The Housekeeper is the literary phenomenon of the moment. For fans of crime fiction and thrillers, the book written by Freida McFadden is essential. But before diving into this mysterious and thrilling universe, do you really know in what order to read the works? Seriously is here to guide you!
The Housekeeper is published for the first time in 2022 in English, under the title The Housemaid. The French translation only arrived a year later, in 2023. From then on, the book became a real star on social networks, particularly on le BookToka literary branch of Tik Tok. In just a few months, Freida McFadden’s work rose to the top of the sales charts by becoming a worldwide bestseller.
Summary : in what order to read the saga The Housekeeper ?
What is it about The Housekeeper de Freida McFadden ?
In The Housekeeper, we follow the story of Millie, a young woman just released from prison and unemployed, who tries to rebuild her life after her incarceration. Life then seems to smile on her when she is hired as a domestic worker by a wealthy New York family, the Winchesters. However, Millie quickly discovers that the mansion she works in hides secrets and that her boss, Nina, is not as rosy as she pretends to be. Her unease increases even more when she learns that for the duration of her stay, she will have to sleep in a bedroom in the attic, which only closes from the outside… The ex-convict will then do everything to manage the situation as best as possible, before it is too late.
Which book should you read first?
As we write these lines, the saga The Housekeeper is only made up of four books. To understand the story and not be lost because of all the information given and all the characters mentioned, you will need to read them in a specific order.
As the books are not numbered and the volumes are not indicated by Roman numerals, you will have to refer to the titles of the novels. The first in the series that you must read is therefore The Housekeeper. In the majority of editions, the first book is the one with a blue cover. So, in these first pages, you will discover Millie, Nina, Andrew and Cecelia Winchester but also Enzo, the gardener.
What to read next The Housekeeper ?
Once finished, you will, without a doubt, want to know more. At this time, you will need to obtain Secrets of the housekeeperwhich serves as the second volume. Like its predecessor, this second book also has a very distinct cover, since it uses the color red ! You will therefore not be able to make a mistake in the order of your reading.
After the events of the first part, Millie is disoriented. She tries to start from scratch by landing a new job as a domestic worker for multimillionaire Douglas Garrick. More, Millie doesn’t understand why her boss’s wife is constantly locked in the guest room. She will try to bring out the truth, even if it means risking her life.
In what order should I read the last two books?
You are nearing the end! But which book to read? For your third reading, it will be up to you to choose. If continuing the story in a linear fashion is your main concern, then you will need to read The Housemaid’s Wedding (The Maid’s Wedding). However, as its English title indicates, the book has not yet been translated into French. So, if you want to read it, you will have to get it in its original language. This volume aims to fill the (long) break between the second and third chapters and returns to the heroine’s engagementwhich do not go as planned.
Otherwise, you can directly read the third book, The cleaning lady sees everythingwhich is well translated into French with a white cover. This is officially the last volume. Millie finally lives a quiet life, far from problems. She now lives with her husband and children in a beautiful house, in a quiet neighborhood. She still remains on her guard, especially when her neighbors’ cleaning lady starts behaving very suspiciously. Will Millie once again put her life in danger to reveal the truth?
A film adapted from the first book is in preparation
The Housekeeper will soon have a second life in the form of a film for the cinema! At the casting, we will be able to find Sydney Sweeney as Wilhelmina “Millie” Calloway, Amanda Seyfried will lend her features to Nina and Brandon Sklenar will play Andrew Winchester. They will be accompanied by Michele Morrone who will play Enzo. The feature film will be released in the United States on December 25, 2025. The release date in France is still unknown, but should be revealed soon.
