The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid Is Watching is a suspenseful and tense thriller, but it’s not the strongest third installment in the series.

Previous Books in Series

The Housemaid (Book 1)

The Housemaid’s Secret (Book 2)

The Housemaid’s Wedding (Book 2.5)

Synopsis

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes.

But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

Review

The Housemaid Is Watching is a tense and dramatic thriller set 11 years after The Housemaid’s Wedding. Millie is now a social worker at a hospital, juggling life with her husband, Enzo, and their two kids—11-year-old Ada and 9-year-old Nico. The family is thrilled about their new home on Long Island, even though affording it means stretching every penny. Millie hopes for a safe neighborhood and friendly neighbors, but what she gets is far from ideal.

Suzette Lowell, their overly flirty neighbor, seems a little too interested in Enzo. Janice, another neighbor, keeps her son on a leash and warns Millie about predators in the area. And then, a week into their new home, Millie starts hearing scratching noises inside the house. Things escalate when she notices Enzo spending a lot of time at Suzette’s backyard in exchange for a job referral. Meanwhile, their housemaid seems to be constantly watching her, Suzette’s flirtations grow relentless, and Nico begins acting aggressively.

One night, Millie finds Enzo talking to Suzette in secret—and soon after, he mysteriously disappears from their bed in the middle of the night. As if all this isn’t enough to send her blood pressure skyrocketing, Millie eventually stumbles upon Mr. Lowell’s dead body… and Enzo washing blood off his hands in their kitchen, making him the prime suspect.

The pacing in this book felt off. The first 60% of The Housemaid Is Watching was pure buildup, with the real action—who killed Mr. Lowell, why the kids were behaving strangely, and how Millie would save Enzo—crammed into the last 30%. Even then, the pacing remained steady rather than pulse-pounding. Some twists were genuinely surprising, while others felt outright implausible.

Millie herself felt different in this book. She’s no longer the sharp, instinct-driven woman she once was. Instead, she repeatedly ignores her gut feelings, lets insults slide, and seems more concerned with how her son might “turn out like her” rather than investigating his odd behavior. Her kids even see her as a “boring” mom—if only they knew she’s a murderess queen who could take down anyone threatening her family.

While I appreciated seeing her embrace a normal life, the consequences of that made me miss the fierce, dangerous Millie from previous books. That said, I did love how deeply she cared for her family and how, despite everything, she trusted Enzo and ultimately saved him.

Speaking of Enzo, he was frustrating from the start. Unlike in previous books where they were a united front, here, he shuts Millie out, keeps secrets, disregards her concerns, and makes one infuriating decision after another. His reasoning for hiding things from her was weak, and his actions only added to her stress. He was an idiot—but at least he was a loving and protective father.

Speaking of Enzo, he was frustrating from the start. Unlike in previous books where they were not a united front, here, he shuts Millie out, keeps secrets, disregards her concerns, and makes one infuriating decision after another. His reasoning for hiding things from her was weak, and his actions only added to her stress. He was an idiot—but at least he was a loving and protective father.

The killer’s reveal was shocking, but the execution lacked the gripping intensity of the earlier books. And the housemaid? Practically a background character, despite the title. The tension and suspense were top-tier, but the characters—especially Millie and Enzo—let me down.

Overall, The Housemaid Is Watching is a suspenseful and tense thriller, but it’s not the strongest third installment in the series. If you love the author’s writing and storytelling style, you’ll still enjoy it—but if you’re looking for the high-stakes thrill of the earlier books, you might be a little disappointed.

What to expect in The Housemaid Is Watching –

Tension & Suspense
Shocking Murder Mystery
Family Drama
Slow Build-Up
A Softer Millie!
The Housemaid is Barely There

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amzon.com | Amazom.co.uk

Have you read this or wish to read?
What was your favorite book in this series or by this author?

Just in case you missed,,,

• Jumble Sale by Shabnam Minwalla
• The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid’s Wedding (The Housemaid #2.5) by Freida McFadden – a tension filled novella

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | WhatsApp Channel

---