The Coworker by Freida McFadden Summary, Characters and Themes

“The Coworker” is a thriller novel by Freida McFadden.

It is set in the office of a nutritional supplement company called Vixed. The story revolves around two coworkers, Dawn Schiff and Natalie Farrell. Dawn is considered strange and unpopular, while Natalie is beautiful and successful. When Dawn doesn’t show up to work one day, Natalie receives an unsettling anonymous phone call that sets the events of the novel in motion. The book explores themes of jealousy, secrets, and the dark side of office dynamics. It has been praised for its twists and turns, and for keeping readers guessing until the very end.

Summary

Natalie Farrell, a polished salesperson at Vixed, grows uneasy when her peculiar yet punctual coworker Dawn Schiff doesn’t show up for work. Dawn, obsessed with turtles, leaves behind only a turtle figurine stained with red and a chilling anonymous voicemail begging for help.

When Natalie visits Dawn’s home, she finds overturned furniture and a blood-soaked carpet, the air heavy with bleach. The police investigate but find no body, and Natalie lies, claiming her boyfriend Caleb stayed over that night.

Silent calls from a withheld number begin haunting Natalie. An urgent, previously unopened email from Dawn appears in her inbox, deepening the fear clawing at her carefully curated life.

Amid the chaos, Natalie slips back into a brief affair with her married boss, Seth, seeking the illusion of control. Then, a woman’s body is discovered in the woods, brutally beaten beyond recognition, and everyone assumes it is Dawn.

At work, whispers spread about Natalie’s past bullying of Dawn, and accounting discrepancies tied to Natalie’s department surface. Caleb confesses that he lied to give Natalie an alibi, fracturing the ground beneath her.

Desperate to regain her image, Natalie organizes a 5K charity run in memory of her “childhood friend” Amelia.

But on the day of the run, she traces one of the withheld calls to a Rhode Island motel, where police arrest her for suspicion of Dawn’s murder. Meanwhile, Dawn’s emails to her friend Mia reveal Natalie’s escalating cruelty and Dawn’s fear leading up to a confrontation about missing company funds. Dawn had expected a final showdown with Natalie.

In a twist, Dawn is alive, hiding in a motel with Caleb, her secret lover and accomplice. They orchestrated the entire plan to frame Natalie, seeking vengeance for Mia’s suicide—Natalie’s high school victim and Caleb’s half-sister, who ended her life after relentless bullying from Natalie and her friend Tara.

In prison, Natalie learns Caleb planted evidence against her, and Seth uncovers Caleb’s connection to Dawn. Realizing Dawn might kill herself to give police a body to convict Natalie, Seth, Natalie, and Caleb form an uneasy alliance to find her before it is too late.

They find Dawn on a pier, attempting to drown herself. Dawn attacks Natalie in a final burst of rage, but Natalie defends herself, revealing Caleb’s love for Dawn and begging her to live. In the chaos, Dawn realizes the emptiness of her revenge, and Natalie sees herself in Dawn’s desperation.

A year later, Natalie and Dawn stand side by side, organizing the 5K run together. To the world, they appear as friends bound by tragedy, but privately, they know the truth.

Dawn knows Natalie’s secrets: the embezzlement, the manipulation, the lies that shattered lives. Yet Natalie feels untouchable, knowing they are both dangerous women who understand what it takes to survive.

They share a glance, acknowledging the darkness that binds them, as it is revealed the woman found in the woods was Tara Wilkes, Natalie’s high school friend, murdered by Dawn in the final act of revenge, ensuring that Natalie will always live with the weight of the past she thought she had buried.

Characters

Natalie Farrell

A charismatic and ambitious salesperson at Vixed, Natalie is initially portrayed as a victim of circumstance. 

However, as the narrative unfolds, her darker side is revealed. She is manipulative and self-serving, resorting to lies and deception to protect her reputation and career. 

Her involvement in the bullying of Mia, which ultimately led to Mia’s tragic suicide, showcases her capacity for cruelty. 

Driven by a desire for success and a disregard for others, Natalie embodies the toxic nature of ambition and the lengths to which individuals may go to achieve their goals.

Dawn Schiff

Dawn, an accountant at Vixed, is initially presented as an eccentric and socially awkward individual. 

However, her meticulous nature and unwavering sense of justice drive her to seek revenge for the bullying of her best friend, Mia. Dawn’s meticulous planning and ability to manipulate events demonstrate her intelligence and resourcefulness. 

While her actions are motivated by a desire for justice, her willingness to resort to extreme measures blurs the line between victim and perpetrator, highlighting the complexities of revenge and the potential consequences of unresolved trauma.

Caleb McCullough

Caleb, Natalie’s boyfriend and Dawn’s lover, plays a crucial role in orchestrating the events of the novel. His love for Dawn and desire to avenge his half-sister Mia drive him to participate in the elaborate scheme to frame Natalie. 

Caleb’s actions reveal his loyalty and devotion to those he cares about, but also his capacity for deceit and manipulation. 

His willingness to protect Dawn at all costs raises questions about the boundaries of love and the lengths to which individuals may go to seek justice for their loved ones.

Seth Hoffman

Seth, Natalie’s boss and former lover, is a complex character caught between his desire for Natalie and his commitment to his family. 

His initial support for Natalie despite the mounting evidence against her reveals his vulnerability to her manipulation. However, his eventual realization of her true nature and his role in uncovering Caleb’s connection to Dawn demonstrate his capacity for growth and change. 

Seth’s character highlights the complexities of relationships and the potential for individuals to be both deceived and redeemed.

Mia Hodge (Amelia Hodge)

Though deceased, Mia’s presence looms large over the narrative. Her tragic suicide as a result of bullying serves as the catalyst for Dawn and Caleb’s revenge plot. 

Mia’s character represents the devastating consequences of bullying and the lasting impact it can have on both the victim and their loved ones. 

Her absence underscores the importance of kindness, empathy, and standing up against injustice.

Themes

The Dark Side of Office Politics

McFadden’s novel offers a chilling exploration of the toxic undercurrents that can fester beneath the seemingly mundane surface of office life. The story is set primarily within the confines of Vixed, a nutritional supplement company, where the relationships between colleagues are fraught with envy, ambition, and hidden agendas. 

Dawn, the socially awkward accountant, becomes a target for Natalie’s insidious bullying and manipulation, driven by a complex mix of personal insecurities and professional rivalry. The office environment, with its hierarchies, gossip, and power struggles, serves as a fertile breeding ground for these destructive dynamics. 

McFadden’s portrayal of office politics is both unsettling and thought-provoking, highlighting how seemingly innocuous interactions can conceal a darker reality.

The Duality Within Us All

The Coworker reveals the unsettling reality that good and evil can coexist within the same person. Its characters are neither wholly innocent nor entirely corrupt, but layered individuals driven by conflicting fears, desires, and flaws.

Dawn, first perceived as a quiet victim, emerges as a calculating architect of revenge. Natalie, outwardly confident and successful, reveals herself to be both manipulative and deeply vulnerable, her choices driven by insecurity as much as ambition.

Through their intertwined stories, the novel pushes readers to question their own judgments of others. It confronts the uncomfortable truth that the capacity for darkness lies within everyone.

The Illusion of Appearances

In The Coworker, appearances are skillfully shown to be fragile masks hiding deeper truths. The story invites readers to look past surface impressions and question assumptions about who people truly are.

Dawn, the quiet, diligent accountant, conceals a mind capable of intricate deception. Natalie, the polished and admired salesperson, hides insecurities and a cruel streak that undermine her carefully curated image.

The corporate environment, with its smiles, gossip, and quiet rivalries, heightens this theme of illusion. It reminds readers of how easily perceptions can be manipulated and how dangerous it can be to trust appearances without questioning what lies beneath.

The Weight of Unhealed Wounds

The Coworker examines how past wounds can shape the present in destructive and unforeseen ways. Dawn’s relentless pursuit of revenge is rooted in the cruelty and exclusion she faced as a child, culminating in the death of her best friend, Mia.

Caleb’s role in the plot is fueled by grief and the need to avenge the loss of his half-sister. The novel explores how unresolved trauma festers beneath the surface, distorting perceptions and feeding cycles of vengeance and fear.

By weaving the past into the present, the story reveals how the pain we carry can dictate our actions long after the initial hurt. It shows how that pain can influence choices that destroy lives and shatter illusions of safety.