Six Freida McFadden books checked so far: 2 better heard, 3 better read and 1 that works either way.
Freida McFadden is the pen name of a neurologist who lives outside Boston. She began self-publishing after her medical training, starting with The Devil Wears Scrubs in 2013.
The Housemaid (Bookouture, 2022) became an international bestseller, and the film, directed by Paul Feig with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, came out in December 2025.
Sources: Wikipedia, read 6 November 2026.
Scroll for every verdict so far.
Millie takes a live-in housekeeping job with a wealthy family and soon realises the house, and the family in it, are hiding something.Why read: Part II goes back in time to Nina's history before Part III returns to the present, and one narrator reads both women. On the page the part breaks show you exactly when the story shifts, which is easy to miss on audio.
Millie works for the wealthy Garrick family in their Manhattan penthouse, with chapters that switch between her and Wendy Garrick, the wife of the household.Why read: A later section goes back over earlier events from Wendy's side, and on the page it's easier to flick back and compare the two versions. Over audio, with one narrator reading both women, the retelling can be harder to follow.
About a decade after The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie is no longer a housemaid but is watching her new neighbours, in a story that widens into a family tale.Why listen: The story switches between Millie and a second main character, and each has their own narrator (Lauryn Allman as Millie, Ina Marie Smith as the other), so you can tell whose chapter you're in by the voice alone.
Newlyweds viewing a remote manor are trapped by a snowstorm in the home of a psychiatrist who vanished four years earlier, along with her session tapes.Why read: Tricia’s present-day chapters alternate with Dr Hale’s “Before” chapters, and the labels on the page make each switch easy to spot. Leslie Howard reads every strand, and an audio reviewer calls her “superb”, so it only leans to print.
A maths teacher at Caseham High and a student everyone says can’t be trusted take turns telling a story of secrets and scandal.Close call: Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth share a well-rated audiobook, and the forward-running story is easy to follow by ear. In print, the alternating Eve and Addie chapters are just as quick to race through.
Julia lives in a Massachusetts house where, in 1692, a young woman called Caroline was accused of witchcraft, and the chapters alternate between the two women’s stories.Close call: Listen for the two narrators, Marin Ireland reading Julia's present day and Saskia Maarleveld reading Caroline's chapters, so you always know which century you're in. Read it if you like to track the jumps, as the book cuts between the present and 1692 at each turning point.
| # | Book | Year | Series | UK audiobook narrator | UK length | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Housemaid | 2022 | The Housemaid, book 1 | Lauryn Allman | 9h 46m | Read, 65% |
| 2 | The Housemaid’s Secret | 2023 | The Housemaid, book 2 | Lauryn Allman | 9h 44m | Read, 65% |
| 2.5 | The Housemaid’s Wedding | 2024 | The Housemaid, short story | Lauryn Allman and Edoardo Ballerini | 1h 44m | No verdict (short story) |
| 3 | The Housemaid Is Watching | 2024 | The Housemaid, book 3 | Lauryn Allman and Ina Marie Smith | 11h 42m | Listen, 70% |
| S1 | Never Lie | 2022 | Standalone | Leslie Howard | 7h 20m | Read, 65% |
| S2 | The Teacher | 2024 | Standalone | Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth | 9h 35m | Either, 50% |
| S3 | The Witch | 2026 | Standalone | Marin Ireland and Saskia Maarleveld | 9h 31m | Listen, 54% |
The Housemaid series in reading order, then the standalones we have checked. Narrators and lengths are from Audible UK, checked 6 November 2026. Years are from the Audible UK listings; The Housemaid’s Wedding was first published in 2024 and came to Audible UK in June 2025 (Dreamscape Media). The short story has no verdict.
Read the three novels in order. The short story The Housemaid’s Wedding is optional: it is set between books 2 and 3, although it came out after book 3.
Across the series. Lauryn Allman reads all three novels on Audible UK. Ina Marie Smith joins her on The Housemaid Is Watching, and Edoardo Ballerini on The Housemaid’s Wedding. Audible UK lists four Housemaid audiobooks from two publishers: the three novels from Bookouture (Hachette UK) and the short story from Dreamscape Media. There is no fourth novel: People reported in December 2025 that McFadden has confirmed there won’t be another Housemaid book.
Everything else McFadden has written is a standalone, so start anywhere. These are the standalones with a verdict so far:
| More standalones | On Audible UK | UK narrator | UK length | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Boyfriend | 1 October 2024 | Victoria Connolly and Robb Moreira | 9h 20m | Verdict coming |
| The Divorce | 26 May 2026 | January LaVoy, Edoardo Ballerini and Marin Ireland | 8h 1m | Verdict coming |
| The Tenant | 6 May 2025 | Will Damron and Christine Lakin | 8h 50m | Verdict coming |
| Dear Debbie | 27 January 2026 | Julia Whelan, January LaVoy and Scott Brick | 7h 40m | Verdict coming |
| The Intruder | 7 October 2025 | Joe Hempel, Patricia Santomasso and Tina Wolstencroft | 8h 19m | Verdict coming |
| The Inmate | 26 July 2022 | Leslie Howard | 8h 5m | Verdict coming |
| Ward D | 9 May 2023 | Leslie Howard | 7h 20m | Verdict coming |
| The Crash | 28 January 2025 | Leslie Howard | 9h 13m | Verdict coming |
| The Perfect Son | 29 March 2022 | Suzie Althens and Daniel Thomas May | 7h 58m | Verdict coming |
| The Locked Door | 17 December 2024 | Leslie Howard | 7h 25m | Verdict coming |
| Brain Damage | 16 August 2022 | Megan Tusing | 9h 15m | Verdict coming |
| The Coworker | 29 August 2023 | Alyson Krawchuk | 8h 12m | Verdict coming |
| The Ex | 15 September 2026 | Patricia Santomasso and Brittany Pressley | 8h 0m | Verdict coming |
| The Sleepwalker | Due 23 March 2027 | Not listed yet | Not final | Not out yet |
The most-rated McFadden audiobooks on Audible UK that we haven’t checked yet, by number of ratings, 6 November 2026. Dates are Audible UK listing dates, which are not always the first publication date.
| Book | Audiobook, UK | At 1.5x | At 2x |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Housemaid | 9h 46m | 6h 31m | 4h 53m |
| The Housemaid’s Secret | 9h 44m | 6h 29m | 4h 52m |
| The Housemaid Is Watching | 11h 42m | 7h 48m | 5h 51m |
| Housemaid novels 1 to 3 | 31h 12m | 20h 48m | 15h 36m |
| With The Housemaid’s Wedding | 32h 56m | 21h 57m | 16h 28m |
| Never Lie | 7h 20m | 4h 53m | 3h 40m |
| The Teacher | 9h 35m | 6h 23m | 4h 48m |
| The Witch | 9h 31m | 6h 21m | 4h 46m |
Audible UK listings, checked 6 November 2026. Totals and speed times are calculated.
The Housemaid (2025). Paul Feig directed it for Lionsgate, with Sydney Sweeney as Millie, Amanda Seyfried as Nina and Brandon Sklenar as Andrew. It opened in US cinemas on 19 December 2025 (People), was scheduled for UK cinemas on 26 December 2025 (Film Hounds), and is rated 15 by the BBFC, at 131 minutes. Variety reported that it took “nearly $400 million worldwide on a $35 million budget” (30 March 2026).
The Housemaid’s Secret. The second film is due on 17 December 2027 in the US, with Paul Feig directing, Rebecca Sonnenshine writing, Sydney Sweeney and Michele Morrone returning and Kirsten Dunst joining (Variety, 30 March 2026). No UK date has been given (as of November 2026).
The Housemaid, The Housemaid’s Secret, then The Housemaid Is Watching. The short story The Housemaid’s Wedding is optional and is set between books 2 and 3, although it came out after book 3.
Three novels and one short story. People reported in December 2025 that McFadden has confirmed there will not be another Housemaid book.
No. The fourth Housemaid title, The Housemaid’s Wedding, is a short story (1 hour 44 minutes on audio), not a fourth novel.
Only the Housemaid series. Her other thrillers, including Never Lie, The Teacher and The Witch, are standalones and can be read in any order.
Lauryn Allman reads all three Housemaid novels on Audible UK. Ina Marie Smith joins her on The Housemaid Is Watching, and Edoardo Ballerini joins her on The Housemaid’s Wedding.
The Housemaid is 9 hours 46 minutes, The Housemaid’s Secret 9 hours 44 minutes and The Housemaid Is Watching 11 hours 42 minutes on Audible UK, about 31 hours in all.
Yes. Paul Feig’s film with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried came out in December 2025 and took nearly $400 million worldwide (Variety, 30 March 2026).
It is due on 17 December 2027 in the US, with Sydney Sweeney returning and Kirsten Dunst joining the cast (Variety, 30 March 2026). No UK date has been given.
The Housemaid, because it starts her only series. For a standalone, start with any of them, as none depends on another.
Leslie Howard reads the Audible UK edition on her own, and it runs 7 hours 20 minutes.
Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth read the Audible UK edition, which runs 9 hours 35 minutes.
It depends on the book. Read The Housemaid, The Housemaid’s Secret and Never Lie; listen to The Housemaid Is Watching and The Witch; The Teacher is a close call.
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