The Quiet Tenant is a book that follows a serial killer from different points of view. You get the point of view of the woman he is holding hostage, a woman that is falling in love with him (without knowing about his crimes), his daughter, and all the other women he has killed in his life. The killer is an upstanding citizen, a friendly neighbor, and a single dad (his wife died of cancer) who everyone admires. The town does not suspect him at all. The story unfolds as the woman being held hostage is trying to figure out how to escape and expose the killer.
This story was very chilling and emotional, especially the parts told from the woman being held hostage. It was heartbreaking hearing her story and everything she went through. You definitely root for her to escape. It is also very interesting to get the point of view of the woman falling in love with him. She has no idea the evil he is capable of. The dichotomy between the two points of view was very interesting to the story and a great choice. It shows that you never really know people. I also really liked the other point of views sprinkled in. The story was told in a very personal and unique way. The writing was beautiful, and I really enjoyed this book! This book was a lot more emotional than other serial killer thrillers. Parts of it were hard to read due to the different points of view. You really feel bad for all the women that the killer has tortured. This was beautifully written and a great read!
I will say that I gave this 4.5 stars instead of 5 because the writing did seem a bit too lyrical at parts for my taste. It also was a slower read and I typically enjoy my thrillers a little more fast paced. However, it was still a great read, and it didn’t take away too much from the reading experience. If that is more your taste, you will love this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the arc!

I quite literally could not put this book down. It was so incredibly well paced and provoking. I loved that it was told from multiple POVs and the POVs chosen were perfect. I don’t want to go in to too much detail because I feel it would spoil some things. All I can say is, if you are a thriller lover this one is for you. Gripping, dark, sinister, and completely binge able. It reads in the 3rd person narrative, similar to Emma Donoghue’s Room. I thought this book was brilliant and can’t recommend enough.
Thank you to @netgalley and @aaknopf for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Congratulations @clemencemichallon wishing you all the success on your new release. This book is available June 20th. Add it to your TBR.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC! I really enjoyed reading The Quiet Tennant. You think you know someone- you never know what people are up to in their free time! The multiple view points worked well throughout the story, and kept things interesting. The viewpoints are separated by chapters which made it easy to keep track of. If I had to pick something to add or change about the book I do wish there was more from Aidan’s daughter, and some chapters from Aidan’s point of view would have been interesting. Overall this is a great fast paced, psychological, serial killer thriller

3.5-4 stars.

A thriller operating under the "less is more" characterization. As some others have described it, a "slow burn thriller." Who knew that such a thing could exist? The author slowly feeds you pieces of what's happening as you put together the scene of the crime...a crime that's been happening to "Rachel" for 5 years.

There is no gratuitous violence so the reader never knows how Aidan has killed his other victims. It's honestly the one thing that kind of bugged me the most because how a serial killer kills is usually a big insight to their personality. I don't need it gory, but a simple indication of what he did (strangle, gun shot, stabbed, whatever.) Rachel always assumed strangulation and that made sense to me except that's typically a crime of passion and Aidan didn't not come off as that type.

Told in multiple POV's with the main victim's POV as the majority, the most chilling were those of his victims (7 others I think?) His 13 yr old daughter and his current "girlfriend" round out the list of POV's. We never get an Aidan POV and I think if we had one of those right at that end, wow, that would have packed a punch!

Aidan has the whole town fooled with his charming, always willing to help personality, a widower raising a 13 yr old daughter. It's this persona that allows him to start to become reckless with the "one he didn't kill." You know serial killers, there is the desire for control and power and as they continue to get away with it that control and power grows, typical egomaniacs.

It does read slow, but I kept turning the pages anyways, because I was intrigued about where this was going, why did he let her live and would Emily be his next victim or the key to Rachel's escape? "Rachel's" POV was sometimes very repetitive, as she reminisced about her life before but I always gleaned something important from the storyline every time she talked, a little foreshadowing if you would. Her POV seemed to try and humanize her to the reader, but I didn't feel like we ever needed that.

Decent thriller, kept me turning the pages till the very end, where I was let down just slightly by the ending as it was just sort of over. Again, less is more, but that's one area where I really could have used a little more. Overall enjoyed it.

The Quiet Tenant
Author: Clemence Michallon
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: 5⭐️

Synopsis: Rachel has been stuck with the same man for 5 years. She can’t get away even if she tried. Being locked in his shed for all those years will do that to you. When the man’s wife passes away, he is forced to move Rachel to a new house as a “family friend.” But who will find out about the other first: the teenaged daughter, the new love interest, or the girl he keeps locked up?

Thoughts: I always enjoy when the story is told from different perspectives. In this one you get three: the daughter, the bartender love interest, and the kidnapped woman. I could not put this one down and couldn’t wait to read more when I could. I flew through the pages and my heart was pounding at the end.

Read if:
* You love stunning debuts from authors
* You like being kept on your toes

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC!

In this, her debut novel, novelist Clemence Michallon manages to pull off a fantastic feat: creating an absolutely suspenseful story and writing it in English, her second language.

Aidan Thomas is the poster child of looks that can be deceiving. A quiet widower who is raising his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia in a small town in upstate New York, he appears to all the world to be a hard-working family man. Still, Aidan is harboring a dark secret: he is also a serial killer who stalks and kidnaps his victims. Five years ago, he kidnapped Rachel and for reasons known only to him, decided to keep her captive in a shed on his property. When he and Cecilia are forced to move, he continues to keep Rachel alive and stashed in a small bedroom, telling Cecilia that Rachel is a friend down on her luck. By now, Rachel has figured out how to please and manipulate Aidan into keeping her alive on a day-to-day basis. She is also initially too afraid to attempt to escape but as she and Cecilia grow closer, she now fears for both their lives and is determined to free them both. What Rachel doesn't know is that Aidan may be replacing her with his next victim, Emily, the owner of a restaurant in their small town.

Told from the viewpoints of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, the story unfolds as we get to know the characters. The suspense is heightened as the reader is immersed in this dark, unusual take on a serial killer. I don't consider this a thriller; it's more of a finely-turned psychological study of human interactions and the cost of survival. It demonstrates that no matter how damaged Rachel is, she can still feel compassion for the other women in Aiden's life. The story is deftly told and beautifully written.

I loved this book so much! It hooked me from the beginning and was a very interesting storyline.the characters were very developed and interesting.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this unusual ARC. This story is about a serial killer. But it’s more importantly about the lives of those around him: his captive, his daughter, a woman in love with him, his other victims, a community who believes him to be something he isn’t. You never hear his point of you, only those of the women around him. This is done so deftly, and unusually, it’s a powerhouse of a book. All three females are relatable in various ways. Through his reactions and interactions with them, you gain insight into his behaviors, need for control, and even a little sympathy as he tries to remain a good father. The author shows, in variety of ways, how women are taught or evolve through experience in how to tip toe around men to protect themselves, the inner strength of women and the will to survive in unlikely circumstances. Read this book; it’s a little disturbing but very well written.

This is quite a dark, disturbing read that will stay with you for some time. As a parent, this preys on your biggest fears - a serial killer stalking your child and keeping them captive in his basement. There is really few scenarios that terrify you more and this book certainly takes advantage of that. It also brings in several other elements - a daughter, a possible girlfriend - that add complications and twists and turns to keep you riveted. There are multiple POV's with time changes that are sometimes confusing but this trope doesn't get in the way of a entertaining thriller. If you love dark thrillers and true crime, you won't want to miss this one. Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Publishing Group for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

DID NOT FINISH--20 percent

I have been trying to finish this book since April 17, 2023. I finally put a pin in it yesterday when I got back from another vacation. My brain would not engage on this. I was sitting out on a deck enjoying the sunset and realized that life is short, and I refuse to keep making this book happen. I had a rolling list of books I finally just said nope to this weekend.

"The Quiet Tenant" is just a lot. I don't even know what to say. If you go to the book page on Goodreads there's a lot of all caps and discussion of how pulse pounding it was...it was not. We follow a man named Aiden (hiding something dark) and his 13 year old daughter Cecilia. When Aiden's wife dies they move. There enters Rachel...the quiet tenant. I think what kills me the most is that the summary on NetGalley did not spoil me, but the Goodreads page did. And I wonder if that is will killed any interest I had in this book. You can read the plot details for yourself if you click on the book link.

The characters in the 20 percent I read though were just bland as heck. Aiden. Bad. Cecilia. Well she' 13. Rachel. Got nothing. Another woman is thrown into the mix and I just hard passed. Telling this story via second person point of view threw me. If any book screamed for a first person point of view via different characters, this one did. I just could not engage at all.

This had me screaming at the MC multiple times. While I do understand the headspace of a victim in their situation I couldn’t imagine not acting on impulse!
Such a good book in all the ways that matter. The multiple POV’s were clean and not confusing, their was on story and timeline going on, most importantly it was bordering realism which was wonderful.
We pile definitely recommend!

In this sleepy psychological thriller about a serial killer, Clemence Michallon completely flips the genre. The story is fed to the reader in bits by the women in his life, the victim he can’t let go, his 13 year old daughter and a the woman who is desperate for a romantic relationship with him. Chilling and an absolute page turner!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and @crimebythebook for the recommendation.

This is such a unique read! I think if you have any interest in true crime or want to read a book that looks at both the victim and the villain and kind of shows the complexities and completeness of the villain as a whole person, I would highly recommend this book. I will say, I wouldn't consider this a thriller. It's a slow burn psychological drama with thrilling moments/elements, but I wouldn't consider it a thriller at all.

I received a DRC from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I feel it is important to state that the subject-matter of this novel may be difficult for some readers. The story focuses on Rachel, who was kidnapped by a serial killer. The reader follows them as the rest of the community thinks the kidnapper is a model citizen in the community.
I appreciated that the story is basically told from Rachel’s point of view. As the focus was on what she did to survive. I connected with her right away.
I look forward to reading more from this author. It’s hard to believe this is a debut.

I was very excited to get my ARC of this book. Reading the description and reviews that called it “suspenseful” “sick” “sinister” so on and so forth. Ummm it was none of that? Yes… he’s a murderer and keeps the woman in a shed, but everything was very predictable and not suspenseful. Also, Emily is one of the most idiotic characters in a novel I have read in a long time. It kept my attention some of the time and was easy to read.

WOW this book.. WOWOW
This was a fast pace thriller read and it had me in a WTF the whole time! This book touches on woman’s strength and Stockholm syndrome, and the will to survive! It’s dark, but such an interesting read!! This is a summer tbr must!! I am so happy to have read this! It was fast paced and left me wondering what will happen next.

This book was so incredibly irksome in the very best (worst??) way. I felt such an incredible sense of claustrophobia while reading this book, as if I were the one who was being held captive by Aidan.

I can’t help but draw the conclusion that the author must have done quite a bit of research to really dig into the psyche of this creepy ass serial killer character. He felt so real and I was genuinely getting nightmares at night about being stuck in a room with a scary person.

This is so much darker than your typical thriller and I really enjoyed it a lot!

Holy moly, I just found your new favorite psychological thriller! This one had such a grip on me while I was reading, and as I was approaching the end, I simply COULD NOT put it down. I also liked that this was a thriller that wasn’t “scary” in the sense that I wasn’t scared to read it alone at night😂

Obviously it’s hard to say a lot about a thriller without spoilers, so I’m just going to generalize what I liked. The MC “Rachel” was so strong and savvy, and her thought process throughout this book was impressive, especially for someone in her position. There were times while reading that I was thinking, “what are you doing?!?”, but this only furthered the suspense for me. The multiple POV was great, and I liked seeing Aiden and the whole situation from these specific perspectives.

If you want a suspense-packed, contemporary thriller, pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for the advance copy!

I loved every minute of this taut, fast paced, edge of your seat thriller!! I cannot wait to read every word Clémence Michallon writes!!

Wow! What a read! Totally enjoyed this dark and devious novel taking a deep look into the human psyche. Crazy great characters that kept me invested from beginning to end. What a harrowing experience as both the reader and characters. This was dark and creepy for sure!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book