The Housemaid, by Freida McFadden

[rachelmanija]

Millie just got out of jail, which makes her unemployable. She's young, pretty, homeless, and desperate. So she's delighted when she gets hired as a housemaid for a wealthy family. Needless to say, the family turns out to be very weird and possibly very sinister...

Love the cover and blurb, but they're misleading. The story isn't about Millie learning the secrets of a wealthy family by spying on them, whether though a keyhole or because they don't pay attention to her. She does learn their secrets, but she's in the middle of the action and very much noticed at all times.

This book is widely scorned and also accused of plagiarism. I looked up the book it supposedly plagiarized, and while there are some significant similarities, there's other books that also contain similar scenes and plot points. I could be wrong because I didn't read the one it supposedly plagiarized, but it seems at least as likely that books in the same genre may have a lot in common. It's also a bestseller, not just in general but specifically at my bookshop, which is why I read it.

I can see why it's a bestseller. It's extremely entertaining. I could not put it down. Millie deals with a possibly evil child, a hostile lunatic of a wife, a sexy but probably sinister husband, a sexy but suspicious Italian gardener, and a completely batshit plot that combines gothic with domestic thriller. The twists weren't totally shocking but they were fun, and the ending was very satisfying. I get why people like it. I liked it.

Content notes: Domestic abuse, gaslighting, violence.