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Has Freida McFadden jumped the shark?

My spoiler-free review of 'The Witch'

Genevieve at Pix
October 15, 2026

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Book Review: The Witch by Freida McFadden

To misquote Oscar Hammerstein II, how do you solve a problem like McFadden? Freida McFadden, the #1 bestselling pseudonymous juggernaut, that is. Since her formerly self-published novel The Housemaid became a phenomenon, she’s been on an unstoppable tear, releasing a handful of new novels each year while Poisoned Pen Press republishes multiple titles from her self-published backlist. She has sold millions of copies around the world and won over legions of loyal fans. This year alone she’s released three brand-new novels—all of them instant bestsellers.

So why am I—and many other readers—embarrassed to say I like her books? Is it because we’re snobs?

No, it’s because you won’t find a more formulaic writer than Ms. McFadden. She repeats the same character types, the same plot beats, the same kinds of illogical, out-of-left-field twists. Her characters don’t often behave like real people, and if you really dig deep into a story’s timeline, things don’t add up.

Author photo credit: Mira Whiting | Book covers credit: Poisoned Pen Press

The McFadden Paradox

Welcome to what I think of as the McFadden Paradox, that confusing situation where, no matter how disappointing you find an author’s writing, you keep reading and enjoying their work. This isn’t a new phenomenon, as readers have always gobbled up books with propulsive plots and subpar writing. If the pacing and setup are right, even the thinnest story can be a page-turner.

Freida McFadden’s books are fun, and they’re dishy, and they almost always involve a woman getting sweet, sweet revenge somehow. Underneath the fun, she tackles topics like sexual violence, abusive relationships, and unfair power dynamics. And she always finds a way to include at least one twist you could not have possibly seen coming. I love that her writing is simple enough that I can listen to one of her audiobooks while cooking or doing chores. And I love that there’s almost always a point where the story turns, and it’s a nonstop thrill ride until the very end.

Has Freida jumped the shark?

And it was with all this in mind that, earlier this year, as I struggled through The Divorce, I wondered if Freida had jumped the shark. Here we were again in the suburbs, our protagonist’s husband was a jerk, and weird, bad things kept happening. Its big twist was so outlandish, I actually scoffed out loud. I didn’t like any of the characters, so I wasn’t rooting for anyone.

This was so disappointing, because I genuinely enjoyed Dear Debbie, her January release. There, I could see McFadden pushing herself to further explore dark comedy, and she was nailing it. But now she was just coasting.

Was she getting tired? Had she finally run out of ideas?

Then I saw her last 2026 release: The Witch, a dual-timeline supernatural tale about a woman who suspects her family’s estate is haunted by an ancestor who was executed for witchcraft.

Whoa. Was the queen of suburban suspense finally pushing herself into new realms?

There was only one way for me to find out.

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Credit: Poisoned Pen Press

The Review

After racing through The Witch, I’m here to say loud and clear: Freida McFadden has not jumped the shark! McFadden really is challenging herself, and this novel is proof that she’s eager to expand not just her genres, but her storytelling overall. I ultimately enjoyed the experience, and I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Witch alternates between two timelines. In the present, Julia Barlow has lost her job, her savings, and her boyfriend, so she retreats to Pemberton, her family’s 17th-century Massachusetts estate, where an ancestor executed for witchcraft is said to still linger. Clocks stop, a woman cries in the night, and footsteps appear outside her door. (Yeah, Pemberton is freaky.) Meanwhile, in 1692, that ancestor, Caroline Eldridge, is a gentle young wife accused of witchcraft, and we watch in horror as her community villainizes her. As both Julia and Caroline race toward their inevitable ends, we’re left to wonder: is this really a ghost story, or is it something much darker?

I was wary when I saw that Freida McFadden was taking on historical fiction, but, much to my surprise, the 1692 chapters were actually my favorites. Caroline is a character you can’t help but root for, especially knowing her tragic end. She’s kind, smart, and loyal, and it’s poignant to watch those very traits be used against her.

I’ve always been intrigued by how McFadden engages with gender inequality, feminist issues, and crimes committed by women against other women. Sometimes, her portrayals of women are powerful and nuanced, and sometimes they’re so simplistic and crude they make me bristle. Caroline falls into the first category, and is clearly a character McFadden loves. Sometimes, that love works against the story, though. Caroline always does the right thing (by our standards), even when it’s so obvious she shouldn’t—or maybe even wouldn’t considering, the time period. Without giving anything away, McFadden’s affection for Caroline drives the story in a way that occasionally frustrated me but ultimately satisfied. You won’t learn anything about the time period or witch trials here, but you will be reminded of how brutal men have always been to women they can’t control.

Julia’s story, on the other hand, was a bit messier. I want to keep this review spoiler-free, which ties my hands, but there were just too many moving parts for me. For example, we’re clearly led to question if Julia’s love interest, the museum curator, could be a ghost or from another time period, which felt silly and forced. Additionally, clues to the mystery come to Julia in the most absurdly easy ways, taking a lot of the fun out of the untangling. There’s an especially absurd moment involving a DNA test, but I’ll let you get there on your own. And, finally, I wasn’t satisfied by the way the two storylines tied up their overlap. There is a huge hole that really felt like it could have been filled with one more chapter. Alas!

And lest you worry that this book is devoid of Freida McFadden’s calling cards, rest easy. Even though we’re in new territory, all her favorite tropes are here: spouses with secrets, surprise love affairs, someone turning the tables, crafty murderers, and hardcore gaslighting.

So, should you read it? If you’ve been burned out on McFadden’s suburban formula, yes. The Witch isn’t her tightest book, but it’s her most interesting in a while. But if you’re new to McFadden, start with my picks below, which I think are stronger.

As for me, I’m already curious to read what she writes next.

More from the McFadden-verse

As we’ve discussed, not all Freida McFadden books are created equal. Below are the two I’d recommend to anyone just getting started. (Note: If you want the classic McFadden experience, The Housemaid is worth the read, though it’s not my favorite.)

Dear Debbie

Another 2026 release, Dear Debbie is a darkly funny story about a suburban mom/advice columnist who decides to get revenge on those who have wronged her. This is a great read if you want to watch an under appreciated woman get revenge, and, honestly, who doesn’t want to watch that? The twist is iffy, but I didn’t care because the rest was so fun.

Learn more

The Boyfriend

Dating in NYC is a nightmare, but for the characters in this thriller, it’s deadly. This is another dual POV story, going back and forth between a woman in the present and her boyfriend in the past, where we (maybe) learn about a serial killer’s origins. I’ll have you know I was actually surprised by this twist, and pleased that it felt organic. The main character has the survival instincts of a potato, but don’t let that deter you from this otherwise delightfully deranged thriller.

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Genevieve Nierman, Resident bookworm @ Pix Media

Genevieve Nierman is an editor, writer, and interviewer with over a decade of experience in books and publishing, including roles at Little, Brown and Company and Alfred A. Knopf. She is currently Senior Books Content Manager at Pix Media, where she runs the flagship newsletter Book Pix. She lives in New York City with her orange cat, Oscar, and an ever-growing stack of books.

Currently reading: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

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