The Intruder An Unputdownable Psychological Thriller from the Author of The Housemaid Books

I first discovered Freida McFadden through Thomas from thomas_bookclub on Instagram. He often jokingly refers to Millie from The Housemaid as a "pickle"—his nickname for fictional characters who make such bafflingly naive or downright stupid decisions that you can't help but shake your head. That made me curious to see for myself. After enjoying The Housemaid, I picked up The Intruder. In the middle of a stormy night, a woman living alone in a secluded cabin deep in the woods discovers a blood-soaked girl sitting on the floor of her shed, clutching a knife. Should she help her or call the police? The story unfolds across two timelines, gradually revealing what really happened. As is typical for Freida McFadden, the short chapters and fast-paced writing make it incredibly easy to keep turning the pages. And of course, there are plenty of shocking plot twists. This time, though, a few of them felt a little too convenient and relied a bit too much on coincidence for my taste. Still, it's the perfect thriller to read on a summer evening while a thunderstorm is raging outside.