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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Ella Creamer

‘Deliciously dark’: how Freida McFadden’s twisty thrillers gripped millions of readers

Freida McFadden Philip Stone Sara Cohen United States James Patterson Laura Wilson BookTok
Freida McFadden at a screening of The Housemaid in New York in December 2025.
Freida McFadden at a screening of The Housemaid in New York in December 2025. Photograph: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Some call themselves McFans, others Freida readahs. However Freida McFadden’s loyal fans choose to define themselves, what we know for sure is that their numbers are growing, and fast.

McFadden, the author behind blockbuster psychological thriller The Housemaid, was the UK’s bestselling novelist of 2025, outstripping Richard Osman, Sarah J Maas and Rebecca Yarros, and shifting 2.6m print copies in 12 months.

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