What a fabulous high-paced debut by Clémence Michallon. I devoured this book in three days time. The story is about a kidnapper/serial killer, Aidan, and the points of view of three women in his life, his daughter, a stolen woman, and one who is melting at the seams for the alluring newly widowed town hero. Also, it sneaks in some *spoiler* chapters.

The novel is well written and definitely falls into the psych/thriller trope. It has tinges of physical abuse, mental abuse, and suspense. I would not classify this as a horror, as it does not contain gore, but you truly feel for the female main character. A lot of her personal decisions are agonizing and you just want to reach your hands into the pages to help her on more than once occasion. She's sharp, alert, but it really makes you question, what would you do in her situation?

The one gripe I had about the novel was the lack of motives. How did Aidan choose his victims and what happened to those who he previously murdered? Why was Rachel a different piece of the puzzle and why did she not fit into Aidan's designed plan?

Overall, the book is amazingly detailed enough so that I can feel myself in a scene with Rachel. Aidan was a sick individual who made choices which I am unaware of, but was also the town's hero. It really makes you question who may be the tenant next door.

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.... However. this was not the expected thriller/suspense novel that I thought I would be reading. 'The Quiet Tenant' read more like a women's filled drama, with one good looking man at the center of all the drama. There was no mystery or suspense in this book whatsoever.
We have alternating chapters throughout this story, all told in the voices of "The girl in the shed", Emily, and Cecilia.
The girl in the shed has been held captive for five years, and is transported to live in the house with our serial killer and his daughter. Now, I know I would not know what I would do if I was in her shoes, but I kept thinking she should move quicker than what she does. Cecilia is the 13 year old daughter of the serial killer, and honestly there's not much that goes on with her. Emily- now this is where the eye-rolls came in. Emily thought she was the serial killer's girlfriend, so she basically decided to stalk him. She was a bit creepy in my opinion. I feel she made some strange decisions as a woman (things I would never think to do). And then we have our handsome blue-eyed serial killer, Aiden. But even after finishing this read, I was left with so many questions: Why did he let her live when all the others died?
What were the things Cecilia had never told anyone but wanted to tell Rachel, though never did? When did Aidan turn to murder...had he always been a killer?
I liked this read. But I never felt the deep emotional connection I expected

A new take on the serial killer thriller/mystery, this book is told from the point of view of three women in the killer's life: his daughter, a new love interest, and his captive. The story mostly focuses on "Rachel," the woman he didn't kill, but instead chose to keep. This book isn't as fast-paced as most thrillers, but we get more insight into the psyches of the captor and captive. Readers of thrillers and police procedurals may enjoy it.

wow I loved this! such a different story than what’s out there right now. if you liked Room by Emma Donoghue, you’ll definitely enjoy this. I went back to read the description of the book to make sure I didn’t spoil anything ahead…

the story follows Aidan and his daughter Cecilia. they live in a small town, where everyone knows each other, and he is viewed in very high regards in his community. after his wife dies, they are forced to move out of their home. this complicates things, because Aidan has had Rachel imprisoned in his shed for the past 5 years. Rachel ends up moving into the new house as a “friend of a friend subletting the extra room”. for the most part, our chapters change narrators between Aidan, Rachel and Emily, the town bartender who is crushing hard on the new widower.

I’m reading a lot of negative reviews about the narration being in second person, but I honestly didn’t give it a second thought.

I was captivated by this as soon as I started - I finished it in one day. this book covers so much, but it does it so well… kidnapping, serial killers, grief & loss of a loved one, stockholm syndrome… i will definitely be recommending it to everyone. make sure to add it to your TBR!

thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a story about a serial killer who kidnaps women and kills them. Except one who he has kept hidden for the past 5 years. He's a family man and cherished among the community. It's fast past and told in multiple perspectives. I found the storytelling to be unique because one of the perspectives comes from his one victim he's kept alive. Most of that perspective is her inner dialogue that she has with herself. It's a story about survival and perseverance. Highly recommend it!

This was really good and I did enjoy it, I read it in one evening. I wouldn’t say it the most gripping but I overall had a good time

While this was a debut novel, I never would have known. The author of this book did such an amazing job of hooking me with the synopsis of this book and made sure to keep my interest throughout the whole story! I really enjoyed having all of the multiple POVs as well. Overall this was a really good read!

The premise is tough, being held captive by a serial killer. But Rachel who sits in the shed everyday works at learning everything she can about her captor. She works at remembering who she was, not the Rachel he has named her.
But who is this captor? A handsome and now widowed, beloved member of the community. He is also a father to 13 year old Cecilia who craves some freedom herself.
Then there is Emily, a young bartender and restaurant owner. She has fallen for the quiet man that comes in regularly though they haven't spoken much.
These three women will find their power, if they can come together against the monster no one sees behind the veneer.
Reminiscent of The Room, I found myself rooting for Rachel to have a chance to escape. There are footsteps and doors closing to be heard and cellars to be explored and I found myself buying into all of it. I was definitely spooked by the tension Ms. Michallon created within these pages. Great read.

Thank you to Knopf Publishing Group and Netgalley for my early copy. All opinions are my own.

I thought I’d take a break from my romance binge and read a thriller… now I want my romances back!
I couldn’t put this book down. I’m normally pretty good at guessing how a book will end but with this one I wasn’t sure at any point if my guess was correct or I was gaslighting myself to think I was right.

Aiden is a widower with a teenage daughter. He’s very well liked in the community and is who you turn to if you need a helping hand. No one knows the blackness that lingers beneath the surface. a killer just waiting and hiding his time until the next victim comes along.

Cecilia is his 13 year old daughter. She’s shy and misses her mom. Her loneliness hit so different. I couldn’t imagine losing my mom at such a young age.

Rachel , a name given to her by Aiden, just wants to get away from her life for a while. She went through a trauma and had to get through it on her own. That is until a stranger kidnaps her. She never knows when her last day will be, when he will snap and end her but she has to get out.

Emily is a restaurant owner who works the bar to keep an eye on things. A crush on the local good guy turns into a secret relationship. Little does she know the woman she meets in his home will ultimately turn her life inside out.

I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I felt like there was so much suspense leading up to it that there wasn’t enough there at the end. The investigation was glossed over. Everything was just wrapped up in a bow and delivered to you. But it was too tidy.

This was a great break from romances however I’m diving into something so sweet it will make my teeth hurt after this one!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This was a very well written book. A victim held captive for years, we learn how she survives as long as she did. After some circumstances happen that have the captor becoming more lenient and becoming distracted. How will this end for her and any future victims??

I was so pleasantly surprised by how sucked in I was by this book! Although many elements of this book are far-fetched on the surface, the author somehow makes the protagonist and antagonist's actions seem plausible and believable. I thought the pacing was great, with short chapters that would occasionally jump to a different POV, the story kept moving along quickly and kept you wanting more information about all characters. I found myself feeling anxious and almost like I was about to hold my breath during the last quarter of the book. Overall, a fun and suspenseful thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for furnishing an ARC of this book.

This one is DARK but if you’re fascinated by stories of survival, this might just be for you. An excellent debut! I did find that I wanted more information at the end, but I also found myself asking if I needed more information or if what Michallon provided us was enough. I think it was enough. I think, once we are given the ending we are escorted out of this story in the way that we should be. I will be returning to Michallon's work in the future!

This book about a locally loved and respected family man and his secrets drew me in and had me biting my nails from start to finish. Each chapter alternates narration by the three main women in his life and the ones he didn’t keep. It was well written and easy to follow.

I was a little worried when I read a previous review stating this wasn’t one of Clémence Michallon’s best efforts. All I can say is WOW, I can’t wait to read other books by her if that’s a fact. Great suspenseful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒍é𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒏 ◼️ 𝑷𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓

320 pages.

Expected publication June 20, 2023

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5



Thank you Clémence Michallon NetGalley, and, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this story. It was a relatively short read which I thought worked well. It is told in the perspective of a serial killer’s wife, victims, and the woman that he has captured. It takes you through their interactions with the serial killer. Leaving you wondering what those around you may be hiding. 👀 I really loved the concept, and overall thought it was an interesting read.

I do kind of wish there had been a bit more action or more plot twists. It took me a bit to really get into the story. I was already distracted with life though so that may have been a factor. There were also points that I wanted to shake the women in this story. Which isn’t recessarily a bad thing!

I recommend giving it a read! 💛

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

This book was awesome! Told by three women who all share one person in common but in very different ways. I loved the different perspectives and how the whole story unfolded. Very well written and I particularly loved how the chapters were broken down. Will be following this author for more great books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

The Quiet Tenant follows the five-year imprisonment of a kidnapped woman who is, at first, forced to live in a shed, and then later as a pretend boarder in her kidnapper’s house with his teenage daughter. This thriller is a slow build that examines, but doesn’t provide answers about, perceived psychological power and strength.

Book: The Quiet Tenant
Author: Clemence Michallon
Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor
Pub Date: June 20, 2023

This is a fast easy read. It has a great storyline but it wasn’t developed enough. What made Aidan do what he did? We know absolutely nothing about him. He’s a great father but oh by the way a serial killer on the side. I can’t say I cared that much for Cecilia. I don’t see how no one picked up on the fact that Rachel was being held against her will. The story was told from different POV which I did really enjoy. It just would have been better if there was more of a back story. And it’s hard to understand how when she was free and could have ran and she didn’t. All of that said it still was a good book and worth your time.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is June 20, 2023.

This book fell flat for me. I do like the author but this particular book was hard to connect to. I didn’t feel any urgency and the characters seemed one dimensional. The ending did not have a “wow” factor. I rate this book two stars. I would try reading this author’s next book.

On the outside Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man always willing to help out whenever and wherever help is needed. On the inside, he's a serial killer who's been keeping victim number 9 in his shed for 5 years. When his wife passes away and he and his 13-year-old daughter are forced to move, he takes victim number 9 with them and moves her into the house under the guise of being a family friend down on her luck who needs a little help. Add to this a fragile young woman named Emily who owns a local restaurant and who becomes involved with Aidan and begins to fixate on him and you have the makings of a good thriller.

While I did enjoy this book, I can't give it more than three stars because there wasn't enough background on Aidan and why he did what he did, and Emily drove me batty. Ugh, she was such an unobservant doormat, I just wanted to pull her aside for a friendly chat about all the red flags she was ignoring. The parts from her POV were just cringe-worthy.

I did enjoy the multiple POVs and the use of 2nd person for some of it, that was an interesting twist you don't see often as a reader of thrillers. I also enjoyed the chapters from Cecilia's POV (the daughter).

If you like thrillers and don't mind occasional cringe-worthy actions from inexperienced young women, give this debut novel a try!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.