Thanks to the publisher for the free copy.
I have seen such glowing praise for this one, so I was excited to get an early copy. What I didn't realize was that it was told in second person in some parts, and that is one of my biggest reading nos. I think it takes me out of the story too much and I am not a fan of this stylistic choice. I know it worked for others, and I'm so glad it did. I also found this story to be a bit wordy at times. I think the author did something unique here and that's going to draw in a big audience. I wish it nothing but the best success.

Loved this book! Very very suspenseful and I found myself constantly wanting more. I read this in almost one sitting. definitely check TWs before reading.

This book was fine. I think I had a hard time connecting to the writing style. It was intriguing enough for me to finish, but ultimately fell flat. I feel like Emily’s character was useless to me and she was kind of annoying and obsessive. I would’ve liked to see chapters with Aidan’s POV.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

4.5 STARS (rounded up!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I highly recommend this thriller that is releasing just in time for your summer beach trips of 2023. The Quiet Tenant is told from the perspectives of three women caught in Aidan Thomas’s orbit: his teenage daughter (Cecelia), his new fling / side piece after the death of his wife (Emily), and the woman he is keeping locked in his shed (“Rachel”). Yup, you read that right, and the woman in the shed will have you drawn into this story from the very first page. This thriller gets a ton of points for believability. Aidan was perfect on paper. It’s always the normal ones, huh? On the contrary, Emily was an idiot, but there are definitely women just like her out in the world—obsessed with a man before she really truly knows him. I wanted more from the book’s ending, such as a gasping plot twist or even a chapter from Aidan’s point of view. Overall, I could not put this book down. This debut author is now on my radar. 🎯

WOWOWOWOWWOOWWOW!!!!!! This book is unputdownable!!!!! It’s addicting, it’s scary, it’s heart pounding. The writing is soooo good. I couldn’t get enough and yet I was spooked and creeped out!!!!

I absolutely LOVED IT!

EXCERPT (non-continuous):
<b>Days meshing into one another, five long years turning to mud. One long stretch of the shed. A place of despair, of devastation. But at the end, it became what you knew.

Here, you learned how to survive.

Rule number one of staying alive in the shed: He always wins. For five years, you have made sure of it.

Rule number two of staying alive in the shed: He’s always right, and you’re always sorry.

Rule number three of staying alive in the shed: In his world, you are the purest thing. Everything that happens must happen to the two of you.</b>

Hot take: People overuse “heart-pounding” and “couldn’t look away” for the thriller and horror genres. A lot of stories are meant to make your heart pound but the writing isn’t visceral enough to create a physical response. Most plots aren’t so compelling that you lie in the bed for hours saying “just one more chapter.”

This story explores the faces of a serial killer (Aidan Thomas) through four perspectives: his daughter (Cecelia), the woman with a crush on him (Emily), the women he’s killed (referred to as “Number One” and so on), and the woman he’s kept locked in a shed for years, whom he calls “Rachel.”

Rachel drives much of the story through her second person point of view, and the referral to herself as “you” hit me right in the gut, imagining that it’s ME locked in the shed, treated as cattle, raped daily, and just making it through one day at a time. I felt her hesitant victory coated in fear as she convinced him to take her with him when he moved to his new house. When she had a room with an actual bed.

The pacing seems intentionally slow at the beginning as we get a sense of the monotony of the women’s daily lives. Emily fixating on this quiet man who comes into her restaurant every Tuesday and Thursday for a Cherry Coke at the bar. Rachel describing how each day is the same as the last. Cecilia on how it’s been so hard to lose her mom to cancer, but at least she has her loving father. The pacing builds gradually to a racing conclusion.

<b>themes</b>
Throughout this book Aidan’s defining traits are the same traits many men have and are applauded for. “He’s a busy man” with a busy day. He’s in a rush because <b>none of this is about you; it’s really all about him.</b> “He knows you’ll do what he tells you to do.” “He wants control. All he has ever wanted is for life to go according to his plans.”

Conversely, we explore how a big reason women become victims is because our society makes them to feel lesser than, that their voices don’t matter in a thousand small ways, and they internalize it.

These themes are explored without pandering or taking away from the thrill of the story.

<b>If you read this book, who do you think the quiet tenant is?</b> Is it “Rachel,” the woman who isn’t able to make a sound of her despair in this house? Is it Aidan, the quiet man who is an upstanding citizen in the community, renting this home because his old home was sold after his wife died? I don’t know that you could convince me that it’s Cecilia, but she isn’t given a chance to express herself either.

Blanket trigger warning: the women in this book have been groomed, abused sexually, physically, and mentally. There is also violence outside of this theme. None of it is described graphically.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for sharing an ARC of this book. It will be released on June 20th, 2023, and you can pre-order now!

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Original Review:

What an absolutely horrifying book. Stayed up 5 hours past my normal bedtime because I couldn’t stop reading. Review to come.

The different POVs helped brought in more perspective to the story. This was suspenseful and captivating. This books covers topics of serial killers, grief, loss of a loved one, stockholm syndrome, and a kidnapping.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aiden is the guy around town that everyone loves, but he's holding a dark secret... he's a serial killer who's left one victim alive and locked in his shed. When "Rachel" convinces him to move her to his new house with a cover story, she meets his daughter, and finds the strength to plan her escape. Told in alternating viewpoints from the victim, the daughter, and Aiden's girlfriend and possible next victim, this story will keep you at the edge of your seat.

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, add The Quiet Tenat to your summer reading list.

While I ultimately loved this book, it took me a little bit to get into the story. The first 30 pages or so were a little slow while the plot was being set up, however, it didn't take long for the story to really take off. The characters were well-developed, and I really liked how Michallon created this dark psychopathic character. This is a hard book not to spoil,

Let's just say, this book is a dark, suspenseful ride that will keep you guessing.

Thank you, AA Knopf and NetGalley for the eARC!

What a good thriller!!! I almost feel like I can’t call it that since we know who the bad guy is the entire time. Suspense? Slightly spine tingling women’s fiction? I’m not good at picking genres. Anywho…so we meet the woman in the shed and her kidnapper as their time together rounds its fifth anniversary. He’s being forced to move, and so this means one of two things. Woman in the shed is going to die, or she’s going to come with. He names her Rachel and forces her to pretend she’s his tenant so that she doesn’t tip off his 13 year old daughter Cecelia. And he believes that she’s just desperately brainwashed enough to do it.

Each night he handcuffs her to the bed, rapes her, and then forces her to eat meals with him and Cece. He tells her he has cameras throughout the house, and then he gives her a GPS tracker that she can’t cut off. He controls every aspect of her life. But all the while, she’s listening, watching, learning. And then he meets Emily. Emily thinks she’s found the jackpot with Aidan, handsome widower that she’s worshipped since she was a child. Only he’s acting very guarded, very hesitant. And then one day she decides to throw caution to the wind and go check on him at home. And she meets Rachel…who doesn’t seem to be right at all.

I couldn’t put this down today! It’s a quick read, one that I had fun with. As someone who has studied serial killers her whole life, I feel like I needed the reminder that these men exist. Likely in every city, in every state, active or inactive at any given point in time. It’s a reminder that I may have crossed paths with them. Once, twice, dozens of times. It’s the pastors, the mail men, the community leaders. The husbands and fathers, the Boy Scout elders…and while this is fiction, I can’t help but think about the thousands of victims that I’ve read about. The kidnapped children and women. The young men buried under John Wayne Gacy’s house. The faces on the news across the country. This was entertainment, but also a reminder to stay aware…and be a force instead of another picture.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is a thriller about Aidan Thomas, a very beloved member of his community. But, he's also a serial killer. And he's currently imprisoning a woman whom he plans to murder soon. This woman is a fighter, though. Aidan may have met his match with her. This was such a quick, well-written read, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Powerful, anxiety-inducing and completely immersive, The Quiet Tenant is an unforgettably haunting tale you experience deep in your core. An unfathomably traumatic and emotional story that will have you feeling angry and dejected while retaining a glimmer of hope for a satisfying conclusion.

Rachel is being held captive by a man who abducted her on the side of a country road 5 years ago. Her life has consisted of being chained inside a shed where she’s visited daily by the man who brings her food, a bucket to relieve herself in, and supplies to clean herself before he has his way with her. But things change when the man’s wife dies, and he’s forced to move with his 13-year-old daughter. He takes Rachel with him, locking her up in a room in their new house for most of the day and letting her out for dinner under the guise of a family friend going through a tough time. But this little taste of freedom gives Rachel strength and opportunities she hasn’t had before. As she tests the boundaries of her personal prison, she forms a connection with the daughter while also finding out that her tormentor is in a new relationship with a local woman, adding a sense of urgency to Rachel needing to do something before other women are victimized. Summoning the courage to act, Rachel will have to execute a perfect escape to finally bring justice to the man who has stolen her life…and the lives of many others.

On the surface, The Quiet Tenant is a thriller about a woman who’s been abducted and the man who retains power over her. But this novel is much deeper than that. It examines male/female power dynamics, how sometimes just surviving each day is a huge win, and how you can find strength and courage in the direst of situations. It also leads you question if you truly know your neighbors and what they are capable of. Is that beloved pillar of your community really as squeaky clean as they seem? Or do they have a deep dark secret that would rock your world if it ever came to light?

As such, The Quiet Tenant is multi-layered, thought-provoking and contains a lot of depth. But it’s also very well written, moves at a brisk pace and strings you along with just enough hope to compel you to keep reading and root for Rachel to find freedom. And as if the book isn’t compelling enough on its own, Clémence Michallon is a native French speaker who pulled off writing this amazing novel in her second language. An incredible feat that makes this book even more phenomenal. A brilliant debut thriller from someone new to watch in the genre.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the read and review of #TheQuietTennant by #ClemenceMichallon. It was a very good book and a great ending. Scary that this actually happens in this world.

Title: The Quiet Tenant
Author: Clemence Michallon
Genre: Thriller
On Sale: June 20, 2023

•Quick Deets•
Kidnapped
Girlfriend
Daughter

•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
I recommend this book!

•Similar Recommended Reads•
The Last Thing to Burn
In the Clearing
Room

In this thrilling debut from Clémence Michallon, the author bravely creates a structure of multiple tense POVs that paint a picture of the charming blue-eyed serial killer (Aidan): his 13 year old (now motherless) daughter (Cecilia); an almost-naive wannabe girlfriend (Emily); the woman in the shed (named Rachel by Aidan) who he neglected to kill after 5 years (another 8 have been successfully disposed of); and the disparate voices of previous victims. After his wife’s death, the killer must move residences and decides to install his captive as a “tenant” in the new home. Well, that’s a bizarre solution and we get to discover what happens next. Sometimes change is good — or not.

The structure is unusual — we only get to know Aidan from the viewpoints of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily (plus the ghosts of his victims). Rachel’s story is told in a rarer second person tense, while the others are first person narratives. As such, Aidan can be a charming psychopath when his daughter and Emily have their interactions with him, while Rachel’s harrowing experience is desperately trying to counteract theirs. Yet, the story ratchets up tension evenly (there are some lags as Rachel reminisces about her past life) and this becomes a page-turner until the very end. Original and riveting — 5 stars!

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO We only get to know that Aidan and his daughter have blue-gray eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The “woods” is the bad place, but we know nothing about the details.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book in second person but wow. This was a chilling and fast read. I loved how everything played out. The suspense was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for this arc in exchange for a honest review.

This book presented well but it fell a little flat for me. I think it was all the jumping pov from "The Woman". The plot progressed but there was no real wrap or anything to bring it together. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.

I recommend everyone read it as it did have have very intriguing parts to it.

Wow! This is a new twist on the domestic thriller and psychological thriller. I was amazed at the pace and tension in this debut novel. Excellent story telling and the description of the serial killer and the multiple dimensions of the killer's character is something unlike I have ever read before.

Fans of true crime podcasts/shows will gravitate to this book. I look forward to reading what is next from Clamence Mchallon. A worth while read!

This was a unique, fast-paced thriller that kept me quickly turning the pages. I loved the multiple points of view, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Often when a serial killer is finally caught friends and neighbors express their shock saying "he seemed so nice, so normal." Indeed, it is their "normalness" that keeps them under the radar. As Rachel states in the early pages of The Quiet Tenant, her captor is good to his neighbors, takes out the garbage, does all the things "regular" people do. But Rachel (we learn her actual name much later in the story) is not a tenant-quiet or otherwise, and the man who abducted her seems so sweet and caring no one suspects he is a murderer. Aidan also hides behind the cloak of his wife's recent death to cancer, and is raising their teenage daughter alone. Who would ever believe the grieving widower is a psychopath? Rachel is unique in that Aidan does not kill her-instead holds her captive for years. During this time Aidan continues his murderous spree-the brief chapters on the last thoughts of his victims are truly heartbreaking. But The Quiet Tenant is Rachel's story-her fear and desperate attempts to stay alive fill the pages. Aidan does slip up in small ways-he can be reckless (his "sort of girlfriend" Emily has no idea how close so comes to dying), and he rents his house from a prominent local judge. While we thankfully cannot put ourselves in their shoes, the biggest mystery of The Quiet Tenant is how Aidan avoids being exposed for so long. Frustrating at times-as the novel progresses there are several opportunities for Rachel to escape that she does not take, turning The Quiet Tenant into a case study on "Stockholm syndrome," where victims actually bond with their abductors. The Quiet Tenant is a character driven story that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You'll root for Rachel even when you want to shake some sense into her. The pace is quiet and at times tentative, but builds to a spectacularly climatic ending.
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