Title: THE COWORKER
Author: Freida McFadden
ISBN: 9781728296203
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Pages: 362
Source: Private Copy
Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can’t be taken back.
Dawn Schiff is strange. At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.
So when Dawn doesn’t show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell—beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running—is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…
It turns out Dawn wasn’t just an awkward outsider—she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who’s the real victim?
But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.
Official Summary
21 November 2024
I have had a few authors on repeat as I work my way through their backlists and Freida McFadden is one of them. I find her books to be an ideal, quick and easy weekend read, which always keeps me entertained.
Freida McFadden delivers another rollercoaster thriller in The Coworker, where secrets simmer beneath the mundane surface of office life and then explode into a deadly, high-stakes game. The story hooks you right from the start with the contrast of two very different women working side by side at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. On one hand, we have Dawn Schiff, the socially awkward and rigid accountant who clings to her daily routines, arriving precisely at 8:45 a.m. every day. On the other, there’s Natalie Farrell, the charming, polished, top-performing sales rep with a full social life and everyone’s admiration.
The plot thickens when Dawn, the reliable fixture of the office, suddenly doesn’t show up one morning. This alone is strange enough, but Natalie’s world is upended when she gets an anonymous call that drags her into an increasingly unsettling situation. We quickly learn that there’s more to Dawn’s solitary existence than meets the eye—and that she was being victimized by someone in the office. McFadden expertly builds suspense, making us question who among Dawn’s colleagues could harbour such intense hostility. Is Natalie the “mean girl” antagonist she initially seems to be, or does she have her own set of vulnerabilities?
McFadden does an impressive job of creating suspense around Dawn’s life and the intrigue of her potential enemies, keeping readers guessing at every turn. I found myself captivated by the complex layers of office politics, the small but telling interactions, and the way McFadden adds depth to what could have been a simple whodunit. Dawn’s character is especially intriguing. While she’s portrayed initially as “strange,” McFadden gives her a level of empathy and humanity that makes her storyline resonate.
The pace of The Coworker is swift, with twists that catch you just when you think you’ve figured things out. McFadden isn’t afraid to pull the rug out from under her readers, and the final twists are especially memorable, leaving you second-guessing the true roles of Natalie and Dawn in this office nightmare.
If you’re looking for a tightly wound thriller with a fresh take on workplace dynamics and hidden vendettas, The Coworker will not disappoint. This book is not just a thriller; it’s an exploration of how perception and isolation can drive people to the edge.
Also by Freida McFadden
The Inmate
There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum security:
1) Treat all prisoners with respect.
2) Never reveal any personal information.
3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.
But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don’t know that Shane was Brooke’s high school sweetheart―the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke’s testimony was what put him there.
But Shane knows. And he will never forget.
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 visiting the blog and reading my review. Which authors are on your backlist pile? I would love to hear from you, leave a comment below. I am currently working through Freida McFadden, Mary Kubica and of course, Chris Carter, whose Robert Hunter series is my current favourite. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
