Title: DEAR DEBBIE
Author: FREIDA McFADDEN
ISBN: 9781464266485
Publisher: POISON PEN PRESS
Pages: 327
Source: PRIVATE COPY
Sometimes, enough is enough…
Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.
Or at least, she did.
These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.
And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.
Official Summary
22 April 2026
This was my first Freida McFadden book of the year, and as always with her novels, I went in not quite knowing what to expect. Her books tend to range from okay to absolutely brilliant—but Dear Debbie firmly falls into the latter category. I raced through this one.
Debbie is such a compelling character. At first, she appears to be a relatable wife and mother of two teenage daughters, doing her best to keep everything together as her life begins to spiral. But as the pressure builds, each of her decisions pushes her a little further off course, until she ultimately crosses a shocking line. The escalation is handled brilliantly—it’s tense, addictive, and nearly impossible to step away from.
The final reveal is genuinely jaw-dropping—this is Freida McFadden at her very best.
What really stood out to me is how the story explores the hidden cracks within a long-term marriage. Debbie and her husband have both been keeping secrets since the very beginning, and even by the final page, there are truths left unspoken. It’s a chilling reminder that you can spend a lifetime with someone and still never fully know them.
Despite the extremity of Debbie’s actions, I couldn’t help but admire her refusal to be pushed aside or overlooked any longer. There’s something strangely satisfying about watching her take control of her life, even if her methods are… questionable. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to accept everything people throw at you—you always have choices… just maybe not those choices. 😊
I enjoyed every minute of this one. It’s fast-paced, darkly entertaining, and would make a fantastic book club read with plenty to discuss.
Also by Freida McFadden
WARD D
Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward.
Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out.
And as the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger.
Amy’s worst nightmare was spending the night on Ward D.
And now she might never escape.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
#1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practising physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humour novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
Thank you for your continued support of the blog. it means the world to me. Writing this review, I cannot wait to read more of Freida McFadden’s books. I have a copy of The Surrogate Mother waiting on my TBR shelf. I will do my best to get to that one soon. Are you a fan? Which is your favourite book? Please leave a comment below.
