After seeing a few not great reviews about this book I was a little nervous to start it. I endure up liking it. I did agree with some of the other reviews that it seemed repetitive but I think that could have been fixed by making the book a little shorter. Overall I enjoyed it.

Wow! I liked this book way more than I anticipated. I read this in one sitting. The POVs alternate between the woman that is being held captive, the daughter of the man, and a woman who is infatuated with him. The author really captures the psychological aspects of what can happen to someone who is being held captive. It also highlights how people are not always as they seem. The story makes you think about how much you would sacrifice for yourself for the well being of others. This one had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens at the end. Highly recommend The Quiet Tenant.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Clémence Michallon has crafted a debut novel, unlike anything I've ever read. Tense, dark, gripping, and thought-provoking, this novel is told by three distinct women who are all connected to Aidan Thomas. His daughter, the woman he abducted, and a bartender he takes a liking to. A deep insight into the human psyche and just how far one woman is willing to go to protect others. Fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat tension, Aidan Thomas is not the loving, caring man he seems to be.

Horrifically creepy, well written and believable. The darkness hidden within suburbia is one of my favorite thriller tropes and this did not disappoint.

This was one of my most anticipated books for the summer ahead and I was ecstatic to be approved for an advanced copy from Netgalley and Knopf Publishing.

This book is the definition of hiding in plain sight. The characters are intense and well-written. It took me a few chapters to adjust to the multiple POVs, but it was smooth sailing once I got over that. I just needed to know how it ended!!! Great debut thriller and I look forward to more from this author.

<b>DNF @ 30%</b>

I feel like a broken record with the not so great reads, lately. I promise I'm not just hating to hate. But lord, I can't seem to land a good one. *sigh*

The Quiet Tenant was just bad. Hell, I even skimmed through later chapters, including the end, and it didn't get any better. It was the same ol' same ol'. Nothing captivating or intriguing about Aidan, Rachel (who isn't even important enough to get chapter names; she's just the girl who...), or Emily. It was slow, over the top in its descriptions, and boring. Also, I feel for those who finished the whole book and got to that ending. *shaking my head*

This book was LONG. By 30% I felt like we should be closer to the end. But nope. Not even close. Just a repetitive storyline of a guy being charming out in the open and a psycho serial killer behind closed doors. Nothing thrilling.

Do yourself a favor and check out the other 1 star reviews.

Oh yeah, this is told in part 2nd person pov, which I hate reading in. It switched between that and 1st person.

Good luck to you if you decide to read this. Hopefully you have better luck than I did.

4.5 stars

When I wasn't reading this fantastic thriller, I was thinking about it, and now that I'm finished, I know it's one I'll still think about for a very long time!

This chilling tale is told primarily through the perspective of a character known as "the woman," but readers will come to know this character intimately and by several names. Her central identity is - unfortunately - captive. She's been basically entombed on the property of an absolute monster for five years when readers meet her, and while the hope that she'll escape this absolute nightmare is relentless, there is never any kind of certainty about what her future may hold. This keeps readers on the edges of their seats and rooting so hard for her from cover to cover.

In addition to this nameless woman, there are chapters told through the perspectives of other women in the captor's life, and to keep this spoiler-free, I'll avoid naming their relationships. It's absolutely fascinating to get snippets that reveal different sides of the villain because though readers never question his deeply entrenched evil, they will absolutely wonder how a person who does what he does can appear so different to others in his life and community.

I really loved the use of perspective, the intentional dribbling out of specific details to - in a safe way - put readers in the position of the m.c., and the general building of suspense. I will be looking forward to much more from this author and recommending this one to folks who can manage the content (because it should seem obvious, but this woman isn't held captive to join a knitting circle).

As an entry point to the TW, I want to add that I really appreciate the way in which the sexual violence is treated here. It's an unavoidable topic in this case, and while it's definitely occurring, it is not graphic in the ways that some prospective readers might expect. That noted...TW: rape, physical violence, and emotional abuse.

Wait until you meet Aidan Thomas, a man beloved by his town and his daughter. He is always the one to be a "johnny on the spot" whenever the need arises. Sounds like the perfect friend, neighbor, father, but deep within Aidan, there is a stunning secret. Aidan's a rapist and a serial killer tallying up eight murders while number nine is being prepped for her demise.

Aidan definitely has two faces, one he shares with his community and one he scares to the women he has killed. Rachel has been a prisoner of Aidan's, kept in a backyard shed and then moved into his home where he traps her, and feels due to his intimidation and fear, Rachel will acquiescent. Her duties include taking care of Aidan's daughter, Cecilia, and meeting his demands for fear of her life.

Aidan meets a local bar owner, Emily, who falls prey to his charms. He is planting a seed for her to be victim number 10, but can she beat him with Rachel's help?

It's a tense story one that with the amount of missing women, is not at all hard to believe. I enjoyed this book as the author always managed to keep her audience engaged and anxious.

Thank you to Clemence Michallon, Knopf Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out June 20, 2023.

I absolutely loved this book. The Quiet Tenant takes you on a dark twisted road. With multiple point of views to keep you captivated the entire time. The character development is so good that I almost liked and felt bad for the villain at times. I felt all the emotions with this one: scared, anxious, worried, happy at times and very satisfied with the ending. This is a book that horror and thriller readers will absolutely devour. Every page was an adventure making it an intense page turner. I’m really excited for June 20, 2023 when a bigger audience can enjoy such an incredible masterpiece. Also a fun and interesting side note, the author Clémence Michallon was born and raised in Paris, she moved to New York City in 2014 and became a U.S. citizen in 2022 and she now has published her first book in English, her second language following French. Kudos to her and I loved the book! Thank you kindly to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor and Clémence Michallon for this advanced readers copy.

Shout out to Net Galley for letting me read the ARC of this book.

This book was a ride. There were times I had trouble putting it down even though I had other things I needed to do. From start to finish, I was hooked.

I liked the book from its various perspectives. I think the book could have benefited from some more Cecelia at the end, but the book wrapped up quite nicely. I enjoyed the perspectives the author covered, being that they were from people affected by the killer in the book. Very good read!

I enjoy reading horror and thriller books, but rarely find myself feeling scared while reading them.

This book was the first in a long time to really get my heart pounding as I frantically sped through the book to learn what was going to happen next.

This book was dark and heavy and definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you are looking for a book that will keep you up at night, this might be the one you need to check out.

This book was an unexpected surprise and will likely be one of my favorites that I read this year. I hope to see more from this author in the future!

I’m going to keep this review short because I think knowing very little about this one will make it even better!

From start to finish this was completely absorbing but not at all creepy, just intense. It was one of those rare mysteries I could read late at night and not stress or have dreams messing up my sleep. Getting distinctive perspectives from people who interacted with a serial killer on a daily basis was engrossing and made it extra hard to put down.

This novel was captivating, well-written, and perfectly exuded a deep sense of urgency. A fantastic debut thriller that lands around 4.25⭐️ for me!

Many thanks to Knopf for providing me with a e-arc via Netgalley!

😵🤯🫣👀

THAT WAS MY FACE THIS ENTIRE BOOK!

This was definitely one of those *I want to look away but I need to know what's going to happen* situations.

When I say I was glued to the page... I was GLUED to the page. It's been a long time since I truly haven't been able to put a book down and that alone really trumps everything else for me!

Was it disturbing? Yes. Was I satisfied with the ending? Mostly. Do I think everyone will love it? Nope so don't come for me if you don't 🫣🤣 I warned you!

I wish I didn't know the synopsis going in so if I were you, I wouldn't read anything about it and just go in prepared to be shocked 😂

I think if I wasn't so invested in the plot, the writing style would have annoyed me, but I didn't even care because I was ingesting it so quickly 😂

Thank you so much to @aaknopf for the ARC!

The Quiet Tenant will make your blood curdle, your veins turn to ice, and you will have nightmares for days to come. It is dark and sinister making you wonder what every man has in his shed or keeping in his house. It is a book that I yelled at, threw across the room, and became angry with. It will seep into your pores and make you want to devour it in one sitting. As all your fears come to life in this one book.

Aidan is the man to go to if you need help. He is the man who would give you the shirt off his back. He has then entire town fooled. Everyone who is anyone knows him and thinks highly of him. When in reality he has kept Rachel in his shed for five years. She is at his beck and call. She has learned the rules of staying alive in the shed. She sticks to these rules. This all changes when his wife passes away and he is forced to move. Rachel convinces him to take her with him. Will the rules change? Is Rachel just setting herself up for the ultimate fall.

This book will shock you and make you take second glances at everyone who is just a little too nice. Aidan is a master of manipulation. He fooled his wife, his child, the entire town. Even as women vanished no one had a clue. There is no aha moments, it is all written out for you. I still loved every second of it. I loved the multiple points of view, which added layers to the story. Thank you to Clemence Michallon and Knopf Publishing Group for this mind twisting read.

Though I deeply appreciated the powerful themes of this story, trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, I did find that it moved at a slower pace than I was expecting. Being a story of a serial killer told from the perspectives of his daughter, his girlfriend, and the victim he spared, I think I was looking for a bit of a police perspective, as well. As in, those forces looking for the victim. This was definitely a very powerful psychological thriller that will leave you thinking even after it’s over.

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Being kidnapped is a terrifying thought. Being kidnapped and held hostage might even be worse. It happens all too often in our society. Girls and women go missing. Sometimes they are found again, but too frequently they remain missing forever.

I struggled with reading this book. It was such a hard subject, so frightening, too realistic. The woman in the shed grapples with being a prisoner every single day. Behaving only so she can live to see tomorrow. Being the perfect victim. Always wondering why he keeps her alive.

Aidan is the grieving widower. A very private man who is always there in his community to lend a helping hand. Now the community is trying to repay his kindnesses with their own. They know how hard it has been for him since his wife unexpectedly passed away. Him, alone, with only his teenage daughter.

Emily is attracted to Aidan. She knows she should be more respectful of his recent loss, maybe that’s part of the attraction. But she’s felt this way toward this attractive man since she was just a kid. She wants to do a kindness for him. It starts small, but then blossoms into more. She doesn’t know that he holds very dark secrets.

While this topic was so difficult to read, it was fascinating. Who is the woman in the shed? Who is Aidan? How will all this play out? I wanted to put it down so many times, as I cringed through some of the scenes. But the intricate storyline and the bravery of the woman in the shed kept me going. Honestly, it’s a very dark story, but I would struggle through it again.

I had high hopes for The Quiet Tenant. Told from three different character perspectives the story unfolds in a dark way and seeks to answer the question, what secrets are we capable of keeping in order to survive and what bonds will form to help us move forward?
While the story was somewhat compelling I did not find myself loving the journey we were taken on.

Recently widowed Aiden is now taxed with raising his 13 year old daughter after his wife died. He is a quiet man who is truest a mensch. But Aiden is hiding secrets- one of which is tied up
Upstairs. Yikes! This is told by multiple perspectives. And really riveting. Truely tell you you can never know your neighbors.

Was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Very dark but couldn’t put it down. Every woman’s worst nightmare come to life- kidnapped, repeatedly raped and abused by a serial killer. Not only that, but a serial killer who is perceived by the outside world as an upstanding husband, father and community member.

The different perspectives were very effective. The most jarring were the 2-3 pages reflecting the murdered victims last moments, told in their own voices.

Excited to read more of this author’s work.

What does it feel like to be somebody’s pet? This haunting but simple read seemed a bit drawn out for me. Maybe it carried on a little longer than necessary but still easy to read. We get to know the victim intimately and there is always a tug of the mystery to keep us going … does she ever escape, or does she end up like his other victims?

The haunting part is how I found myself liking the bad guy. I found myself, at times, pulling for him and his daughter and at other times hating him. There is definitely promise with the author and her abilities while it is apparent that she is not a polished veteran writer.

I was surprised when I discovered that she wrote this in a second language, which explained the simplicity of the writing. Well done for a first English novel.