Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden was born in New York City, NY, USA.
Freida McFadden is probably best known for her Standalone Novels. There are currently 20 novels available. The first standalone was released in 2014 with the novel Suicide Med / Dead Med. The most recently released novel was The Crash which was released in 2025.
Freida McFadden has also written The Housemaid series which has 4 books including The Housemaid and The Housemaid's Secret.
Freida was born on May 1st, year unknown. She primarily writes psychological thriller novels, although has written a few medical humour books as well. As well as writing her novels, Freida is a practising physican, and as per an article with
Female First, is a brain injury trained physician. She is not a surgeon, but deals with patients with brain injuries. "Freida McFadden" is a pseudonym, and she grew up in Manhattan. Freida attended Harvard, initially planning to be a mathematician before pursuing medicine.
The name "Freida" is the acronym for the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database, which is where Freida got the pseudonym from, according to an article in
The Sunday Times.
In the article with
Female First, Freida noted that she wrote her first novel when she was just 11 years old. It was a thriller about a woman whose spouse was killed. It was never published and was written in a notebook.
Her favourite book series growing up was "The Baby-Sitter's Club" by
Ann M. Martin. One of her favourite novels is
Gone Girl by
Gillian Flynn. She told
Thrilling Reads that one big motivator in writing psychological thrillers was a novel by
Shalini Boland. She would wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about the characters and having an emotional response to it and she wanted to recreate that passion.
As per an interview with
Thrilling Reads, Freida has been hesitant to write sequels as she felt it gave away the ending of a book if there was a sequel. However with
The Housemaid, the response to it from readers was overwhelming. She also felt she just wasn't ready to say goodbye to those characters, and thus continued the series.
The first book Freida wrote was motivated by her period working as an intern and in residence as a doctor. There was a senior resident who didn't treat her well, and this motivated her to self-publish her first novel. Her characters are sometimes based on people she knows in real life, or people we can all relate to having interacted with them in real life, like an "awful boss".
In terms of her writing routine, Freida says that the whole story of a book is generally in her head. She doesn't write an outline but instead lets the characters take her where they would like to be and that the characters speak to her. She does plan out the books however, as well as the twist to the book which she feels is one of the most important factors of her novels.
Freida McFadden: Awards & Accolades
McFadden's books have won multiple awards, The Housemaid won the International Thriller Writers Award, Best Original Paperback Novel, in 2023. The Housemaid's Secret won the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2023.
Freida McFadden books have also been nominated for multiple awards, The Housemaid was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2022. The Coworker was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2023. The Housemaid's Secret was nominated for the International Thriller Writers Award, Best Audio Book, in 2024 as well as the British Book Awards - Fiction Audiobook of the Year in 2024. The Teacher was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2024. The Boyfriend was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2024.
Freida McFadden: Lists & Other Mentions
- The Housemaid Is Watching was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2024.
- The Boyfriend was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2024.
Freida McFadden: TV/Movies Based on Books
In April 2023, it was announced that a movie adaptation of The Housemaid was in the works. It would be adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine for Lionsgate.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Freida McFadden are:
- James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
- Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
- David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
- John Grisham, author of the Jake Brigance Series.
- Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
Freida McFadden: F.A.Q
Where was Freida McFadden Born?
Freida McFadden was born in New York City, NY, USA and is American.
What book awards has Freida McFadden won?
What was the first book Freida McFadden wrote?
The first book written by Freida McFadden was The Devil Wears Scrubs, published in 2013.
What was the most recent book Freida McFadden wrote?
Her most recently released work was The Crash on January 28th, 2025.
Will there be any more books by Freida McFadden?
Freida McFadden has two new books coming out: The Tenant will be released on May 6th, 2025. Death Row will be released on June 1st, 2025.
How many books has Freida McFadden written?
Freida McFadden has written 30 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 4 books in The Housemaid Series, 2 books in the Dr. Jane McGill Series, 20 Standalone Novels, 3 Short Stories/Novellas, 1 book in the Alibis Collection Series.
Did Freida McFadden wrote the novel Echoes of Secrets?
Freida did not write Echoes of Secrets. Someone else wrote this book stealing her name, actually breaking the law as she has that name trademarked. Any websites that list this book, are incorrect.
Why can't I find Freida McFadden ebooks in my local library or at various online bookstores?
As per her website, all of Freida's e-books are exclusive to Amazon.
Where does Freida McFadden live?
As of her last update, she was living in Boston, MA.
Where can I buy Freida McFadden ebooks?
Her ebooks are exclusive to Amazon.
Is Freida McFadden really a doctor?
Yes she is. She worked in New York City as a practicing physician who specializes in brain injuries.
Is "Freida McFadden" her real name or a pseudonym?
As per a New York Times article, "Freida McFadden" is a pseudonym. She does not want to reveal her actual name due to still being a physician.