Freida McFadden

In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled. Hers is a dark, dark mind that weaves deceptively simple tales into terrifying psychological page turners like The Housemaid. Fast-paced and addictive, her writing grabs you from the get-go, taking you on a wild roller-coaster ride that delivers one whiplash plot twist after another.

Her backdrops may be familiar to the reader: a suburban home, a cozy marriage, a housekeeping routine—but with McFadden, nothing is as it seems. Steadily she ratchets up the tension, with hot-button themes of gaslighting, abusive relationships, manipulation, and revenge. She brings the terror home, subverting the familiar, until you can’t trust anyone.

Perhaps it’s her background as a physician specializing in brain injuries that gives her this rare insight into the shadows of the human mind. Or maybe she’s just as twisted as we think. Whatever sorcery is at work, McFadden is a writer at the top of her game—and the undisputed mistress of the psychological thriller.

James is an author