Freida McFadden reveals new 'unhinged' thriller: See the book cover
Best known for twisty novels including 'The Housemaid,' 'The Wife Upstairs' and 'Never Lie,' McFadden has a new story up her sleeve, McFadden and publisher Poisoned Pen Press reveal to USA TODAY exclusively.
'Dear Debbie,' a 'delicious revenge story,' will publish Jan. 27, 2026. Keep reading to see the cover and what McFadden has to tease about the novel, including a few comparable thrillers to read first.
New Freida McFadden book out in January: See the cover
'Dear Debbie' promises a 'twisted tale where the bad guy gets exactly what he deserves in the end,' an ode to unhinged women reclaiming their power, McFadden tells USA TODAY.
'It's incredibly satisfying when fiction can deliver the happy ending that can elude us in our lives,' McFadden said in a statement to USA TODAY. 'Like everyone else, I have experienced frustrations in my life. The little ones like the driver who cuts me off in traffic or the people who leave their dog poop in the exact perfect place to step in it. Or the big ones that still keep me awake some nights. And what do I do when those injustices happen? Like the majority of people, I do nothing.
'That's why I created Debbie Mullen. Debbie is the cool housewife slash advice columnist who has reached the end of her rope and finally starts taking back everything that was stolen from her – piece by piece, name by name. This book is a shout out to the silence that so many women live in every day. Debbie is one of my favorite protagonists of all my thrillers, and I hope you love her as much as I do," McFadden says.
What is 'Dear Debbie' by Freida McFadden about?
The novel follows a woman experiencing 'the mother of all crash outs,' according to McFadden. Debbie is a mother of two teenage daughters, an advice columnist for New England wives, a gardener and a wife who uses her MIT-educated math skills to design apps to track her lying husband. But when she's fired from her job, Debbie is 'officially out of buttons to push.'
While you wait to unlock Debbie's story, why not check out another suspenseful tale? McFadden shared her favorite revenge stories with USA TODAY that set the tone for "Dear Debbie":
Murders, ghosts and crime, oh my!: New thrillers to read this summer
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
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