"Freida McFadden is the queen of psychological thrillers. Her books keep you up all night, reading with the light on, not just because you need to know the ending, but because even as an adult, they’ll have you too on edge to fall asleep. They’re fast-paced, easy to binge, and always come with a twist at the end that you probably won’t see coming. Talk to any Freida McFadden fan, and they’ll agree that the majority of her books are five-star reads, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our favorites. So I decided to rank all of her thrillers, from the ones that didn’t totally do it for me (I’m sorry, Freida, I promise I still love you) to the ones I still think about at random moments during the day.
I took a deep dive into my Goodreads ratings to come up with my definite ranking list so you know exactly which ones you should add to your TBR shelf. Most of these are definitely worth reading, but fair warning—minor spoilers may be ahead. Don’t worry, though. I saved the shocking plot twists for you to discover on your own.
20. The Surrogate Mother
Abby wants a baby more than anything. But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer to serve as a surrogate. But soon, strange things start happening. And it turns out Monica isn’t who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby’s child has an unspeakable secret. And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Coming in last on my list is The Surrogate Mother—a book that just didn’t sit right with me from start to finish. Abby can’t have children, so her assistant offers to be her surrogate using her own egg. From that point on, I felt on edge. The book kind of alluded to the possibility that Sam (Abby’s husband) might cheat or leave her for the surrogate, and I had this awful pit in my stomach thinking Abby was about to be completely cut out of her own baby’s life. Since the baby would legally belong to Sam and the surrogate, the stakes felt extra high and not in a fun, thriller sense. It just made me feel uneasy.
19. The Ex
Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he’s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she’s found the guy she’ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie.
I was hoping for more from The Ex, but it didn’t quite deliver. I was completely thrown by the ending, and not in a good way. The chapters kept switching between POVs and also between first and third person, which made it hard to follow. By the time the big twist hit at the end, I didn’t feel surprised—I just felt lost. I even considered rereading it to figure out what I’d missed.
18. The Housemaid’s Wedding
Today is supposed to be the happiest day of Millie’s life. She’s engaged to the man of her dreams, and in a few short hours, she’s going to stand before a judge, who will declare them husband and wife, till death does them part. Despite some bumps in the road, this day is everything Millie dreamed it would be. There’s only one problem: Someone out there doesn’t want her to live long enough to say her vows. And if she’s not careful, they may very well get their wish.
The Housemaid’s Wedding is a short story taking place between Book 2 and 3 of The Housemaid series.
This novella truly felt unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong—I was excited to see more of Millie and Enzo’s relationship, but this 76-page short story didn’t really bring anything new to the table. There was no big twist (which, let’s be real, is what we’ve come to expect from Freida McFadden), and the plot was super minimal. A courthouse wedding, a too-small dress, and Enzo confronting the guy who had been leaving Millie threatening phone calls. That’s pretty much it.
In my opinion, it would’ve been better as an extended epilogue to The Housemaid’s Secret than a standalone story. If you’re a diehard fan of the series and just want a little more time with the characters, you might enjoy it for what it is. But if you’re expecting a plot twist or a deeper look into their dynamic, it will likely leave you feeling a little underwhelmed.
17. Do You Remember?
Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Tess has no choice but to accept her new life and hope her memory will return. After all, why should she doubt the letter she wrote to herself? Or the kind man from the wedding photos on her dresser who seems to genuinely care about her well-being?
Do You Remember? had such a promising concept, but it didn’t totally land for me. I liked getting to read from Tess’s POV, but the constant repetition of her forgetting everything every morning made it feel like I was reading the same chapter over and over. I get that it was part of the story, but it started to feel more exhausting than suspenseful. I just felt myself just getting more and more frustrated with her.
16. The Housemaid is Watching
In this final installment of the series, Millie finally has her own home. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where her kids can play. Even though she’s wary of the new neighbors’ maid, it isn’t the only strange thing on their street. A shadowy figure watching them. Her husband leaving the house late at night. Millie thought she’d left her darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?
The Housemaid is Watching is the third installment of The Housemaid series
The Housemaid Is Watching is the third and final installment in the series, and honestly, it was the least compelling story for me. I usually fly through Freida’s books because they pull me in right away, but I struggled to get through Part 1, which was over half of the book. It felt like the entire first half was just setting the scene and dragging out the buildup for what was to come.
I also didn’t find myself rooting for the characters the way I did in books 1 and 2. I loved Millie and Enzo before, but in this one, they didn’t feel like themselves. Millie came off kind of naive and weirdly unaware of everything going on around her. As for Enzo, I feel like his character did a complete 180; he was acting so sketchy!
15. Want to Know a Secret?
YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know. Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard? Everyone has secrets. But April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.
PTA meetings, cheating spouses, and way too many baked goods—that’s basically the entirety of Want to Know a Secret?. The book felt pretty repetitive and didn’t offer much in terms of actual plot. Most of it is told from the perspective of April, a suburban mom who starts receiving anonymous texts threatening to expose her secrets (very Pretty Little Liars coded—my favorite show, so that earns it a few brownie points).
There is a twist near the end that is meant to make you see the previous chain of events differently, and while I normally enjoy that kind of thing, in this case, it made the bulk of the book feel a little pointless. It had potential, but ultimately didn’t do much for me.
14. One By One
Claire Matchett needs this trip. A week of hiking and hot tubbing with friends at a luxurious hotel in the woods, disconnected from the pressures of real life. Until Claire’s minivan breaks down. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to walk the rest of the way. But the forest is dark and difficult to navigate and, hours later, they are lost. As they venture deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously, one by one. Are they being hunted? And by what—or who?
I was really excited about this one when I first read the summary. Six “friends” lost in the woods, people dying off one by one, and the killer is one of them? Sign me up. I love a good whodunnit! I was hooked at first, but after a few chapters, it started to drag. The pacing felt slow, most of the characters lacked depth, and I found it hard to really care about any of them. Also, there was so much cheating?? I get that it was part of the drama, but it just made everyone feel super unlikable, which made it even harder to care about who lived or died. There were a few creepy scenes that gave me anxiety in a fun way (like when they reached the abandoned cabin), but overall, this just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to.
13. Do Not Disturb
Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime. But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kind owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night. Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick’s ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.
Do Not Disturb was a fun read, it just wasn’t one of my top picks. The overall vibe was super cool—it reminded me of the movie Psycho with the creepy Baxter Motel, but not in a full-on retelling kind of way. Freida McFadden always nails those eerie, unsettling settings that you can totally picture in your head, and that was really well done in this book.
However, while I did fly through this one, the plot twists felt a little predictable and, honestly, not super well-executed. There was a reveal toward the end that didn’t quite match the tone or writing of the rest of the book, and I found myself wondering what the subtle hints were because it kind of came out of nowhere.
12. The Crash
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. Stranded with a dead car and broken ankle, she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their cabin until the snow clears. But something isn’t right. As time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.
The Crash was one of my most anticipated reads earlier this year, and while it wasn’t a total miss, it definitely didn’t live up to the hype for me. Tegan, who’s eight months pregnant, crashes her car during a snowstorm and ends up being “rescued” by some locals. She’s then trapped in their basement by Polly, the wife, and almost the entire book becomes a repetitive cycle of Tegan trying to escape and Polly keeping her hostage. I liked the initial setup and thought the dual POV with Polly added to the story, but it never really went anywhere new. Not to mention, the ending lost me—it felt way too unrealistic, and the characters didn’t face the consequences that I was expecting.
11. The Wife Upstairs
Victoria Barnett appears to have it all—a successful career, a loving husband, and a beautiful home. However, after a tragic accident leaves her unable to walk, speak, or care for herself, she is confined to the top floor of her house with 24-hour care. Sylvia Robinson is hired to assist Victoria, but she soon discovers that Victoria isn’t as impaired as she was led to believe. Through a hidden diary, Sylvia uncovers shocking secrets that reveal a story Victoria desperately wants to tell.
I finished this book in one sitting. It was fast-paced, the tension kept building, and I actually really enjoyed Sylvia and Victoria as characters. Watching their relationship evolve as Sylvia cared for her was one of the more compelling parts of the story.
But I couldn’t help but feel like I had read this book before. Oh wait, it’s because this book is basically Verity by Colleen Hoover (which came out first). A shady husband, the incapacitated wife hidden away upstairs, and big reveals told through someone’s writing. This time, it was Victoria’s diary instead of a manuscript. Still, I appreciated that the ending wasn’t left open-ended. We got a clear answer for why and how things played out the way they did—and that made it worth the read.
10. The Teacher
Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve, a math teacher at the school, knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye. Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says. But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep them quiet.
The Teacher was one of the more solid Freida McFadden reads for me. The pacing was great, the story pulled me in, and the final twist with Eve’s love interest completely caught me off guard. My jaw was genuinely on the floor, I didn’t see it coming at all.
That said, I did feel pretty uncomfortable with the plot at times. It involves a few teacher-student relationships, and even though I know it was part of the dark and twisted narrative, it pushed boundaries in a way that didn’t sit right with me. So, while I really liked the reveal and thought the writing was strong, this one was a bit harder to enjoy overall.
9. The Perfect Son
Erika Cass has a perfect family and a perfect life. Until, one quiet evening, two detectives show up at her front door. A high school girl has vanished, and the police suspect Erika’s teenage son, Liam. Erika has always sensed something… different in her seemingly perfect oldest child. He’s charming, smart, and popular, but mothers have the best instincts, and Erika knows there’s more to her son than meets the eye.
I gave The Perfect Son four stars on Goodreads, but I had to place it in the middle of my ranking because, looking back, it didn’t leave as strong of an impact as some of Freida’s other books. I just couldn’t recall the plot very well. The story is about Erika and her son, Liam, who has always seemed a little off to her. When Liam is accused of murder, everything starts to unravel.
I did love the chapter where a key family member discovers who the killer is—that moment was super intense. Plus, the killer’s identity made a lot of sense to me, but it didn’t totally shock me. One thing that I wish is that we could have gotten a bit more insight into Liam’s character, especially since there’s some uncertainty about his true nature by the end. I liked the open-endedness overall, but part of me wanted more closure on that front.
8. The Housemaid’s Secret
Millie returns as a housemaid, this time taking a job with the wealthy Garrick family. She quickly realizes something is wrong—Mrs. Garrick never leaves the guest bedroom and is never seen. Dark secrets about the family emerge, and Millie finds herself in another dangerous situation where she must outsmart those hiding the truth.
The Housemaid’s Secret is the second installment in The Housemaid series.
This is Freida McFadden’s second book in The Housemaid series, and once again, we’re following the character of Millie, who is back working for another couple with way too many secrets. The wife never leaves her room, the husband is way too controlling, and Millie finds herself twisted up in their web. I liked the pacing and the drama, and of course, Freida knows how to throw in a good twist, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d seen it all before. Don’t get me wrong, I like Millie as a character, but I was kind of hoping to see her in a new dynamic. Instead, it felt like a remix of book one with slightly different characters.
7. The Inmate
As a new nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison, Brooke Sullivan has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates. They certainly don’t know that Shane was Brooke’s high school sweetheart—the star quarterback, the golden boy who’s serving a life sentence for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke’s testimony was what put him there. But Shane knows. He knows more than anyone. And he will never forget.
Brooke takes a job as a nurse at a high-security prison and ends up coming face to face with her high school sweetheart, who’s now an inmate convicted of murder. Naturally, I was hooked. Is he really guilty? Who’s lying? What is going on?! I kept getting frustrated with Brooke for not distancing herself from Shane and Tim (like girl, the entire book was alluding to the fact that one of them was guilty!), but I was totally into the mystery. Everyone felt shady, which made it even more fun to read.
By the end, I felt pretty vindicated. The person I had my suspicions about turned out to be involved in a way I hadn’t fully expected. This is one of the Freida McFadden endings where I was close to piecing it together, which made it an even better read.
6. The Coworker
Dawn is the strange and socially isolated office worker. When she suddenly goes missing, her seemingly perfect coworker, Natalie, becomes entangled in the mystery when the police come asking questions. As Natalie digs into Dawn’s life, dark secrets and shocking truths about their workplace—and Dawn herself—begin to surface. Nothing is as it seems, and Natalie may not be as innocent as she appears.
The Coworker is actually one of Freida McFadden’s lowest-rated on Goodreads (a 3.8!), so readers might be surprised to see it land this high on my list. Personally, I really loved the structure. Most of Freida’s books are dual POVs, but this one felt extra unique with Natalie’s perspective in the present and Dawn recounting her life before going missing. Dawn’s chapters added so much depth, and there’s a point where you start to realize Natalie might not be the reliable narrator she’s pretending to be, which totally pulled me in. Besides the excessive turtle mentions, I was super entertained with this one.
5. Ward D
Ward D is the hospital’s mental health unit and as a medical student, Amy is required to gain experience on the floor. What begins as a routine shift quickly spirals into a nightmare as patients act bizarrely, staff disappear, and Amy starts questioning what’s real. Trapped inside with no way out, she must confront buried secrets and her own past as reality unravels around her.
Ward D might be one of Freida McFadden’s most underrated books, in my opinion. I loved how almost the entire story took place inside the psychiatric ward—it really felt like I was stuck in there with Amy. The whole setting was super eerie and gave me the creeps in the best way. And I have to say, I loved the epilogue. That moment when Amy saw the little girl had my jaw on the floor.
4. The Locked Door
Nora Davis is a respected surgeon hiding a dark past—her father was a notorious serial killer. She’s kept her identity secret for years, but when women start turning up murdered in a chillingly familiar way, suspicion falls on her. Nora must race to uncover the truth before she’s framed for crimes she didn’t commit—or worse, discovers she might be more like her father than she thought.
“Like father, like daughter” isn’t always the case…or is it? Nora is one of the most complex Freida McFadden characters I’ve read about, and that’s a large reason why I liked this book so much. At times, she was frustrating and hard to root for, but then I’d feel for her, and I’d find myself questioning if she was actually the one behind the murders. The back-and-forth between her present-day POV and childhood flashbacks made her story even more compelling. So why isn’t this book in my top three? While I thought the identity of the killer was brilliant, their motive felt a little overdone.
3. The Boyfriend
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. When Sydney starts dating the seemingly perfect guy, unsettling things begin to happen, and Sydney starts to question who her boyfriend really is. When people from his past resurface and secrets unravel, Sydney finds herself in a dangerous game where love and lies collide.
What I loved most about The Boyfriend is that I thought I had Freida’s plot twist all figured out. I was feeling so confident, and then bam… I was completely wrong. The story follows Sydney, who starts seeing a guy who seems way too good to be true. At the same time, a string of murders is happening in her area, where young women are being killed after dates. Sydney starts to suspect her new boyfriend after noticing some red flags and things not adding up. Freida McFadden is a master at making you believe it’s one person, only to pull the rug out from under you with a twist. In The Boyfriend, she does this exceptionally well through subtle clues, nuances, and well-placed details. I thought I had cracked the case early on, but when the real twist hit, I was shocked.
2. The Housemaid
Millie is desperate for a fresh start. She takes a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family, working in their luxurious home and caring for their young daughter. At first, everything seems perfect, but Millie quickly begins to notice disturbing behavior from Nina, the seemingly unstable wife, and inconsistencies in the family’s story. As Millie digs deeper, secrets unravel, and she realizes she may be in danger herself.
The Housemaid is the first installment in The Housemaid series.
Thriller readers knew this one was coming. Freida McFadden’s most popular book (and soon-to-be movie starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney) kicks off The Housemaid series. This was the thriller that got me completely hooked on the genre, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
I loved so many things about it: slowly unraveling Millie’s true identity and what she was in jail for, every aspect of Nina’s character, and Enzo continuously trying to warn Millie. I thought the ending was satisfying, though it didn’t have my jaw hanging open like my #1 pick did, which is why this one gets the silver medal, but it’s still an all-time fave.
1. Never Lie
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan get stranded in a remote mansion during a snowstorm. The house once belonged to a missing psychiatrist, and Tricia discovers old therapy tapes that reveal disturbing secrets. As tensions rise, she begins to question her husband—and whether she’s truly safe.
The moment I decided to rank Freida McFadden thrillers, I knew this one would be at the top. It follows a newlywed couple who get snowed in at a remote house that once belonged to a psychiatrist who mysteriously vanished. While stuck there, the wife, Tricia, discovers the psychiatrist’s old patient tapes—and with each one, she gets closer to uncovering what really happened to her.
I was completely hooked from start to finish, especially with the dual POVs: Tricia and then the psychiatrist through her recordings. And the twist at the end? It was easily my favorite Freida twist ever—I was absolutely shaking. The setup was so eerie, I genuinely felt like I was trapped in that house with them, trying to uncover the mystery. I recommend this book to anyone who asks me for a thriller rec.
Baylie Panattoni, Contributing Writer
Baylie is a Los Angeles-based Contributing Writer for The Everygirl with a passion for entertainment, beauty, and travel. Whether it’s uncovering the newest skincare and makeup essentials, discovering unforgettable travel destinations, or finding the latest romance novel sweeping BookTok, Baylie loves staying on top of trends and sharing them with readers.