Sara Cohen (born May 1, 1980), known by her pen name Freida McFadden, is an American author.^[1] She is known for her psychological thriller novels, many of which have achieved significant commercial success and widespread popularity. Since her debut in 2013 she has published 30 novels. The Housemaid (2022) became an international bestseller and was adapted into a 2025 feature film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney.

Sara Cohen was born on May 1, 1980, in New York City and grew up in midtown Manhattan. Her father was a psychiatrist, and her mother was a podiatrist; they later divorced. She has one younger brother.^[2][3] From an early age, she expressed an interest in becoming a physician. She attended a highly competitive New York City high school, later suggesting that the academic rigor she experienced there was formative to her work ethic.^[4]

Cohen went on to study mathematics at Harvard University.^[2] Later, she attended medical school at Stony Brook University, pursuing a career in medicine, while continuing to write fiction and submit manuscripts to publishers and literary agents.^{[citation needed]}

After completing her medical training, she began self-publishing fiction under the pseudonym Freida McFadden. Her first novel, The Devil Wears Scrubs (2013), drew heavily on her experiences as a medical intern and was based, in part, on observations from clinical training. The novel showed her interest in blending medical settings with narrative fiction.^[2][5]

Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller,^[6] and was adapted for Lionsgate Studios, with Rebecca Sonnenshine writing the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures' Todd Lieberman and Alex Young producing.^[7][8] It is directed by Paul Feig, and the cast includes Sydney Sweeney as Millie, Amanda Seyfried as Nina, Brandon Sklenar as Andrew, and Michele Morrone as Enzo. Filming began in January 2025, and it was released on December 19, 2025.^[9][10] The film earned almost $400 million at the box office to become the highest grossing film of Feig's career in its original run.^[11]

McFadden lives outside Boston with her husband, along with their two children and cat.^[2][12]

*Originally published under the title Suicide Med; later revised and re-released as Dead Med on 27 June 2024. The re-release date listed in the table refers to its forthcoming traditional publication under Sourcebooks’ Poisoned Pen Press imprint.

Note: Initial release dates refer to initial self-publication by McFadden via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Re-release dates indicate subsequent publication through traditional publishing following McFadden’s signing with Sourcebooks under their imprint Poisoned Pen Press. Titles first published from late 2023 onwards were issued directly through traditional publishing and therefore do not have separate re-release dates.

• 2023 International Thriller Writers Awards for The Housemaid in the category Best Paperback Original Novel^[43]
• 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards for The Housemaid's Secret in the category Best Mystery and Thriller^[17]

• Official website