The Housemade

by Freda McFatten

Some houses remember. Some mirrors don’t reflect. And some names were never yours to begin with.

When Hannah accepts a position as a live-in housemaid for the enigmatic Blackwood family, she believes she’s escaping her troubled past. But the mansion has other plans. Whispers echo through the halls, mirrors seem to move, and someone—or something—knows her true name. As the boundaries between identity and illusion blur, Hannah must confront the house’s secrets… and her own.

But escaping the past isn’t as easy when the past has a face. And it’s watching you from the other side of the glass.

A chilling psychological suspense novel in the tradition of Shirley Jackson and Riley Sager, The Housemade is a haunting exploration of memory, identity, and the ghosts we create ourselves.

You can change your name.
You can burn the house.
But what happens when the house follows you?

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook

119 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2025

Reviews

[Marian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

​🌟 4.5 ("Utterly ridiculous, completely unputdownable.")

​An addictive, popcorn-thriller phenomenon:
​This is a fast-paced, unputdownable psychological thriller that relies on pure, unadulterated suspense. The setup seems familiar: Millie, a young woman with a dark past and a criminal record, desperately takes a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy, dysfunctional Winchester family. Nina Winchester is erratic, abusive, and seemingly unhinged, while her handsome husband, Andrew, appears to be a long-suffering saint. But as Millie moves into her tiny, suffocating attic room that only locks from the outside, the lines between victim and predator begin to blur in the most twisted way possible.

​A rollercoaster of pure entertainment:


​McFadden doesn't write high literature; she writes literary adrenaline. The prose is simple, sharp, and entirely focused on keeping you turning the pages. The book is divided into distinct perspectives, and just when you think you’ve figured out the classic Rebecca or The Girl on the Train dynamics, a massive mid-book twist flips the entire narrative on its head.

Is it a masterclass in popcorn-entertainment that forces you to read "just one more chapter" until 3 AM? 100% yes.

​Verdict: The ultimate guilty pleasure. It’s trashy, brilliant, fast, and incredibly satisfying.

​@más.vale.libro.en.mano

​⚠️ POST-READING UPDATE:
The Movie Adaptation:
​Starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, and wow—the casting directors nailed the assignment. Sweeney plays Millie’s quiet desperation and hidden edge perfectly, while Seyfried is brilliantly unhinged as Nina. Because the book is so fast and atmospheric, it translates beautifully to the screen as a glossy, high-tension Hollywood thriller. It stays remarkably loyal to McFadden’s original plot twists, capturing that exact same "popcorn-flick" energy. If you loved the claustrophobic dread of the attic and the sharp mid-book pivot, this adaptation delivers exactly what it promises. Definitely a fun, suspenseful watch!

[Evie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook - the voices were quite jarring/dramatic. Predictable story line

[lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally read this in a day

[Traci Batcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this on audio. Couldn’t stop listening to this thriller! Will need to see the movie.

[Diana Kush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story! Loved it. Couldn’t put it down.

[MrsLol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: really enjoyed this book! It’s what I want in a physiological thriller. Dark, suspenseful good twists.

You don’t trust any characters, each one is suspicious with their own story.

[Catherine Giuliano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was spurred on to finish this book in the hope of reaching the revenge... but I wasn't a fan of the writing style, the plot was over explained and left little for the imagination.

Translate Pericolo... Danger.
I wonder what he's trying to tell me?

[Henrique Santarosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I read in 2025. Freida is one of my favourite authors!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few things that seemed to stretch reality in my opinion, but as a mystery/thriller it was great! I did guess the correct villain only 1/3 of the way through, but not all the in and outs of how it would end.

[Laura Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

In part one, there were many parts that I was getting restless with as the dialogue was repetitive and a bit superficial. The Housemaid came very close to being in my short DNF list, but I decided to continue since it received good reviews. I’m glad I did finish it, but for the most part, I found the writing quite simple.

If it had not ended the way it did, I would have been doubly disappointed.

[Soph Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly loved this book more then I thought I would, the perfect amount of keeping you on your toes,definitely a page turner. I love how freida made Nina out to be a crazy psycho and turns out she’s just fending for her life would 100% recommend if you’re looking for a short and snappy thriller.
I can’t wait to read the others in the series.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into it expecting to HATE the book. Don’t get me wrong I still don’t think it’s a great book but I don’t hate it. Would I recommend it to someone looking for a great thriller? No. Would I recommend it to someone looking for a GOOD thriller? Also no. The full first half of the book made me hate every single character. I almost put it down but I decided to stick with it. Around the middle it got alright. It’s an ok book if you’re bored in a slump just looking to get back to reading. It’s something quick and easy. It’s really not interesting enough for all the hype or for there to be a movie adaptation. That’s it. It’s just a quick easy okay book.

[Meladie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS BUT ROUNDED UP TO 4

A good book but really heavy going and much darker than I expected. I can’t say it was an enjoyable read or that the characters were likeable. I love a book where you care for at least some of the characters but this didn’t happen for me at all with The Housemaid. If you’re looking for a thrilling yet comfortable read I’d avoid it, but if you’re looking for a dark, gritty thriller, with lots of shocks, twists, turns and surprises it’s good. I doubt I’ll continue with this series though.

[Maibilopeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ketidaksengajaan saat mampir di toko buku saya mengambil buku ini, sebetulnya saya sudah pernah melihat ada beberapa orang yang mereview di beranda social media namun enggan saya masukan sebagai wishlist. Alasannya kadang ada novel terjemahan yang bahasanya kurang saya mengerti sehingga buat saya pusing. Surprisingly, buku ini saya baca mengalir begitu saja. Bahkan plot twistnya cukup membuat saya bertanya tanya "Bagaimana bisa?"
So far buku ini menjadi selingan menarik dibaca untuk akhir pekan.

[evacondon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book before it came out as a film, and did end up reading this as an audio book.

The last 1/3 of the book was really good but I can’t quite get past that first 2/3 of the book in order to give it a high rating?
Perhaps if I read this physically my opinion would have been difference but I just couldn’t quite get behind her writing at the start (or maybe it was just the narrator…)

[Tristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one definitely didn’t disappoint!!! It kept me interested and engaged all the way though in a steady and then morphed into a real page turned for the last 1/3 of the book. I loved that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen and the ending was very well done. It’s also the type of book that makes you turn around and reread it as soon as you finish- looking for the clues you missed the first time around. I highly recommend!

[Olivia Schrum]

SPOILER ALERT- I hated Andy from the start and I loved the twist at the end where the women finally get there revenge. I was pissed half way through when he had the affair on his wife and didn’t even care about not being a father to his daughter anymore. That’s when I knew he was a piece of shit! This was my first Frieda book and I will be reading more!

[Kenna Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first “psychological suspense” and my first book in a while. I read it in under a week because it kept me at the edge of my seat! I definitely called some of the twists from the start, but I was also consistently surprised with reveals of character actions. I for sure want to try more suspense now :)

[Leona.Lie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also. Der erste Teil war einfach nur krank, weil wtf? Der Kerl ist verheiratet und trotzdem schläft sie mir ihm, dann im zweiten wurde es halt craaaaaaaaaaazy und dann hat er Mal was von seiner eigenen Medizin bekommen, was ich super fand. Schön geschrieben, sehr angenehm Chapter länger und kaum wegezulegen. Hatte es in 1 1/2 Tagen durch.

[Yara De · Rating 1 out of 5]

Saw everyone loved this book on TikTok, so i thought I’d give it a go. I was genuinely irritated by Nina throughout most of the book which meant it’s well written hahahah. But that also made I didn’t have a great time reading it, also because I thought the plot twist was way too predictable to be honest.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Towards the end of Part 1, I was getting bored and thought I had it all figured out. But, with the start of Part 2, the twists just kept getting better and better. I can’t wait to read the others in the series.

[Jazmin McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this is 2022 and did a re read just to refresh my mind and compare it to the movie after watching it. I feel like the movie stayed true to the book for the most part. I prefer the movie ending to the book!

[Amber Wroble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man McFadden has done it again! The twist I didn’t see coming! I can’t wait to see how the series goes! I ended up listening to the book so I could get through it faster and before I go see the movie!! This was an insane book but so worth the read.

[Noof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected… I saw so many ppl talking about this book but I never expected the events to be like THIS!!! I was shocked more than once 😭The book literally pulls you in
I couldn’t stop reading. And of course, the character I wished had more screen time was Enzo. I really wanted to see what would happen next in his relationship with Nini. I felt like he was treated unfairly, and honestly, every part he appeared in made me so happy 🙏🏼

[Lori Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. It keeps your attention and wanting to figure it all out. The story line was similar to another book I read but with some different twists.

[Cody Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read. Fast pace and entertaining. I might continue the series at a later date.

[Olivia Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got hooked immediately! Love this book will recommend it always!!!

[Zoë Eaglen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A summer fun read.

[IsabelJoão · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leitura interessante. A escritora consegue nos agarrar a leitura até ao fim ☺️

[Sherri Jene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not impressed. I thought the character development was poor. the story line way to cliche.