Freida McFadden is a thriller best-selling author with a growing fanbase (Image: Mira Whiting)
A master of psychological thrillers, Freida McFadden has captivated millions with her gripping, fast-paced novels filled with shocking twists and unreliable narrators.
Her books often explore themes of deception, memory, and morality, keeping readers hooked from the first page to the last.
With multiple bestsellers and a rapidly growing fan base, McFadden has established herself as one of the most talked-about authors in the thriller genre. Here, we rank her most popular books based on reader ratings from Goodreads.
11. The Perfect Son
367,383 ratings
In The Perfect Son, McFadden delivers a psychological thriller that leaves readers questioning everything. The story follows a mother, Grace, who has always believed her son, Eli, is perfect – until she stumbles upon something that makes her doubt everything she thought she knew. As secrets unravel, Grace finds herself trapped in a terrifying web of lies.
10. Ward D
375,035 ratings
Set in a locked psychiatric ward, Ward D follows medical student Amy as she embarks on an overnight shift at a hospital’s mental health unit. What begins as an ordinary shift turns into a nightmarish ordeal when Amy realizes that something is terribly wrong and feels like she is being watched. As the night progresses, the situation spirals into chaos. What starts as an unsettling shift soon turns into a desperate fight for survival.
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9. The Coworker
435,363 ratings
Natalie is the office favorite: Charming, social, and always on top of her game. Dawn, on the other hand, is quiet, reserved, and often the subject of office gossip. But when Dawn suddenly goes missing, Natalie finds herself in the middle of a chilling mystery. The more Natalie digs into her coworker’s disappearance, the more disturbing details emerge. Dawn wasn’t just an outsider – she had secrets, and someone in the office may have been trying to keep them hidden.
8. The Locked Door
476,935 ratings
Imagine discovering that your father was a notorious serial killer. That’s the horrifying reality for Nora, a successful surgeon who has spent her entire life hiding her past. But when a new series of murders mimics her father’s crimes, all eyes turn to her. Now, the police suspect her, and someone is trying to frame her. And the deeper Nora digs, the closer she gets to uncovering a terrifying truth.
7 – The Boyfriend
596,247 ratings
The Boyfriend tells the story of a seemingly perfect relationship that takes a sinister turn when a woman starts to suspect her boyfriend isn’t who he claims to be. As she digs deeper, what she uncovers is far more terrifying than she ever imagined. The Boyfriend is a gripping psychological thriller about trust, deception, and the terrifying realization that the person you love might not be who they claim to be.
6. The Housemaid Is Watching (Book 3)
631,854 ratings
The third installment in McFadden’s Housemaid series, The Housemaid Is Watching, takes readers on another wild ride with Millie, the protagonist whose job as a housemaid always seems to lead to sinister discoveries. In this book, Millie is hired by a seemingly perfect couple with dark secrets hidden behind their pristine facade. As the psychological tension escalates, Millie realizes that this time, she isn’t just uncovering secrets – she might be more entangled in the mystery than she thinks.
5. The Teacher
725,444 ratings
In The Teacher, Olivia, a high school teacher, is used to grading papers and handling unruly students – but when one of her students submits an assignment filled with shocking, eerily detailed descriptions of a real-life crime, she finds herself caught in a dangerous game. As Olivia tries to unravel the mystery behind the essay, she is pulled into a chilling spiral of events that make her question how safe she really is.
4. The Inmate
791,746 ratings
The Inmate follows Brooke, a nurse who takes a job at a maximum-security prison, only to find herself face-to-face with her high school sweetheart, Shane, who is serving time for a gruesome crime. But when Shane insists he was framed, and Brooke gets closer to him, she starts to wonder if he’s telling the truth.
3. Never Lie
1,091,863 ratings
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are house-hunting when a snowstorm forces them to take shelter in an abandoned mansion. Inside, they find tapes belonging to the previous owner, a psychiatrist who vanished without a trace. As they listen to the recordings, they begin to piece together the doctor’s last days. But the more they learn, the more they realise the secrets could destroy them.
2. The Housemaid’s Secret (Book 2)
1,144,840 ratings
Following the massive success of The Housemaid, McFadden returned with The Housemaid’s Secret, a sequel that fans argue might even surpass the original. This time, Millie takes a job in a luxurious penthouse, working for a mysterious woman who never leaves her room – and there is one rule she must follow: Never to go into the guest bedroom. At first, she follows it, but as her curiosity grows, she makes a decision that changes everything.
1. The Housemaid (Book 1)
2,224,783 ratings
Topping the list is The Housemaid, the book that catapulted McFadden to bestseller status. The story follows Millie, a woman in desperate need of a fresh start, who takes a job as a housemaid for a wealthy couple. At first, everything seems perfect. But soon, things change: The house feels suffocating, her employer’s behavior is unsettling and the locked door upstairs hides a dark secret. As Millie gets closer to the truth, she realizes she’s in far more danger than she ever expected.
The Housemaid is currently being adapted into a movie starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Morrone. It is set to be released in 2025, on Christmas Day.