Horror Book Review: The Crash by Freida McFadden

 

This week's Horror Pick is THE CRASH written by Freida McFadden.

The book was published in January 2025 and has earned the number one rank in Domestic Thrillers and Psychological Thrillers.

Freida McFadden is known for her bestselling novel The Housemaid, which is being adapted into a movie starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone The movie is expected to be released in December 2025.

The Crash is about an eight month pregnant woman called Tegan who is driving off to see her brother but gets caught in a blizzard.

Stranded, she is rescued by a couple she thinks is harmless until staying with them makes her realize that she may be in danger.

The book begins with a prologue told through an unnamed character who is in the process of killing someone.
The character claims to not be a murderer and does so only because they were given no other choice. It was for a good reason, after all.

We then meet Tegan, who is getting out of her car on a cold night. She's pregnant and carrying a bag of groceries.

She is heading to her studio apartment when she notices a man loitering about by the building entrance.

It is a man she knows, Jackson, who is most definitely not her baby's father.

We then learn that Tegan had gotten into a one night stand with a man called Simon Lamar. She gets pregnant, sees him on TV one day, and contacts him only to have her fairytale imagination shatter when she finds out Simon is very much married with kids. Also, he wants nothing to do with her or the baby.

Jackson works for Simon and tries to get Tegan to sign an NDA so that after the baby is born, she can never tell anyone who the father is. Not even the baby.

In return, Tegan is supposed to get a substantial amount to help her get out of her current financial status.

Tegan is more than happy to sign the contract until she meets Simon, catches his fragrance, and remembers that she never really consented to their one night stand. He had forced himself on her.

Tegan refuses to sign the contract after remembering, disappointing her brother Dennis, who was looking forward to her getting a good deal.

Trying to figure out her next steps, Tegan accepts her brother's invitation to visit him at a ski slope where he works.

The story starts off well and sets up the story well. Tegan is an interesting character, and the author manages to build her well, making her relatable and sympathetic.
Tegan doesn't have it together, and it shows.

However, her suddenly remembering that Simon forced her came a little too abruptly. When the incident is mentioned before, Tegan thinks she doesn't remember because she's too drunk. But was she never suspicious?

Considering the story begins with this part and showcases Tegan's financial woes, it is to be expected that the rest of the story will touch upon the repercussions of saying no to a whole lot of money.

To Read or Not to Read?

Freida McFadden is known to write inmersive thrillers, and The Crash is a good fit in the genre. The characters are well-built, and the story flows well. I especially enjoyed the way the author doesn't reveal everything in one sentence and slowly reveals the character's motivations. There is even a bit of humour in the protagonist's narrative that makes this an interesting read.

Freida McFadden is known to incorporate surprising twists and no doubt The Crash will have plenty of them.

I would definitely want to continue reading this novel, as should you.

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