Sara Cohen (born May 1, 1980), known by her pen name Freida McFadden, is an American author. She is known for her psychological thriller novels. Since her debut in 2013, she has published 30 novels. The Housemaid (2022) became an international bestseller and was adapted into a 2025 feature film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney.
Early life and education Sara Cohen was born on May 1, 1980, in New York City and grew up in midtown Manhattan. Her father was a psychiatrist and her mother was a podiatrist; they later divorced. She has one younger brother. She attended a competitive New York City high school.
Cohen went on to study mathematics at Harvard University. Later, she attended medical school at Stony Brook University. She pursued a career in medicine, while continuing to write fiction and submit manuscripts to publishers and literary agents.
Career After completing her medical training, she began self-publishing fiction under the pseudonym Freida McFadden. Her first novel, The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013), drew heavily on her experiences as a medical intern and was based, in part, on her observations from clinical training.
Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller, and was adapted for Lionsgate Studios with Rebecca Sonnenshine writing the screenplay and Hidden Pictures' Todd Lieberman and Alex Young producing. It is directed by Paul Feig, and the cast includes Sydney Sweeney as Millie, Amanda Seyfried as Nina, Brandon Sklenar as Andrew, and Michele Morrone as Enzo. Filming began in January 2025, and it was released on December 19, 2025. The film earned almost $400 million at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of Feig's career in its original run.
McFadden's audience extends beyond the anglosphere. Her success in France, for example, has been described as "dazzling"Juliette Baëza, "Comment expliquer le fulgurant succès populaire de la romancière Freida McFadden?", Slate, April 2, 2026. Accessed May 29, 2026. and a "tidal wave"."Freida McFadden, un raz-de-marée sur les ventes en France et une nouvelle adaptation au cinéma" , Le Figaro, January 7, 2026. Accessed May 29, 2026. Eight of the fifteen bestselling books in that country during 2025 were by McFadden, whose cumulative French sales reached 6.453 million units by the end of the same year.Nicolas Gary, "Freida McFadden écrase le marché du livre en 2025 : les chiffres qui donnent le vertige" , ActuaLitté, December 26, 2026. Accessed May 7, 2026 Two more McFadden novels were released in French translation in early 2026, bringing the total to ten, with others announced.Edistat statistiques de l'édition . Accessed May 29, 2026.
In 2026, Time named McFadden one of the 100 most influential people of the year.
Reception In its review of Ward D, Kirkus Reviews called the novel "a superior work in the hospital ward horror genre," praising McFadden's control of tension and stating that she doles out revelations "with such an expert hand that readers [...] may end up wondering who they themselves can trust." Reviewing The Intruder, Kirkus described the trademark formula that established McFadden's work, noting that she "lures readers in using a seemingly straightforward thriller premise before diving headfirst into a series of progressively seismic (and increasingly insane) twists."
Writer Sophia Mendonça argued that McFadden's greatest asset lies primarily in her architectural construction of suspense. According to Mendonça, McFadden is able to create shocking central plot twists that force the reader to reevaluate every previous page. Mendonça also points out that the surface of frantic suspense serves as a vehicle for McFadden to insert discussions about intimate partner violence, social class, and the stigmatization of mental illness.
In a review published on BookTrib, analyst Philip Zozzaro called the psychological thriller Dear Debbie as a "sinister delight" and "fiendishly clever," highlighting the character arc of the protagonist, who goes from a quiet advice columnist and mother to a "calculated avenger." Zozzaro praised the author for creating a "complex and clever antihero who possesses a fierce charisma." He underlines how McFadden manipulates the perceptions that other characters and the reader themselves have of the protagonist. Zozzaro compared her work to that of established authors in the suspense genre, such as Gillian Flynn and Alice Feeney.
Personal life Cohen lives outside Boston with her husband, two children, and cat.
Works Series Dr. Jane McGill series #TitleReleasedRef.1The Devil Wears ScrubsAugust 23, 20132The Devil You KnowMay 28, 2017
Prescription: Murder series #TitleInitial ReleaseRe-ReleasedRef.1Dead MedJuly 4, 2014*June 27, 20242Brain DamageApril 30, 2016August 18, 2026 *Originally published under the title Suicide Med; later revised and re-released as Dead Med on June 27, 2024. The re-release date listed in the table refers to its later traditional publication by Poisoned Pen Press.
The Housemaid series #TitleReleasedRef.1The HousemaidApril 26, 20222The Housemaid's SecretFebruary 20, 20233The Housemaid Is WatchingJune 11, 2024
Standalone TitleInitial Release*Re-ReleasedRef.Baby City (co-written with Kelley Stoddard)April 25, 2015The Surrogate MotherOctober 10, 2018August 19, 2025The ExFebruary 18, 2019The Perfect SonOctober 8, 2019August 6, 2024The Wife UpstairsMarch 23, 2020One by OneJuly 13, 2020April 2, 2024Want to Know a Secret?January 5, 2021March 3, 2026The Locked DoorJune 1, 2021October 3, 2023Do Not DisturbSeptember 7, 2021July 1, 2025Do You Remember?January 10, 2022The InmateJune 13, 2022March 5, 2024Never LieSeptember 19, 2022December 5, 2023Ward DMay 8, 2023March 4, 2025The CoworkerAugust 29, 2023The TeacherFebruary 6, 2024The BoyfriendOctober 1, 2024The CrashJanuary 28, 2025The TenantMay 6, 2025The IntruderOctober 7, 2025Dear DebbieJanuary 27, 2026The DivorceMay 29, 2026The WitchOctober 6, 2026 *Initial release dates refer to initial self-publication by McFadden via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Re-release dates indicate subsequent traditional publication through Poisoned Pen Press. Titles first published from late 2023 onwards were issued directly through traditional publishing and therefore do not have separate re-release dates.
Novellas TitleReleasedRef.The Gift: A Short StoryDecember 4, 2022The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie: A Satirical NovellaAugust 12, 2024The Housemaid’s WeddingNovember 22, 2024Death RowJune 1, 2025The Dinner Party: A Pick Your Poison AdventureApril 1, 2026
Edited anthologies TitleReleasedRef.11 out of 10: A Collection of Humorous Medical Short StoriesSeptember 30, 2015
Awards 2023 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback Original Novel for The Housemaid 2023 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller for The Housemaid's Secret
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