The Quiet Tenant
A novel
by Clémence Michallon
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Pub Date 20 Jun 2023 | Archive Date 20 Jul 2023
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Description
A PULSE-POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER NARRATED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM: HIS 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, HIS GIRLFRIEND—AND THE ONE VICTIM HE HAS SPARED
“All…of the expected suspense and psychological tension, but offering a story about women—the ones who didn’t know the evil that lurked within, the ones who tried to placate or fight but still perished, the ones who might actually survive. Haunting but never prurient…truly unforgettable.” — Alafair Burke, author of The Wife
Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate New York town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life.
When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life—and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut thriller by a major talent.
Advance Praise
“Clémence Michallon has managed to reimagine the serial killer novel, delivering all (and frankly, more) of the expected suspense and psychological tension, but offering a story about women—the ones who didn’t know the evil that lurked within, the ones who tried to placate or fight but still perished, the ones who might actually survive. Haunting but never prurient, The Quiet Tenant is truly unforgettable. Read it.” — Alafair Burke
“Clémence Michallon has written a classic on her first try. The Quiet Tenant is a daring and completely satisfying mystery; a one-of-a-kind; a bravura feat of storytelling . . . Who in her right mind would attempt a novel utilizing the first, second, and third-person? And then have the skill to actually pull it off.” —James Patterson
“Expertly structured and luminously rendered, The Quiet Tenant is told from the perspectives of several different women bound, both wittingly and unwittingly, to a single, terrifyingly familiar predator. A mystery that is at once riveting and heartrending, The Quiet Tenant is a sharply insightful look at what it means to live and love as a woman in this harrowing world. It is truly extraordinary.” — Kimberly McCreight
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780593534649 |
| PRICE | $28.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
alexandra c, Reviewer
Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for a chance to review this book.
I devoured this! It was amazing, and thrilling. Definitely a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I love that it has multiple perspectives. One of them being the victim, and the way it's written you feel like you become the character. I felt like I was trapped inside with the character, and going through everything she went through. I highly recommend this to all thriller fans. I think even true crime fans would like this. (I'm one myself).
Pick up this book,and read it. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.
Katherine M, Bookseller
I loved this book!!! What a debut. Loved the different perspectives and the fact that I could not stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Highly recommend!
Reviewer 1133856
Maybe one of my favorite books I’ve read this year so far! I went into this book blind and could not be happier that I received an ARC copy. Thank you to the publisher. This book did an amazing job at talking about the complexities of psychological trauma and I can’t recommend it enough!
Kelly H, Reviewer
This man is a father. This man is handsome. This man is a pillar of the community.
This man also happens to be a serial killer.
THE QUIET TENANT is a thriller that 5-star dreams are made of. The story is primarily told from an unnamed woman who was kidnapped by Aidan Thomas and imprisoned in his shed for five years. When Aidan is forced to sell his house, he moves the woman into the new home he shares with his daughter under the guise of being a roommate.
The story doesn’t stop with an incredible premise at the outset as the tension is dialed up throughout the story. The Quiet Tenant strikes the perfect balance of page-turning plot with fascinating characters. We hear from Aidan’s daughter, his love interest, and his victims who each offer vastly different perspectives on what kind of Aidan is.
True crime culture can easily portray victims and serial killers as one-dimensional, dismissing the very things that make them similar to us. By telling the woman’s perspective in second person (“you”) I was forced to consider that I am no different from women who are victims of crimes. Clemence Michallon humanizes Aidan and gives us a glimpse into the life of someone who is extremely dangerous, but also makes mac & cheese for a daughter he loves.
While human captivity is an undeniably dark topic, the story is not gratuitous with descriptions of murder, abuse, or gore. The novel is less about the specifics of what happened to women at the hands of a serial killer, and more about the spirit inside the women that cannot be dimmed.
What a book! The tension in this story is simply unrivaled. I couldn't tear myself away from these pages and appreciate the questions Clemence Michallon raises. Readers who appreciate stories that highlight the fortitude of the human spirit or enjoyed NOTES ON AN EXECUTION won’t want to miss THE QUIET TENANT.
RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE: June 20, 2023
Many thanks to Knopf for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advanced of publication date.
Reviewer 638407
The only thing you need to know is that this novel is the ABSOLUTE BEST Thriller of 2023!!
From the start you are pulled into the story as a main character, where Clémemce Michallon is using the word "you" when referring to things happening to the main female character who has been held captive for years. This alone pulled me into the story and what kept me hooked was the plot. Michallon weaves an incredible story of a man, a serial killer, who has to move due to a tragedy but what to do with the woman he has held captive for so long?
So he moves her with him and that is just the start of the push and pull of this story. The way Michallon has captured the relationship between the victim and her kidnapper is unlike any other book I have read and it is incredible.
If you like thrillers then you have to read this book! I swear you won't be disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review this book.
Kimberly T, Reviewer
The HUGEST thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc of this FANTASTIC read. I could not put this book down! I was so drawn into this and rooting for our main character “Rachel” to get away from Aidan and rooting for Emily to stay away from him and hoping Cecilia isn’t being hurt by her father! The last few chapters had me hanging on to every single word and I couldn’t put it down! 5 star read from me!
Brenda B, Reviewer
I LOVE THIS BOOK! Wow, such a great thriller! I can't believe it's a debut novel. I loved the different points of view. You really got a sense for how deranged this man was. 5 stars all the way!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!
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