Freida McFadden Books in Order

Freida McFadden is one of those authors who makes readers wonder if she secretly has more than 24 hours in a day.

She is a practicing physician and, at the same time, one of the most prolific and best-selling psychological thriller writers of the past decade.

Since 2013, she has published nearly 30 novels and novellas, often releasing multiple books per year.

Many of her stories draw directly on her medical background, blending real hospital environments with fast pacing, sharp twists, and high-stakes psychological tension.

With such a large and varied catalog, it is natural to ask where to start and in what order to read her books. Below is a clear breakdown of Freida McFadden books in order, including her major series and standalone novels.

Freida McFadden books in publication order

If you want to read everything from start to finish, this is her complete catalog in publication order:

• The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013)
• Dead Med (2014)
• Baby City (2015)
• Brain Damage (2016)
• The Devil You Know (2017)
• The Surrogate Mother (2018)
• The Ex (2019)
• The Perfect Son (2019)
• The Wife Upstairs (2020)
• One by One (2020)
• Want to Know a Secret? (2021)
• The Locked Door (2021)
• Do Not Disturb (2021)
• Do You Remember? (2022)
• The Housemaid (2022)
• The Inmate (2022)
• Never Lie (2022)
• The Housemaid’s Secret (2023)
• Ward D (2023)
• The Coworker (2023)
• The Teacher (2024)
• The Housemaid Is Watching (2024)
• The Boyfriend (2024)
• The Housemaid’s Wedding (2024)
• The Crash (2025)
• The Tenant (2025)
• The Intruder (2025)
• Dear Debbie (expected 2026)

How to read The Housemaid series in order

This is McFadden’s most famous and commercially successful series. You are very likely to spot The Housemaid in airport bookstores or bestseller displays.

The story follows Millie, a former convict trying to rebuild her life. She takes a job working for the wealthy Winchester family, only to discover that the house, the marriage, and even Millie herself may be hiding dark secrets. The series thrives on psychological tension, unreliable perspectives, and escalating danger.

The Housemaid series order

• The Housemaid (2022)
• The Housemaid’s Secret (2023)
• The Housemaid’s Wedding (2024) – a companion novella, best read after The Housemaid’s Secret
• The Housemaid Is Watching (2024)

How to read the Dr Jane McGill series in order

Before her dark thrillers took over bestseller lists, McFadden wrote a lighter, semi-autobiographical medical series inspired by her life as a physician.

The Dr Jane McGill books focus on a young doctor navigating residency, brutal schedules, impossible supervisors, and complicated relationships. The tone is humorous and sharp, but still grounded in real medical experience.

Dr Jane McGill series order

• The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013)
• The Devil You Know (2017)

How to read the Prescription: Murder books in order

Prescription: Murder is a small medical thriller collection made up of two standalone novels. They share themes and atmosphere rather than characters.

Both books play with classic mystery structures while using medical settings to raise the stakes and limit trust.

Prescription: Murder order

• Dead Med (2014)
• Brain Damage (2016)

Freida McFadden standalone books in order

Most of McFadden’s catalog consists of standalone psychological thrillers. These books do not need to be read in sequence, but following publication order allows you to see how her plotting and twist execution evolved over time.

Standalone novels

• Baby City (2015)
• The Surrogate Mother (2018)
• The Ex (2019)
• The Perfect Son (2019)
• The Wife Upstairs (2020)
• One by One (2020)
• Want to Know a Secret? (2021)
• The Locked Door (2021)
• Do Not Disturb (2021)
• Do You Remember? (2022)
• The Inmate (2022)
• Never Lie (2022)
• Ward D (2023)
• The Coworker (2023)
• The Teacher (2024)
• The Boyfriend (2024)
• The Crash (2025)
• The Tenant (2025)
• The Intruder (2025)

What is the Alibis Collection

In addition to full-length novels, McFadden has written several novellas designed to be read in a single sitting.

Her novella Death Row (2025) is part of The Alibis Collection, an anthology focused on lies, truth, and deception. The collection also includes contributions from other bestselling authors and centers on morally complex situations where innocence is not always easy to prove.

Other McFadden novellas include:

• The Gift (2022)
• The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie: A Satire (2024)
• Death Row (2025)

Best reading order recommendations

If you are unsure where to start, here are a few safe entry points.

• If you want her most iconic work, start with The Housemaid
• If you prefer medical settings, try Dead Med or The Devil Wears Scrubs
• If you want a fast standalone thriller, Never Lie or The Locked Door are popular choices

About Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden is an American physician and author known for fast-paced psychological thrillers with strong twists and high tension. Her medical background heavily influences her work, particularly in novels set in hospitals, psychiatric wards, and clinical environments.

Her writing style is defined by short chapters, cliffhangers, and revelations that often force readers to rethink what they believed just a few pages earlier. This approach has helped her build a massive readership and a catalog that continues to grow year after year.

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