What to Read if You Loved The Housemaid

15 psychological thrillers with gasp-worthy twists

Ever since its 2022 release, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden has been making waves. Readers describe it as addictive and praise its jaw-dropping twists and turns. If you've already devoured the first two books in The Housemaid series and are eagerly awaiting The Housemaid is Watching (out June 11), here are fifteen more twisty psychological thrillers to add to your list.

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White

Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. It's a harmless hobby until she sees something she can't unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. And they're quick to turn the tables.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they'll find.

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that formerly belonged to a renowned psychiatrist who vanished mysteriously years ago. But when a winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

While out celebrating her 45th birthday, crime podcaster Alix meets Josie who turns out to be her birthday twin. As the two women get to know one another, Josie wedges her way into Alix's life. But Josie is hiding dark secrets and before she knows it, Alix has become the subject of her own crime podcast.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

Detective Chelsey Calhoun's life is turned upside down when she gets the call. Ellie Black, a teenager who disappeared two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington state. But something isn't right. Ellie won't reveal where she's been, and it's up to Chelsey to find the answers.

Look Closer by David Ellis

Simon and Vicky couldn't seem more normal: a wealthy Chicago couple, he a respected law professor, she an advocate for domestic violence victims. A stable, if unexciting marriage. But one thing's for sure: absolutely nothing is what it seems. The pair are far from normal, and one of them just may be a killer.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

This is a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal. After her restaurant fails, Lee finds herself living in her car. When she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a wealthy woman who wants nothing more than to disappear, things begin to get tricky.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This clever update on Henry James's classic horror tale, replaces haints with AI. When Rowan assumes her new nanny position, she is smitten by the luxurious "smart" home, the lush Scottish Highlands, and the picture-perfect family. What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare.

The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin

In an effort to save her marriage, Ainsley makes a salacious proposal to her husband. They will each date someone new once a week. They will never discuss what happens on the dates. Soon, though, the rules are broken, turning terrible mistakes into unspeakable consequences.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Maggie is a restorer of old houses, so when she inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she decides to renovate the rambling Victorian estate. After all, she's never really believed her father's claims about the place being haunted. But after moving in, Maggie begins to wonder if his story was true.

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

Christopher and Hannah are a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. All that's missing is a child. When Janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, Christopher convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own. But Janie is no ordinary child.

Unmissing by Minka Kent

Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have the life they dreamed of: a coastal home, a promising future, and a growing family. That dream ends with a late-night knock on the door. Weak, broken, and emaciated, it's Luca's first wife, Lydia. Missing for ten years, presumed dead, but very much alive, she has quite a story.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

As a new nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison, Brooke Sullivan is taught three crucial rules: Treat all prisoners with respect. Never reveal personal information. And never become too friendly with the inmates. But one of those inmates knows all too well that Brooke has already broken the rules.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes. Twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge. When teenage girls start disappearing, that terrifying summer comes crashing back.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne Parrish—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale. Amber's envy could eat her alive. But she has a plan. This is The Talented Mr. Ripley with XX chromosomes.

Get your adrenaline flowing with these taut, twisty thrillers. Hopefully there are a few titles here that will make good additions to your summer TBR list.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon