Dear Debbie (by Freida McFadden)

allfictionsuspensemystery
Written By Natalie

I’m such a Freida McFadden fan. Her books reliably deliver the kind of twisty, bingeable entertainment I crave, and I only wish I could catch up on her new releases and dive into the backlist at the same time. The woman writes at a speed that still amazes me.

In Dear Debbie, we meet Debbie Mullen, a brilliant former MIT student who has settled into suburban Massachusetts life as a mother of two teenagers and the writer of a local advice column. On the surface she’s the helpful, practical wife and neighbor. Underneath, her unpublished drafts reveal far more ruthless solutions. When her job disappears and problems pile up with her daughters, her husband, and various people in her community, Debbie decides she’s done being the bigger person. She starts taking her own advice—and seeking calculated retribution.

This was exactly the kind of dark, suspenseful McFadden thriller I was hoping for. I genuinely loved Debbie’s problem-solving style. She is creative, methodical, and does the kinds of things many of us might privately fantasize about but would never actually do. I was perfectly content sitting on the sidelines, watching her work.

I especially related to her gardening hobby. While we grew poppies this summer, we certainly didn’t put them to the same use Debbie did.

I thought the story might stay fairly straightforward, and I would have been fine with that. Instead, Freida tossed in the twists and turns I’ve come to expect from her. I was mesmerized and thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla. The narration team—Julia Whelan, January LaVoy, and Scott Brick—is top-notch and made for an excellent listening experience.

If you’re already a Freida fan, Dear Debbie will feel like a satisfying, slightly wicked treat. If you’re new to her work, this is a strong entry point into her brand of darkly funny domestic suspense. With two more books already scheduled, I’m looking forward to whatever she delivers next.

I'm slowly making my way through Freida McFadden's entire catalog. You can find my previous reviews of her books linked below.

 
Buy on Amazon
 

Like Debbie, I love gardening. While our poppies are no longer blooming, I have some beautiful dahlias to share with you. These Zingaro dahlias remind me of delicate waterlilies, and I love watching their color transform as they bloom.

As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.

Natalie
Next

Risen from the Ashes (by Patrick O’Brian)