What makes The Housemaid so compelling: the claustrophobia of the live-in servant dynamic, a narrator whose past we slowly uncover, an employer who is not what she seems, and a twist that recontextualizes everything you thought you understood. If you want that same domestic dread wrapped in a story you can't put down, these seven books deliver.
The Housemaid is domestic thriller — a subgenre focused on menace and secrets within the home, marriage, and family. McFadden specializes in the "trapped woman" thriller where the danger comes not from a stranger but from someone the protagonist lives with. The book is also notable for its strong use of the unreliable narrator in both POVs.
Yes. The Housemaid has sequels: The Housemaid's Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching. Freida McFadden has built this into a full trilogy following Millie's story beyond the events of the first book. Each installment ratchets up the stakes considerably.
The twist structure is unusually well-constructed — McFadden plants her reveals so that the second read reveals exactly how carefully she laid the groundwork. Most comparable thrillers have one major twist; The Housemaid has a nested structure where each revelation changes the moral calculus of the characters. It's technically impressive even once you know the ending.
B.A. Paris, Lucy Foley, Claire Douglas, and Liane Moriarty are the strongest comparables. For something with more literary weight, Lisa Jewell (Then She Was Gone) works in the same domestic space but with deeper character development. Ruth Ware is excellent for isolated-setting variants of the same formula.