13 Books Like The Housemaid to Read Next
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If you raced through The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and immediately wanted another twisty thriller you couldn’t put down, you’re definitely not alone.
But the best book to read after The Housemaid depends on what kept you turning the pages. Was it the secrets inside that seemingly perfect household? The shifting suspicions? The short, addictive chapters? Or that delicious feeling that you couldn’t quite trust anyone?
I’ve read and loved The Housemaid myself, along with several of the books on this list. So rather than simply rounding up 13 popular psychological thrillers, I’ve chosen books that capture different parts of what makes The Housemaid so much fun to read.
Whether you want another dangerously dysfunctional household, an even darker psychological thriller, or simply a book that will keep you saying “one more chapter,” these are the books I’d read next.
Looking for a book like The Housemaid? Start with these:
Already Read The Housemaid? What Comes Next?
If what you really want is more Millie, you don’t have to leave The Housemaid world just yet. Freida McFadden continued her story beyond the first novel, so readers who haven’t finished the series may want to do that before moving on.
You can find the complete series order, along with McFadden’s other thrillers and standalone novels, in my Freida McFadden Books In Order guide.
13 Books Like The Housemaid
Not every book below is similar to The Housemaid in exactly the same way – and that’s intentional. I’ve grouped the recommendations by what you might be looking for next, so you can choose the thriller that best matches what you loved about McFadden’s book.
If You Want the Closest Books to The Housemaid
Start with: The Last Mrs. Parrish, Behind Closed Doors, and The Turn of the Key.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Why You’ll Like It: Like The Housemaid, The Last Mrs. Parrish takes you inside the seemingly perfect world of a wealthy couple, where appearances are deceiving and an outsider has her own reasons for wanting in. Hidden motives, shifting sympathies, and a marriage that isn’t quite what it seems make this my pick for the closest overall match on the list.
My Take: I absolutely loved The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. If what you’re really looking for is another book that gave me that same addictive, something-is-very-wrong-here feeling I got from The Housemaid, this is the one I’d read first.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Why You’ll Like It: If the secrets lurking behind the doors of a seemingly enviable home were part of what hooked you on The Housemaid, try Behind Closed Doors. It takes the idea of the perfect-looking couple with a very different private reality and turns it into tense, claustrophobic domestic suspense.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Why You’ll Like It: This may have the most immediately familiar setup on the list: a woman accepts a live-in job working for a wealthy family, only to discover that life inside their impressive home is far from what she expected. It’s atmospheric and unsettling, making it a particularly good choice if Millie’s position inside the Winchester household was part of The Housemaid’s appeal.
If You Loved the Twists and Didn’t Know Whom to Trust
Try: The Wife Between Us, Rock Paper Scissors, and First Lie Wins.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Why You’ll Like It: If you loved realizing that your assumptions about The Housemaid’s characters might be wrong, The Wife Between Us plays a similar game with the reader. Marriage, jealousy, secrets, and carefully withheld information make this one for readers who enjoy having the story repeatedly challenge what they think they know.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Why You’ll Like It: A troubled marriage, an isolated setting, long-held secrets, and two people who may not be telling each other – or the reader – the whole truth make Rock Paper Scissors a natural next choice for twist lovers. Pick this one when you want another thriller designed to keep you questioning your assumptions.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Why You’ll Like It: First Lie Wins trades The Housemaid’s domestic setup for a heroine whose entire life is built around deception. It’s fast, clever, and full of questions about identity and motive, making it a great choice if you especially enjoyed trying to figure out who Millie really was and what she might be hiding.
If You Want Darker, More Psychological Housemaid Vibes
Go darker with: Verity, None of This Is True, and Gone Girl.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Why You’ll Like It: Another woman enters a family’s home, begins uncovering disturbing secrets, and finds herself increasingly unsure of what – and whom – to believe. Verity takes that basic Housemaid appeal somewhere considerably darker and more disturbing, so this is the one to choose when you want the psychological discomfort turned way up.
My Take: I loved Verity, but I’d recommend it to the Housemaid reader who’s ready to go darker. It’s disturbing, compulsively readable, and exactly the kind of book that makes you want to talk to somebody else who’s read it when you’re finished.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Why You’ll Like It: If you want the manipulation and uncertainty of The Housemaid with a more layered psychological story, None of This Is True is an excellent next choice. Two women’s lives become increasingly entangled as questions about identity, truth, and manipulation pile up – and deciding whom to believe is part of the fun.
My Take: I absolutely loved this one. Lisa Jewell gives you the compulsive “I need to know what’s really happening” quality I want from a psychological thriller, but there’s more going on here than simply waiting for the next big twist. I’d especially recommend it if you loved The Housemaid but want something a little more psychologically complex.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Why You’ll Like It: If the manipulation, secrets, and shifting perceptions were your favorite parts of The Housemaid, Gone Girl takes those elements into much darker territory. It’s less of a breezy popcorn thriller and more of a sharp, unsettling examination of marriage and deception – ideal when you want something more complex without giving up the twists.
If You Mostly Want Another Book You Can’t Put Down
Keep the pages turning with: The Couple Next Door, The Drowning Woman, and Listen for the Lie.
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
Why You’ll Like It: Sometimes what you want after The Housemaid isn’t the same plot – you just want another domestic thriller that moves. The Couple Next Door delivers secrets, suspicion, and revelation after revelation at a pace designed to keep you reading, making this one of my picks for pure “just one more chapter” suspense.
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
Why You’ll Like It: Two women, dangerous secrets, shifting loyalties, and plenty of reasons to question everyone’s motives make The Drowning Woman a strong choice for Housemaid fans. The setup is different, but it offers the same pleasure of watching your understanding of the characters change as more of the truth comes out.
Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera
Why You’ll Like It: For something fast and twisty with a little more dark humor, try Listen for the Lie. Its heroine is suspected of murder but doesn’t know exactly what happened herself, creating an addictive mystery where the truth – and the woman at the center of it – can’t be taken at face value.
If You Want Something More Morally Twisted
Try: The Kind Worth Killing.
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
Why You’ll Like It: If The Housemaid left you thinking that thrillers are much more fun when the characters aren’t especially concerned with behaving themselves, The Kind Worth Killing takes that idea and runs with it. Deception, murder, questionable motives, and morally compromised characters make this my wild-card pick for readers who enjoy a thriller where figuring out whom to root for is part of the entertainment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Books Like The Housemaid
What should I read if I liked The Housemaid?
If you loved The Housemaid, I recommend starting with The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Both books take readers inside the seemingly perfect world of a wealthy couple, where appearances can be deceiving and hidden motives gradually come to light. For another story built around a live-in employee entering an unsettling household, try The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.
What book is most similar to The Housemaid?
Of the books on this list, The Last Mrs. Parrish is my pick for the closest overall match to The Housemaid. If the domestic-worker setup itself was part of what interested you, The Turn of the Key is another particularly good choice.
What are some psychological thrillers like The Housemaid?
For psychological thrillers with secrets, deception, unreliable characters, and unexpected revelations, try None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
What should I read after The Housemaid series?
If you’ve already finished the entire Housemaid series, try The Last Mrs. Parrish for another addictive domestic thriller, Verity for something darker, or None of This Is True for a more psychologically complex story. If fast pacing is what you loved most, The Couple Next Door is another good choice.
Are there other Freida McFadden books to read after The Housemaid?
Yes. Freida McFadden has written numerous psychological thrillers and standalone novels in addition to the Housemaid series. You can find them in publication and series order in my Freida McFadden Books In Order guide.
What Should You Read After The Housemaid?
If The Housemaid left you searching for another thriller filled with secrets, deception, and characters you can’t quite trust, there’s no shortage of places to go next.
For the closest overall match, I’d start with The Last Mrs. Parrish. If you’re ready for something darker, try Verity, while None of This Is True is my pick when you want the addictive suspense with a little more psychological complexity. And if what you really want is another book that keeps you turning pages long past bedtime, The Couple Next Door should do the trick.
I’ve read and loved The Last Mrs. Parrish, Verity, and None of This Is True, so those are especially easy recommendations for me to make. But the best book to read after The Housemaid really comes down to what you loved about it in the first place – which is exactly why I’ve given you several different directions to go.
Now the only problem is deciding which one to read first.
