Freida McFadden is on a roll! Not only is she one of the most popular thriller authors of the moment, but she’s also highly sought after when it comes to adapting novels into movies and TV shows.
Following the adaptation of The Housemaid, which is set for release in December 2025, it was announced that The Tenant is also receiving a movie adaptation. And now, it has been revealed that the Dear Debbie TV series, which is based on her upcoming novel, is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios!
Freida McFadden loves to build tension with ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Her psychological thrillers feature the kind of story that sticks with you long after you close the book, which is why almost all her books instantly become bestsellers.
McFadden is a practicing physician, originally from New York City, and writes thrillers under that pen name. She has earned bestselling status with her The Housemaid series and numerous standalone suspense novels. Her background in medicine, particularly in brain injury, and her disciplined approach to self-publishing earlier works give her fiction a grounded realism and sharp psychological insight.
Her writing style tends to delve deeply into family secrets, relationships tested by betrayal or grief, and characters who are pushed to their limits. What’s interesting about Dear Debbie is that McFadden is letting a female character, Debbie Mullen, take control in chaos, using advice that she once gave others to redirect her own life. It’s a twist on the “woman pushed too far” theme with morality, tension, and stakes all tightly wound.
Dear Debbie novel will be released on January 27, 2026, so the adaptation is still in its early stages. However, Amazon MGM Studios has officially optioned it for a series. So, let’s talk about everything we know about the upcoming adaptation!
What will be the Plot of the Dear Debbie TV Series?
Since the novel is being adapted into a TV series rather than a movie, we can expect the plot of the adaptation to remain faithful to the source material with minimal deviations. We can expect some minor creative changes, but the adaptation will feature the same plot as Freida McFadden’s novel.
The book focuses on Debbie Mullen, who runs a long-standing advice column called Dear Debbie, where she counsels New England wives facing dismissive or abusive partners, household secrets, and emotional neglect. As the one people trust with their buried pains, she has always been “the sane one” in the chaos of others’ lives.
But Debbie’s own life starts to crack, with one thing happening after another. What follows is Debbie stepping into her own power, rewriting the rules of consequence for those who have wronged her.
What makes the plot compelling is that it’s not just revenge; it’s a portrait of what happens when the boundaries between duty, morality, and self-respect get blurred.
Since the book hasn’t been released yet, take a look at the official synopsis so you can read the book before the adaptation is released!
Sometimes, enough is enough…
Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all her best advice into her column, “Dear Debbie,” where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.
Or at least, she did.
These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.
And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.
Casting & Production Updates:
Amazon MGM Studios has officially acquired the rights to the Dear Debbie novel, with the intention of turning it into a TV series.
There’s not much information available, and not many people have been hired yet, as the adaptation was just announced. However, it has been confirmed that Gina Girolamo is joining the project as an executive producer. She is known for her work on shows like ‘You’ and ‘Pretty Little Liars.’
As of now, there are no confirmed announcements regarding the cast, director, or specific release date, as the project is still in its early development stage.
Should You Read the Book Instead?
Since the book hasn’t been released yet, it wouldn’t be right for me to recommend reading it when I haven’t read it myself. However, it is almost always the case that the books are better than their adaptations.
Talking about Freida McFadden, she is one of the best writers in the mystery and thriller genres, so you won’t come after me if I tell you that Dear Debbie’s novel would turn out to be better than the TV adaptation. However, there have been cases when the adaptation turned out to be better than the books it was based on.
Yes, if you can’t wait for the screen adaptation, then do read the novel. Grab a copy for yourself as soon as it is released in January 2026.
Reading the book first also gives you the chance to engage with the thriller as intended; you get to experience the twists and betrayals, revealing them exactly as Freida McFadden structured them. And when the Dear Debbie TV series finally arrives, you’ll be able to see what adaptations keep, what they change, and appreciate how they bring the morally grey moments to life.
Upcoming Book Adaptations: