I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The Quiet Tenant...was..... powerful. If i had to use one word for it, I'd go with that.

I don't find myself reaching for thrillers / mysteries or the likes very often these days. But something about this one caught my eye.
The Quiet Tenant takes place in a small town in upstate NY. We meet out MC Aidan Thomas whom is hiding a pretty.... intense secret. A secret that one would think isn't easy to hide... You see.. he's a serial killer & kidnapper. Crazy, right? Everyone who knows him considers him to be a great, hard-working family guy. Yet he's hiding his 9th victim, Rachel, in a shed..... waiting for the right moment ot end her life.
Aidan's wife dies leaving Aidan to be a single father to his teen daughter Cecilia. They have to move after her mom's death, and he to bring Rachel, the vicim, along... how does he pull this off? He thinks Rachel has given up and is too brainwashed to fight or leave. He thought wrong to say the least.

This book has some insane twists, and honestly, the storyline was so freakin' unique!
I would love to read another book by this author!

Well, this was a surprise, a very pleasant one. This is easily one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.

I honestly did not know what to expect. I requested the book mainly because I loved the cover. Then, I started seeing it more around the bookstagram community, with good reviews, so that got me more excited, and oh boy, it didn't disappoint.

What a debut. Kept my on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't stop reading.

Fast-paced, dark, captivating, suspenseful. I just felt my heart rising the whole time, especially towards the end, the truck scene, oh my. This truly is a fascinating read, my favorite read of 2023 so far. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the Advanced Free Copy in exchange for an honest review.

First, we meet Rachel. She’s locked in a shed, she knows it’s in the woods. She knows she must forget her name and do everything her captor instructs her to survive. She wants to survive because she believes she will free herself one day. She is living worse than a dog tied in the yard. She doesn’t know if it’s day or night. She’s starving for scraps. She sits with a bucket full of her excrement. This is a tough part to read, but the author wants you to understand Rachel’s iron will and determination to be free.
Next, we meet Aiden. The town loves him, what’s not to love? He’s a single dad who lost his dear wife to cancer. His 13-year-old daughter, Cecilia, is everyone’s pet. Aiden is handsome, quiet, and a loner. The bartender at the local restaurant, Emily, looks forward to his routine of stopping in and drinking soda, no alcohol.
These four characters begin a slow dance around a Maypole, but what’s being beckoned is not summer. It’s a wily play for survival with all parties slowly understanding what’s at stake.
Thank goodness it wasn’t a work night when I started this- it’s an all-nighter. You won’t put it down until the final sentence. This is an author you’ll want to keep on your radar.
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date was June 20, 2023.

Yes, yes, yes! I really enjoyed this story - so much so that I actually went back and re-read it before writing any form of review for it so that I could fully comprehend what I was feeling and why. Firstly, I loved that Michallon gave three women the voices to tell this harrowing tale. It felt as if she was silencing the serial killer, rather than boosting his visibility and infamy, which is an example I think a lot of true crime fanatics could stand to follow (I'm looking at you, Dahmer freaks).

Generally speaking, this book has an interesting plot, a unique perspective, and characters that felt distinct and separate from each other, but I spent so much of my time reading this book hoping for just a smidge more from each of our main characters. I agree that in this genre, suspense is what keeps the plot moving forward and what keeps your readers intrigued, but I felt like Emily, Rachel, and Cecilia could've all been fleshed out just a LITTLE more. This is the only thing that kept me from rating it an easy five stars. My rating, as it stands after two reads, hovers around a 4.5, and I am very much looking forward to reading Clemence Michallon's future works.

3.75 stars. A slow buildup to a fairly creepy, suspenseful story. Mr. ordinary, upstanding, nice guy is secretly a psychotic, kidnapping, serial killer. I wasn’t completely glued to the book and even thought about not finishing it, but I stuck with it and glad I did as the suspense kept growing. Overall, a decent read.

Good thriller about a serial killer. Though he's known as the nice guy in town, always ready to lend a helping hand, he's actually killed at least 8 women. After his wife dies of cancer, he is obliged to move to a new house with his daughter. He decides to take the woman he has kept locked up in his shed for four years with him and introduces her to his daughter as a friend. This woman sees her opportunity to flee but can she actually pull it off after so many years being held captive? Can she leave his daughter behind? Somewhat dark but keeps you turning pages.

THE QUIET TENANT
Clemence Michallon

Dear God,
If I have to come back again I do not want to be Rachel in my next life.

“Rachel” we’ll call her, is the woman in the shed. Rachel has been held captive by Aiden and will continue to be until he is done with her.

Until one day Aidens wife dies forcing Aiden and his daughter, Cecilia to move. Aiden decides to bring Rachel along, moving her into the house and calling her a family friend who needs help.

Now moved into the house, Rachel is experiencing a whole new horror. Because now she has to make peace with her freedom and watch it walk out of the door every morning.

I loved this book and especially liked the audiobook. It is extraordinarily effective in what it is trying to accomplish.

The horror of the situation is introduced early. Then there is a layering of terror over and over again. It feels like living out a kill scene on a loop. And you’re the victim.

The changes in perspective are captivating.

Rachel’s perspective brings forth terror and anxiety. Emily and Cecilia serve to instill that fear in you and are proof of what’s on the line and what’s at stake.

THE QUIET TENANT is out now! I highly recommend based on the uniqueness alone.

THE QUIET TENANT…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor, Knopf, and Penguin Random House Audio, for the advanced copies and the opportunity to proved feedback!

4 1/2

One woman known to us until almost the very end as Rachel is kept in a shed. The shed is on the property of serial killer Aidan’s in-laws. When his wife, their daughter, dies, they ask him to move. Aidan is adored in his small town community. He’s always there for people in need, there to help them rebuild or to fix things. No one knows or even suspects that he has a violent secret life. Sometimes his thirteen year old daughter, Cecilia, feels a little frightened of him, but that’s a passing thing. She is his daughter and would do anything for him. And then there’s Emily, running her parents’ restaurant who looks forward to those days when Aidan Thomas sits on a stool at her bar and drinks a cherry coke. The Quiet Tenant is told through the voices of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily with short chapters in the voices of Aidan’s victims that throw light on the pitiable things that he says to them before he kills them.

Rachel has been living in fear for five years. She’s unclear as to why he’s kept her alive except that it may have something to do with her being unexpected. She knows unexpected things. She behaves unexpectedly. But she knows that she’s living on borrowed time and that the slightest thing could set him off. Moving into a house though is a breakthrough. She’s certain that his teenage daughter will prove to be an ally. Or will she?

Cecilia feels like she is an outcast. People pity her since her mother died. The woman that her father brings to live with them is strange. Weird. But maybe she is also a friend.

Meanwhile, Emily is doing everything she can to get Aidan’s attention. Maybe it’s a little soon after he’s lost his wife, but you can’t succeed if you don’t try.

Clémence Michallon does a stunning job of bringing these characters to life, making the reader care about them, instilling them with hubris or fear. As we learn Rachel’s backstory, we are on the edge of our seats as we wait with her for the “right time” and then begin to wonder if she’ll ever make her move, or if she’ll perish when Aidan’s grown tired of her.

The Quiet Tenant is indeed a page turner, an edge of the seat ride, that I literally read in a day because I needed to know what was going to happen. I haven’t done that in ages. Is there any better recommendation than that?

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start of with a big Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Clemence Michallon for an eARC of this book for review. Right from the start you are thrown into it and along for the ride. At first I was not sure where this one was going to go and then it all starts coming together. It's a hell of a ride.... I look forward to checking out more from this author.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked how this book was set up, but it took some time getting used to initially. It was interesting seeing how each chapter was set up from the point of views of either a number or whatever the girls status was at the time. It was fairly predictable but an entertaining read and if you’re into thrillers and mysteries, give this book a try!

TW: Rape, violence, language, torture, death of parent, cancer, sexual abuse, stalking, toxic parent relationships, gaslighting

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book: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.
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Ummm that cover is nice
2. The promised plot

What I Didn't Like:
1. The story style
2. Too many pov's - ah
3. Feels repetitive
4. I was so bored... Nothing happens
5. Robotic narrator

Overall Thoughts:
I'm not a huge fan of the style of telling the story of the Rachel. It's too matter of fact "this is how it is." I found those parts dragged on.

There are too many pov's. I hate when an author over writes characters and keeps introducing us to new people every quarter of the book. It honestly starts to become confusing. Not every character needs a chapter.


I got 40% into the book before I felt bored. I think it's because you've already heard for the 5th or 6th time that Aidan has made dinner, raped her, and then Rachel sits in her room reflecting. We got a few times where it was changed up and Rachel was allowed to watch a movie/show with Cecilia.

Okay and then the way that Cecilia is just so accepting of Rachel and bonds with her over pads and a period. Like a teenage girl who just lost her mother is just going to be so happy her dad is dating someone a month later.

I will say that the sexual abuse scenes are passed over with just a mention and it's not overly descriptive. So I appreciated that.

Let's talk about Cecilia's shitty grandparents. They kick their granddaughter out of her home right after her mother dies.

"He unties my apron. It’s the hottest thing anyone has done to me, ever."

What?? How is that the hottest thing she's ever experienced? Someone untying your apron is the least sexy thing...


I read 200 pages of this book before I just couldn't read anymore. Ended up just skimming the book.

Final Thoughts:
This book had such high ratings so maybe it's me who didn't like it. I just had some problems with it. The writing style was bland and so slow. Like horribly slow. I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen and it doesn't.

The narration sounded like a robot reading it out. The author writes it in this ugly style that completely takes you out of the story. I honestly did not care if Rachel was killed. I actually was hoping she would be for so long just so SOMETHING would happen. The tone never changes from chapter or characters. You get the same thing with each person. I absolutely hated the changes in pov's from 1st person to 2nd. Pick a lane. I got a headache going from You to mine.

I also didn't understand the point of writing one or a page and starting a new chapter that just carried on with the last sentence of the previous chapter.

Recommend For:
• Fall setting
• Survivor story
• Serial killer books
• Slow burns

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“The Quiet Tenent” by Clémence Michallon is a superb thriller. I was turning the pages so fast to see what was going to happen. The story revolves around three women. Rachel, a woman who was kidnapped and is living in Aidan’s shed. Cecilia is Aidan’s teenage daughter who is trying to navigate her life without her mother. Emily is a bartender who is secretly in love with Aidan.
I don’t want to give away too much, but this was a really great read! It had me guessing until the end. I am impressed that the author is a native French speaker and this is her first book written in English. I can barely order a margarita at a Mexican restaurant, let alone write a sentence in another language. Many thanks to the author, Knopf and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

I loved this book! It had just the right creep factor and as a reader I was continually worried that the bad guy was just around every corner. Told from multiple points of view, my favorite thing was that the main narrator, the spared victim, her chapter heading changed depending on the time frame and her location.

The story is fairly simple as is the plot, but there is something so creepy about a serial killer that no one would ever suspect. Aiden is likeable and helpful to everyone but it is all a persona that he has created to cover is tracks. When you can eventually walk your captive through town and introduce her as your cousin, someone would have to have serious proof to make them believe anything different.

A great choice for when you need something a little disturbing!

Thanks to @netgalley and @aaknopf for this advanced reader!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #ClemenceMichallon #TheQuietTenant #knopfpublishing #BookishLife #Reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #Instabooks #BookNerd #ThrillerBooks #Fiction

An enjoyable thriller that keeps you turning the pages, but the ending left me a bit bored. The writing was well done and for that I give it a 3 star.

For fans of Room, Sadie, and Lovely Bones. I’ll admit the title and the cover intrigued me, but did not reveal much about the plot (to me). I had no idea this was a multi perspective story about a serial killer and the women in his life. It was heart stopping and riveting and I devoured it it 2 days. I highly highly recommend this book!

WOW! This book will definitely make my top 10 list for 2023 and I don't even need to wait until the end of the year to say so. After reading the synopsis, the first book I thought of was a 2022 favorite, Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. Needless to say, I went into The Quiet Tenant with very high expectations. I am happy to say that this book far exceeded those expectations!

The characters created by Clemence Michallon were so authentic and raw. I was instantly drawn into the Woman in the shed's story and completely invested in whether she would survive Aidan Thomas. Once Emily's and Cecilia's points of view were introduced this book became unputdownable. I loved that the only voices we heard were the women in Aidan's life. We only see him through their eyes and this was extremely powerful. Michallon gave the voice back to not only the victim, but the killer's family, who are also victims.

The thing I loved most was Michallon's use of second person for the woman in the shed's POV. This was risky but it paid off exponentially. By doing so, the reader is experiencing the disassociation alongside "Rachel" and feels like this could also happen to them. Bravo for choosing to take this risk Clemence!

We all know the guy. He's a nice guy. He's a funny, friendly guy. The kind of guy you can call and he'll be there ASAP to help you jump your car or help you put your Ikea furniture together. Aiden is that guy.

Aiden has a secret and he doesn't want anyone know about her. He doesn't want anyone to know who he is behind closed doors. Unfortunately, someone DOES want to know, and she had no idea what she's getting into.

Alternating narratives is one of my favourite types of books. And we had (unfortunately for them) plenty of narrators.

A superb thriller. From the start the book captivates you and from there it never lets go. The quiet tenant is a must read for this summer!

This debut packs a serious psychological thriller punch! Told from several points of view and short chapters made this a propulsive story and kept me saying “ just one more chapter”
Aiden Thomas is an average Dad and husband in a town where everyone knows everyone. He is well liked and helps those in need. But there is just one dirty secret, he’s a serial killer. He’s killed before several times and doesn’t plan on stopping. One woman, Rachel, he has decided not to kill and has kept her locked up in his shed. As the story progresses you meet Aiden’s daughter, Cecelia, and Aiden’s newest “ friend”, Emily. These women have a unique way of helping each other in ways they don’t even realize and might possibly put an end to Aiden’s evil ways. I loved this book and it kept my heart pounding until the end. I can not wait to read this authors next book.

Fantastic debut novel that will grip you from the first page. A serial killer has kept a woman captive for five years and the story is told from her perspective and two other characters; not the killers. It made for such a unique, tense, and immersive read that I couldn't put it down.