Revisiting the World of Millie: My Take on The Housemaid’s Secret By Freida McFadden
It appears like yesterday I came across Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid. I recall feeling fascinated with the high-octane swift thriller that immersed me into the life of the unreliable yet incessantly troubled Millie. Catching my breath from the first book took quite a bit of time since it was so intense that two entire years had to elapse before I could even think about the story.
It is only now that I have gone back and probed that first book, attempting to retrace the complex story McFadden has created. The first book was engaging and intriguing but anxiety soon set in when I had to digest that there is a second part The Housemaid’s Secret. McFadden has written about the emergence of the second book, heightened my interest, and my faith that she would surpass the first book. Why did she decide to publish the second book if the first was perfect? How will the plot of the sequel carry itself as Millie’s initial installment remains pristine? Most critically, how would the second book fit in considering the amount of speculation that McFadden needed inspiration to write her first.
So, this is what I discovered within myself as I prepared for geographic, and perspective shifts while reading the second volume. Spoiler alert: it’s as maddening, dark, and edge-of-your-seat as you expect it to be.
Plot Deep Dive: The Housemaid’s Secret and Millie’s New Role
To start, let’s just say Millie is back, but this time, she is in a completely different space. Millie is no stranger to chaos and destruction and bane as you would reasonably expect if you read The Housemaid, which she has. But interestingly, The Housemaid’s Secret is a beginning to a new story for her. Today, she is again employed as a domestic servant, but this time in the beautiful house of Amber Degraw. But it is not only in this capacity that she has sought skills. At the same time, she also hopes to support herself with a college degree in the future that might enable her to stop working as a housemaid.
Her past also seems to be rather different, if not entirely so, than her present. Do you recall Enzo, the landscaper from the first book? Nina seemed devoted and Enzo’s thoughts belonged to her, or that is what I had hoped. Apparently, Millie and Enzo are currently involved in determining what kind of business they will be running together. They have gone further and are now working to eradicate violence against women within the family (there is no restriction in how this should be accomplished). Even Millie has gotten tangled with Brock, who is a lawyer and does not have any fair idea about cloaks of secrecy around her life, including the bunch of years she spent behind the bars or other things.
However, things don’t get any better at the Garrick household. After Amber dismisses Millie for calling her child ‘Mama’, out of sheer jealousy, Millie is out of work and feeling hopeless. It is at this point that McFadden’s talent to create suspense begins to unfold. And so what is Millie’s next plan? Getting employed by the Garricks, Douglas and Wendy. However, nothing is ever that simple at the Garrick residence. Wendy is weak and has not stepped out of her guest room. Douglas exhibits odd behavior, in that, his mood can change from warm and welcoming to erratic and cold within seconds. Then there is the blood – on Wendy’s clothing, in the bathroom, and Millie is left with more questions than she started with.
This setup is just the tip of a psychological iceberg, and whenever a layer of fraud is removed, one can only expect to find something that is far worse. Millie is in way over her head and as the reader I just had to know what happened next, I could not read fast enough.
Millie: The Anti-Heroine We Can’t Help But Root For
I will not lie; Millie is not a character who one can sympathize with most of the time. She has derogatory tendencies, she is passive aggressive, and yes, she can be a hot mess. But that is exactly why I adore her. McFadden has made an anti-heroine who is authentic. Millie is no angel and can be extremely annoying at times, however, it is tough not to cheer for her.
This time around, Millie’s history almost cripples her and her wish to ‘go legit’ appears to be almost torturous. She’s on the verge of making a huge change to her situation yet it’s like the world or even her personality is dragging her back into darkness. This moral ambiguity is what gives her a multifaceted personality. She is not the kind of female lead who warms up to the challenges and finds ways around them to emerge victorious. Quite the opposite; she is messy, and emotional with relentless impulsiveness and no logic.
Although much has taken place, it becomes increasingly difficult not to root for her, even when she does things that raise eyebrows, such as beating up her attacking neighbor. That being said, she is a fighter. But why? The question reverberates to the very core of The Housemaid’s Secret, making the plot as much about Millie’s inner struggle as it is about the external conflict.
Freida McFadden’s Storytelling Magic: The Pace, Twists, and Unreliable Narration
I have come to appreciate Freida McFadden’s real gift; keeping the suspense through the pages. None of my expectations coming into The Housemaid’s Secret were met. But now I appreciate that, it was a very well done story, filled with surprises, tension, and many plot twists. What makes McFadden a terrific author is that she always puts a new layer of complexity in her novels, and right when you start to feel like you’ve got everything figured out, she completely unbalances the experience.
I have to comment on the pacing, too. This book is fast. Long, thoughtful speeches and blossom prose are not what you will come across here. There are no fillers in the book; every chapter is short and advances the plot. It also makes you wonder how entire chapters in this book manage to be so short they are impossible to stop reading. There is a tension that simply permeates the narrative and it certainly could not have been designed better for the mess that is Millie’s life.
However, the most distinguishing aspect of the book is the presence of unreliable narration by McFadden. The majority of the book is told from Millie’s perspective, and even if I wanted to believe her, at times I was not certain whether I could. Is there any honesty in her assertions that she is being more debt than she actually is? Is she a victim, or has she taken charge? These are questions that the reader can be ardent about, and it is commendable for McFadden as a writer to raise so much uncertainty without ever revealing too much.
The Garricks: A Case Study in Manipulation and Power
Now, let us focus on the Garricks. From the instant they appear, it is impossible to shake the feeling that Wendy and Douglas are an unusually unsettling married pair. While Douglas is quite the lady’s man, Wendy is mysterious—a woman curled up on her bed, battered and hurt, with an explanation that is strangely inconsistent.
Wendy’s strategy of turning Millie into a puppet is ingenious. At the outset, I believed in her cause. She appeared to be the one oppressed within a violent relationship, with no prospects of escape. However, to my surprise, as the plot unfolded, it became increasingly apparent that Wendy was setting the stage for something much wider. How she turned Millie’s own past to her advantage, providing her with the opportunity to take the fall for murder, was both horrifying and ingenious.
This incident highlights the struggle for power that exists in McFadden’s fictional universe. While Wendy loves a life of luxury and privilege with all the trappings of wealth, Millie is left fighting for her next meal. However, as the book unfolds, it is apparent the power is not as lopsided as it may appear on the surface. Millie does not have the financial clout or the support system that lesser beings have, but she has something even more potent—an intelligent head on her shoulders and the determination to get her way.
The Twists: Just When You Think You Know, You Don’t
For those who think that the first novel was full of twists, the second book called The Housemaid’s Secret will blow your mind. Millie’s realization that Douglas wasn’t dead because of her was a real shocker. Tension fills every chapter so naturally, that one is confident about their predictions until they are proven wrong, like I was.
The revelation about Russell, who is not only Wendy’s partner but also has a strong resemblance to her husband, was just as surprising. It also changed the status quo and brought out a new dimension to Wendy’s character making me rethink everything about her. The twist of events in the end whereby Millie beats Wendy was simply rewarding as the last page of the book. It has described the growth that Millie has undergone since the first book in the series and furthermore, promises that she is still maturing in a dangerous environment that she occupies.
Themes of Deception, Power, and Moral Ambiguity
The Housemaid’s Secret is perhaps the most twisted and deceptive book in the trilogy. Ruth, Edith and Anna, and virtually every character, are keepers of a secret, which once revealed gives an understanding of what-who-every character is really all about. But more than just character deceit, treachery forms the story’s overarching theme. There are other fundamental issues of treachery revolving around both power and control especially in the gender aspect of relationships.
While Wendy exerts control over others with her ‘femininity’ and her so-called ‘weak’ attributes, Millie draws her strength from her will to survive even in a brutal environment. Both women lack strong moral ethics and that’s what draws one into their charm. Neither of the two can be considered completely good or bad and the audience is put in a position where they must assess their own position against the characters.
Is Millie Really That Naive?
Some critics have commented on the fact that this is how they perceive Millie, as being far too innocent particularly with everything that she has gone through. I have to admit, there were times when I would be angry at her character. How was it even possible that she could overlook the things that Wendy was doing? Why did she keep saying “yes” to the same things that time and time again got her into trouble?
I guess this is part of the reasons why readers are intrigued by Millie as a character. This is someone who is a superwoman. She does not have all the solutions, she makes big mistakes, and she does not ever claim to be perfect. But she’s also evolving. By the conclusion of the narrative, her character will no longer be in that place. She is more hesitant, more strategic and more prepared to do whatever it takes to endure.
The Ending: A Satisfying Conclusion or a Set-Up for More?
The finale of The Housemaid’s Secret was disappointing but at the same time quite engaging for me. I was for example excited about the manner in which Wendy’s plan panned out. It was somewhat gratifying to watch her get her due in the end and Millie’s last minute stand was simply the icing to the cake. However, I still have the impression that there is more to tell about Millie’s adventures.
Has she finally managed to escape the clutches of the chaos that always seems to surround her? Or is it just the beginning of the next chapter in her life? Personally, I would welcome a third installment with Millie continuing her metamorphosis from a passive character into an actress willing to influence the developments around her. After all, she has repeatedly demonstrated that she is able to survive in the sick and twisted world where she is.
Final Thoughts: Freida McFadden Knows How to Keep Us Guessing
Ultimately The Housemaid’s Secret is an excellent continuation of The Housemaid. Filled with plot twists and interesting characters, it is hard not to love these characters in spite of some very poor decisions that they may make. Freida McFadden has not disappointed as a suspense writer and I look forward to what she has in store for us in future.
For those who are interested in psychological thrillers, this will not disappoint as well. The only warning is that do not expect anything and anyone to be as they seem by the time the credible last page is reached.
I’d like to express my gratitude to you for walking through this book with me! If you wish to see other interesting book reviews, click here and go deep into our collection. Have fun reading!
