Freida McFadden

Last updated
Freida McFadden
Born
Sara Cohen

(1980-05-01) May 1, 1980 (age 45)
New York City, U.S.
Pen nameFreida McFadden
OccupationAuthor
Education Harvard University
Stony Brook University
Genre
  • Psychological thriller
  • domestic thriller
  • mystery
Years active2013–present
Notable works The Housemaid (2022)
Website
freidamcfadden.com

Sara Cohen (born May 1, 1980), known by her pen name Freida McFadden, is an American author. [1] She is known for her psychological thriller novels, many of which have achieved significant commercial success and widespread popularity. Since her debut in 2013 she has published 30 novels. The Housemaid (2022) became an international bestseller and was adapted into a 2025 feature film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney.

Contents

Early life and education

Sara Cohen was born on May 1, 1980, in New York City and grew up in midtown Manhattan. Her father was a psychiatrist, and her mother was a podiatrist; they later divorced. She has one younger brother. [2] [3] From an early age, she expressed an interest in becoming a physician. She attended a highly competitive New York City high school, later suggesting that the academic rigor she experienced there was formative to her work ethic. [4]

Cohen went on to study mathematics at Harvard University. [2] Later, she attended medical school at Stony Brook University, pursuing a career in medicine, while continuing to write fiction and submit manuscripts to publishers and literary agents.[ citation needed ]

Career

After completing her medical training, she began self-publishing fiction under the pseudonym Freida McFadden. Her first novel, The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013), drew heavily on her experiences as a medical intern and was based, in part, on observations from clinical training. The novel showed her interest in blending medical settings with narrative fiction. [2] [5]

Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller, [6] and was adapted for Lionsgate Studios, with Rebecca Sonnenshine writing the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures' Todd Lieberman and Alex Young producing. [7] [8] It is directed by Paul Feig, and the cast includes Sydney Sweeney as Millie, Amanda Seyfried as Nina, Brandon Sklenar as Andrew, and Michele Morrone as Enzo. Filming began in January 2025, and it was released on December 19, 2025. [9] [10] The film earned almost $400 million at the box office to become the highest grossing film of Feig's career in its original run. [11]

Personal life

McFadden lives outside Boston with her husband, along with their two children and cat. [2] [12]

Works

Series

Dr. Jane McGill series

#TitleReleasedRef
1The Devil Wears ScrubsAugust 15, 2013 [13]
2The Devil You KnowMay 28, 2017 [14]

Prescription: Murder series

#TitleInitial ReleaseRe-ReleasedRef
1Dead MedJuly 4, 2014*June 1, 2027 [15] [16]
2Brain DamageApril 30, 2016August 25, 2026 [17] [18]

*Originally published under the title Suicide Med; later revised and re-released as Dead Med on 27 June 2024. The re-release date listed in the table refers to its forthcoming traditional publication under Sourcebooks’ Poisoned Pen Press imprint.

The Housemaid series

#TitleReleasedRef
1 The Housemaid April 26, 2022 [7]
2The Housemaid's SecretFebruary 20, 2023 [9]
3The Housemaid Is WatchingJune 11, 2024 [10]
4The Housemaid's Wedding (A Short Story)November 22, 2024 [11]

Standalone

TitleInitial ReleaseRe-ReleasedRef
Baby City (co-written with Kelley Stoddard)April 25, 2015 [19]
The Surrogate MotherOctober 10, 2018August 19, 2025 [20]
The ExFebruary 18, 2019 [21]
The Perfect SonOctober 8, 2019August 6, 2024 [22]
The Wife UpstairsMarch 23, 2020 [23]
One by OneJuly 13, 2020April 2, 2024 [24]
Want to Know a Secret?January 5, 2021March 3, 2026 [25]
The Locked DoorJune 1, 2021October 3, 2023 [26]
Do Not DisturbSeptember 7, 2021July 1, 2025 [27]
Do You Remember?January 10, 2022 [28]
The InmateJune 13, 2022March 5, 2024 [29]
Never LieSeptember 19, 2022December 5, 2023 [30]
Ward DMay 8, 2023March 4, 2025 [31]
The CoworkerAugust 29, 2023 [32]
The TeacherFebruary 6, 2024 [33]
The BoyfriendOctober 1, 2024 [34]
The CrashJanuary 28, 2025 [35]
The TenantMay 6, 2025 [36]
The IntruderOctober 7, 2025 [37]
Dear DebbieJanuary 27, 2026 [38]
The DivorceMay 29, 2026 [39]
The WitchOctober 6, 2026

Note:Initial release dates refer to initial self-publication by McFadden via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Re-release dates indicate subsequent publication through traditional publishing following McFadden’s signing with Sourcebooks under their imprint Poisoned Pen Press. Titles first published from late 2023 onwards were issued directly through traditional publishing and therefore do not have separate re-release dates.

Novellas

TitleReleasedRef
The Gift: A Short StoryDecember 4, 2022 [40]
The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie: A Satirical NovellaAugust 12, 2024 [41]
Death RowJune 1, 2025 [42]
The Dinner Party: A Pick Your Poison AdventureApril 1, 2026 [11]

Edited anthologies

TitleReleasedRef
11 out of 10: A Collection of Humorous Medical Short StoriesSeptember 30, 2015

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Mulroy, Clare (2026-04-08). "'The Housemaid' author Freida McFadden reveals her real identity – Exclusive". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Alter, Alexandra (22 June 2024). "How a Boston Physician Conquered the Thriller Genre". The New York Times . Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Coffey, Edey. "An Exclusive Interview With Freida McFadden: Author Of The Housemaid Novels". The Gloss. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Pavia, Will (12 March 2025). "Meet 'Freida McFadden', the doctor hiding her secret life as a bestselling author" . The Times. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Krug, Nora. "Freida McFadden Didn’t Mean to Become a Best-Selling Novelist." The Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2024.
  6. ↑ "Freida McFadden Books in Order". Booktorium. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (April 18, 2023). "'The Boys' Alum Rebecca Sonnenshine To Pen Adaptation Of Freida McFadden's Bestselling Psychological Thriller 'The Housemaid' For Lionsgate, Hidden Pictures". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ Morrison, Lisa. "Freida McFadden’s ‘The Housemaid’ Movie: Casting, Release Date." The Boston Globe, 1 Jan. 2025.
  9. 1 2 Nelson, Elise; Stopper, Jessica (2024-10-09). "'The Housemaid' Movie Cast and Everything We Know: Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried Set to Star". Yahoo! Entertainment . Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  10. 1 2 "Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried's 'The Housemaid' Lands December 2025 Release". IMDb. December 19, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 McClintock, Pamela (2026-01-26). "How Paul Feig's 'The Housemaid' Became a $300 Million Box Office Wonder When No One Was Looking". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  12. ↑ "About | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  13. ↑ "The Devil Wears Scrubs | Women's Fiction | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  14. ↑ "The Devil You Know | Women's Fiction | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  15. ↑ "Dead Med by Freida McFadden | The Poisoned Pen". store.poisonedpen.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  16. ↑ "Dead Med | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  17. 1 2 "Best Mystery & Thriller 2023 — Gooodreads Choice Awards" . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Brain Damage | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  19. ↑ "Baby City | Women's Fiction | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  20. ↑ "The Surrogate Mother | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  21. ↑ "The Ex | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  22. ↑ "The Perfect Son | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  23. ↑ "The Wife Upstairs | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  24. ↑ "One by One | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  25. ↑ "Want to Know a Secret? | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  26. ↑ "The Locked Door | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  27. ↑ "Do Not Disturb | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  28. ↑ "Do You Remember? | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  29. ↑ "The Inmate | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  30. ↑ "Never Lie | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  31. ↑ "Ward D | Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  32. ↑ "The Coworker | Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  33. ↑ "The Teacher | Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  34. ↑ "The Boyfriend | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  35. ↑ "The Crash | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  36. ↑ "The Tenant | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  37. ↑ "The Intruder | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  38. ↑ "Dear Debbie | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  39. ↑ "The Divorce | Psychological Thriller | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  40. ↑ "The Gift | Short Story | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  41. ↑ "The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie | Satrical Novella | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  42. ↑ "Death Row | Alibis Collection | Author Freida McFadden". www.freidamcfadden.com. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  43. ↑ "Past Nominees and Winners – International Thriller Writers" . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
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