The Last Mrs. Parrish vs The Housemaid – Too Many Similarities to Ignore? (Warning: Spoilers for both)

I just finished The Last Mrs. Parrish after previously reading The Housemaid, and I started noticing similarities very early on. I’m not claiming the entire plot is copied because the motivations and overall arcs differ. But certain setups and scenes feel strikingly parallel.

A few examples:

1. The “mousy” infiltration tactic
In both books, the protagonist deliberately presents herself as plain, meek, and non-threatening to gain the wife’s trust. The strategy of minimizing oneself so as not to appear like a romantic threat to the lady of the house plays a major role in both stories.

2. A hidden past and relocation
Both main characters have left their hometowns and are hiding significant parts of their past, which slowly unfold as the story progresses.

3. The Broadway ticket setup
This is the scene that really stood out to me.

In both books, tickets are arranged for the husband and wife to attend a Broadway show together. At the last minute, the wife withdraws under suspicious or emotionally charged circumstances and the husband pivots toward taking the protagonist instead.

The sequence of events, the emotional manipulation involved, and the way it becomes a bonding moment between husband and protagonist felt very similar in structure.

4. The “unstable/dangerous wife” framing
In both books, the wife is initially presented as unstable or potentially harmful to her own child, only for the narrative to complicate or reverse that perception later.

That said, the tone and character dynamics differ. Amber is calculating from the beginning and has a clear upward-social strategy. Millie is more reactive and motivated by survival. The POV reversal in The Last Mrs. Parrish also adds a psychological layer that feels more structurally deliberate.

5. The husband as the ultimate source of danger (Spoilers)
In both novels, while the female characters operate in morally gray or manipulative ways, the wealthy husband ultimately emerges as the most dangerous and controlling force in the household. The narrative initially casts suspicion on the wife, but later reveals the husband’s abusive nature.

I’m curious how others feel:
Which book handled the manipulation dynamic better in your opinion?