By Brittany M.

I’m pretty good at figuring out where a plot is headed before it ends. Whether it’s something I expected to happen or an unexpected twist, I keep it to myself. I’m not one of those people who spoils the journey through the storyline for other readers. When a book ends exactly the way I knew it would, I feel a satisfied smile spread across my face, and on the inside exclaim, “Ah ha! I knew it!”, then I move on from that author. But when my brain is spinning, my mouth drops in shock, and all I can think is “I did NOT see that coming,” I’m hooked and eagerly awaiting the author’s next book.  

There is one author who keeps me guessing every time. After reading a few of her books, I still can’t figure out where she is going with the story, but I’m always glad to have read it to the end for the shocking twist. That author’s name is Freida McFadden and her books fly off the shelves at Howard County Library System.

The first McFadden book I read was The Housemaid. A young woman in desperate need of a job starts working for an affluent family. The perfect facade starts to crumble and fade the longer she is employed, ending in a shocking conclusion.

The second book I read was The Inmate. The heroine of the novel has a chilling past that haunts her on and off the job. While trying to piece together the puzzle of her past I found myself trying to guess the villain to no avail. The book had so many twists at the end that I had to go back and re-read the last few chapters to make sure I did not miss anything.  

By the time I got my hands on One by One, I considered myself a solid McFadden fan who would be sure to guess the plot this time. It turns out I got too confident in my plot prediction skills and found myself wrapped up in so many twists and turns in this book that it’s my favorite one by her yet. 

If you’re looking for something unpredictable, entertaining and hard to put down, a Freida McFadden book is the perfect choice. HCLS has several titles from the thrilling author, so no matter which one you choose, you’re in for a nail-biting time up until the very end. 

The Housemaid is available from HCLS in print in English, Korean, and Spanish.

The Inmate is available in print and as an e-audiobook.

One by One is available in print and as an e-audiobook.

Brittany is a Customer Service Specialist at the Miller Branch who loves writing, reading, and all things stationery. Her other hobbies include playing video games, listening to music, and spending quality time with her family.