Suspicious side characters, red herrings, lurking danger, rising tension, and twists that leave you speechless: These are the hallmarks of a great mystery novel. The mystery, thriller, and crime genre is my favorite, and, while there are plenty of amazing authors in this category — including Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Megan Miranda — when I’m looking for something especially bingeable, I peruse Freida McFadden’s book list.
These bestselling novels are addictive psychological thrillers that entertain from the first to last page, and they always have at least one incredible twist. I recently read The Coworker and assumed (silly me) that I had the whole plot figured out. Well, let me tell you, I did not see that ending coming.
The more I rave, the more you may be interested in discovering the best Freida McFadden books, or wondering about which order to read her novels. “Best,” of course, is completely subjective, but here, I’ve offered what is, in my opinion, a great roadmap to reading the top Freida McFadden books. Follow my guide, or choose your own reading adventure.
My one piece of advice? Don’t start one of these books if you have somewhere to be or any other important obligation. Because once you start, you can’t stop.
1. Never Lie
Not only is Never Lie an unputdownable psychological thriller, but it also packs all the hallmarks of a McFadden novel, including jaw-dropping twists (and a few plot devices I won’t spoil here). It even has one of my favorite mystery tropes — the locked room. Start with this book if you want to understand the McFadden hype. Trust me, there’s no going back.
In this story, Tricia and Ethan’s house hunt leads them to a remote and stately mansion once inhabited by a psychologist, who vanished. When a snowstorm traps them overnight, Tricia passes the time by listening to old cassette tapes found in the house — transcripts that unravel the horrifying truth about the previous owner’s disappearance.
Continue your McFadden journey with another fan-favorite twisty thriller. As usual for this author, the ending of The Perfect Son is impossible to see coming, even if you’re well-versed with the mystery/thriller genre.
Erika Cass worries that something is … off about her teenage son, Liam. When a local girl disappears and Liam’s the last person to have seen her alive, Erika fears the worst. Still, as a devoted mother, she also feels compelled to protect her child — even if he’s a monster.
This one may remind you of We Need to Talk About Kevin, but it unfolds at a faster pace and with more unknowns from the get-go.
When she was a child, Nora Davis’ father was imprisoned for life. His crime? Brutally murdering women in their family’s basement. Decades later, Nora’s a successful surgeon trying to keep her dark past under wraps. But then, her patients start dying under the same modus operandi her father used all those years ago.
Does someone want to expose Nora’s terrible family legacy by framing her as the killer? Or is it true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?
The Locked Door is an ultra-suspenseful novel with some darker themes and plot points that’s equal parts drama and thriller, making the twists and turns feel extra impactful.
4. One by One
Reminiscent of one of the greatest mystery novels of all time — And Then There Were None by the one and only Agatha Christie — this thriller about a vacation gone wrong is especially intriguing thanks to an anonymous narrator. I love this device, as it gives us a glimpse into the deranged killer’s mind without spoiling the reveal.
When six friends head out for a relaxing getaway at a remote hotel, they have no idea the horrors that await. First, their car breaks down, forcing them to hike the rest of the way. Then, they get hopelessly lost. And that’s when they start dying … one by one.
April Masterson’s life is going perfectly — she’s a committed wife and mother, and a successful baker with a YouTube following — until she starts getting creepy texts threatening to expose her darkest secrets.
Before long, people in April’s circle start dying. She suspects the new neighbor is out to get her, but there are plenty of other suspects, too. (It’s a McFadden thriller, after all.)
The next McFadden book I’d recommend follows a married couple whose dream of having a family becomes a twisted nightmare.
After fighting a long, hard battle with infertility, Abby and Sam are thrilled when Monica, Abby’s assistant, offers to be their surrogate. But then Monica’s behavior takes a concerning turn, and amid all those red flags, Abby’s professional life starts to fall apart. To make matters worse, Sam is starting to doubt Abby’s capabilities as a soon-to-be mother.
If there’s anything better than a McFadden thriller, it’s one with a storyline comparable to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Do Not Disturb may make you second-guess your next hotel booking, no matter how great the reviews are.
Quinn Alexander is a murderer. The truth behind her crime is complicated, but the police probably won’t see it that way. So she runs, hoping to start a new life somewhere far, far away. When a snowstorm forces her to spend the night at the Baxter Motel, Quinn has no idea her nightmare is only just beginning.
By now you’ve gotten a healthy dose of some of my favorite McFadden books. Let’s take a break from her signature murder mysteries to read something more lighthearted, shall we?
The Devil Wears Scrubs is McFadden’s debut novel, and it’s quite a departure from the rest of her catalog. Instead of a twisty psychological thriller, this one’s a comedy that I’d describe as The Devil Wears Prada meets Grey’s Anatomy.
It follows the antics of medical intern Jane McGill who, besides learning the ropes of being a new doctor, must contend with a cruel, unforgiving senior resident (the titular “devil”).
Fun fact: When McFadden isn’t drumming up page-turning novels, she’s a practicing physician. Clearly, we can assume this hilarious romp about the trials and tribulations of medical internships is rooted in reality.
9. The Inmate
Let’s get back to McFadden’s usual fare with The Inmate, which features yet another unforgettable, impossible-to-predict ending.
When Brooke Sullivan takes a job as a nurse practitioner in a men’s prison, no one realizes she already knows one of the inmates — someone she helped put away for a violent crime decades before. When said inmate tries to convince Brooke of his innocence, she begins to doubt her own memories.
10. Ward D
Amy Brenner dreads working in the psychiatry ward because of her dark past, but as a medical student she doesn’t have much choice. On her very first night in Ward D, Amy’s worst fears come true when people start disappearing. Someone in the mental health wing is out to get them. But who — and why?
A claustrophobic locked-room mystery, Ward D is a solid McFadden read that will keep you on your toes with each new plot twist. (Yes, there are several!)
When bestselling author Adam Barnett offers Sylvia Robinson a job caring for his wife Victoria, who’s suffered a traumatic brain injury, Sylvia jumps at the opportunity. For one thing, the money is too good to pass up. For another, Adam is both handsome and famous.
But he also has plenty to hide — dark secrets Sylvia discovers after stumbling upon Victoria’s old journals.
Fans of Colleen Hoover’s Verity are in for a treat, but don’t worry — the ending to The Wife Upstairs is distinctly different and only something McFadden could have created.
12. The Coworker
When Dawn, a socially inept accountant, fails to show up for work one morning, her colleague Natalie, a pretty and popular sales rep, is worried. A disturbing phone call sends Natalie on a mission to find out what happened to Dawn and why.
Told in dual perspectives (at least one of which may not be trustworthy), The Coworker is a riveting thriller that explores the long-term effects of bullying and casual cruelty.
13. The Teacher
The Teacher is one of McFadden’s newer twisty thrillers where truth and lies blend and blur until the shocking end, made all the more tricky by alternating unreliable narrators. However, this one has some themes that could use content warnings, including sexual abuse of minors, so proceed with caution.
Married couple Eve and Nate are both teachers at Caseham High School, which is still reeling from a scandal involving a student and a former teacher. When the student and Nate seem to be getting too close, Eve fears the worst.
14. Do You Remember?
Tess wakes up next to a man she’s never seen before. He claims to be her husband, and gives her a letter in her own handwriting. Shocked, Tess learns she was in a car accident that destroyed her short term memory.
She’s just beginning to accept it all when the text message arrives: “Don’t trust the man who calls himself your husband.”
Who is the stranger in her bed, and what happened to the fiancé she remembers from 10 years ago? Try to figure this one out as you read — all true McFadden fans do — but don’t be surprised if the truth is more shocking than you expected.
15. The Gift
If you’re not prepared to commit to a full novel by McFadden, you can begin your twisty journey with this short story.
Stella has no idea what to get her new husband for Christmas, and no money to buy anything, anyway. So when a mysterious pawn shop owner offers her a trade, Stella jumps at the chance. But what will she have to trade — and is it worth it?
