The Housemaid by Freida McFadden summary

 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller that follows Millie Calloway, a young woman with a criminal record who is desperate for a job and a fresh start. She takes a position as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family.

The story is told primarily from Millie's perspective. Upon arriving at the lavish mansion, she is immediately struck by the strange dynamics of the family. The matriarch, Nina Winchester, is a beautiful and seemingly perfect woman, but her behavior is erratic and cruel. She makes messes for Millie to clean up, lies about her own daughter, and is emotionally manipulative. Nina's daughter, Cecelia, is a spoiled and difficult child. The only person who seems kind and considerate is Nina's handsome husband, Andrew, who appears to be a victim of his wife's mental instability. Millie is given a tiny attic room that locks from the outside, with scratch marks on the inside of the door, adding to her unease.

As the story progresses, Millie finds herself in a precarious position. She sympathizes with Andrew and the two begin a secret affair. When Nina discovers the affair, her behavior escalates, and Andrew ultimately kicks her out of the house. Millie believes she is finally safe and will have a future with Andrew.

However, the narrative takes a shocking turn and switches to Nina's perspective. It is revealed that Nina is not mentally ill, but is a victim of Andrew's sadistic abuse. He is a charming and manipulative psychopath who has been locking her in the attic and torturing her for years. The "mental illness" and erratic behavior Millie witnessed were all a result of his psychological torment. Nina even tried to get help from the family's landscaper, Enzo, who warned Millie to get out of the house.

It is revealed that Nina had carefully orchestrated the entire situation. Knowing Andrew's pattern of seducing and then tormenting new women, she intentionally hired Millie—who she learned through a private investigator has a history of retaliating violently against those who wrong her. Nina hoped that by putting Millie in her place, Millie would kill Andrew in self-defense, freeing Nina and Cecelia from his abuse.

The story then returns to Millie's perspective, now trapped in the attic, where Andrew subjects her to the same psychological and physical torture he inflicted on Nina. Millie, drawing on her past, finds a way to fight back, turning the tables on Andrew and giving him a taste of his own sadistic medicine.

The book concludes with a final twist: Nina and Millie had been working together to get revenge. Nina, who is a doctor, had a hidden stash of drugs and other items in the attic, which Millie uses to incapacitate Andrew. Ultimately, Millie is able to leave the house, and Nina takes the blame for Andrew's death, knowing that a police detective whose daughter was also an abuse victim of Andrew's will help her. The book ends with Millie starting a new job, where she recognizes the same pattern of abuse in a new household and feels compelled to help the new victim.