Book club is BACK, and just in time for those gorgeous summer reads! Brought to you by Villa Maria, we’re SO excited to once again bring you a new book each month during the sunny season to devour and savour. Whether you indulge in a few hours of luxurious alone time each Sunday, or finish your day with a chapter or two, we invite you to relax and enjoy, and if you’re so inclined, connect with fellow Capsule readers and your own family and friends to have a yarn about the book you’ve just read.
And, thanks to our partners Villa Maria, each book will be expertly wine matched with one of their incredible new canned wines – perfect for summer outings with you and your book (or just you, your book and a gorgeous wine in the peace of home!).
This month Alice reads a twisty, spicy thriller, matched with a citrusy, punchy wine. A match made in heaven? We think so!
Capsule x Villa Maria
THE BOOK: THE HOUSEMAID REVIEW
Sometimes, when the world gets a bit much – the news is full of gloom and my email inbox seems to be expanding at a rate I can’t possibly keep up with (oh, and the Christmas Clock is rapidly counting down?!) – I like to use my downtime to escape entirely.
My schedule (or bank balance!) doesn’t actually allow me to leave Auckland until after Christmas, but this is when a good TV show or book pays dividends. And when I say good, I don’t mean good in the sense that it might win a Pulitzer or an Emmy or even have excellent critical reviews. No no, there’s a time and place for that. If I’m stressed, or just wanting to unwind over a summer break, what I really want is just some good, fun, maybe quite silly, escapism.
This is how Frieda McFadden has come into my life. And if you too are looking for something that’s easy to read, very engaging, but completely batshit and entertaining – she’s your gal too.
I’ve read about a half dozen of her books now and they are mostly ridiculous, but wonderfully so. And the best place to start is with The Housemaid.
It’s not Frieda’s first book, but it’s her most popular – so popular she has now spun it into a series. It’s followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid is Watching, as well as a short book, The Housemaid’s Wedding – so if you’re into it, you’ve got your summer reading list sorted for a while.
Now, you may have heard of The Housemaid already, because it’s now a worldwide best-seller since its release in 2022, or you may have seen some of the marketing for the new film out later this month which is based on it. It stars Sydney Sweeney (I think we’re really starting to paint a picture here) as well as Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar.
Here’s the absolutely batshit trailer:
See what I’m talking about?
I obviously haven’t seen this movie, but just based on the trailer alone, I’d recommend you get into reading the book first.
It starts with the voice of Millie, a young woman with a troubled past.
“If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs” are her first words to us.
Police officers have entered the house she is in – it’s too late to run, and when they discover what’s upstairs, she’s done for. There’s a body in the attic.
After this wild start, we’re whisked back in time, three months earlier, where we find Millie is living in her car, unable to find a job due to her criminal record. But somehow, she’s managed to secure a job interview to be the live-in-housemaid for the incredibly wealthy Winchester family. There’s Nina, the perfectly manicured wife, her handsome husband Andrew and their daughter, Cecelia.
Something feels off about the place – off about Nina and Cecelia. And the house itself. It’s so lavish and OTT, apart from her living quarters, which are rather dark and cramped (also, there is a lock on the outside of her door. Why!?!?). Then there’s the weird landscaper, Enzo, who begins acting cagey as soon as Millie lays eyes on him. But, it’s a place to live for Millie and it’s a decent pay packet, so despite her reservations, she accepts.
We all know where this is going – nowhere good for Millie.
This psychological thriller goes to all kinds of strange, dark places and keeps you guessing about who the true villain is, with plenty of twists, and yes, an eventual murder. But who dies, who really kills them, and why?
I was hooked. HOOKED.
The Housemaid is sexy and dark, with a rocketing fast pace to it as you gain more and more pieces of the puzzle that will either lead you far up the garden path, or to the wild truth revealed in the final chapters.
It’s a perfect summer read – it’s wickedly entertaining, completely batshit, and a wonderfully wild ride. Genuinely can’t recommend enough, especially for this time of the year when you just want to escape and weirdly, find peace in someone else’s made-up crazy (at least that’s how I felt!).
PAIR IT WITH: VILLA MARIA PRIVATE BIN SAUVIGNON BLANC – but make it beach-appropriate with the canned version!
This is the perfect beach read – and what’s better at the beach than an engrossing book, plenty of sunscreen and a deliciously chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc?
Nothing, honestly!
We’ve paired The Housemaid with Villa Maria’s new canned Savvy-B – it’s the same Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc you know and love, but in a 250ml can. Like The Housemaid, this gorgeous drop leaves you wanting more, with notes of lime, lemongrass and fresh herbs – and like the book, it’s the perfect summer tonic. Make sure you take a chilly bin and serve crisp and cold.
R18, Drink Responsibly
