The 15 Best Freida McFadden Books Ranked In Order

1. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day.

But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband. I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

My Rating: ★★★★★

I read this book in 48 hours. I couldn’t put it down.

If I wasn’t working, I probably would have read the whole thing in one sitting.

I’ve seen this book everywhere and now I know why.

I haven’t read a psychological thriller like this since The Silent Patient. I’m now very obsessed with Freida McFadden books.

2. The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It’s almost perfect.

But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything….

My Rating: ★★★★★

After reading The Housemaid, I’ll say that this second instalment wasn’t as good as the first. But I think that’s because I left so much time between reading this and the first one.

I was getting a little confused by the characters, but it still had all the same dramatic twists and turns that you didn’t see coming which made it a 5-star read again.

3. Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.

My Rating: ★★★★★

This was one of the best Freida McFadden books by a mile, full of her signature twists and turns that you feel stupid not noticing.

The final twist at the end was the icing on the cake.

With so little characters in the book, I was kicking myself for not seeing the twist coming. But that’s what makes Freida so good!!

4. The Teacher by Freida McFadden

In The Teacher by Freida McFadden, high school math teacher Eve appears to live a normal life, until the scandal of a student-teacher affair at Caseham High shakes everything.

At the centre is Addie, a troubled student with a dangerous reputation. But beneath the rumours lies a tangled web of secrets, manipulation, and revenge. As Eve digs deeper, she discovers that nothing is as it seems, and trusting the wrong person could be deadly.

My Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve read quite a few of the best Freida McFadden books by now and I always compare each book to The Housemaid, the first book I read from her.

I am SO glad to say that The Teacher is up there with The Housemaid and Never Lie, one of the best Freida McFadden books I’ve read in a while!

The twist at the end completely got me.

5. The Tenant by Freida McFadden

The Tenant by Freida McFadden is a chilling psychological thriller about Blake Porter, who, after losing his job, rents out a room in his brownstone to the seemingly perfect Whitney. But as unsettling things begin happening. Strange smells, eerie noises, and paranoid neighbours.

Blake starts to suspect his new tenant knows more than she should. And danger might be closer than he ever imagined.

My Rating: ★★★★

Freida McFadden is so back with her newest release, The Tenant. The storyline was definitely reminiscent of The Housemaid, which made it even more of a page-turner for me.

It was also full of Freida’s usual twists and turns and I was eating up every page. One of the best Freida McFadden books!

6. Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. It’s time to take her own advice.

My Rating: ★★★★

Freida McFadden’s newest release and you know I can’t resist miss Freida McFadden. This is the 15th book of hers that I’ve read now and I highly enjoyed it. It was comical in parts and almost part satire, but I loved crazy Debbie and how she quietly destroyed everyone that underestimated her.

I loved the twists that Freida McFadden is famous for and that I fall for every single time. One of the best Freida McFadden books that I’ve read recently.

7. The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

A family’s dream home quickly turns into a nightmare in the latest instalment in The Housemaid series. When the protagonist moves into a picturesque suburban neighbourhood, she’s determined to leave her troubled past behind. But unsettling encounters like an eerie maid, a cryptic warning from a neighbour, and her husband’s mysterious late-night outings, make her question whether their new home is truly safe.

As strange events escalate, she realizes that the quiet street may be hiding sinister secrets, and her past might not be as far behind as she thought.

My Rating: ★★★★

I finally got my hands on the 3rd instalment in the Housemaid series by Freida McFadden!

While this book wasn’t as good as the first in the series (will anything ever be?!) It was nice to follow along with the Housemaid years later. Even if it did take me a while to remember the characters and who was who.

8. The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden is a gripping psychological thriller about surgeon Nora Davis, whose father was a notorious serial killer.

When a young patient is murdered in the same shocking way, Nora becomes a target in a deadly game of suspicion and secrets.

Full of twists, tension, and suspense, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

My Rating: ★★★★

The Locked Door is fast-paced, twisty, and had me turning the pages way past bedtime. The premise about the daughter of a serial killer who’s now a surgeon, is creepy and compelling.

And while some of the twists were a bit over the top, it was just so addictive to read. If you love a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, this is a fun one.

9. The Coworker by Freida McFadden

Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can’t be taken back.

Dawn Schiff is strange. At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.

So when Dawn doesn’t show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell (beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running) is surprised.

Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…

My Rating: ★★★★

I picked The Coworker up in a mystery bookstore while I was in New York and believe this is her most recent release.

While the book was full of the usual Freida McFadden twists, turns and suspense, it just wasn’t as good as The Housemaid, so had to give it four stars.

Still enjoyable, but it’s going to take a lot for something to come as close to The Housemaid series.

10. The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone.

And she’s covered in blood.

My Rating: ★★★★

Classic Freida chaos. Fast-paced, twist-heavy, utterly unhinged in the best way.

I flew through this in one sitting, suspicious of absolutely everyone.

The ending borders on outrageous, but honestly, that’s part of the fun. Perfect palate cleanser when you want pure entertainment.

11. Ward D by Freida McFadden

Medical student Amy Brenner reluctantly spends a night on the psychiatric Ward D, harbouring secret reasons for her dread.

As patients and staff mysteriously disappear, Amy realizes that something sinister is happening, putting everyone, including herself, in grave danger.

My Rating: ★★★★

Ward D was just as gripping as a lot of the other best Freida McFadden books on this list with so many twists and turns that I didn’t expect.

But there were a few that I guessed along the way as the book progressed, which made some of the twists a little unexpected.

Plus there was the classic moment when the main character could have escaped, but chose not to. Why?!

12. The Inmate by Freida McFadden

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security:
1. Treat all prisoners with respect. 2. Never reveal any personal information. 3. Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates.

My Rating: ★★★★

This was another gripping thriller that didn’t disappoint. The ‘whodunnit’ element was a little too obvious in this book, since there only seemed to be two possibilities.

It did twist a little at the end, but it was missing the shocking twists that I’m used to. However, the last chapter did a little bit of chill, so I was happy with how it ended.

13. The Crash by Freida McFadden

The Crash is a chilling psychological thriller about Tegan, a pregnant woman fleeing her troubled life who ends up stranded in a snowstorm. Rescued by a seemingly kind couple in rural Maine, she soon realizes their cabin isn’t the safe haven she thought.

As her situation grows more sinister, Tegan must fight to survive and protect her unborn child in a place far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

My Rating: ★★★

Not one of the best Freida McFadden books, I hate to say. Sometimes I read Freida’s books and I think it could have been written by someone in high school. The sentences are so short and simple, but that’s also what makes it so easy to read and quick to get through.

It’s hard not to compare every book to The Housemaid, but this was nowhere near the bar she’s set from that.

14. Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden

Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime. To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel.

Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She’ll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.

But first, she must survive the night.

My Rating: ★★★

Pure Freida McFadden: fast, twisty, slightly unhinged.

However, this one feels more pulpy than her best work, but still highly readable.

I didn’t love the ending, but the pace makes it perfect for when you want a quick, popcorn thriller without overthinking things. Not the the first of the best Freida McFadden books I’d recommend.

15. One by One by Freida McFadden

Claire Matchett’s vacation to repair her marriage and relax with friends turns into a nightmare when her group gets lost in the woods after their van breaks down. As they struggle to find their way, members of the group begin to mysteriously die one by one.

With no cell service and danger lurking, the survivors must uncover whether they’re being hunted by a wild animal, or if the real threat is one of their own. Only one will make it out alive.

My Rating: ★★★

Definitely not one of the best Freida McFadden books. I’ve read quite a few of her books now and her more recent books are a lot better.

This murder-mystery didn’t have me gripped and I didn’t connect with the characters at all. A good twist at the end, but not the best.