Add These Thriller & Mystery Books To Your TBR If You Love Freida McFadden

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If you've ever picked up one of Freida McFadden's hugely popular thriller or mystery books, chances are you'll know her novels are renowned for their fast-paced nature and unexpected twists. "The Housemaid," "The Inmate," and "The Boyfriend" (which all rank among McFadden's best books so far) are gripping mystery thrillers, with toxic relationships, secrets, and lies often at the center of her dark stories. McFadden's books are as addictive as they are enthralling, so there's a good chance if you're an avid mystery-thriller reader, you've already made your way through several, if not all, of her more than 30 releases after being unable to put them down. That's where we come in. 

We're here to help you decide what book to add to your TBR (to be read) list next. These 10 thriller and/or mystery novels will sit perfectly next to McFadden's on your bookshelf, e-reader, or audiobook library. They're from notable female authors (McFadden's stories are usually told from a female perspective with female protagonists) such as Alice Feeney, Nita Prose, Colleen Hoover, and more, and are sure to give McFadden's books a run for their money.

Alice Feeney's "Rock Paper Scissors" brings readers into the life of married couple Adam and Amelia Wright. They win a trip to Scotland, which coincides with their 10th anniversary. For each year they've been together, Amelia has written Adam a love letter — but she's never actually let him read them. She decides their romantic getaway, where they plan to spend some much-needed quality time together, is the perfect time to let Adam finally read a decade's worth of letters. But, in a twist worthy of Freida McFadden herself, there's far more to this love story than meets the eye. Truth is, the trip is no surprise to one half of this duo as it comes to light that they haven't been honest with the other throughout their lengthy marriage.

Not only does "Rock Paper Scissors," one of the best domestic thriller books of the 2020s, have the twisty nature McFadden's novels are notorious for, it also taps into the dark-secrets-between-lovers trope seen in the likes of "The Boyfriend" and "The Wife Upstairs." "The tension, story-building, and balanced pace are well-constructed, intriguing, and engaging," one Goodreads user stated of "Rock Paper Scissors" in their five-star review. Another wrote, "If you are fan of things such as isolated locations, creepy houses, hidden secrets, marital strife, jaw-dropping plot twists, characters who are authors and people being stranded places, you should absolutely check this one out!!!"

According to Goodreads reviewers, the first in Arya's "The Favorite Girl" book series taps into the same dark, underestimated woman-held-captive-in-the-workplace story as Freida McFadden's "The Housemaid" series. "The Favorite Girl" introduces us to the Ivorys, a rich family who seem to have it all. But they have some very dark secrets lurking just below the surface of their picture-perfect life. The wealthy clan employs a cleaner named Demi Roa, who takes the job only after bravely freeing herself from dangerous captivity. But when Demi enters the Ivory residence with the hopes of starting a new life, things turn seriously sinister when it becomes apparent the disturbing family knows all about her. And they'd always planned for Demi, their new favorite girl, to walk through their door.

"This book kept me guessing from start to finish. If you like Freida McFadden's thrillers, you'll really love this one because it was SUCH an easy read and so fast paced," one Goodreads reviewer wrote. "I had to pause multiple times just to take a breath and regroup — the twists, the tension, and the psychological layers hit hard. If you're sensitive to triggers, please proceed carefully," another reader wrote.

Young adult mystery thriller "That's Not My Name" by Megan Lally gives us Freida McFadden's "Do You Remember?" vibes. While "Do You Remember?" tells the story of a woman dealing with severe memory loss who has to decide who she can (and more importantly, can't) trust, "That's Not My Name" sees a woman named Lola go missing. Her disappearance has the whole town believing her boyfriend, Drew, has killed her. Around the same time that fingers are being pointed at Drew, though, a teenager wakes up on the side of the road. Not only does she not know what's happened to her, but she doesn't even know what her name is. Luckily (or not), a man arrives on the scene to help her. He tells her that her name is Mary and he's her dad. He even has her ID to prove it. But all is certainly not as it seems.

"Realistically terrifying, so twisty, and so unique (but believable all at the same time)," one five-star Goodreads review stated. "Fast paced YA thriller that reads more like new adult – it had depth and great characters," read another review. Multiple reviewers were complimentary of the book's dramatic ending, while another wrote, "Overall, this is a well-written, heart-throbbing, riveting, and exciting page-turner that you shouldn't miss."

Colleen Hoover's "Verity" (one of Hoover's top five books when ranked by reviews) has repeatedly been compared to Freida McFadden's "The Wife Upstairs." Both combine mystery themes and share a similar storyline of an injured wife who writes down her innermost thoughts and feelings, plus another person's tough decision over whether to read and share them with the world. In "Verity," we meet writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is tasked with finishing a book series by author Verity Crawford. Lowen discovers that Verity had been writing a secret autobiography — and it's full of shocking revelations. Lowen also finds herself growing closer to Verity's husband, Jeremy Crawford, the man who hired her to tell his wife's story. Though Verity clearly never intended for her unfinished autobiography to be read, Lowen wrestles with her morality over whether or not to reveal to Jeremy that Verity has been keeping some devastating secrets. "Verity" is a particularly perfect thriller if your zodiac sign is Leo, too, as it's full of drama and suspense.

"This one is a killer! So dark and disturbing. I was not expecting to love this one so much," one Goodreads user wrote, praising Hoover for making a seamless switch from romance books to thrillers. Another book lover shared, "I found this story creepy, dark, addictive and absolutely unputdownable. Hoover has quite an imagination and as an avid thriller reader I was immediately drawn into the creepy world she created within the Crawford's home."

In Shari Lapena's "The Couple Next Door," a 6-month-old baby goes missing during a dinner party while her parents are enjoying a party at their next-door neighbor's house. As the frantic couple calls the police to hunt down who's taken their baby and why, they realize they have to question everyone and everything if they're going to find their daughter. That includes themselves and those closest to them. It has somewhat similar themes to Freida McFadden's "Never Lie," in which a man goes missing and it's down to a couple who stumble across his abandoned home to work through the clues to find out what happened.

The mystery thriller with a dark plot has all the makings of a classic McFadden novel, as Goodreads users praised its pacing as well as its dramatic and heartwrenching twists. "The book reads so frigging fast and some of the twisty turns had my head reeling," one reviewer wrote. Another fan shared in their five-star review, "This novel, a child-abduction case, races along at an amazing speed, full of twists and turns, totally gripping the reader for the suspense ride from beginning to end."

Freida McFadden is notorious for writing novels where the characters are keeping big secrets (sometimes from the reader and each other), and "The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley will quench that thirst. We meet our protagonist Jess, who's down on her luck, out of work, and needs to live with her half-brother Ben until she can get back on her feet. But alarm bells start ringing when she turns up at Ben's suspiciously lavish apartment to discover he's gone missing. Suddenly, Jess finds herself desperately trying to find out what happened to her sibling, which includes questioning his oddball neighbors who may have had something to do with his disappearance. The book has similar themes to several of McFadden's novels, as it's predominantly told from a woman's perspective as she has to take matters into her own hands and find out the dark truth about someone she loves.

"I liked the creepy atmosphere, the slowly building tension, the short and effective chapters, and the eccentric voices of the multiple POVs," one Goodreads review stated. In an Instagram review, another reader noted the book truly surprised them while praising its short chapters. "Getting inside each character's head added so much depth and made the mystery even more gripping," they also said.

In Lisa Jewell's mystery thriller "None of This Is True," protagonist Alix Summers crosses paths with Josie Fair while both are celebrating their 45th birthdays. It turns out Josie is a fan of Alix, who's made a name for herself as a podcaster, and Josie thinks Alix should do a podcast about her unique life. Though Alix isn't totally comfortable with the idea, she reluctantly agrees. Things get seriously worrisome, though, when she discovers that Josie has some dark secrets and, without warning, Josie goes missing. That leaves Alix the prime suspect in her disappearance. The novel contains ominous themes, plenty of mystery, and the shocking twists we've come to expect from Freida McFadden. "None of This Is True" particularly gives "The Surrogate Mother" vibes, as, similar to the McFadden hit, it involves a woman worming her way into another person's life under false pretenses to get what she wants.

"I'm speechless after reading this bone chilling, dark, twisty, mind bending thriller which is one of the best works of Lisa Jewel," one Goodreads reviewer said of one of the best psychological thriller books from the 2020s. "Lots of short, punchy chapters, interspersed with a Netflix documentary and podcast extracts, all make for a very fast-paced read," wrote another reader. A third Goodreads user commented on how surprised they were by the final portion of the suspenseful novel.

"The Maid" by Nita Prose has a similar narrative to Freida McFadden's "The Housemaid" series, as it follows a domestic worker who isn't taken seriously by those in positions of power. In "The Maid," the protagonist is Molly Gray, a hotel maid (drawing obvious similarities to "The Housemaid's" Millie Calloway, who's hired as a family's housemaid). But Molly's world comes crashing down when she's on the job and comes across a dead body in one of the rooms she's cleaning. And she's considered a suspect. To prove she's innocent, Molly has to find out who really murdered the man before she goes down for a crime she didn't commit. Much like "The Housemaid," "The Maid" is also the first in a series (there are three "Molly the Maid" books) and adopts similar twists and suspense as McFadden's popular novels. It isn't quite as dark as some of McFadden's work, though, making it ideal for fans of the author looking for a slightly lighter mystery.

One Goodreads reviewer praised how the novel (one of the best crime fiction books of the 2020s) keeps readers guessing, writing, "This mystery is multi-layered, intricate and surprising. Just when you think you know all about Molly, there are some surprises in store!!!!!" A second reader wrote, "This book reads in part like a cozy mystery, but it's certainly a smart cozy with absolutely endearing characters."

In "Caller Unknown" by Gillian McAllister, readers get a front-row seat to Simone's close bond with her daughter, Lucy. The May 2026 release, which makes for a perfect book club read, sees the two decide to take a vacation together before Lucy heads off to college. Things take an unimaginably devastating turn, though, when Lucy is taken in the night. Whoever targeted her leaves a cellphone behind, and a caller on the other end tells Simone she needs to pay up if she wants to see her daughter alive again. Desperate to get Lucy back, Simone agrees to keep the crime a secret from the police and drives to the secret location to hand over cash in exchange for the most important person in her life. But when she gets there, she learns money isn't what's wanted after all. The close mother-child bond gives shades of Freida McFadden's "The Perfect Son," which details the extreme lengths a mother will go to protect her son. It's also packed with heart-stopping suspense, a common theme in many of McFadden's thrillers.

In an Instagram review, one reader was full of praise. "This was a fast paced thriller about a mother trying to save her kidnapped daughter, and it definitely kept me turning the pages. From the very beginning, the story pulls you in with high stakes and a tense, emotional situation," they wrote. Another reader shared a similar sentiment in a four-star review on Goodreads, writing, "Packed with tension, impossible choices, and twists I never saw coming, this was an addictive thriller from start to finish."

"The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen has similarities to Freida McFadden's "The Divorce," in which protagonist Naomi becomes obsessed with her ex-husband's new life and lover following their unexpected divorce. "The Wife Between Us" follows a similar narrative, but puts a twist on the trope. Nellie ties the knot with her new husband, who's been married before. Though their life seems picture-perfect on the outside, Nellie soon learns that her new husband's ex-wife, Vanessa, hasn't moved on from the life they once shared. Vanessa's obsession with Nellie's husband and their relationship becomes increasingly apparent and intrusive, but it also harbors some tough home truths. Nellie soon learns her husband has been keeping shocking secrets from her — and there's a lot she doesn't know about Nellie as well. Readers have also compared "The Wife Between Us" to "The Housemaid," citing multiple similarities in the two books' storylines.

Much like McFadden's twist-packed stories, Goodreads users praised "The Wife Between Us" for its many narrative curveballs. "I was so sure I knew where things were headed. I was in shock at the first twist, confused and thinking I read something wrong or missed a page. It was so unexpected ....but I loved it," wrote one reader in a five-star review. Another was equally enthralled by the suspenseful thriller. "This is without doubt a tense psychological thriller that makes a impact. It has you wondering if what you were reading was for real, and re-reading to check," they stated.

To choose the thriller and mystery books not written by Freida McFadden that are likely to be enjoyed by McFadden's fans, each book had to adhere to at least one of the author's typical writing characteristics. That included being fast-paced, featuring one or more unexpected twists, or having dark themes throughout. Each novel also needed to be written by a female author and have a thriller- or mystery-related plotline.