"The Housemaid's Secret" by Freida McFadden

"The Housemaid's Secret" by Freida McFadden is a spiritual sequel to her previous thriller "The Housemaid" that has a similar storyline. Millie, the housemaid and Enzo, the gardener from her previous novel are retained in this sequel. While it is natural to draw comparisons with the prequel, does the author succeed in her story telling to make this a gripping thriller?

Millie who has been helping married women and rescuing them from domestic abuse after her similar encounter with Nina Winchester in the prequel enters the house of a zillionaire only to find his wife Wendy mysteriously locking herself up in the guest bedroom. When Millie tries to talk to her about the situation, she learns about yet another episode of domestic abuse which she might need to help with. Will Millie be able to rescue Wendy standing up against the resources Wendy's husband has at his disposal?

The novel moves at a rapid pace right from the start and there is no point where the intensity drops. Even when the storyline gets predictable because of the prequel, the novel keeps the readers engaged with enough elements of suspense. The climactic end is strewn with a lot of twists but the author manages them without becoming an overdose. 

A brilliant sequel that has a similar storyline as the prequel but with a better execution this time around!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

A prisoner on parole, Millie looking for a job is offered to be the housemaid at the lavish residence of Winchesters’. How did she pass the background verification and end up with the offer at such a place? With that still being a mystery, Millie takes up the job only to uncover more mysteries in the Winchester household. 

She encounters Andrew - the rich and handsome husband in the house, Nina - the psychotic wife, Cece - a spoiled child and Enzo - a mysterious Italian gardener and each one has a past that remains secret to Millie. When the going gets tough for Millie with all the humiliation she suffers at the household, she is bent upon unravelling the mysteries and save her life from ending up in jail once again. Millie’s secret past and the revelation at the end that gives closure to the tangled story knots makes this novel an engaging read. 

The characters are not flawless and the situations drive their decisions and actions - this works in favour of the novel. With consistent high points, the novel is interesting, but the novel has its own share of shortcomings in the form of predictability in many places. 

Nothing exceptional, but still a gripping read.