Below is the complete list of Freida McFadden books in publication order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
The Housemaid Books in Order
- The Housemaid (2022)
- The Housemaid’s Secret (2023)
- The Housemaid Is Watching (2024)
- The Housemaid’s Wedding (2024)
Dr. Jane McGill Books in Order
- The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013)
- The Devil You Know (2017)
Pick Your Poison Adventure Books in Order
- The Dinner Party (2026)
Short Stories/Novellas Books in Order
- The Psyching (2015)
- The Gift (2022)
- The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie (2024)
Standalone Novels Books in Order
- Suicide Med / Dead Med (2014)
- Baby City (2015)
(With Kelley Stoddard) - Brain Damage (2016)
- The Perfect Son (2020)
- The Ex (2020)
- The Surrogate Mother (2020)
- The Wife Upstairs (2020)
- One By One (2020)
- Want to Know a Secret? (2021)
- The Locked Door (2021)
- Do Not Disturb (2021)
- Do You Remember (2022)
- The Inmate (2022)
- Never Lie (2022)
- Ward D (2023)
- The Coworker (2023)
- The Teacher (2024)
- The Boyfriend (2024)
- The Crash (2025)
- The Tenant (2025)
- The Intruder (2025)
- Dear Debbie (2026)
- The Divorce (2026)
- The Witch (2026)
Alibis Collection Books in Order
- Death Row (2025)
- Small Things (2025)
(By Wanda M. Morris) - False Note (2025)
(By David Lagercrantz) - The Ex-Wives Club (2025)
(By Sally Hepworth) - Good Neighbors (2025)
(By Chad Zunker) - The Skydivers (2025)
(By Chris Bohjalian)
About Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden is an American psychological thriller author and practicing physician whose fast-paced, twist-driven novels have gained wide international readership. Writing under a pen name, McFadden has built a substantial catalog of suspense fiction known for shocking reversals, morally complex characters, and tightly constructed domestic settings. Reading Freida McFadden’s books in publication order highlights both the evolution of her narrative style and the development of recurring characters within her interconnected series.
Before becoming widely recognized in the thriller genre, McFadden trained and worked in medicine, reportedly specializing in brain injury and neurological care. Her medical background informs many of her novels, particularly in depictions of trauma, memory distortion, and psychological instability. This professional experience lends credibility to the medical and neurological elements that appear throughout her work.
McFadden began publishing in the 2010s, but her breakout success came with The Housemaid (2022). The novel, centered on a young woman hired to work in a wealthy family’s home, quickly became a bestseller and gained viral attention through online reading communities. Its sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, continued the story, making publication order important for readers following the arc of protagonist Millie Calloway. The Housemaid series demonstrates McFadden’s signature style: claustrophobic domestic settings, unreliable narrators, and twists that reframe earlier assumptions.
In addition to the Housemaid novels, McFadden has written standalone thrillers such as The Inmate, The Locked Door, and Never Lie. While many of these books function independently, publication order reveals the sharpening of her pacing and the increasing sophistication of her structural misdirection. Early novels often rely on single major twists; later works incorporate layered reversals that unfold over multiple chapters.
Several of her books share thematic connections, including recurring motifs of:
- Psychological manipulation
- Memory gaps or unreliable perception
- Dangerous domestic environments
- Hidden identities
Her medical training frequently appears in storylines involving coma patients, traumatic brain injury, or psychiatric evaluation, adding a layer of procedural realism to otherwise high-concept plots.
McFadden’s writing style is characterized by short chapters, cliffhanger endings, and alternating perspectives. This structural approach contributes to her accessibility and commercial appeal. Reading her novels chronologically allows readers to observe how her twist mechanics became increasingly intricate, while maintaining the rapid pacing that defines her work.
A notable aspect of McFadden’s career is her rise through digital and independent publishing channels before achieving mainstream bestseller status. Several of her novels have appeared on major bestseller lists, and her books have been translated into multiple languages, reflecting international popularity.
Unlike authors who build a single long-running detective series, McFadden’s catalog blends standalones with short series arcs. Publication order becomes particularly relevant when a sequel builds directly on prior revelations, as in the Housemaid books. Even in standalone novels, chronological reading highlights the progression of thematic depth—from straightforward domestic suspense to more psychologically layered narratives.
Across her growing bibliography, Freida McFadden has established herself as a prominent voice in contemporary psychological thriller fiction. Viewed in publication order, her career shows steady refinement of tension-building techniques, increasingly bold plot twists, and expanding readership. The chronological progression offers insight into how her storytelling style matured from early high-concept premises to globally recognized suspense novels defined by unpredictable narrative turns.