I’ve always loved to read fiction books. When I was in elementary, middle, and even high school, I used to love when the teachers would allow silent reading time in class. However, as schoolwork has become more demanding over the years, sometimes it’s hard to find time to pick up a book for my own enjoyment. The side of TikTok meant for readers, “BookTok,” has helped me realize that there is time for reading breaks throughout my busy day. Through this realization, I’ve gravitated more towards easier reads like thrillers. Freida McFadden is a best-selling author known for her psychological thrillers. I’ve read 8 of her books and have many others on my To-Be-Read (TBR). Here are some of my favorites, in hopes I can persuade you to pick up one her captivating books!
“The BoyFriend”
“The Boyfriend” was the first Freida McFadden book I ever read, and I was pleasantly surprised with how locked in I was throughout reading it. I finished it in two days, which is very unlike me. This book is about a single woman in her 30s who’s navigating modern dating life, primarily through dating apps. After several bad experiences, she meets a guy who she thinks could be the one. However, she soon learns that he holds more secrets than she suspected. The writing in this book is captivating as it consists of many flashbacks and it feels like a big puzzle you have to piece together.
“Ward d”
Similar to “The Boyfriend,” “Ward D” also contains a lot of flashbacks to keep your attention throughout it. The protagonist in this book is a nursing student who in order to complete all of her requirements, must work an overnight shift in the psych ward. However, as the night progresses, things from the nurse’s mysterious past arise and it becomes harder for her to avoid. I really like this story because it’s fast paced and the general plot only covers one day, despite the flashbacks to add context. This is another novel I finished in about two days and is one of McFadden’s best pieces of work.
“The housemaid”
“The Housemaid” is arguably McFadden’s most popular book. The book became so popular that she went on to publish three more in a series as well as set the stage for a movie adaptation, which releases December 2025. This book covers a woman in need of a job who takes the responsibility of being a housemaid for a wealthy family. She soon learns that the family has a lot of things that they’re hiding, and that discovers that she may have been chosen for this position for a reason. With this being McFadden’s most well known book, I think it’s very deserving of this recognition. The storytelling keeps you on your toes with every chapter and I think it’s a great read to get someone out of a reading slump.
“never lie”
“Never Lie” is a book that seems simple when reading the summary, but pleasantly surprised me after I finished it. A young husband and wife are house hunting and visit a house that used to belong to an late, award-winning psychologist. As they scope through the house, both of them discover things that lead to unsettling surprises. This book, though I think it’s very well written, took me a little while to finish because of the amount of details and how attentive you have to be to not miss anything. Overall, definitely one that I would recommend to anyone wanting to get into thrillers and threw me for a loop when the truth came out.
With school and life getting in the way, sometimes it’s hard to find time for yourself and any hobbies you may have. Despite this, I think reading for fun is such a good way to temporarily escape your responsibilities and ease your mind. Freida McFadden’s books are quick reads that have given me something to do other than just scroll aimlessly on social media, and I think her works are good examples of easy but captivating reads.