Well, well, well, I have finally reached to the last book in the Housemaid series. Till now, I have managed to reviewe the first two novels in this series because I found them to be captivating reads. The first one is my personal favorite as it has enough twists and turns to keep you hooked till the end when the unexpected revelations come out in the open. It has the power to shock and awe with the brilliantly crafted narrative where a housemaid takes the cleaning quite seriously. The second book is also equipped with good storytelling but somehow the plot doesn’t hold much ground till the end. The third one though overcomes these limitations of the second installment and definitely packs a punch.

The story opens in upstate New York when Milli and Enzo move from the city to Long Island with their two children- Ada and Nico. It’s been fifteen years since Millie and Enzo met (during the first novel’s timeline) and eleven years since they’re married. After spending initial years of their family in a cramped apartment in the New York city, they are eagerly looking forward living in a spacious house that has parking, comfortable living spaces and a backyard. Even though husband and wife are happy with their home shifting, specially Millie more than Enzo, they failed to notice that such a drastic move is not gone down well with their two children.

 While outgoing energetic Nico is developing behavioral issues by showing aggressive and violent tendencies, Ada being an introvert is struggling in her new environment. They both face adjustment challenges in their school as well as in their neighborhood. But things come to head on when their family entangles with their next-door neighbors- Suzette and Jonathan Lowell. Their other neighbor Janice and her son- Spencer who is of the same age as Nico, is also not very friendly.

Surprisingly Millie is struggling too even after moving to her dream house. She and Enzo are bogged down with the money troubles and on top of it, they are coping to settle down in such a snobbish community. Millie is miserable at least two thirds of this book and Enzo seems to be distracted with his business ventures for that time period. The story only becomes interesting when their attempt of ‘keeping up with the Lowells’ fails miserably. Their marriage is suffering, their children are driven towards lifelong trauma and their finances are insufficient for their new lifestyle. Still, they employ a mysterious housemaid called Marta purely on Suzette’s recommendation.

Between Millie’s anxious dwellings and Enzo’s suspicious work ventures, the plotline stalls. It only gathers enough pace when Jonathan is found dead in his house with a slit throat and the entire case is pinned on Enzo. Is Enzo the real killer? Why did he take such a drastic step? And where does Suzette fits in this puzzle?

I would highly recommend to read this book (most probably in one sitting) to get answers to all these intriguing questions. Although it’s a bit sad to see Millie evolving into a typical mother figure with all the softness and little control over her kids’ predicament; it’s the evolution of her children which saves the book from being boring. You might question the logic in few places specially towards the end but overall this novel provides a good reading experience.