This is my first book by this author and it was a journey thru several years of a kidnapped woman. I listened to this with Voiceview on my Kindle until close to the end, I had backtracked so many times due to the story switches between times and characters and it was a bit disorienting, I realized this story needs to be read, not listened to. The ending is good and satisfying, it develops a crescendo and takes off running, literally. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This one comes in with 4 stars.

The Quiet Tenant is a psychological thriller written in mostly second-person narrative, about a woman called Rachel, who is being held captive by Aiden. To Rachel, Aiden is a violent monster; but to those in his immediate life, Aiden is a charming, handsome, caring father, and struggling widower. Despite some empathy for Aiden's struggles, the reader still despises him. The novel explores Rachel's transformation from "the woman in the shed" to "Rachel, the woman in the house," as she learns to survive captivity and grows mentally, and physically stronger despite being forced to suppress her true self.

The first half of the book is primarily focused on learning about Rachel's backstory and Aiden's efforts to deprogram her. While slow at times, the story's multiple POVs and short chapters keep the reader engaged, and the author's inclusion of chapters on Aiden's other victims adds to the novel's intensity. The second-person point of view also contributes to the suspense, as I kept imagining myself in Rachel's shoes. Was I the victim? Is this how I would act? Would I have survived this long? I was immersed!

The last 20% of the book is had me sweating bullets as Rachel fights for her survival, leaving the reader rooting for her to succeed. Overall, The Quiet Tenant is a compelling read that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Omg where do I even begin? I read this book in a few hours, which is unusual for me. What a wild ride. This is a heavyyyy read. Did this make my anxiety worse? 100%. Will I have nightmares? Of course. Disclaimer—sexual abuse.

Multiple POVs, which I love. A woman is locked up in a shed. Typical Stockholm syndrome-like stuff and the guy keeps her alive. They move after his wife dies, and said woman realizes her abducter has a daughter. They navigate living together while being so alone. She tries to escape over the years when she discovers more to the story…she’s not the only one.

Aidan is well liked in his small town. When his wife dies and he is left to raise his daughter Cecilia, the town rallies around him. However, locked in a shed on his property is "Rachel" a girl he kidnapped four years ago. When he loses the property, he decides to take Rachel with him and she is introduced to Cecilia as a friend down on her luck. Emily, a local restaurant owner, is beginning to fall for Aidan, and decides to make her move.

This was a fascinating story. The writing style isn't one I generally love, but the characters and plot kept me reading. The story was well paced and dynamic and unraveled nicely. When I read the author's bio at the end, I was shocked that English was not her first language. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars!

I really wanted to like this book, as others gave it high praise, but for whatever reason I couldn’t get invested (I almost DNF’ed this book at least ten times). I’m not sure why the perspectives of the other victims were included, they were barely over a page and there was no benefit to them being added. I also don’t think Cecelia’s perspective added anything, as it was so infrequent and didn’t bring anything to the table. Overall, I think this book could benefit from additional editing.

I could not put The Quiet Tenant down! I was hooked by the conceit of the story of a serial killer told from the viewpoints of the women in his life and I could not read this fast enough. I thought the sections about the "woman in the shed" etc were especially well done.

For the past five years, she’s been kept chained and handcuffed in his shed, physically abused, and given a new name. He’s a serial killer who has kept her alive all these years, as she waits to be his next victim. Suddenly, he tells her they have to move to a new house, and she’ll be The Quiet Tenant. There’s a lot to unwrap in this novel, told almost exclusively from the “tenant’s” POV, with short snippets from the other victims of this unassuming, Ted Bundy-like serial killer. This is definitely in the “psychological slow-burn” category, where the emphasis is squarely on the victim. We learn very little about the killer, no background, no motivation for his crimes, no look at his psyche, and that’s the point of this story- it’s all about the surviving victim - her fears, her will to live, her innermost feelings. It’s a powerful story, but the pacing is a little too slow for my liking and the implausible plot is stretched to the max. However, the visceral writing keeps the reader invested in the victim throughout the story and earns this a positive review. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 20, 2023
*I received this Advanced copy e-book through NetGalley from Atria books. It will not be officially released until June of this year. I am grateful for the opportunity to grab this one ahead of schedule in return for my honest review.

This is categorized as a thriller but at no point was I on the edge of my seat. The story was definitely interesting but it wasn’t a nail biter. There weren’t a lot of twists or surprises, at least not anything that really wowed me. It is told from the perspective of Rachel (the kidnapped), Emily (the love interest who has no idea who she's dealing with) and Cecelia (the daughter). Each tells their story of living with or knowing Aiden, who seems like a great guy, but is actually a kidnapper and serial killer. I liked the different perspective but I feel it was missing a very important perspective…Aiden’s. I would have loved to hear his side of the story. I was not crazy about the second person point of view from Rachel (the captive). It seems like an odd way to tell a story from a single person's perspective. Cecelia and Emily's perspectives are both in first person POV so why use second person POV for the character most connected to the story and the killer? It created a disconnect for me and made it harder to relate to Rachel. I feel like she had the most to say so it really detracted from her character for me. I did like how Aiden was portrayed. He was the model citizen who happened to be a serial killer. It makes you think about the people who you interact with everyday.

Great thriller! This kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time while also watching everyone around me wondering if they could be a serial killer in plain sight.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. The first chapters had me hooked. A woman who has been living in a shed for several years and can only tell time when Thanksgiving rolls around. After she was moved to the house, things became less interesting. The whole time I was reading it just felt like something was missing. The ending was very anticlimactic.

I like this book a lot. It was very interesting to listen to the book through the head of the victim. It was interesting to me that she had the opportunity on more than once to make a getaway and did not go. I enjoyed watching her work through the feelings that she was having, and I also enjoyed watching her at the end of the book. I did not want to give up a spoiler here. I don’t think you’ll go wrong if you pick up this book. Thank you, Net Galleyfor allowing me to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the eArc of this book!

Honestly, creepy and low-key terrifying.

The writing is so well done, and the alternating perspectives are gripping and quickly get you engaged. When you start reading this you automatically just start asking questions and trying to piece things together. Both the perspectives from Rachel and Emily immediately drew me in and had me wondering how they connected/where this story was going to go

Unfortunately, I don't think this one is for me though. With how well done Rachel's perspective is from the beginning, it just hit a creep/chill factor I didn't know could get to me and I just couldn't keep reading. I've read crime fiction since I was a teenager - so I was really surprised by the fact I had to stop. There wasn't really anything graphic either!

I wish I could finish this one, but I must be getting too soft in my old age...lol.

This was definitely not what I expected. I really felt like I was watching an episode of criminal minds which I loved. I thought the perspectives we followed were really powerful. I couldn’t put this down!

First let me start off by saying, Clemence Michallon is extremely talented. I absolutely loved the format of this book and the way it was written. It was perfectly descriptive and I felt like I was there, in the shed and in the house. It was definitely a page turner. They storyline and concept is A+. I would definitely like to read more from this author.

I only have one criticism of this book. I was slightly disappointed in the ending. I feel like I had too many unanswered questions. What was his logic or reasoning? I was looking for the "why," and hoping for some insight into Aiden's psyche. Unfortunately, I didn't get that so I was a little unsatisfied.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Michallon for a chance to review "The Quiet Tenant." I tend not to read psychological thrillers that evolve kidnapping, but I vowed to rate this book as one who did. I struggled with the first half of the book then suddenly Michallon sucked me into the book. By being sucked in, I mean I wanted to throw the book against the wall with the frustration that I felt for the main character. I couldn't put the book down and I was so taken by the story that my body was tensing up. Wow! Such an intense read. Being pleasantly surprised by how the book turned out is an understatement. So,yes I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review.

What a great debut novel! After seeing the cover and reading the description, I was all in on this book.

Adian Thomas is a wonderful man and father caring for his 13 year old daughter after his wife passed away from cancer. At least that is what most people see. In reality, he is a serial killer and has held one woman captive for 5 years. This story is told from different POV from the women he encounters or has relationships with: the women he holds captive (Rachel), the women he has killed, the woman who is falling in love with him (Emily) and his daughter (Cecilia). One of the creepiest things about this book is reading beyond the obvious is watching Emily fall in love with Adian knowing who he really is. I recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this to read. I like the cover, I struggled picking this up and putting it down I wasn’t drawn to the story/plot and seemed just mindless.

This is a new take on an abduction story, told by three women: Rachel, the captive; Cecilia, the daughter; and Emily, the local bartender while they navigate their respective lives with Aidan. I feel like this is going to be a really love/hate book for most people. It was extremely dark, sinister, and the set up of the chapters and narrators is really different but I liked it. I was definitely enticed and wanted to know what would happen next, but it was a bit slower at times. And the storyline alone could have been a 5 stars for me, but the slower parts and the ending knocked it down to a 4. No real twist, as much as I love a happily every after.

Aidan Thomas is the man around town that everyone cares for- he’s kind and helpful, always willing to lend a hand. When his wife dies from cancer, and her parents evict him and their 13-year-old daughter from their house, the entire town steps in to help. An influential man gives him a low rent place to live, and the entire community rallies behind a fundraiser to help the widower. But Aidan is a man with secrets, he is a serial rapist and killer. And he has kept one of his victims alive and imprisoned in a shed for five years. When the move forces his hand, he decides that “Rachel” is traumatized enough to trust and moves her into the house with his daughter and himself.
This book is told entirely from the viewpoint of the women in his life: “Rachel” whose name changes from chapters to “the woman in the shed” to the “woman in the room,” and other dehumanizing identities, his daughter Cecilia, and the woman who has a crush on him, Emily. There are also brief chapters written by the victims he killed. Despite the novelty of this approach, this book was still only a middling read for me. I just couldn’t get caught up in the suspense of whether Rachel would escape, would Cecilia clue in to her father’s dual nature, would Emily be his new girlfriend or his next victim. I think the third person perspective was too removed. I didn’t really feel Rachel’s fear and Stockholm syndrome from reading this book, I simply from having heard/read about it from actual victims in the news. And for a 13 year old, who isn’t being abused, it seemed as if Cecilia was also too mild mannered. Her mother dies a slow unpleasant death, her grandparents evict her from the only home she’s ever known, her father moves in a “boarder” (who the author has her wonder if she’s her father’s lover), and she’s not at all moody, angry, sad? Emily’s character is also confusing, because there’s a sense she might be his next victim, but they have a texting relationship, she knows his real name, and lives in his hometown- anyone careful enough to be a serial killer would never leave a trail such as this. For a novel like this to be successful, we need to believe in the characters motivations and impulses. For me, this one just didn’t jell. It’s not terrible, but it’s not fast paced enough to overlook the plot and character flaws. I was given a free digital edition in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was great...serial killer with woman imprisoned on his property living his pleasant life with his wife and daughter...but something fell short for me. I feel we got just a glimpse of this story at the very end and wish there had been a bit more background on all the characters. I enjoyed the pace and short chapters. I would've loved an epilogue maybe showing the woman's (imprisoned woman, daughter, bartender) lives a few years after the ending. That may have wrapped things up better for me.