“The
Housemaid’s Secret” isn’t bad, but it’s also a bit repetitive. It’s almost
exactly like the first book. The writing I would say is serviceable. Millie is
still like a female Jack Reacher, except Jack Reacher is smarter than her.
Reacher would have been able to figure out how not to land in jail. I have
nothing against a female Jack Reacher. Dean Koontz tried a female Jack Reacher
in his “Jane Hawk” series, with mixed results.
Millie, as
we know from the last book, is a housekeeper who also fights for abused women,
helping them getting to safety and bending the law when necessary. There’s
nothing wrong with this type of set up for a thriller. The problem is that
Millie isn’t very smart at times. I wish the author, Frida McFadden, set up
some more clues in the book. I don’t like when mysteries and thrillers dump a
twist on the reader without set up.
There’s
also a subplot that she is involved with the Italian gardener from the first
book. Millie mentions he’s hot, but she’s also involved with a boyfriend, a
good-looking lawyer type who can’t seem to figure out something is off about
her. Brock can’t be a very good lawyer if he can’t figure out this obvious
secret Millie is hiding.
The novel
is somewhat predictable, and as a page-turner, it’s a solid one. It’s easy to
read and you’ll continue to turn pages. However, it’s not the best thriller.
The first book is slightly better, if only because you don’t feel like you’re
reading a repeat of it.
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