The Quiet Tenant is about a recently widowed father Aiden Thomas and who is adored by the whole town and would give the shirt off his back for anyone. His one major fault is that he is a serial killer and has a young woman help captive in his shed. This story is told from multiple POV's to include his kidnapped victim "Rachel", his 13 year old daughter Cecelia, his love interest Emily and the multiple women that he has murdered.

The description that this debut novel was very intriguing and I liked the idea of the story being told by the victims instead of the killer. Unfortunately, this book was not as gripping and thrilling as I had hoped. It is a slow burn and at times was kind of boring. The overall premise is great, but unfortunately fell a little short for me.

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

This one seems to be getting quite the buzz here on booksta, and I definitely would agree it's a unique book that you're either going to love or hate.

The main polarizing thing I've seen: the majority of the book is told from a second person POV. Some hate it, but I didn't mind it. I like when authors try something different and thought the second person POV really worked here.

Aidan Thomas is a man leading many lives. He is a father, a widower, a reliable man in town, and a serial killer. This book is told from the perspectives of the various women in his life: his daughter, a love interest, the women he's killed, and mainly the woman he captured and has held hostage for five years, "Rachel."

I felt so much tension when reading this book. Rachel is trying to make sure she stays alive while also trying to plan her escape. Although there isn't a ton of action in this book, I found the tension to be palpable. I was totally hooked, hoping Rachel would escape and out her captor, and hoping that the love interest, Emily, wouldn't be next.

Overall, I thought this one was a fun read. It's not going to be for everyone, but it worked for me.

This was a fantastic read! I was a little confused at the beginning trying to figure out the timeline and who our main character was. Since we’re not given her name at the beginning, I wasn’t sure if the other women being mentioned were her in a different timeline or someone completely different. Once I figured it out, I had no issues. It was a little slow for me at the beginning and it wasn’t until I got about half way through that I found myself flying through the rest. The story was gripping, I was rooting for the main character the entire time, and there were so many great moments of tension. I really ended up enjoying my time with this one overall.

I want more! I want to hear Aidan's side of the story. I want more from the victims. And I want more from Cecilia. I hope that doesn't make it sound like the book was left unresolved, because that is not the case. I was left pretty satisfied at the end, despite... wanting more!

This was a fun read with the chapters being divided up by a different person telling their story. Of course you're going to have your thoughts about "Rachel" and your thoughts about Emily, but that was the fun of it. Loving or hating each of them in different moments based on different scenarios.

This was also a terrifying story, obviously. Imagine being put in this situation. Damn, no thanks. But this would make for a good movie. The scenes would hop around but still tell a story and all intertwine in the end. I'd watch it.

This is one of those books that you either love or hate by the 4th chapter. Unfortunately for me, it leaned toward hate. The premise seemed great, but it quickly lost my interest, when it got to a seeming unbelievable storyline. The last 3 chapters seemed to have the same appeal as the start of the book, and were the most interesting, with the twisted ending. But the majority of the book just seemed in need of major editing. I can't really recommend it, but to say maybe check out from the library, and see if you like, but I wouldn't waste money on it, in case it's one you hate too.

I am SO glad I received an ARC of this book because wow!! I loved everything about this book. When I originally read the description, I was hooked. I finished the whole book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. I love the mystery, different points of view, how the timeline is laid out, and the characters! So, so good!

Well, I am so glad that Abby from Crime By The Book put this book on my radar. I’ve been in a little bit of a reading slump and I cruised right through this one!

This was such a dark concept: to tell a story from the tale of the victims/women affected by the actions of a serial killer. So many times we learn so much about the serial killer and recognize their name before remembering the names of their victims and, to turn that on its head, is this book.

When you hear horror stories about murder and kidnapping you think: well, I would never have done this or I wouldn’t do that but, actually being put in a situation, your mindset and reaction time would most likely be very different than you could imagine. This book really put an emphasis on the psychological effects that the serial killer had on his victims. Some situations are much harder to get out of than you’d think!

This story has very quick chapters and biting short sentences that keep you flipping to the next page. There are different perspectives, but the chapter titles make things very clear and end up being a clever way to identify the narrator of that chapter. It came off as very conversational and was easy to follow and picture the look, sound and scent of things as they were being described.

This whole story is that of freedom and taking control of your own life. May no one ever have to live through something like this.

Thank you so much to the author, Clémence Michallon, Knopf and NetGalley for the eARC of The Quiet Tennant in exchange for my review!

He is a loving father, a grieving widower, a beloved member of his town's community. He is also a serial killer... In this absolutely brilliant debut novel, the story is told from the point of view of several women: the girlfriend, the daughter, the victims who perished, and the one whose life he spared.

I devoured this book. It was simply impossible to put down. The story grabs you immediately, before you even know what's going on. And just like the victim who is held against her will, a quiet tenant, you begin to realize her predicament and the tragedy of her situation. She tells the story in second person, which is not very common, and with that she places the reader right in the middle of her fight for survival.

This is one of those books that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I was terrified for the MC, Rachel. One wrong move, and she could join the rest of the victims. I was nervous for Emily, the girlfriend. She was so head over heels with the serial killer, and no one to warn her. And of course I couldn't help but feel incredibly sad for his daughter. After losing her mom, the girl was going to get her heart broken again - she loved her dad.

So much suspense, so much agony, heartache in this book. Yet so much hope, fight for survival and will to live. This book is truly unforgettable, from the writing style to carefully crafted plot. A must-read psychological thriller.

Have you ever wondered why a woman stays with a man even when their gut feeling tells them to run?

I feel The Quiet Tenant slowly answers that question throughout this story. Told through the eyes of three different women all connected to the same man for very different reasons. Rachel (the tenant) who has been kidnapped and imprisoned for years, Cecilia Aidan's daughter who befriends Rachel, and Emily the bar owner who has a crush on the man who she has no idea who he is. Aidan Thomas is a serial killer ,father, and pillar of the community it seems. Beneath the facade is the dangerous man that the reader never knows what goes on in his mind for motivation. If there ever was one, unless it is just being caught.
This thriller took me by surprise. I was not familiar with the author, but the description sounded so tempting.The author did not disappoint. The story kept me interested, and I found myself wanting to keep turning the page. This plight of Rachel always had me asking why not run when she had the chance, but trauma is something not understood unless you have encountered it personally. The fear keeps you paralyzed. The "what if's" keep you surviving. The author gave you twist and turns, and an ending that felt authentic. Great characters, plot, and conclusion that would make me want to read her next book. Give this one peak, and you might just be surprised how good it really is!
#NetGalley
#TheQuietTenant
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Are you looking for a dark, haunting book to keep you up tonight? A novel that feels like you're binge watching a creepy live version of a true crime storyfrom the POV of the victims? A book written so well it's hard to believe that it's the author's English language debut? Then I've got your book right here. The Quiet Tenant is Clémence Michallon's deeply unsettling, slow burn thriller focusing on an abducted woman and the two women connected to her.

Rachel was abducted by Aidan five years earlier and since then she's been kept prisoner in a small shed. When Aidan tells her that they're moving, she's not exactly sure what that means for her. At first she thinks living in the house with Aidan and his daughter Cecilia will be good, maybe it'll even be what saves her, but soon she realizes that nothing has really changed. Desperate and running out of time, Rachel must come up with a plan to outsmart Aidan and escape.

In all honesty, I had a hard time getting into this one, until I figured out why. The book is told through the POVs of teenage Cecilia; restaurant owner, Emily; and the woman abducted, known simply as 'the woman' or 'Rachel', which isn't her name. Over the course of novel we learn her backstory, what happened, and how she came to be where she is. The woman's chapter's, which are the majority of the book, are written in second person.

What I realized was, that by not using the woman's actual name, Clémence Michallon reduces her to a statistic. She becomes just another nameless abducted woman, a person that's easy to ignore, like it is in real life. Only when she is called Rachel are we able to empathize and see ourselves in her. Only then does she actually become a person and only then is it easier to connect with her as a character.

The reviews for The Quiet Tenant seem to be all over the map: some love it, others think it's okay, and still others can't even finish it. Due to the brutal subject matter and the way it is depicted, The Quiet Tenant is not going to be for everyone. If you are looking for a thought-provoking thriller fraught with suspense and intrigue, you won't want to miss this one. I loved it and have already ordered a copy for my own library.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor, Clémence Michallon, and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and given voluntarily.

5 Stars
Highly Recommended for fans of:
True Crime, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Mysteries, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

So dark, so creepy, so edge of your seat compelling.
Aidan Thomas is a horrific serial killer. But you would never know it from the outside. Not going to give anything away, very well done!

A serial killer decides to keep one of his targets captive, hiding her from his wife, his daughter, the world in a shed, where he visits her every night to do whatever it is he does. When his wife dies and he and his daughter have to move, he decides he has sufficiently terrorized and bent his captive to his will that he can move her into the new house, telling his 13 year old daughter that "Rachel" is a friend of a friend of a friend going through a tough time, and telling Rachel that if she says or does anything to give things away, he will kill her. This is the dark and unique premise of this story, which is told from multiple points of view: including Rachel's and the daughter's. Can a man be so charming and manipulative that he can get away with this? Is Rachel really bent to his will, or is she just biding her time, waiting for her chance to escape? The beginning is a bit slow, but as the book progressed, it got harder and harder to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recently widowed, Aiden is now taxed with raising his thirteen year-old daughter Cecelia after the unexpected death of his wife.
He’s a soft-spoken gentleman that will always go out of his way to help anyone. The town adores him! But like they say, if someone or something appears too good to be true….
So here’s the deal… Aiden, as you might suspect, is hiding deep, dark secrets! In fact, one of them is presently being held against her will upstairs right now!
Told from multiple perspectives of those around him, you’re privy to an up-close and disturbing glimpse of a monster.

*Special thanks toNetGalley and Knopf for this e-arc.*

What a dark read and perfect for those that love a good thriller.

Aidan Thomas puts on the perfect facade as an upstanding citizen, husband, and father to 13-year-old Cecilla. His dark side is that of a serial killer. Having already kidnapped and killed 8 women when it comes to his 9th victim Rachel, she had been held captive for 5 years and she is a fighter he had not expected. Aidans wife passes away and he moves with his daughter and decided to take Rachel.

For the thriller lover this is a deliciously dark read and a fast one for me because I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend this read for adults.

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I thought the use of 2nd person perspective for the main POV was very creative, this is the only book I remember reading from that perspective.

I didn’t understand Emily’s “connection” with Aiden. It seemed way too obsessive, too quickly and I wish it was more developed so it was easier to understand why she was so heartbroken about truly not understanding who she was dating. Considering how little they interacted, it seemed like there might be a lot she did not know.

There seemed to be background pieces missing that I wish were filled in more with the daughters POV, specifically about her moms death and her grandparents relationship with her dad.

There’s a serial killer on the loose! And when he comes upon our protagonist he decides that instead of killing her, he’ll keep her…. In his shed…. On the property where he shares a home with his wife and daughter. But alas, his wife dies and now he has to move house. Will he kill his captive? Absolutely not! Now he’s moving her out of the shed, into a bedroom is his new house and introducing her to his daughter! Oh, and he’s dating again. What could possibly go wrong? So much fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC! I really enjoyed this novel and I can’t recommend it enough to fans of psychological thrillers. It did take me a bit to get into the second person POV of Rachel, but I ended up loving how her chapters were written. It really did put you into the story and pulled at my heart strings.

This was a wonderful debut novel and I hope to read more from Clémence in the future!

This is a unique book. The way it was written I felt like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds. You slowly get to know the characters but you almost watch the story from the outside – I don’t know how to describe it correctly but that’s how I felt reading it.
It was a great thriller with lots of intensity and tension. I loved how determined the main character – Rachel – was to survive. The only downside was the ending. It felt very rushed. I just wanted something more, maybe explanation or motive. Great thriller to add to 2023 TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf and the author for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a chilling story that most psychological thriller fans will find fascinating. I was clinging the pages and really loved how the POV shifted from the victim, the next victim, and the daughter of the creepy man who abducts and kills women. He seems like a stand up guy who everyone loves, and no one suspects what is under the surface.

I have read books that have a similar storyline to this one, but this still felt original and it was hard to turn away because I had to know how it would all come together.

This was a dark read and great debut!

How well do you know your neighbors? The folks who live on either side of my house are always good for a wave or a quick chat, but I can't say I truly know them. I'm reminded of the countless news stories that we see where neighbors are shocked about the actions of the people living near them. Sentiments like "He was always such a nice guy" or "He was a quiet neighbor, never caused any problems" come to mind. The truth is we can never really know the people we choose to live by. In her debut English language novel The Quiet Tenant, French author Clémence Michallon explores the idea of the community everyman and the dark secrets he harbors.

Aiden Thomas is a hardworking utility lineman, known in his upstate New York community as an all-around good guy. He's the kind of guy who will drop everything to help out a friend in need. Car won't start? Call Aiden. Has the freezer at your restaurant stopped cooling? Give Aiden a ring. Along with his wife and teenage daughter, Aiden has become a pillar in his local community. There's more to Aiden, however, than meets the eye. He isn't the man everyone thinks he is. If his secrets were to come out, the community would be appalled to know him.

The woman in the shed has come up with a set of rules for staying alive. It is simple really. Do whatever he tells you, and you get to live. Anger him or go against what he says in any way, and you'll end up dead like the others. This is her reality, the life she's been forced to live for several years. He sneaks in food for her, a bucket to relieve herself, and books that belonged to the girls who came before her. He uses her body for his own primal pleasures. She lets him do what has to be done so that she can stay alive. Her life is completely at the mercy of this monster. This is the existence she has been resigned to, and there seems to be no way out.

The Quiet Tenant is a shockingly impactful psychological thriller that had me glued to each page. I couldn't put this one down! Clémence Michallon writes from three unique perspectives that give a holistic view of her horror story. There's the voice of the imprisoned woman, desperate for escape but aware that there's little hope for the life she lived before. There's also the voice of Emily, the next woman targeted by the abductor, though she's completely unaware of his true intentions. Finally, there's the voice of the abductor's daughter, a child living with a monster. By combining the POV of these characters Michallon vividly builds the world where her story takes place, inviting us into the psyches of everyone involved. Only the abductor's perspective is omitted, giving him an air of mystery and uncertainty that drives much of the suspense in the novel. The characters and their stories culminate in a pulse-pounding conclusion that will have you breathlessly turning the pages. The Quiet Tenant is a fantastic thriller that should go to the top of your summer reading list. My thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.