Review of The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid, #3) by Freida McFadden
Oh, Freida McFadden, you had me at your gripping opening lines, and I was ready for another rollercoaster ride with Millie and Enzo. After the thrill of the first two books, I was itching to dive into The Housemaid Is Watching. But let me tell you, my excitement quickly turned to exasperation as I navigated through this latest installment. If you’re a fan of unpredictable twists and turns, then buckle up; this might be a bumpy ride.
From the get-go, we’re thrown back into Millie’s chaotic world, where she’s once again found herself in a situation she shouldn’t be in—looking at a bloodied body on the floor. Intriguing, right? But sadly, that adrenaline rush fizzled out faster than I hoped. The pacing felt off, dragging through a painfully slow buildup for what should have been a gripping mystery. The first 60% of the book is spent introducing a cast of characters that felt more like filler than essential to the plot. Millie and Enzo’s new home comes with two nosy neighbors who weren’t so much quirky as they were exhausting, and their son, Nico, becomes erratic without any context. It left me questioning the narrative choices made.
One of the most frustrating aspects was seeing characters who had once shown promise devolve into baffling decisions. Millie, despite her naïveté, was once a character I admired for her resilience. Now, she felt less like a hero and more like a plot device, and the lack of character development was glaring. Instead of growing wiser after her past experiences, she made shockingly questionable choices—like giving her young son a pocket knife to fend off bad guys! Huh? As for Enzo’s questionable behavior, it left me wondering if I had been reading about the same character from previous books. Were they clones? I still can’t figure it out!
The writing style retained McFadden’s characteristic ease, with short, punchy chapters that made it easy to keep flipping pages. But in this case, they also felt like a strategy for covering up the lag in tension. There were moments, however, when the dialogue sparked that familiar familiarity that drew me to this series. A casual reference here and there caught me chuckling, but they weren’t enough to save the story from itself.
The epilogue? Talk about a sour taste in my mouth. The character arc and plot resolution felt utterly unsatisfying. Millie’s interactions with the maid Martha were more puzzling than profound; their dynamic lacked the intrigue that had previously captivated me. Frankly, by the end, I felt like I was reading a different book entirely—and not in a good way.
As for recommendations, I would say if you enjoyed the first two books, perhaps this one might still catch your interest, but you might need to adjust your expectations. For those looking for a clever, engaging suspense thriller, you may want to look elsewhere this time around. Freida, honey, maybe it’s time to hang up the pen for this franchise; we need a break.
In the end, The Housemaid Is Watching was more of a letdown than a thrilling adventure, leaving me longing for the spark of earlier tales. Here’s to hoping Freida finds her groove again in future works. Until then, I’ll be waiting for a return to form!
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