Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. I really enjoyed this one as it was from a different style that I don't typically read. I highly recommend checking this one out.

[3.5 stars]

This is a case of "what am I missing?" about a very buzzy book that many of my reading twins loved. The Quiet Tenant is the story of a serial killer told by 3 women who are close to him. Aiden Thomas is known as a good guy around town and seems helpful to everyone. But, beneath all that, he’s a killer. The book opens with a woman who he’s keeping imprisoned in his backyard shed. The story is narrated by her, Aiden’s 13 year old daughter, and a woman Aiden’s having a romantic relationship with. I was interested in what was going to happen and didn’t have trouble getting through the book, but when I finished, I felt like “what am I missing here?" I needed some more rational explanations for some decisions the woman in the shed made. I kept thinking there was going to be something more in the back half that sent this book into the buzzworthy, but there wasn’t. Finally, the ending felt very thin and I needed more of a backstory on Aiden and his motives.

I quite enjoyed The Quiet Tenant, a dark tale of obsession, captivity, and survival. The short chapters kept the plot moving and kept me turning the pages. The 2nd person narrative was an interesting choice in having us feel like the main character was outside of herself while being held captive. This was an unsettling story and I found myself wanting to know more about the characters, but I realize we were limited by what the narrators knew and this pulled me into the novel even more. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller. 4.5 Stars

A kidnapped woman, Rachel, has managed to stay alive for five years. Her captor is the towns handsome widower that everyone loves. Little does the town realize the horrors he is capable of.. Rachel has to keep her wits and try to rescue herself before she becomes another victim. Originally kept in the shed with infrequent meals and being chained up, The-passing of his wife and a move to another home puts her as a ‘guest’ captive. This may be disturbing to some, but I enjoyed the read.

This book catches me by surprise. It was thrilling and captivating from the first page. The pacing, the attention to details, the atmosphere are wonderfully crafted, that I hard to believe this is a debut novel.

It is a story told in the second person, which I usually don’t like, but here it worked! I usually don’t like stories emphasizing serial killers, but here again it was successfully done, because the center of the attention was not the killer, but his women, three in fact: the victim, who was held in captivity for five years, his daughter and a new sympathy. In the end the reasons for killer’s actions didn’t matter. I was quite pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t some rational explanation, and indirectly justifying killer’s horrible nature. The ending was satisfying, I just missed the daughter’s conclusion, to have more insight in her understanding.

This is a thriller definitely worth reading, it will keep you on the edge from the first until the last page!

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Publishing Group for an early copy for an honest review.

Rachel has been held captive by a serial killer for five years. Now that Aidan and his 13 year old daughter Cecilia have to move to a new house, Aidan decides that instead of just killing Rachel, like he has done with other women, he will move Rachel into their new home, telling Cecilia that Rachel is a tenant. Yeah. That’s believable. At the same time, Aidan is carrying out a flirtation with Emily, who has read too many romance novels and is extremely needy. Emily comes off as a stalker and is almost as creepy as Aidan, although I don’t think that was the author’s intent.

This could have been a good thriller, but the only suspenseful part came at the end. Most of the story takes place in the heads of Rachel, Emily and Cecilia. There are also brief episodes with some of Aidan’s other victims. It was all very one-note. Oddly, Emily seemed more distraught when Aidan started ignoring her, than Rachel seemed when Aidan raped and threatened her. This book held my interest enough to keep reading, but it wasn’t great.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a very dark sinister book. The start was a tad slow but the high tension, life and death stakes, and quick chapters added to the overall reading experience of the engaging book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this debut. It was engaging and empathetic and kept me guessing the whole time!

thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced copy

a fantastic thriller that kept me guessing

“He was a very nice person.”- words used to describe Ted Bundy, the charming, charismatic, handsome serial killer that raped and murdered at least 30 women in his reign of terror. The antagonist in this book is similar. Aiden just lost his wife to cancer, tugging on the town’s heartstrings. Rachel has been in the shed close to five years, but is stunned when Aiden and his daughter Cecelia move to a new home at which she is given the opportunity to be a “new tenant”, a family friend needing a place to stay. Rachel knows she is luckier than the other 7 women from before; there are rules to follow to stay alive. Cecelia misses her mother, and is looking for a friend to confide in when she is introduced to Rachel. Emily, a local bartender, is totally enchanted by Aiden, yet wonders about his tenant. I was glued to my couch reading this page-turner! Even the nicest people can hide the ugliest truth! The pacing was full of suspense, and I found myself wanting to justice throughout. Narratives of women in these abusive situations (and this one is to the extreme) are powerful; even as a woman myself, you find yourself asking why is she doing X when she should be doing Y, but we never know exactly how we will act in fight or flight mode! This book would make such an interesting movie or film, and I really look forward to reading more of this author in the future. Thanks, NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

Aiden Thomas is the quintessential all American guy. His wife just passed away from cancer leaving him and his daughter Cecelia to pick up the pieces in his rural small town in New York. He's the perfect guy, outside of the woman that he has held captive for five years in his shed that nobody knows about. The story is told in the perspective of the woman held captive, Cecelia, and Aiden's new interest Emily. It was difficult at first to understand the second person POV, which is what all of Rachel's chapters are told in. There were also extremely short chapters dedicated to all of Aiden's other victims as well.

I have finished this book and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. This was a completely haunting story that I had a hard time reading without having nightmares. At times the reader has to suspend so much belief, but then it doesn't seem like this story is that completely unbelievable at the same time. I know this is one that I will be thinking about for a while, but I feel like a certain type of person has to read it. There are so many trigger warnings, so it is important to research those before diving in. At times I wish that we understood more of his perspective. It seemed like we spent so much time setting up the scenery that it ended quickly and I left feeling a bit dissatisfied.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

THE QUIET TENANT is a bold, gripping thriller that I found hard to put down, and I suspect this one will prey on my mind for some time. There's a haunting quality to it, an eerie, ever-growing sense of malice that surrounds and almost suffocates you with claustrophobic vibes. My advice to other readers is to go into it without reading any spoilers as I did, allowing yourself to experience it first-hand.

Aidan Thomas is a well-liked, friendly, helpful man who's admired by his friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, it's all a facade, a veneering that hides a dark and evil side. In truth, Aidan is a serial kidnapper and killer who's responsible for the death of eight women and is holding his ninth victim in a shed behind his house. Rachel was kidnapped five years ago and knows she's presumed dead. Her desire to live; however, is strong and readers will learn she's not quite as complacent and brainwashed as Aidan believes. She's learned a few things about manipulation over her years of captivity and does what's necessary to survive. When Aidan's forced to move with his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecelia to another residence, Rachel gently nudges him into deciding to take her along, introducing her as his old friend and new tenant. Rachel now has the opportunity to interact with Cecelia for brief periods of time when Aidan lets her out of her room. Cecelia adores her father, but she's Rachel's only chance at freedom. Does she dare tell Cecelia the truth, or will it be signing her own death certificate? Meantime, Aidan is courting his next victim Emily who is smitten with the handsome widower. The story that ensues is a dark, emotional, heart-pounding masterpiece.

THE QUIET TENANT is a bit unusual in structure and delivery, switching between narratives from chapter to chapter and multiple points of view. At first, it feels a bit choppy or disconnected, but as the story takes off the sharp prose and short chapters are highly effective at building tension and trepidation in characters and readers. Michallon takes time to set the scene with a steadily increasing pace driven by a malevolent tone that grows darker page by page. Points of view include Rachel, Cecelia and Emily, affording readers intimate knowledge of each woman's thoughts and views of the truth as they know it. Rachel's perspective is particularly disturbing as one might expect as she begins pushing boundaries seeking a way out of her never-ending nightmare, and the author does an outstanding job of relaying her desperation while keeping a small spark of hope alive. It's easy for readers to question her choices at times, however, no one can really know the psychological impact of being held captive for so long with the fear of death looming every single day unless you've been there. All characterizations are brilliantly rendered, multi-layered and believable. Through twists and turns, the author manipulates readers and characters towards an ending most won't see coming.

THE QUIET TENANT is a dark, gritty, highly disturbing thriller that's sure to haunt my nights for some time. Beyond being a fantastic thriller, this story speaks volumes about a woman's strength and will to live and survive the trauma and psychological aftermath of such a horrific ordeal. It's an amazing story of the feats possible when women bond together to stand as one against abuse. While THE QUIET TENANT is a somber read, I love that it's also a story of hope and survival. Highly recommended to fans of psychological thrillers and so-called "women's fiction" because this is a story showcasing the many strengths of women, both individually and together. I found THE QUIET TENANT to be an impressive debut from author Clemence Michallon.

This book didn't grip me like I was hoping it would. It kept me engaged, but I wasn't surprised or shocked at all during this read. I did find myself bored at times, but I'm glad I kept reading.

The Quiet Tenant was such a good debut, I could've sworn it came from a seasoned thriller writer. The tension was palpable from start to finish and the book opens with a bang and doesn't let up. I thought it was terrific that the plot is told from such different points of view: a man's captor, girlfriend, and daughter. You will read this book super fast because it's such a nail-biter, I was terrified over what was going to happen to all three of the central females. The climax was one of the best I read and I'd love to see this made into the movie. My only issue is that we never get any real answers about Aiden. I don't know if it's purposeful but I felt like much about him, especially his motives, was left open ended. And although too many violent scenes would probably come off as exploitative, the violence was too glossed over, especially the chapters from his victims' POVs. They didn't really seem to serve much purpose because I didn't feel any danger or menace during them. However, still a fantastic weekend read.

This book is told by several different perspectives. That alone made it interesting, however, it was not as exciting for me and did. It live up to all the hype I had read. Aiden the perfect home town guy who just lost his wife and is raising his daughter may not be all everyone thinks he is. While he is hard working and a great father, he is hiding some
Horrible secrets. One of them in his shed and then his house. Rachel was abducted by Aiden over 5 years ago and has been held captive without anyone, including Aiden’s daughter or wife, knowing. This book takes you through the captivity of Rachel and how Aiden has everyone around him fooled. I just didn’t find it to be as exciting as I had hoped. Would I recommend? Probably not, while the ending was good, that was the highlight of this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I am thankful as always for them! #TheQuietTenant #NetGalley

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.

-----

This was such a wild ride, and so unlike anything else I've read.
Major trigger warnings throughout the book, of course. Rape being a big one.
This book has alternating POV's, which I really enjoyed, I only wish that there was an additional Cecelia POV after Aidan was found out. Because holy trauma, batman.
I also would have really enjoyed more from Rachel after she was rescued and returned to her family. What was that reunion like? It just seemed pretty rushed, at the end.
This was an incredibly solid debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from this author. It was definitely thrilling and had me rapidly tearing through the pages in anticipation of what happens next. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley, for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this one because I saw some rave reviews about it on bookstagram around when it was first released and the premise of a male serial killer integrating his long-term female captee into his home and everyday life with his daughter is definitely unique and caught my attention. It’s something up my alley based on my interests. I even bought a physical copy.

However, this book just drug on soooo slowly and I had trouble maintaining interest. I had to skip a large chunk of one chapter due to animal injury, which is a trigger for me. And oh my gosh… I learned from this book that I HATE reading books in second person. Hate. Hate. Hate.

⚠️ CW: SA, violence, captivity, kidnapping, animal injury

Thank you to Knopf, the author, and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

Flipping the pages of this book, I felt like I was reading a story out of today's headlines - woman goes missing and is captured in her kidnapper's world and under his control. I felt like this story was a little bit "Room" and a little bit "Jaycee Dugard", mixed with some of "The Face on the Milk Carton". And while we've all read books about kidnapped women, this was a bit more survivor and a little less victim. I enjoyed the fast paced nature of this story and while parts were a bit predictable, the twist of living in the same house of the kidnapper, along with his daughter, was a unique addition to this genre. After reading her debut thriller, I look forward to seeing what more this author will bring to our bookshelves.

A great debut novel. Thriller that went deeper while still keeping me on my toes. I would read more from this author in the future

Perhaps the best thriller I read this year. This isn't the newest concept, but it is perfectly executed.