The Coworker by Freida McFadden Summary
Overview of The Coworker
In "The Coworker," bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a twisted workplace thriller where turtles, revenge, and unreliable narrators collide. With 4.00 Goodreads rating and translations in 40+ languages, this page-turner will keep you questioning: who's the real office predator?
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Key takeaways
A Perfect Storm of Revenge
Dawn Schiff has disappeared. Her cubicle neighbor Natalie becomes concerned after receiving a disturbing "Help me" phone call from Dawn's line at exactly 9:17 AM-a time when Dawn would normally be organizing her daily files, a routine she hadn't missed in seven years at Vixed, a growing vitamin supplement company. When Natalie reports this to their boss Seth, he dismisses her concerns with unusual casualness, suggesting Dawn will show up for their scheduled afternoon meeting. The tension escalates when Natalie discovers a small ceramic turtle figurine with what appears to be dried blood on her desk. Dawn's meticulous nature makes her absence particularly alarming-she's never been late and follows schedules with almost obsessive precision. When Dawn fails to appear for her meeting with Seth, Natalie checks Dawn's home, finding disturbing signs of a struggle-an uncorked bottle of Merlot, a shattered wine glass, overturned furniture, and something dark and viscous on the beige carpet. What begins as concern for a missing coworker quickly transforms into a complex mystery. Dawn's recent behavior suggests she'd uncovered something significant-working late, taking encrypted notes, making frequent calls from the office stairwell. Did something terrible happen to Dawn? And if so, who might be responsible-perhaps someone within Vixed itself?
The Outsider Desperate to Belong
The Evidence Mounts
The Mask Slips
Confrontation at the Pier
A Dangerous Alliance
The Masks We Wear
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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