This is why I have zero desire to date in this century. People are not who you think they are & it's scary AF...

First off props & respect to this author for writing her first Novel in her 2nd language ! Just became a citizen of the US in 2022 & van publish your first novel. #goals 🤘

This book was gripping & I was invested even though I guessed what was going on by like 37% in, it is still gripping because the circumstances.. they can legit happen to anyone. That was the terrifying aspect imo.
Emily did nothing for me .. I thought she was weird & a bit sketchy herself ... & At the end she wasn't the victim so stop ... Idk she bothered me but everyone else 😳

Solid read.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me view this title early . #arc # thequiettenant

I went into this book with high hopes. It started off strong diving right into the thrills. I loved the short chapters, they kept the story moving. I also liked the multiple perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily.

I didn’t care for the 2nd person narrative. The story got repetitive after awhile. I kept waiting for something big to happen. I read that a few people had issues with the MC. I understand some of the decisions she made-she was groomed to live in fear. I also didn’t care for the “Woman # ?” perspectives. It didn’t really add to the story.

This reminded me of Behind Closed Doors (which I loved), but this one fell a little short for me.

First of all, I would like to thank Knopf Publishing, NetGalley, and Clémence Michallon for providing me with a copy of The Quiet Tenant in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant tells the story of a man named Aidan who, on the outside, is a beloved and hard-working person in his small town who will do anything for anybody, while also keeping a really dark secret from the people who admire him. Not only is Aidan a serial killer and kidnapper, but he has been holding Rachel, the main character of this story, hostage and imprisoned in his shed for the last 5 years. When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his daughter Cecilia move away with Aidan having no choice but to take Rachel with them under the guise of her being a good “family friend”. Living in these new surroundings, Rachel becomes determined to form a bond and connection with Cecilia in order to have somebody help with her finally escaping once and for all.

First of all, I loved how dark and psychological this thriller was and how easy it was to get through. The Quiet Tenant portrayed some very difficult themes that were introduced, such as emotional abuse, mind control, gaslighting and r*pe that were extremely hard to read through, but it also added more substance to the story which makes this not your typical psychological thriller. I loved how this story was also told in multiple POVs so we could get different perspectives out of the main characters, as well as loving the writing style throughout with it being very descriptive and almost feeling like you’re inside the mind of the main characters and what they’re going through mentally. The only con that I would give for this book was that it being written in 2nd person which is normally not my favorite in books, but it was still really easy to get into the story. I absolutely loved the fast paced reading style while it also being a slow burn thriller story leading up to the main climax and ending of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this author’s debut novel and being really excited to turn to the next page and see what would happen next. This was definitely an easy 4 star read for me, and I’m excited to read more from this author in the future.

The link to my Goodreads review is listed below & linked to this submission:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5612546694

The Quiet Tenant by Clēmence Michallon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow - simply, WOW.
This book was probably one of the most bone-chilling and complex psychological thrillers I've read in a long time. Not only does it fantastically highlight a young woman doing what it takes to survive. But it touches on the reality of Stockholm syndrome in the process of necessity when surviving. But it also showcases the reality of never truly knowing a person as well as you think you may.
This story of survival will captivate you. It will capture you and chain you.
You won't forget his name. Nor will you forget her story ...

Thank you #netgalley and #knopf for the #arc

This book was brilliantly and horrifyingly written.

Aidan Thomas is beloved by the town. He is a recent widower and father to a thirteen-year-old daughter. He is hard working, and always willing to lend a hand in town. He is a serial killer who has been holding a missing woman captive in his shed for the past five years.

The book is mostly told from the point of view of "Rachel," the woman in the shed. It is also told from the view of Aidan's daughter, the new woman Aidan is dating, and snippets from his past victims.

The biggest thing that sets this book apart from others I have read recently is that the writing switches between first, second and third person, depending on who the narrator is. I found it jarring and a little distracting at first, but as I kept reading, I really began to appreciate the style.

One day, Aidan comes to the shed and tells "Rachel" they need to move. "Rachel" now needs to live in the main house with Aidan and his daughter. At the age of thirteen, the daughter is certainly skeptical that Rachel is just a lodger who needed to rent a room, but she doesn't put the pieces together. With the new living situation, Aidan gets sloppy, and "Rachel" begins to find herself, reclaim he identity and plan her escape.

The book is heart pounding at times, as "Rachel" tests the waters of what she can get away with without getting caught. When Aidan misses things, she begins to question whether the house is really covered entirely by cameras like he claims.

Thank you to the Knopf publishing group for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was hard to believe that this kidnapping and murder thriller was the author's debut novel and also written in her non-native language. By using the alternating voices of the major characters, the reader is given a ringside seat to the story of an upstanding citizen who leads a double life as a serial murderer. It very much reminded me of the book and movie Room by Emma Donoghue along with elements of various true crimes from recent years. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance copy to read and review.

What a dark and fun book. Just to be in the mind of someone who has been held captive for five years and is finally seeing a possible way out is just such a fun read. Readers are going to dive into this book and get lost in all the right ways. I love that Alex to the outside world comes off as this outstanding family man, one who would never have a dark side. It truly shows you how you never really know someone, there is so much that can happen behind closed doors. “Rachel” is also such an interesting character. One that has learned exactly what she needs to do to not die. She bets on him needing her and asking him to take her with him when he moves. Both Rachel and Alex are playing a game. A dark one that either could easily lose.
Thank you so much Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title. I can’t wait to recommend it.

📚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - The Quiet Tenant⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘊𝘭é𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘯⁣
⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️ (5/5) ⁣
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡⁣
⁣
𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞(𝐬): "𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯. 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬."⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Aiden Thomas is the perfect man. Handsome, hard-working, a beloved husband and doting father, always willing to lend a hand for a neighbor in need. But Aiden has a dark secret. He's a serial killer who has already killed 8 women and has his sights set on a 9th. He's also had a woman chained in his shed for five years. 😳 After his wife dies, he's forced to move homes, and must take the woman with him, still very much a captive, but given more freedom than she had in the shed. He introduces her to his thirteen-year-old daughter as Rachel, a family friend who needed a place to stay. Aiden banks on Rachel being too brainwashed and afraid to attempt escape, but he's wrong...⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!! After several 𝘮𝘦𝘩 books, I was desperate for a real page turner, and boy did The Quiet Tenant deliver!⁣
⁣
This one gets in your head in the best way. This is not an in-your-face thriller. The moments are more quiet, more calculated, and absolutely suck you in. ⁣
⁣
Rachel is a fantastic character. Emily is absolutely annoying/naive 😂, but you know...I kind of get her. Lol. There were a few moments that were a bit TOO convenient, but I can't complain when the story hooked me the way it did. ⁣
⁣
This one publishes on June 20th, and you won't want to miss it!⁣
⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You like: psychological thrillers; multiple viewpoints; abduction stories⁣
⁣
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: R (for adult situations)⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ❗️: Rape; Death due to cancer

I loved this book! It’s a thriller, but it’s also a look into the psychological and mental effects that sustained fear can have on an individual. It’s uniquely told from the perspectives of different women in the killer’s life, including one victim who, instead of being murdered like the others, is kept captive for five years. The limits of their points of view and the way their experiences overlap give the reader interesting - but fractured - insights into the killer’s motivation and behavior. It’s such a unique way to tell a story, and I couldn’t put it down.

I especially loved the chapters told from the killer’s victims. They might have been my favorite part. Nameless, listed only by their number in his kills, their accounts made my heart hurt.

I did get frustrated with the woman held captive over and over. She had SO MANY chances to escape! I had to continually remind myself that this woman had lost her independence, confidence, and trust in the world, so she would be unwilling to take any unnecessary risks, as her main goal was to stay alive no matter how bad the situation became. Obviously I’ve never been in that situation, but I just saw so many viable chances for her to get help that she ignored. I still absolutely loved her and was rooting for her the whole time.

This book lends itself to discussion and would make a great book club selection! It’s a fascinating and unique thriller that I will remember for a long time! Thank you so much to Knopf and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book comes out in just a few days and my guess is that the rights to a movie or mini-series will be purchased by the end of the year. It’s a short, page-turning, suspense novel that you won’t want to put down. There are multiple points of view including the serial killer, his daughter, girlfriend, and the girl he’s held on to for the past 5 years (the quiet tenant). The chapters are all labeled but it’s also pretty easy to determine on your own whose chapter it is. You won’t get confused but you might find yourself internally yelling at a character periodically – like “no”, “don’t do that”, “hurry up”, “pay attention”, or “what were you thinking?” Now, some might say it’s not very realistic but knowing the world today, I completely believe it could happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.

The debut novel by @clemencemichallon is a fantastic psychological thriller. It is told from multiple POVs from the women in a serial killers life. It focuses on trauma, survival, and missing the red flags. I really enjoyed the unique perspective to a serial killer story. I highly recommend checking out this book this summer!

Thank you @aaknopf @vintageanchorbooks and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

*3-3.5 stars

A tense debut thriller about a serial killer who decides to keep one woman captive. As the story opens, he's kept this woman he's calling 'Rachel' in a shed on his property for five years and has thoroughly brainwashed her and terrorized her into following his every demand. Now his wife has died and he needs to move to a different home with his 13 year old daughter, Cecilia. What to do with 'Rachel'? He believes he has her so cowered that he can move her in and pretend she is a 'tenant.' What could go wrong with that?

The story is told by various women--Rachel, Cecelia, his latest girlfriend Emily, as well as short chapters from the women he has killed. Most are told in first person point of view but Rachel's is in second person 'you', which seems strange and somewhat off-putting. Some of the things she does are so inexplicable but surely the result of this constant mental and physical cruelty. The tension in the plot arises from the reader wanting her to find a way to escape!

Michallon is French but received her degrees from English-speaking universities and became a US citizen in 2022, deciding to write her first novel in English.

I received an arc of this debut thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

First, i want to thank NetGalley for this free ARC and the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.
I actually really enjoyed this book. Let's start with what I love about it. The characters are great. I love the build-up and insight/perspective from the woman in the shed. There was an awesome build-up to "the time" that i loved.
What im bot liking is i feel like im lacking a lot. Still have a lot of questions. Why did Aiden kill the women? Why did he choose this one woman to not kill and to keep as his "pet". I feel as if almost 300 pages were devoted to this main escape, then 20 pages give or take of that after. I feel like there should have been more at the end. It's more of an explanation as to why Aiden did what he did, maybe from his perspective. What drove him to do what he did what was the trigger. Also, what was Cecilia holding in that she almost felt comfortable talking to "Rachel" about? A lot of questions were left unanswered, and an ending that i felt was rushed.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this one. The premise sounded great but the story took a turn that I’d didn’t care for. I’m usually a fan of serial killer books. I’ve never really read a book that is in the second person and I did not care for it at all. Also found parts to be repetitive.

Review: This was such a page-turner! I was hooked from the first paragraph and wanted to scream at the book multiple times, convinced if it was me, I would have ran or fought or screamed. Something. There’s always more to the story though and everyone has to find their strength in their own way. Thank you to @knopf @pantheon @vintage @anchor @netgalley and @clemencemichallon for my copy!

The life of a serial killer/rapist as told by the women in his life - the women he has held captive in his shed for the past.5 years, a local bartender with a crush on him, his daughter, and vignettes from the women he has killed. Enjoy this one overall, the end was a little unbelievable but sometimes you have to suspend belief.. I enjoyed the different points of view on this one.

What an impressive debut. I adored Michallon’s writing. I don’t know if it is because she is a French author but I found her prose particularly unique and lovely. I think she’s got a skill for creating atmosphere that worked really well in this story.

I enjoyed all three POVs, and I appreciated that the style switched to help differentiate them. I also loved that the narrative was told from the various victims, which made the story more compelling. This book was sinister in a complex way because the violence these women faced was mostly hinted at instead of outright shown, which I found more interesting than a grisly action-driven story. While this is definitely more of a slow-burn, I was hooked from the beginning because of how Michallon built pressure. It grew in an eerie way that made me genuinely uncomfortable while reading it. It was far more exciting than your standard thriller, and I look forward to future books by this author because I think she has some real talent!

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for this ARC. 4.5/5 stars

"My name is Rachel." That is what he has taught her to say - the woman he has kept hidden away in his shed. The one he let live. When he needs to move out of his house, it is time to make a choice. Kill her? Or bring her closer into his life?

Wow, this one was quite a ride. I read this over the course of a day, mostly because I couldn't put it down. This was a unique thriller told from the points of view of the three women in orbit of a serial killer. I had the feeling it would be good - and I was not disappointed. Definitely a to-read if you enjoy thrillers!

"The Quiet Tenant" is a psychological thriller that is both disturbing and dark.

We are told this story mainly from three points of view: the woman, Cecilia (the daughter), and Emily. Each woman plays a different role in Aiden Thomas' life and it is through each of these women-and occasional chapters from additional women who are only identified by the sequence in which he has killed them-that we see a frightening picture painted of an extremely disturbed man.

What really stood out to me in this story was the focus on the women and the way in which they viewed Aiden. He is a very handsome and friendly man with an aura of mystery and tragedy that surrounds him. Like most true crime stories, we hear about women who were pulled in by serial killers because of their charm. In this story we can see how such a man can easily collect women and discard of them so easily. Yet, being that this story is told from the female perspective, we get a view into the disturbing reality of how some women are so vulnerable and just want to be seen, or remain in good stead, with the person who holds all of the power. At times I felt this was a commentary on women being weak and having that undertone of "asking for it" because the women who become his victims are so desperate to be loved and/or keep him content. But as I moved through the story I could see that there is a quiet watchfulness while under the gaze of a predator, and a woman who appeases their whims until freedom can be gained when they drop their guard.

This is a thriller that moves at a slow pace and is predominately cerebral. It takes a look at survival, victimhood, vulnerability, quiet strength, and the power of our mind to either mask or run from the evil in before us.

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor via NetGalley. All honest opinions are my own.

What I liked:
* the plot was unique and I was curious to find out what would happen to Rachel and Emily
* the way in which the author portrays how "normal" and "nice" truly dark people can appear to others

What I wasn't a fan of:
* the second person POV for Rachel
* the random POV's from victims
* I never felt like I truly understood the backstory/motivation of Aidan - it was all surface level. I wanted to understand where he came from, why he turned out the way he did, and how he was capable of both love and evil
* the relationship with the grandparents/in-laws was not fully fleshed out
* Ummmm....can we discuss how Emily was a very creepy character but the author never really delved into that