REVIEW: Do Not Disturb (book) by Freida McFadden

Do Not Disturb is a thriller. I bought my copy new.

Review:

Quinn has just killed her husband. In order to avoid being sent to prison - his wealthy and influential family would see to that, even though it could be argued that she'd killed him in self-defense - she decides to leave, right this instant. Unfortunately, she hasn't prepared for this at all. She doesn't have much cash, and she has no idea where she's going to go. She gets as far as she can before a snowstorm forces her to find a place to stay for the night. 

The Baxter Motel is small, isolated, and cheap. Nick, the owner, is kind and makes Quinn a quick sandwich when she learns that the only nearby restaurant is closed. However, as Quinn talks to the person in the room next to hers and learns more about the motel and its history, she begins to worry that stopping here was a mistake. It doesn't help that it feels like she's being watched - it seems as though Nick's sick, homebound wife may be keeping an eye on her from their nearby home.

REVIEW: The Housemaid (book) by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid is a thriller. I bought my copy brand new.

Review:

Millie has been living in her car since she was let go from her previous job, and she's desperate for work. When she interviews for a position as the Winchester family's housemaid, she figures she won't make it past the background check. But somehow she does.

Unfortunately, Nina Winchester, who was perfect and welcoming during the interview, becomes an absolute nightmare after Millie is hired. Nina somehow manages to make massive messes in short periods of time, and she seems ready to blame Millie for everything. Her young daughter is a spoiled brat.

The job provides Millie with a room of her own, but it's a tiny, stuffy space in the attic, and for some reason it only locks from the outside. The job's one saving grace is Andrew Winchester, Nina's husband. Millie has no idea how Nina managed to get a great guy like him to fall in love with her, but he's a loving and attentive husband, clearly better than Nina deserves. Millie finds herself falling for him, but she knows he'd be horrified if he knew her secret, the reason why this horrible job is her very last chance at something like a decent life.