Authors like Freida McFadden pair ordinary domestic settings with short chapters and constant suspense. Lisa Jewell suits readers who want more psychology, Shari Lapena suits those who want a safe-looking opening, and Alice Feeney suits those who want darker.
If you are comparing writers more broadly, our guide to which book to read first by an author explains how to pick an entry point once you have a name.
Why McFadden’s books are hard to put down
McFadden writes psychological thrillers, domestic suspense and medical humor, according to Hasty Book List, which also calls her a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. The same guide says The Housemaid became her breakthrough and quickly went viral on BookTok. Early Bird Books adds that she began as a self-published author and has risen to become one of the biggest-selling crime writers of the 2020s.
Reader guides describe the books as bingeable and addictive, with shocking endings you don’t see coming. That reputation comes from a few repeatable mechanics, and these are the ones to look for in a read-alike:
- An ordinary starting point. The danger sits inside a home, a marriage or a job, so the reader is never in a remote, fantastical world.
- Short chapters. Comfy Pages describes the McFadden-style pace as short chapters in which everyone seems to be hiding something. Each break is a natural place to keep going rather than stop.
- Suspense that does not let up. Because every character appears to have a secret, the reader keeps revising who to trust.
- A twist that reframes the story. The payoff is a late, surprising ending rather than a slow resolution.
These four features, rather than any single plot, are what make a book feel like McFadden. A thriller that has the ordinary setting but a slow, reflective pace will read very differently, which is worth remembering when you choose.
Authors to try first
Start with the writers whose tone is closest to McFadden’s, then move outward by how dark or complex you want the next book to be.
Lisa Jewell
Hasty Book List says Lisa Jewell writes domestic suspense with deeply drawn characters and haunting emotional stakes. Comfy Pages positions her for readers who want something twisty but a little more psychologically layered than McFadden. She is the natural first step if you enjoyed the twists but wanted more time with the characters’ inner lives. If you want the fastest, leanest read possible, she may feel slower.
Shari Lapena
According to Comfy Pages, Lapena’s thrillers tend to begin in places that feel completely ordinary before secrets surface. That matches McFadden’s habit of hiding danger in familiar settings, so she suits readers who most enjoy the moment a normal household turns unsafe.
Alice Feeney
Comfy Pages recommends Lisa Jewell or Alice Feeney for anyone who wants something a little darker or more psychologically complex. Choose Feeney when you have already tried the lighter read-alikes and want the psychology to carry more weight than the pace.
Read-alikes at a glance
The table compares authors and standout titles on tone and twist style, then says what each choice is best used for.
| Author or title | Tone and twist style | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Lisa Jewell | Twisty but more psychologically layered than McFadden | Pick when you want more character psychology alongside the twists |
| Alice Feeney | Suggested for darker, more psychologically complex reading | Pick once lighter read-alikes feel too easy |
| Shari Lapena | Thrillers begin in ordinary places before secrets surface | Pick for the everyday-turned-dangerous feel |
| The Only One Left | Set inside a decaying mansion, with a caregiver and an elderly woman | Pick for a confined, atmospheric setting |
| The Perfect Marriage | A defense attorney’s husband is accused of murdering his mistress | Pick for legal stakes inside a marriage |
| Don’t Let Her Stay | Domestic thriller under 300 pages, focused on family rather than just a couple | Pick for a quick, compact read |
| The Favor | More visceral than McFadden; domestic abuse is discussed | Check trigger warnings before starting |
Descriptions come from Comfy Pages and Paige DiTullio’s reading list.
What to read after The Housemaid
Readers coming straight from The Housemaid often want a similar situation: a vulnerable person working in someone else’s home. Pan Macmillan, a publisher, has a reading list for fans of the book, written for people who loved the screen adaptation starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Early Bird Books also notes that the story is set to become a major movie starring Sydney Sweeney.
- Nanny Wanted. Pan Macmillan calls it a chilling tale set in a remote Cornish mansion. It is the closest match in setup, since a live-in role and an isolated house echo the premise that made McFadden’s book a hit.
- Forget You Saw Her. The publisher’s blurb begins seventeen years after Sabina decided to give her daughter up for adoption. Choose it when you prefer a missing-person hook and family stakes to a household-staff story.
- My Husband’s Wife. Pan Macmillan describes it as the highly anticipated new novel from the author of Beautiful Ugly, one that will leave you questioning everything. It suits readers who most enjoy being unsure whom to believe.
- The Only One Left. A caregiver and an elderly woman inside a decaying mansion, per Comfy Pages, make this another strong option for a claustrophobic caregiving setup.
Reading order within this list matters less than setting. If the isolated house was the draw, start with Nanny Wanted or The Only One Left. If the human relationships were the draw, start with Forget You Saw Her.
Choosing by tone, stakes and pace
Three questions narrow the field quickly.
How fast do you want it?
For speed, a book under 300 pages that stays on family tension, as described for Don’t Let Her Stay, is a safer bet than a long, slow-burning novel. For more reflection between twists, Lisa Jewell’s character-led approach gives you room to breathe.
What kind of danger do you enjoy?
Domestic suspense, the genre McFadden is placed in, keeps the threat inside a home or relationship. Psychological thrillers more broadly focus on what characters think and fear. If you prefer legal tension, The Perfect Marriage adds a courtroom angle to a marriage in crisis. If you want a house itself to feel threatening, look at the mansion settings in Nanny Wanted and The Only One Left.
How dark can it get?
Not every read-alike matches McFadden’s level of intensity. Paige DiTullio notes that The Favor is more visceral than how McFadden writes and discusses domestic abuse, so check the trigger warnings before reading. Alice Feeney and Lisa Jewell are also positioned as darker or more complex options, so move to them deliberately rather than by accident.
A practical approach is to read one author at a time and judge the first book on how often it makes you want to turn the page. If it does, continue with that author. If it does not, change one variable, either darker or lighter, rather than abandoning the genre.
Where to go next
If a thriller author becomes a favorite, our list of Smart Questions To Ask An Author: 25 Prompts To Spark Conversation In 2026 can help you prepare for an event or interview. When you want a complete change of mood after a run of dark reads, Black Romance Authors You Need To Read Now: A 2026 Guide To Love, Voice, And Representation offers a different kind of page-turner.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes thrillers like Freida McFadden?
Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Alice Feeney are the most frequently suggested names. Jewell and Feeney lean more psychological, while Lapena stays close to everyday settings.
What should I read after The Housemaid?
Publisher Pan Macmillan points fans toward Nanny Wanted, Forget You Saw Her and My Husband’s Wife. Nanny Wanted is the nearest in setting, with its remote mansion.
What makes McFadden’s books addictive?
Reviewers cite their bingeable pace and shocking endings. Short chapters and secretive characters keep the tension from dropping.
Are McFadden’s read-alikes just as dark?
It varies. Some, like Don’t Let Her Stay, are compact family thrillers, while The Favor is more visceral and covers domestic abuse, so check its trigger warnings first.
