10 books for fans of The Ex
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The Housemaid
The Housemaid • Book 1
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A broke ex-convict becomes housemaid to a wealthy couple, but the picture-perfect family harbors twisted secrets that put her in mortal danger. McFadden constructs a psychological thriller where domestic duties become survival tactics and trust proves deadly.
★ 4.35 Goodreads (1.1K ratings) - 2
The Housemaid's Secret
The Housemaid • Book 2
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McFadden's thriller traps her protagonist between employers who might be dangerous and a past that could destroy her if discovered.
★ 4.16 Goodreads (1.8M ratings) - 3
Never Lie
Why this book?
McFadden's signature blend of unreliable narrators and shocking twists that define The Ex returns in Never Lie, with Leslie Howard's measured delivery amplifying the psychological tension as the mystery unfolds. The shorter runtime delivers the same propulsive thriller experience with McFadden's trademark plot reversals intact.
★ 4.08 Goodreads (1.5M ratings) - 4
The Wife Upstairs
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After a terrible accident leaves Victoria paralyzed and unable to speak, she's confined to her home's top floor with round-the-clock care. McFadden explores the horror of being trapped in your own body while dark secrets about the accident emerge.
★ 4.03 Goodreads (293.9K ratings) - 5
Dear Debbie
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What happens when a beloved advice columnist realizes her well-meaning guidance has been destroying lives? McFadden explores the dark side of good intentions with her signature psychological twists.
★ 4.02 Goodreads (244.1K ratings) - 6
The Inmate
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Taking a job at a men's maximum-security prison, nurse Brooke Sullivan must hide her intimate past connection to inmate Shane Nelson while following strict professional boundaries.
★ 4.00 Goodreads (1.1M ratings) - 7
The Perfect Son
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Erika's perfect suburban life crumbles when police suspect her son Liam in a classmate's disappearance. McFadden explores how well parents really know their children.
★ 3.99 Goodreads (527.0K ratings) - 8
Brain Damage
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Charly McKenna's bullet wound steals her career and marriage, but her damaged brain might be showing her truths she never saw before.
★ 3.97 Goodreads (159.8K ratings) - 9
Do You Remember?
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McFadden traps readers in Tess's daily confusion as she wakes up unable to recognize her husband, her home, or even her own face.
★ 3.92 Goodreads (165.5K ratings) - 10
The Surrogate Mother
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After years of failed fertility treatments, Abby gratefully accepts when her personal assistant Monica offers to carry her baby. But Monica has been lying about her identity, and her real motives for helping Abby are far more sinister than generous.
★ 3.91 Goodreads (359.9K ratings)