The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie

The author known as Freida McFadden is something of a mystery. “Freida McFadden” is not her real name, and her appearance is disguised in her author photos. In the few interviews she has granted, McFadden has explained that she is a practicing physician, specializing in treating brain injuries, and wants to keep her work as an author separate from her professional practice. McFadden attended Harvard and practices medicine in the Boston area. The pen name “Freida” is a humorous nod to her profession—it is based on the acronym for a medical residency placement tool, the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database.

McFadden self-published her first book, The Devil Wears Scrubs, in 2013. She continued to self-publish for many years. Finally, she signed with digital publisher Bookouture in 2022. She has written more than two dozen novels and several novellas. Many, such as The Coworker, Ward D, and Never Lie, are stand-alone novels, but she has also written several series. These include the Prescription: Murder novels, the Dr. Jane McGill novels, and the Housemaid novels. This latter series began with one of McFadden’s most popular books, 2022’s The Housemaid.