The Quiet Tenant
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Author: @clemencemichallon
Pages: 320
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Read if you like:

👫Multiple viewpoints
2️⃣ Second person POV
🔪Psychological thrillers
🥞Short chapters
🏘️Small town murders
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“You are Rachel. He found you. All you know is what he has taught you. All you have is what he has given you.”
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I’ll be honest, this book was not what I was expecting… BUT in the best possible way. If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed thriller, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a real, raw and emotional story of survival - this one is for you.

I love thrillers, but this was a heavy book - it took me almost a week to get through because I felt I had to read this in different sittings. Clemence utilized horrifically beautiful storytelling, i honestly had a hard time believing this was a debut! The writing was beautifully unique and the use of 2nd person in this particular book and setting was extremely impactful. I rarely read second person narratives, but something about being told YOU are experiencing this made this so much more personal.

Wow. I was not expecting to be blown away like I was by this one. The Quiet Tenant deserves to be shouted about! And yet I almost don’t want to say a word. I know it’s impossible, as people typically don’t just pick up a book and start reading without at least knowing a little bit about it, but honestly if you can you should go in knowing nothing about the story. No, seriously, stop reading this review, buy the book, and go in blind. Still reading? Fine, but I warned you. I’ll still try to be as spoiler free as possible, though it’s almost impossible, but I won’t even give away as much as the book’s own description will. Aidan Thomas seems like the perfect guy. Kind, thoughtful, helpful. No one has an unkind thing to say about the man. But Aidan Thomas also has a secret, he’s a serial kidnapper/killer. And the story of The Quiet Tenant tells his story from the multiple points of view of the women in his life: his daughter, his girlfriend, and a woman he’s held captive for more than five years! While quite disturbing at times the story is outrageously gripping.This is one of those books where you think you’re only going to sit and read a chapter or two and suddenly hours have gone by. This is an absolutely stellar debut and I’ll be eagerly anticipating Clémence Michallon’s next novel. Thanks so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an eARC of The Quiet Tenant.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-quiet-tenant-cl-mence-michallon/1142242370?ean=9780593534649&bvnotificationId=cc28eb40-0ff2-11ee-8766-0a62c9a73395&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/251248086

This book was AMAZING! It’s really a quiet kind of thriller. There aren’t a lot of action scenes, but there’s a slow-building intensity throughout while we root for Rachel’s escape. I could not put this book down! Between the audio and physical book, I finished it in a day. It reminded me of The Last Thing to Burn by @willrdean, which I also loved! If you like serial killer thrillers, check this out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alfred A. Knopf for the gifted ARCs in exchange for my honest review!

I was happy to be on the front end of Clemence Michallon’s writing career with what I think is her debut novel, The Quiet Tenant. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I loved her twist on the serial killer scenario. I am a huge fan of serial killers, reading about them, not hanging out with them, so any fresh plot is always welcome. Of course, I think we know that a serial killer could be hidden under the guise of your neighbor. Hell, it could even be a family member. Serial killer’s are not always male, though it is rare to find one that is female.

Imagine meeting a kind, young man who turns out to be your worst nightmare. He has murdered eight women and you are the ninth. Why has he kept you alive? Why doesn’t he take what he wants and dispose of you? What makes you different from the others?

‘Rachel’ is the tenant and he is the landlord. He has had her for eight years. Now, things have changed. His wife has died and he is being evicted. How can he incorporate her into his new life, keeping the specifics hidden from his thirteen year old daughter, Cecilia.

Rachel has a set of rules she has made to keep herself alive, hoping she will be saved.

I had wondered about his relationship with his daughter, seeing he rarely let her out of his sight, other than school. Was he molesting her, having her take the place of his dead wife and Rachel is just a side bit for some variety? At first, I thought it was because he knew just how dangerous the world can be, seeing he is a predator. But, the reason was much more personal than her safety.

There were a couple of hiccups in the story, but over all it kept me reading. I wondered how in the world they could all live together and how it would end. Clemence Michallon was able to keep me in suspense, never giving away the ending, even though I tried to figure it out for myself. The twists and turns along the way were new to me and as many books as I read, it is hard to come up with something novel and unique. Kudos go out to Clemence Michallon for being able to do that and leave me wanting more. I am eager to see what she will come up with next.

The ending was inspirational and hopeful. I always wonder how I will react in a situation some of these characters find themselves in, and I tell myself one thing and wonder if that is what I would really do. After all, I don’t think any of us can know until or if it happens.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

The Quiet Tenant had one of the best elevator pitches I have heard in years- What if the lovable handyman in a small town was a serial killer? And we don't just get his story in a run-of-the-mill, intended victim escapes type of way. No, we get his story through three women who are deeply entrenched in his life- a captive, a woman with a bad crush, and his daughter. I consumed this book with a fanatical energy, and I enjoyed its very literary take, even if I had secretly been hoping for a little more action. Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC!

I thought I was tired of the serial killer trope until I read The Quiet Tenant. This book had me on the absolute edge of my seat, and takes care of the women affected in this novel. There were no cheap thrills which I really appreciated. This felt like a thriller with depth, which is rare for the genre.

Wow! This book grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn’t let go. It is a psychological thriller with the emphasis on thrills. Aiden Thorne seems to be an ordinary family man, one who is kind and helpful to his neighbors and friends. However, he hides a really dark side because he is in reality a serial kidnapper, rapist and killer. Somehow, he has kept his secret from everyone around him but his life starts to unravel when his wife dies and he has to move. Rachel, his current captive, seems destined to die, but Aiden hatches a plan instead to take her with him to his new home and introduce her to his daughter Cecilia as a friend of the family. Emily works in a restaurant and is totally enamored with Aiden, suspecting nothing about his dark secrets. The story is told from the points of view of the three woman, all of them under the control of Aiden in some way or another and all victims of his charm and his power. The novel centers around Aiden’s evil plans and the women realizing what is happening as they communicate with each other. This book is written with intensity and uses a genius way to weave around the three women and ultimately get them to become acquainted with each other. It is a brilliantly written psych thriller with a bullet train fast pace and twists that had my head spinning. I absolutely loved it and cannot recommend it highly enough!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

What a great debut thriller!

Ok so I was all in the whole time…the storyline is super interesting and it starts off fast. The first chapter pulls you into the action and the more you read, the more unique the plot becomes.

While the beginning started off with a bang, the middle slowed down quite a bit and it felt a little like groundhogs day…the same thing happening over and over- but I was never bored, just waiting for something big and new to happen.
Slow, but never boring.

I loved the POV switches, (Rachel- the spared victim, Cecilia- the 13 year old daughter, Emily- the girlfriend) and there were quick chapters thrown in from the past I looooved. I can’t really give too much info about them without giving the story away, but you’ll know when you read it

It was interested hearing from them since they were all so different and knew different parts of Aiden (the deranged kidnapper/serial killer). I also enjoyed seeing how their lives overlapped.

I felt like I did have some questions along the way, and some things seemed off, but I mean the whole situation of these character was off (in a good way).

If you want a good suspenseful read, with some twists & turns along the way, check this one out!
…and I’ll be sure to look out for her next book!

AMAZING!!! I was hooked beginning to end.
I think the multiple POV was genius, I remember thinking at first, "this can't be the same guy!"

Aiden Thomas is a well-respected citizen of the town. He is hard working, the widowed father of an early teenage girl. Eager to help others. Dedicated to his daughter. And he is a serial killer. And the kidnapper of nine vulnerable women, one who is still alive.
Clemence Michallon tells this story through the voices of three women: Rachel, the woman he has held prisoner for 5 years, his daughter, and the local bartender who has an enormous crush on him. This is not a typical “woman in jeopardy” book—Rachel learns the rules and learns how to push them. Her wit and determination drive the story. This is unlike other serial killer books: it lacks the gory details, but instead concentrates on Aiden as a man. This reader actually liked him most of the time.
The Quiet Tenant is a stellar debut novel. The plot is complex, the characters are believable and strong, and the writing is phenomenal. I am further impressed that Michallon authored this book in English, her second language. She has certainly mastered the intricacies of it. I look forward to future books from her.
My thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Patheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and Clemence Michallon for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Domestic suspense fans—this one is for you! #TheQuietTenant is about Aidan, who seems like the nice guy around town but is actually a serial killer. It is told from the perspective of the women around him: his daughter, his love interest, his previous victims, and his current victim who he has held captive in his shed for the previous 5 years.

It sounds super dark, and it is, but it is told in a way that isn’t overly graphic. The writing is so good, especially for a debut, and the pace is compelling. This is one that had me staying up late to see how it would end.

If you like psychological thrillers and domestic suspense I would for sure check this one out. It’s out today (6/20)!

Thank you to @aaknopf and @netgalley for the gifted copy!

The plot of "The Quiet Tenant" really caught my eye, the story of a woman who has been imprisoned by a serial killer for the last several years. I enjoyed how it was told through multiple perspectives. Through the imprisoned woman, the daughter of the killer, and the new love interest of the killer. I thought this made the story more compelling, and put me at more of an edge as I was reading through. Ultimately I found the overall story to be a bit of a let down. I was really drawn in easy and sped through the book wondering what would happen next, but the ending just sort of happened and there wasn't any big wow factor to it. The book is marketed as a mystery and suspense, but I didn't find much mystery to the book. Everything just sort of happened, in a thrilling way don't get me wrong, but there was no big catch, reveal, nothing that really added that shock factor. I think the book would have benefitted from having a chapter or chapters from the killers perspective to get a glimpse of why he did what he did. I felt there was also more to be explored from his daughter's perspective as well. I did enjoy this book and found it to be very fast paced, but I was not a huge fan of how it all wrapped up.

I'm always on the lookout for a good thriller I could sink into and the synopsis for this one was very intriguing. The whole idea of living a secret life is an interesting one and then there's the endless question of how they get away with it and what eventually trips them up.

The Quiet Tenant is told from the point of view of the victims in the story and how their relationship with the serial-killer-hiding-in-plain-sight molds and shapes them and their actions. There is no happy ending here for anyone, although there is hope, which I was thankful for.

The three pov's in this story are a victim that the killer keeps around, the killer's daughter and a women he's involved with. While I didn't always like the "voice" of the writing, I did like the choice of these three woman in telling the story. They have three unique perspectives and they each bring a piece of the story to the reader. Emily, the girlfriend is particularly interesting in the way that she needs Aidan.

I'm not about to give any spoilers, although I didn't experience any surprises in this story. It's not about suspense or mystery or solving a crime. What I liked most was that the author created a certain atmosphere here that evoked a number of tension-filled emotions, and that was good.

Overall, I did enjoy this psychological thriller and will be looking for more from this author in the future.

A disturbing story of a serial killer and his captive, the one he didn't kill. How can such evil be a well liked man and father? Such a controlling person. The story will well told.

The Quiet Tenant is one of the best books I've read this year. Gripping, fast-paced, tense from the first page. The rotation in narration between the Woman, Emily, and Cecelia adds depth and fullness to the story in a unique way. Though you never hear directly from Aidan, you get a full sense of who he is by piecing together how he is seen by the three narrators. As I neared the end, I could feel my heart pounding as I raced through the final chapters, literally feeling the urgency in the pit of my stomach. Easily 5 out of 5 stars.

I received an advanced digital copy via NetGalley and Knopf.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is so crazy good. I would read a lot more thrillers if they were all written like this. Rather than a fast pace book filled with twists and turns, this is a slow burn psychological thriller and character study. Told from three points of view as well as statements from past victims, this book has a creepy feeling that runs throughout. This is the story of a serial killer, his hostage, his daughter, and a dumb woman who becomes obsessed with him.

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating is a 4.5.

I want to start off with the positive first. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the women who surrounded Aiden, our bad guy. It allowed the reader to see that there is so much more to a person than just evil, but also allowed us to see the extent of his evil deeds.

The characters were all very fleshed out, so I easily connected to these women. I cheered, hurt, and grieved with all of them. Even with the multiple perspectives, I would still say that Rachel's POV was the strongest one since the story heavily revolves around her.

Lastly, I did notice that the sentence structures were pretty short. I honestly didn't mind because it was still easy to read and process the story. When I read thrillers I mostly focus on the plot and storyline, so I don't care of the writing isn't top tier. The writing was again is not BAD. I think the author did a great job!

One other thing is that one of the characters did some actions that just felt off and wrong. It just didn't add up with who that character was and would throw me out of the story for a couple of seconds.

Overall, I thought that the author did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life. I cannot wait to read more thrillers from this author. This was a quick read that kept me entertained the whole time!

Aiden is beloved in town but he has a deep secret. We learn about him through three voices: his daughter, his crush, and the woman he kidnapped.

If anything can be said for this one it’s that it will keep your attention on every single page from the beginning to the end. There’s really not one dull moment and you HAVE to read to know how it ends. It’s really a straight suspense story, without any crazy or wild twists which makes it feel even more real. I thought Emily’s character was a bit odd, but it worked in the context of the story.

“I remember realizing, while he killed me: if he gets away with this, he’ll think he can get away with anything.”

The Quiet Tenant comes out 6/27.

This is a gripping psychological thriller. Told mostly from the point of view of a female victim “Rachel”. Aiden is the helpful guy in a small town who is hiding dangerous secrets. The author keeps readers on the edge of their seat as they anticipate what will happen next. With characters that will capture your attention. Every page leads to more revelations.

Absolutely loved this debut thriller by Clémence Michallon! I could not put it down. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!