Name: Aisha Iyengar's review of The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
Item: The Housemaid's Secret
Rating: 5
Author: Aisha Iyengar

Freida McFadden

"Don't go in the guest bedroom." A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick's face as he touches the door with his fingertips. "My wife... she's very ill." As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can't risk losing this job-not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe... It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything... That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go... This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone. Read what everyone's saying about The Housemaid's Secret: "OMG!!! MIND ABSOLUTELY BLOWN!!!! Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page-turner!!... OMG the twists just kept on coming again and again!!!... I absolutely devoured it in one sitting!!... Addictive, mind-blowing page-turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!" Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "An amazing psychological thriller!!... will grab you literally from the first line... Hold on to your jaws, because they will drop... Loved. It. So. Much!!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "OH YEAH!!!... I flew through the pages like a bat out of hell. So, so good!! I absolutely loved every second of it!!... Will lead you down one path until you are completely turned around and screaming WTF?!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I DEVOURED this book quicker than I ever read any other book... I was sucked in... I loved every second of it... I will forever recommend this book." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Made my whole year!!... This book is AMAZING!!! Twists on twists on twists!... I absolutely devoured it!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Totally Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Shocking Twist

The Housemaid's Secret

Angie

taci

The ironic part is that if Wendy had instead slipped her husband a little bit extra of his own medication, it probably would have killed him, and it might have been hard to prove that the dose wasn't acčidental. She could have saved herself a lot of trouble. Instead, she made an incredibly bad judgment call. She underestimated an extremely dangerous person. Me. And she paid the ultimate price.

"Have you ever heard of a medication called digoxin?" she asks. Digoxin? Why does that sound familiar? Then it hits me. Douglas used to take that medication. For his heart. And Marybeth has a copy of the keys to the house in Long Island where he keeps his medicine. "Digoxin toxicity is extremely serious," she continues. "First, you get nausea, dizziness, terrible abdominal cramps, and blurred vision. It's quite agonizing. But the way it kills you is that your heart goes into a deadly arrhythmia." "So," I say slowly, "you expect me to swallow a bunch of digoxin?" If she asks me to swallow pills, I'll have to find a way out of it. I can put them under my tongue and spit them out when I have a chance. She can't force me. But then her lips curl into a smile. You already have, Wendy." Oh my God, the wine.

What do you want from me?" I ask her. She reaches into the pocket of her trench coat and pulls out a piece of white paper. Then -she rifles around until she finds a pen. She slides both items across the kitchen table to me. I want you to write a confession," 

"Please," I beg her. "Please don't do this." A bolt of lightning illuminates the room at that moment-too late to help me find a weapon on the counter. My eyes strain to take in the tiny bit of light, and for a moment, I can clearly see the face of the woman moving toward me with a knife in her right hand. Oh, Jesus Christ. It's not Millie.

"Russell," I say again, “what As I walk into the doorway of the bathroom, the first thing I see is all the red. So much red, swimming before my eyes. The water in the tub that used to be clear, bordering on foggy, is now a deep crimson color. I lift my eyes and locate the source of the blood, coming from a gaping wound on Russell's throat.

"He said that there's a security camera at the back door of the building." I think my heart stops for a good five seconds. "Excuse me?" "Somehow we missed it," he says. "He says he puts it out of sight because the residents don't like to feel like they're getting spied on. And here's the funny part- your husband was the one who provided the security equipment from his company about a year ago, because he was worried about that back entrance." "He... he did?" I choke out. There is a crash that seems to be coming from the bathroom, followed by a splash of water, but I ignore it. If Russell tried to get out of the bathroom and fell, he's just going to have to get up on his own. "Yeah, and we just got done reviewing all the tapes. And it's crazy according to those tapes, your husband hasn't been in that apartment in months. Like, the entire time Miss Calloway was working there. So I don't know how she was having an affair with him in the apartment if he was never even there. You know?"

“So when are his assets going to be transferred over to me? I need to be able to pay my bills." Douglas's death doesn't mean the mortgage won't need to be paid. I don't even have a working credit card because he canceled them all. The penthouse alone has a six-figure mortgage, so I'm going to need some cash fast. You want Doug's money transferred over to you?" Joe asks. Yes." I drum my fingers on the kitchen counter. That's how this Not exactly..." Joe is silent for a moment. "Wendy, are you aware that What?"No. What are you talking about?" works, isn't it?" Doug changed his will last month?" "He changed his will. Left everything to charity."

I step into the kitchen, and sure enough, there's a bottle on the counter. It's pinot noir, three-quarters full, and it looks a bit cheap but better than nothing. I grab it and start to head back to the bathroom, but then I stop short. One of the windows in the cabin is wide open.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I almost scream. My face looks like a nightmare of blossoming purple bruises, mixed with other bruises that are fading to yellow. It is painful to gaze upon. Russell watches me puting the final touches on my cheekbone, and he seems impressed. You're a magician, Wendy," he tells me. It looks real." 

As I say the words, something tugs at the back of my head. A story my friend Audrey was telling me ages ago. About some sort of housekeeper She's hardcore, believe me... If she thinks a guy is hurting a woman, she I close my eyes, trying to remember the woman's name. Then it comes who advOcates for women who are treated badly by their husbands. will do pretty much anything to make it stop. to me: Millie. Douglas isn't terrible in the same way as Ginger's husband was he's not physically abusive. But he's evil and manipulative nonetheless. Abuse isn't necessarily only physicalisn't my husband throwing me out of my own home and leaving me penniless just as abusive as breaking a bone? Would this cleaning woman agree? I don't know. 

"Fine." Douglas struggles to his feet. You want out of this marriage? You got it. But you're not getting a penny of my money." Unfortunately, it's not up to him. He wants to punish me, but I know my rights. The prenup gives me ten million dollars. I won't ask for more than that." "Right." The glazed look is gone from his brown eyes, and now they have become sharp and laser-beam focused on my face. "You get ten million dollars if we divorce. But the prenup says that if I have evidence of you cheating, you get nothing." 

"You canceled my credit cards," I say through my gritted teeth. "I was wondering what it would take to get you over here." Does he think this is some sort of joke? "I was trying to have lunch and my card got declined. I had no way to pay. Do you realize that?" Douglas steps into the living room, pulling his tie the rest of the way off. "What? Didn't Russell have his credit card?" My mouth drops open. "I..."

She's got my platinum card in her hand. "I'm so sorry, but this did not go through. It was declined." I roll my eyes. "It's an issue with your machines. Please run it again." I tried it three times."

I pivot my head to identify the owner of the rich deep voice behind me. For a split second, I almost think that I'm looking at my husband. But no, this man is most definitely not Douglas Garrick. He is roughly the same height as Douglas, with a similar build-or the build Douglas might have if he went to the gym every once in a while-and his hair is about the same color, although trimmed neatly. Despite working in a furniture store, he is wearing a crisp white dress shirt and an expertly knotted tie. This man looks like the man that I had hoped to turn Douglas into when I first met him at that modern art exhibit. He is Douglas 2.0, while my husband is barely even the beta version.

Marybeth?" She turns, that same pleasant smile plastered across her features. “Yes?" "I would prefer if you refer to me as Mrs. Garrick," I tell her. "We aren't friends, after all. I'm your boss's wife." Marybeth struggles to maintain the smile on her lips. "Of course. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Garrick."

ela vai traí-lo porque ele não quis comer a salada?

My fast-food days were supposed to have ended when I married a tech millionaire. I shake my head. Douglas gives me a sad look, but he doesn't stop. He leaves the house, gets in his car, and drives off, presumably to get a sandwich with a bun made out of fried chicken. It's at that moment I know thatI can no longer be faithful to my husband, because I no longer respect him.

Thank you, sweetie." I lean in to kiss my husband. As he encircles me in his arms, I can't help but notice he's gotten a little doughier than he was when we first met, which is the opposite direction of where he should be going. It's something he's going to have to work harder on, among other things. Douglas is still very much a work in progress.

n acredito q ela vai começar a odiá-lo por comer 

Douglas can be absolutely maddening. He is tormenting me. He pretends to be a nice guy even down to earth, considering his job and personal wealth- -but he is sadistic. There is no other explanation for why he would behave this way. "What do you think you're doing?" I snap at him. He at least has the good grace to appear sheepish. He should! It's bad enough that the man sits in our living room wearing his boxer shorts- boxers!but we are supposed to arrive in less than an hour at a party at Leland Jasper's house and he's not ready at all. I had timed this perfectly for us to be fashionably late, and yet now he is standing in the kitchen, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, and eating Nutella out of the jar using a butter knife.

How to Get Away With Murdering Your Husband - A Guide by Wendy Garrick Step 1: Meet a Man who is Single, Clueless, and Filthų Rich

You must think I'm a terrible person. Would it help if I said that while Douglas never laid a finger on me, heę was a terrible husband? He humiliated me and made my life miserable. And I would have been happy to get a divorce. This did not need to end in his murder. That's entirely on him. And Millie? Well, she is an unfortunate casualty. But she's not quite as Sweet as you might think. If she spends her life behind bars, it's for the greater good. But even after you hear my side of the story, you might still think I'm a terrible person. You might think that Douglas didn't deserve to die. You might think that I am the one who deserves to go to prison for the rest of my life. And the truth is, I don't really care.

The screen flashes to a photograph of a man in his forties with the caption Douglas Garrick, CEO of Coinstock." I stare at the screen, at the man's dark hair and soft brown eyes, at his double chin, and the creases around his eyes as he smiles for the camera. As I stare at the photo of Douglas Garrick, I realize something. I have never seen this man before in my life. The man whose photograph is on the screen is completely unfamiliar to me. He looks a bit like the man I have been interacting with in the penthouse, and from far away, you might not know the difference. But it's not him. It's definitely not him. This man is somebody completely different. So if the man on the screen is Douglas Garrick... Who the hell did I kill last night?

I never even touched him," I say. "I swear to you! Just ask Wendy "Miss Calloway," Detective Ramirez says, "Wendy Garrick is the one What? "Excuse me?" Garrick. She'll confirm everything I'm saying. Ask her!" who told us about your affair with her husband." “She said that Mr. Garrick came clean with her yesterday, and he invited you over with the intention of ending things," he says. "But when she got home, she found him lying on the floor, shot to death." No... She didn't... After all I did for her... "And," he says, "your fingerprints are on the gun."

Also," Ramirez adds. Oh no. There cannot possibly be anything else. I definitely did not accept any other handouts from the Garricks. There is nothing more he can pull out of that folder. "Did you spend the night at a motel with Douglas Garrick last week?" No!" I cry. He clears his throat. "So you didn't check into a motel in Albany last Wednesday while Mr. Garrick had a business meeting there, and pay for night in cash?"

Aisha Iyengar

 this dirtier version of gone girl was still not a solid 4... but still a page turner

In my opinion, this book was definitely less predictable than the first. I still don’t think it hits the mark for a 5 star but I love Millie. Enzo and Millie don’t make sense to me. But that’s probably because I hoped Enzo and Nina would’ve ended up together. 

Keira 💫

How is this not the same book as the first one, I do not know. I could not stop reading it though so there is that.

predictable plot but love the twist at the end. I definitely enjoy it being an easy read.

Kiki

Allysen

Kate W

I’m just confused how her and Enzo got together I thought he was in love with Nina. Overall good read just seems like a series of pulling more information to keep it going. 🤷‍♀️ 

Lizzy Brabant

Anna Lane

I love her books I finished this in under 4 hours 

Pia 

The ending was quite predictable, but still very good storyline. Finished in one setting. 

Great plot twist, although I didn't feel it was as good as the first but I was still hooked on to the next one 

Kathy gerrard

Predictable, quick McFadden read. If you’ve read one by her you kind of know what to expect. A solid thriller, easy to follow, and fun to see if your predictions about the book are right. 

i like this most in this series. easily devoured rawr

Tina Villarete

! If you loved the first book, buckle up because this sequel takes the twists and suspense to another level. It’s packed with all the drama, secrets, and shocking moments you’d expect, and once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

Jenny

Freida McFadden does it again with The Housemaid’s Secret! If you loved the first book, buckle up because this sequel takes the twists and suspense to another level. It’s packed with all the drama, secrets, and shocking moments you’d expect, and once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

"“She underestimated an extremely dangerous person.

McFadden's books are just so easy to read. Although I believe The Housemaid should've ended on the first book, I still enjoyed this. Millie is such a good character! Her "revenge" may not be as grand as the first book, it's still worth my approval. What a girlboss queen! Love that for her.

yena 

"“She underestimated an extremely dangerous person.

      Me."

McFadden's books are just so easy to read. Although I believe The Housemaid should've ended on the first book, I still enjoyed this. Millie is such a good character! Her "revenge" may not be as grand as the first book, it's still worth my approval. What a girlboss queen! Love that for her.

Não sei explicar como gostaria mas os livros dessa saga estão bons especificamente de 45%-75%, exatamente nessas partes os livros ficam impossíveis de largar e depois acontece coisa demais, antes acontece coisa de menos. Complicadíssimo explicar e ainda estou ponderando se leio o terceiro.

Larissa Campos

Although this took me longer to get into I really enjoyed it and I thought the plot twist was worth it; I really wasn’t expecting it to happen, i definitely liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in thrillers!

Issabelle :)

Lili

Disappointing, too predictable. But Millie is ok. 

Barbara

This book was okay, a quick read that was just average. I didn’t think the plot twist was huge and I wasn’t gripped on the edge of my seat wanting to read on 

I don’t think this book was really needed, as the story could’ve finished after the first book. And the whole storyline with Brock was a bit of a waste, it didn’t bring much to the book except that he took heart medication 

Holly Lake

This book was okay, a quick read that was just average. I didn’t think the plot twist was huge and I wasn’t gripped on the edge of my seat wanting to read on 

I don’t think this book was really needed, as the story could’ve finished after the first book. And the whole storyline with Brock was a bit of a waste, it didn’t bring much to the book except that he took heart medication 



Lauren Piper

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and inwas surprised that I ended up also loving this one, even more than the first. 

Samantha King

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and inwas surprised that I ended up also loving this one, even more than the first. 



i demolished the first book in two sitting… thisssss oneeee took me a bit longer to get through. was it just as fast paced and thrilling as the first? yup! but i kind of figured out the big twist early… i very much still enjoyed this book, i just enjoyed the first one a little more.

Aisha Iyengar &
The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

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Aisha Iyengar &The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

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Aisha Iyengar &
The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden