Freida McFadden's The Housemaid's Secret Gains Strong Amazon
Freida McFadden's psychological thriller The Housemaid's Secret holds a 4.4-star Amazon rating as a film sequel advances with Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten
Freida McFadden's psychological thriller The Housemaid's Secret holds a 4.4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon. The strong reader approval comes as a film adaptation moves forward with a mix of returning and new cast members.
Film sequel advances with returning and new cast
A film adaptation of The Housemaid's Secret is in the works. Sydney Sweeney will reprise her role as Millie, the character she first played in the adaptation of the first book, The Housemaid. That novel is a #1 New York Times bestseller with over 3.5 million copies sold worldwide. Its film version was directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, starring Sweeney alongside Amanda Seyfried. Kirsten Dunst has officially joined the cast for the sequel.
Author guidance on reading order and spoilers
On her official website, Freida McFadden noted that readers do not need to have read the first novel to enjoy The Housemaid's Secret. She cautioned, however, that they will encounter spoilers for the original story. For readers who have already finished The Housemaid's Secret, the author recommends her psychological thriller Never Lie. That book follows newlyweds Tricia and Ethan, who become trapped in a remote mansion owned by a missing psychiatrist named Dr. Adrienne Hale.
Series reading order and related titles
The recommended reading order for McFadden's series begins with The Housemaid, followed by The Housemaid's Secret, the short story The Housemaid's Wedding, and finally The Housemaid is Watching. For long-time fans, the author suggests The Inmate or The Wife Upstairs. The Inmate follows nurse practitioner Brooke Sullivan, who takes a job at a maximum security prison where her high school boyfriend Shane is serving a life sentence. The Wife Upstairs centers on Sylvia Robinson, a young woman hired to care for a wife and mother who is confined to bed following an accident.
Other highly reviewed books this week
Several other titles received notable critical attention this week. The review aggregator Book Marks, Lit Hub's home for book reviews, compiled the following critical receptions.
| Book Title & Author | Publisher | Critical Reception (Rave/Positive/Mixed/Pan) |
|---|---|---|
| Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa | Biblioasis | 7 Rave • 1 Positive |
| The Strangers by Naomi Alderman | Little, Brown and Company | 5 Rave • 1 Mixed • 1 Pan |
| An Unexpected Life by Gloria Steinem | Random House | 4 Rave • 1 Positive • 1 Mixed |
| Avalon, Rise by Madeline ffitch | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 3 Rave • 2 Positive |
| Hollywood, Ending by John Green | Dutton | 3 Rave • 1 Positive |
| Cloud Six by Amy Fusselman | Catapult | 3 Rave • 1 Mixed |
| Shadow Before the Flame by Catherine Grace Katz | Viking | 3 Rave • 2 Positive • 1 Mixed |
| Valley of Death by Sharon Weinberger | Viking | 3 Rave • 2 Positive |
| *Rock** by Chuck Klosterman | Da Capo | 2 Rave • 2 Positive |
| Swan Song: Diana, my Sister by Charles Spencer | Penguin | 2 Rave • 1 Positive • 2 Mixed |
The Strangers was reviewed by Keiran Goddard for The Guardian. Joelle Egan from Booklist reviewed Said the Dead. Laura Miller from Slate covered Hollywood, Ending, while Zachary Smolar from the Los Angeles Review of Books wrote on Cloud Six. Emma Brockes of The Guardian reviewed An Unexpected Life. Coleen Mondor and James Pekoll, both from Booklist, reviewed Shadow Before the Flame and Valley of Death respectively. Jeremy McDonagh from PopMatters reviewed *Rock**, and Alexandra Jacobs from The New York Times reviewed Swan Song.
Sydney Sweeney will reprise her role as Millie in the upcoming film adaptation of The Housemaid's Secret.
