Yup. She did it again. #blownaway ~Sheila

Millie thought she had found the answer to her prayers when Nina Winchester said, “Welcome to the family – and please, call me Nina.”

After time in prison, Millie is just trying to get on her feet and the job cleaning and a little light cooking for the Winchesters seems to be just the ticket to setting herself back on track. Sure the house is an absolute mess, and their daughter Cecelia is awful, yet Millie is up for the challenge. It doesn’t help that Mr. Winchester is kind and well.. easy on the eyes.

Yet as days turn into weeks, Millie senses something is very very wrong. Nina, or Mrs. Winchester as she has told Millie more than once since her date of hire that they are not friends so not to call her Nina, seems to be… well… a little crazy. She tells Millie to do something and then screams at her that she never said that. She talks down to her every chance she has and often threatens to fire her. Millie knows she is so lucky that she has the job with her record and just needs to keep saving but it gets harder and harder – and the creepy attic bedroom she stays in with the lock outside the door is a bit much…

Do they not understand what she is capable of?

Somehow… in all the books I have read by McFadden, I missed this one, the one, by all accounts it seems, made Frieda McFadden an author to keep an eye on.
It was Jenny who does my hair who mentioned it a few months ago and with all the other books I was reading it didn’t stick to add it to my list. Then, this past week Jenny asked if I had read it as she is now reading the third book, The Housemaid Is Watching.
Well… I knew I was behind so got right on it!

The Housemaid is definitely good. As mentioned before, I am finding this pattern with me and the McFadden books. At some point – something usually makes me mad or feels like she is being too predictable – yet, I have discovered that IMO, she does this intentionally. I believe McFadden loves to throw the reader off – loves to make them think “Oh Frieda, really? That’s a little obvy isn’t it?” And then – she slams on the breaks – puts you in a tailspin and suddenly the book is upside down… what you thought was true was nothing but a bucket of red herrings and in the end….
Your hair is mussed, you are smoking a cigarette (you don’t smoke..) and you have a goofy look on your face.
Yeah… it be like that.

The Housemaid, in all of its glory, has rightfully earned the reputation of readers suddenly taking a closer look at what McFadeen is doing and she continues to create Psychological Thrillers that amaze. I was once again taken in and better for it. The Housemaid, while not perfect, is a book to add to your TBR list – and soon.

I’m already digging into The Housemaid’s Secret….book two.

Rated: 5 out of 5
Read Authro Before: Yes
Read Author Again: I already am 🙂
Where Read: I listen to this on audio at home while cleaning and puzzling… its Minnesota winter after all