Freida McFadden
The pen name of a Harvard-trained brain-injury physician who self-published for a decade before *The Housemaid* made her one of the best-selling thriller writers in the world.
The Witch
A thriller set on a haunted estate, about two women, one in the past and one in the present; Poisoned Pen Press published it on October 6, 2026.1112
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At a glance
- The name
- A pen name; "Freida" comes from FREIDA, an online database of medical residency programs41
- Education
- Harvard University18
- Before writing
- A physician specializing in brain injury; she stepped away from medicine in late 202315
- First book
- The Devil Wears Scrubs, self-published in 201331
- Publishers
- Bookouture, then Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks)34
- Major awards
- International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback Original Novel, 2023, for The Housemaid1
Freida McFadden's Backstory
Medicine and a pen name
The writer known as Freida McFadden grew up in New York City and studied at Harvard, then trained as a physician specializing in brain injury, practicing in the Boston area.18 She chose a pen name to keep her writing separate from her work as a doctor; “Freida” comes from FREIDA, an online database of medical residency programs.43
Ten years of self-publishing
While training she wrote a blog about medicine, and in 2013 she self-published The Devil Wears Scrubs, a comic novel about a first-year resident.63 For the next decade she self-published medical comedies and, increasingly, psychological thrillers, among them The Wife Upstairs (2020) and The Locked Door (2021).14
The Housemaid
The ebook publisher Bookouture persuaded her to let it publish The Housemaid, about a woman with a secret past who takes a live-in job with a wealthy family; it came out in April 2022 and won the International Thriller Writers award for best paperback original.471 Two sequels followed, and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, acquired print rights to 15 of her books.13 Paul Feig’s film of The Housemaid, with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, opened in December 2025 and grossed about $396 million worldwide.2
Recent years
She stepped away from medicine in late 2023, and in April 2026 she disclosed her real name in an interview with USA Today, while saying she would keep publishing as Freida McFadden.5 She published four new books in 2026, ending with The Witch in October.1131411 She lives outside Boston with her family.1
Fun facts
- Her first book grew out of a blog about her training; she wrote it about her intern year of residency and, she says, published it "just for fun."6
- When Bookouture offered to publish one of her books, her first impulse was to say no, because self-publishing was going well.7
- Poisoned Pen Press bought print rights to 15 of her books, a mix of new and backlist titles, and interleaves the old ones with new releases.3
- In The Wife Upstairs (2020), a character lives with a severe brain injury, the kind of patient she treated as a doctor.8
- Stephen King has called her books engrossing and her sense of humor sharp and dark.11
Books
In order of first publication. Each series is kept together, in reading order, starting where its first book appeared. Titles, series and dates from the bibliography in McFadden's Wikipedia entry, with her 2026 books from publisher and retailer announcements; the Housemaid short story is left out.1131412
Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores) and Amazon links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission on purchases, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. WorldCat links find the book in a library near you.
Dr. Jane McGill
- 2013
- 2017Book 2The Devil You Know
Prescription: Murder
- 2014
- 2016
- 201511 out of 10
- 2015
- 2018
- 2019
- 2019
- 2020
- 2020The Wife Upstairs
- 2021
- 2021
- 2021Want to Know a Secret?
- 2022Do You Remember?
- 2022
- 2022The Gift
The Housemaid
- 2022
- 2023Book 2The Housemaid's Secret
- 2024
- 2022
- 2023The Co-Worker
- 2023
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2025Death Row
- 2025
- 2025
- 2025
- 2026
- 2026
- 2026The Divorce
- 2026
Latest news
Poisoned Pen Press published The Witch, set partly in the past, which one early reviewer called her move into historical fiction.1112
In an interview with USA Today she disclosed her real name, saying she was tired of the secret, and said she would keep writing as Freida McFadden.5
Lionsgate announced a film of The Housemaid's Secret after The Housemaid grossed $133 million worldwide in its first 17 days.9
Adaptations and other media
Film
- The Housemaid2025Based on The Housemaid
Paul Feig directed Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar for Lionsgate; made for $35 million, it grossed about $396 million worldwide.2
- The Housemaid's SecretAnnounced 2026Based on The Housemaid's Secret
Lionsgate's sequel, with Feig and Sweeney returning and Rebecca Sonnenshine writing, is scheduled for December 17, 2027.910
Timeline
What's next
The Sleepwalker, a thriller about a nurse, is scheduled for March 23, 2027, and the film of The Housemaid's Secret for December 17, 2027.1510
Sources
- Freida McFadden Wikipedia (via Wikiwand)Reference
- The Housemaid (2025 film) Wikipedia (March 2026 snapshot)Reference
- How Freida McFadden became a best-selling author Artdaily (The New York Times)News
- 'Deliciously dark': how Freida McFadden's twisty thrillers gripped millions of readers The Guardian (via inkl)News
- 'The Housemaid' author Freida McFadden reveals her true identity: 'It's time' NBC MontanaNews
- A Reader's Guide to Freida McFadden Book RiotNews
- Who is hiding behind the name Freida McFadden? AraNews
- Who Exactly Is Freida McFadden? Young HollywoodNews
- Sydney Sweeney box-office hit 'The Housemaid' to get a sequel AP (via NewsNation)News
- The Housemaid's Secret RunPeeWebsite
- The Witch Penguin Random House AustraliaPrimary record
- The Witch The NileWebsite
- Award-winning author reveals intriguing new book AOLNews
- The Divorce New Books AlertWebsite
- Freida McFadden's The Sleepwalker: release date Books of BrillianceNews
