NEW Freida McFadden, The Intruder – Review

COMING SOON! - Planned release: October 7th 2025

Thank you to Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press for the early access copy of The Intruder. I wrote this review for The Strand Magazine!

Spoiler free as the release date is so far away!

Frieda McFadden has a talent for making you doubt everything, and The Intruder is a perfect example of why she’s at the top of the psychological thriller game. This book lures you in with the dream of escape: a fresh start, a cabin in the woods, and peace and quiet. It’s the fantasy of unplugging, leaving the city and the noise behind… until it becomes something much darker. We encounter some typical Frieda themes of identity, trauma, guilt, memory, and motherhood.

The setting alone informs readers we're in for a classically gothic wild ride. There are no slow days, no moments of calm, and definitely no pages where the foot comes off the gas. We get ready for a spooky time, and we stay ready. You can practically hear the floorboards creak, feel the chill in the air, and smell the storm coming before anything even happens.

“There are no slow days, no moments of calm, and definitely no pages where the foot comes off the gas.”

We meet our protagonist in a secluded cabin on the night of a terrible storm. She’s chosen the quiet life after something happened that forced her to leave everything behind.

But then—she realises she’s not alone.

Suddenly, she’s faced with a decision: do what she thinks is right, or protect herself from possible serious danger? As the blurb teases, her late-night visitor is “young, alone, and covered in blood.” From there, the tension never lets go.

As always, I was hooked. We know Frieda has the thriller formula down to a tee—the devil works hard, but Frieda works harder. I devoured this in under 24 hours. It felt like I was playing Cluedo in my head, racing to piece together the clues before everything fell apart. She perfectly laid down various breadcrumbs to lead us along her little path. There I was happily pocketing the crumbs and keeping mental notes, thinking I had it down and knew where it was going... Silly me. She may have given us breadcrumbs, but only so she could take them away again!

One of my favourite elements was the structure. The novel flips between two timelines, “Now” and “Before”, without ever making it obvious how they connect. Around 20% in, I had a theory… then completely convinced myself I was wrong… until a reveal later proved I was right. (Yes, I was proud.)

What stood out in The Intruder was how much attention Frieda seems to have paid to her clue-building. I have to say, it was a lot of fun! I felt like a movie detective with a notepad, keeping track of every detail. In particular, she pays notable attention to the use of colour in this novel. Whether that's the colour of eyes, pens, hair, clothing, teeth and more!! These aren’t just descriptions—they’re clues. I wouldn’t be surprised if colour becomes one of the main things fans dissect after the release.

Speaking of subtle clues, this might be the best example of name play I’ve seen in a thriller. Without spoiling anything: names matter. Pay attention to how they’re introduced, repeated, and possibly mirrored...

There were a few moments of repetition—lines and sensory details (like the smell of peaches in a closet) pop up a few times in ways that felt unintentional. It had the slight feeling of a placeholder that might not have been edited out yet. A small critique, but it did briefly pull me out of the story a couple of times. Hopefully it’s polished in the final version.

Character-wise, we’re introduced to everyone on a strict need-to-know basis. The landlord? A little seedy but harmless... maybe. The neighbour? Kind, but something feels off. A mother? Possibly unwell, but details are held back. Everything unfolds in layers, and that restraint actually amplifies the tension.

⚠️ Trigger warning: There are some graphic scenes involving children. It’s handled with narrative weight but could be upsetting to some readers.

At just 288 pages, it’s impressive how much ground this story covers. It moves fast but still manages to weave in complexity, character depth, and enough suspense to keep you guessing right until the final chapter. If you’re a fan of McFadden’s usual twisty mind games, you’ll eat this one up. The Intruder is unsettling, addictive, and loaded with clues for you to chase. My FAVORITE Freida so far!!

I have to tease something, so without even saying anything, my final element of this review will be...

🟢🔥

Book Details:

• ISBN: 9781464260919

• Price: $27.99 / £20.50

• Hardcover (Paperback coming Autumn 2026)

• Buy here

  
  

If you specifically want to find out more about Freida McFadden, check out her website.