Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden

📖 Quick Summary

In The Wife Upstairs, Freida McFadden delivers a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you second-guessing every character. When a newly hired home health aide arrives at a lavish mansion to care for a woman recovering from a traumatic brain injury, it quickly becomes clear that nothing—and no one—is what they seem.

The patient is silent, nearly catatonic. Her husband is charming, wealthy… and potentially hiding something. As the aide settles into the glamorous but uneasy routine, secrets begin to unravel—and a deadly game of cat and mouse escalates to a shocking finish.

📝 My Review

This was a solid 5-star read for me—fast-paced, darkly entertaining, and full of twists. Freida McFadden knows how to keep readers hooked, and The Wife Upstairs is a great example of her knack for misdirection and tension.

I loved the unreliable narration and the eerie atmosphere of the house itself. The power dynamics, secrets, and slow unraveling of the truth made it a perfect weekend binge. While some of the plot twists felt a bit familiar if you're a frequent thriller reader, McFadden still finds clever ways to subvert expectations. With that said, the reader MUST read the epilogue for final closure!

It’s a great pick for book clubs who love to debate character motivations and unravel layered timelines.

🎨 My Scrapbook Spread

This layout leans heavy into the snowy environment as the setting was New York during the winter. I create my own sticker of Sylvia riding on the train to meet Adam from the ad he posted in the newspaper. I used images of a fully clothed closet as Victoria and Adam's closet are significant. I created a sticker of Victoria sitting in a wheelchair with blond hair as mentioned many times in the book. Victoria used to be a nurse and often flirted with the paramedics. The images of laptop, which shared much of the story to Sylvia as well as the police were are portrayed throughout the book.

🎥 Watch the Review

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how I created this dark and dramatic spread? Watch the [YouTube review] where I walk through key moments in the book and how they shaped the visual storytelling on the page.