When I first read The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, I wasn’t too impressed. The story had a lot of loopholes and I disliked the protagonist. But many weeks later, I had the chance to read two more books by her (The Inmate & The Locked Door), which to my surprise were quite good. Freida’s writing style is simple and keeps you hooked. There are no extravagant references and she makes it almost impossible to put the book down. So when @penguinindia asked me if I’d be interested in reading The Housemaid’s Secret, I gladly agreed. And I was not disappointed.

Millie has had a tough life. She has a criminal record and a terrible experience while working as a cleaner in her past job. No wonder she’s careful about whom she trusts and relies strongly on her gut feeling. She’s always strapped for cash and when she finds a lucratively paying job of a cleaner/cook for a rich couple, she happily takes it. The Garricks are filthy rich and live in a penthouse. Everything seems normal except for the fact that Mrs Wendy Garrick never gets out of her room. It doesn’t take long for Millie to notice some oddities in the couple and she decides to find out the secret behind their strange marriage.

As it so happens with any psychological thriller, there are lots of secrets, suspense and finally the grand reveal. The pace of this story is incredible, and I say this because I finished reading it in a day. This book seemed like a much more polished version of The Housemaid, even nailing the execution. It has all the makings of a great domestic thriller and one doesn’t even have to read the previous book to understand this one.

My only problem was with Mille and her inability to make wise decisions. It’s like watching a horror movie lead making terrible choices. But if you can overlook this, there’s a good chance that you may enjoy this book.

Thank you for the copy @penguinindia ✨