_jean_ 's review for:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

4.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Very twisty and turny. Not a who-dunnit mystery but a “what’s about to happen” type. A thriller, but not really scary because it’s one of those “pretty implausible I’d find myself in that situation” tense plots - TW there is no SA but there is DV (physical, emotional, and psychological). First third is told from the perspective of the maid, second third from the perspective of the wife, final third switching back and forth between them which was a nice setup.

I figured it was some sort of bad vibes/going to get locked away in the attic but def wasn’t thinking it was like that. Some implausibilities (aside from like the general premise) that I was meh on were how quickly Milly became obsessed with the husband and viewed his attention as a win and didn’t like question it at all? Like one night and he kicked his wife out? Also I cannot believe Andy died in that room? And everyone is kind of chilling with it? I do feel some fucked up empathy in the end with his mom. But like Jesus people therapy