em><\/h2>\n
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\n ![\"Want](\"https:\/\/media.theeverygirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/freida-mcfadden-the-everygirl-6.jpg\")
<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n Want to Know a Secret? <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n16. One By One<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n One By One <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n15. Do Not Disturb<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n Do Not Disturb <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n14. The Crash<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Crash <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n13. The Wife Upstairs<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Wife Upstairs <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n12. The Intruder<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\nFreida McFadden<\/div>\n\n
\n The Intruder <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n Buy on BOOKSHOP.ORG<\/a>
\n Buy on AMAZON<\/a>
\n Buy on LIBRO.FM<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n11. The Teacher<\/em><\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/media.theeverygirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/freida-mcfadden-the-everygirl-11.jpg\")
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