The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie

by Freida McFadden

Poppy sits beside me and idly picks up the paperback book I’ve got lying on the coffee table. She reads the description and flips through the pages. “The Boyfriend… Is this any good?” “Oh, yes—I love it. But I’m on page two, and I’m pretty sure I already know what the twist is going to be.” I take another tentative sip of tea. “Have you ever heard of the author, Freida McFadden?” “Nope.” “She writes psychological thrillers. The kind with short chapters and lots of twists that are shocking but also kind of completely out of nowhere.” “Still nope.” She hesitates. “Oh, wait. Did she write Fifty Shades of Grey?” “Uh, no.” “Harry Potter?” “No.” “Then no, never heard of her. What else did she write?” “She wrote this one thriller novella that was supposed to be satirical.” “Satirical? What does that mean?” “Like, it makes fun of other thrillers in a way that’s supposed to be over the top and funny.” Poppy frowns thoughtfully. “Was it actually funny?” “Eh. If you like that sort of thing.” I shrug. “Oh! She also wrote The Housemaid.” “Housemaid? Is she British?” Poppy asks. “Oh, I’m not sure. Yes, probably.”