Month: April 2022

I thought that The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was going to be a good psych thriller just from the description. I did not expect to be blown away.

But I was. This is by far one of the best psych thrillers I have read in recent memory. And yes, I may have said that a few times recently, but this one really shoots to the top of the list.

I feel like I repeat myself about plot spoilers, but I also feel like I cannot stress enough how important it is to me to NOT give anything away. Especially with this one.

The action is in three parts. The first part is from Millie’s point of view. If there is a definition of “down on your luck” it can be found in her situation. She is desperate and knows that she has slim chances at success in anything she does due to a mysterious past.

It is the perfect setup for the action of the rest of the book.

Millie’s dream come true job as the housemaid soon turns out to be nothing that she expected. But, as she is hiding secrets, she has to stick with it no matter how bad it gets.

And boy, does it get bad.

Nina is a real piece of work. I can’t say why (because…spoilers). I spent a lot of time in the first part wanting to scream at Millie, “GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!” I also wondered about Millie’s character…that she tolerated so much.

But the worse it got, the more I started thinking there had to be another reason for everything that was happening. I mean, it is a psych thriller. So, there should be.

And boy, are there reasons.

The second part of the book gives the reader an alternative viewpoint on the action of the first part. It may sound convoluted, but it isn’t. It’s a genius way to show what was really going on.

The third part converges the first two parts and secrets are uncovered, wrapping everything up to one of THE most satisfying conclusions in a psych thriller that one could hope for.

And just when you think the author has given you everything about the characters you could possibly know, she hasn’t. She saves the final surprise for literally the last page in the book.

I am not exaggerating when I say that my jaw dropped, and I instantly thought “what a frickin’ amazing twist that was!”

(Side note: I don’t know if it was intentional, but the last character introduced in the epilogue has an epic last name (sort of NSFW) that is a clue to what may happen).

Honestly, I can’t believe this is my first book from this author – how have missed Freida McFadden’s other psych thrillers?

I am headed to Unlimited right now because The Housemaid was amazing, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

About the author

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

I enjoyed The Widow’s Husband by Lesley Sanderson. It is a solid psych thriller.

It is also a cautionary tale about relationships and how gut instinct may be the best indicator of who to trust.

There is not a lot to unpack from this book because it is not overly complicated or twisty. You don’t have to pay attention to every little detail.

However, if you feel like you should, you might figure out a few of the surprises. Otherwise, it is pretty straightforward.

The blurb clearly spells out the plot, so I don’t need to recap. I found Rachel to be a decent heroine. She is real and her reactions and thoughts are genuine.

I also found Heidi to be a bit more of an enigma, and I think that was on purpose. I have an inherent mistrust for people like her (who doesn’t?). It was difficult to tell if she was “typical” or if there was a surprise to be found in her character.

But of course, I’m not telling you which one of those is right.

I will say that this book is heavy on the “psych” aspect of the psych thriller. Not necessarily because it plays with the reader’s mind, but because there is a lot of introspection.

The author delves heavily into character motivation, which results in long passages of inner monologues. They are good for development but they also do slow down the action.

A last note: I am a bit puzzled about the title. It seems to give away the plot. This is an odd choice given the way the story is crafted.

But regardless, it is still a good psych thriller.

Other books by Lesley Sanderson for you to check out: The Birthday Weekend, Every Little Lie, The Leaving Party, I Know You Lied

Author Bio

Lesley is the author of several psychological thrillers. She spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and works as a librarian. She loves the atmosphere and eclectic mix of people in the area.

There were times in The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde that I thought the psych thriller would give ME a breakdown.

Seriously, there were so many times that I wondered exactly what was going on.

And there is a LOT going on.

At first, I thought it had a very Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights feel to it. Perhaps that is because of Jayne’s name, or the situation where the nanny is entering into a strange family situation in a fairly secluded area.

I don’t know if that is the intention, but it is a strong vibe.

As I got further in the plot, however, I realized that there was an undercurrent of action that I had missed because I was set in my initial mindset.

At that point, I dropped everything I thought I had figured out and just went along for the ride. Trust me when I say the book is best enjoyed if you do this from the beginning.

I don’t want to say too much about the characters, because this is a case where one thing could give away a bigger plot point.

There is not a large cast of characters, but everyone is hiding something. It does take a bit of concentration to keep everything straight. There are more than a few “blink and you’ll miss it moments.”

And even if you don’t blink, by the time you get to the end, you’ll wonder if there IS something you didn’t notice. Because there are twists you will not see coming. Right up to the very end.

Even though it started a little slow, The Breakdown ended up being another great psych thriller from Arianne Richmonde.

Here are some more of the author’s books to try: The Newlyweds, The Guilty Sister, The Wife’s House

Author Bio:

Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE’S HOUSE and THE NEWLYWEDS (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK). Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocoholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.