The Housemaid’s Secret- Storyline and Book Review

The Housemaid’s Secret is the second book in the Housemaid series by author Freida McFadden. Housemaid Millie is back, and she is as impoverished and desperate as before. She is an ex-convict and has a prison record of 10 years for a murder that she did as a teenager.

But Millie wants to make something of her life. Millie wants to complete college. Social work is her calling, and she wants to help people in need. But to complete college, she needs money. Millie has a boyfriend, Brock, who is a successful lawyer and is ready to support her. But Millie doesn’t want to take his help. She is a great cook and wants to use her skills to get a job. 

She applies for the housemaid job and is quite surprised when Douglas Garrick, a wealthy businessman, calls her for an interview and eventually offers her the job. Getting a job in a household is quite tricky because of her past. So, when the opportunity strikes, she doesn’t want to let it go. The salary is excellent, and all she has to do is clean and cook. Mr. Garrick has only one condition. Millie must not disturb his wife, Wendy, who is unwell, stays in the guest room and prefers to be left alone.

Millie finds it absurd, but she decides to mind her own business. She just wants to use this opportunity to earn, work hard and stay out of trouble. She cooks, cleans and does everything that her job demands. But as days pass, she is astonished that Wendy never leaves the room. Wendy’s occasional whimpering and sobbing make Millie wonder if Wendy is in trouble. When Wendy’s moaning and crying become more frequent, Millie struggles to ignore it any further. Finally, when she finds blood in Wendy’s dress while she is doing laundry, she is unable to turn a blind eye. She reaches out to Wendy and is flabbergasted to see the bruises on Wendy’s body and face. Wendy is clearly in trouble but warns that Millie must run away and that helping Wendy would put her in serious danger. Wendy tells her that Douglas is very powerful and that he would not leave either of them if they tried to outsmart him. Millie is not afraid. She wants to free poor Wendy from her abusive husband and will go to whatever extent to do her bit.

Wendy and Millie make a plan for Wendy’s escape, but it fails. Wendy’s husband is revengeful now. When he tries to kill poor Wendy, Millie has no choice but to take the gun and shoot it at him. The husband dies immediately. Both the women are scared but also relieved. Wendy is thankful to Millie for helping her get rid of her husband and asks Millie to leave immediately, saying that she will take care of matters from there. She is grateful that Millie was there during her need and doesn’t want to put her in further trouble. 

Millie leaves the place. She curses herself for landing in trouble once again. The news of Douglas’s murder spreads like wildfire. The sensational news of the murder of the successful businessman is all over the place. After a long, tiring day, when Millie reaches home and switches on the news on TV, she is shocked to know that the person she killed was not Douglas Garrick. Douglas Garrick, whose images are flashing on TV, is dead, but he is undoubtedly not the person she killed. 

When approached by the police for questioning, she sticks to the story she and Wendy agreed upon. But all evidence points towards her. The prime suspect in the murder is Millie, and clearly, Wendy has not stuck to the story they agreed upon. Millie is confused. She feels cheated and wants clarification. While Millie may be desperate, she is not scared. She is fearless. She also has the support of Enzo, her boyfriend, who had left some years back and has now come back to be her pillar of support. 

While the first part of the story is narrated by Millie, in the second part of the book, Wendy narrates her side. In this part, the mystery behind the closed door, the abusive husband, and the unexplained murder are unveiled. 

Does Millie solve the mystery, or does she become a victim again and return to prison? What is the mystery of Douglas Garrick? If the person she killed was not Douglas Garrick, then who is that person? And who killed Douglas Garrick? If the person Millie killed is not Douglas, then why was this person living in their house pretending to be him? Read the book to know more. 

The Housemaid’s Secret is a gripping novel that keeps you hooked until the end. It is quite engaging and undoubtedly a great psychological thriller worth reading. 

Read about other exciting books here.

I always read my books on Kindle. That way, I can carry all my books wherever I go :).

Please note that this article contains affiliate links. If you buy using these links, I receive a small commission. This has no effect on the price for you.

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