Who is hiding behind the name Freida McFadden, the new queen of literary thrillers?

BarcelonaFreida McFadden is not her real name, but a pseudonym. There is some controversy over whether in her very few appearances, almost always via video call, she wears a wig to preserve her image and privacy. Be that as it may, the American writer is a hit, especially with the novels in the series. The housemaid (The assistant in the translations published in Catalan by Rosa dels Vents). According to Penguin Random House, McFadden has sold more than nine million copies, her books have been translated into more than forty languages, and the rights to adapt them for film and television have been acquired.

The mysterious novelist has triumphed with crime stories written in the first person and, above all, with Millie, a somewhat shady and not very sincere assistant. As in all mystery novels, the endings are unexpected and, without giving away spoilers, in McFadden's novels, whoever does the deed pays. Nobody is shocked by getting their hands dirty with a little blood. McFadden said in an interview in the Washington Post that some of her stories are inspired by bullying she experienced at school and high school. "When I get angry about an unfair situation, I write to give back in a way I couldn't in real life," she explained.

The daughter of a psychiatrist and a podiatrist, McFadden grew up in New York and, as a child, read a lot. When it was time for college, she hesitated between math and medicine, and finally decided on the latter. She wasn't very confident in her future as a novelist and became a doctor specializing in brain disorders. A mother of two, she has a black cat and lives in a large, old house on the seafront, near Boston. This is what she explains. From then on, she has never said how old she is or if she has any assistants who have inspired her novels.

While studying medicine, she wrote two novels, and both were rejected. From that moment on, she decided to self-publish. "My goal wasn't to be famous, just to get my book into readers' hands. I just wanted to have a physical book in my hands. And when I made one, I wanted to make more," she explained to the American media outlet. At some point, her early life story resembles that of a superhero: she was a doctor by day and wrote under a false identity by night. Since her success, she has been devoting more hours to writing, and only works seeing patients one day a week.

Doctor by day, writer by night

The first novel he self-published, in 2013, was The devil wears scrubs [The Devil Wears a Dressing Gown], which combined his hospital life with autobiographical touches. From that moment on, his style began to define itself: thrillers starring women with ordinary jobs and domestic problems – a toxic head, a failing relationship, infertility – who end up embroiled in extreme situations.

Everything changed when the digital label Bookouture published The assistant (Rosa dels Vents), although she was not easily convinced: her first impulse was to say no, because going on her own was already going well for her and she liked being in control, but in the end she agreed and the book was published in April 2022. It spent 83 weeks on the Amazon list and 60 on the New York Times, and the Catalan edition has also climbed to the top of the bestseller lists. The shady Millie has starred in many other books and has already entered millions of homes. Like Millie, other characters McFadden has created are somewhat wild and unstable. The adventures of McFadden's heroines are omnipresent on Amazon—where she often ranks number 1 in Kindle format—and she also sells a lot in print, both in bookstores and supermarkets. Despite her overwhelming success, Freida McFadden remains behind a pseudonym. Her real identity remains hidden, she avoids public appearances, and doesn't even hold book signings. Interviews and video calls make her uncomfortable.

Fans, who describe themselves as McFans, would love to see more of the writer they adore so much. They invite her to weddings, graduations, and birthday parties and see her as a friend, even though they don't know her name and she hasn't appeared at any celebrations. What the woman behind the name Freida McFadden is clear about is that her novels have no deep meaning. She simply aims for them to be entertaining. Apparently, she's found the formula to make some people find them addictive and want more and more.