The Quiet Tenant follows Aidan Thomas, a man who is unconditionally loved by his community. Though perceived as a great family man and a hard-working individual, few are aware of this man’s sinister side, in where he is dedicated to performing all kinds of unthinkable things to those he captures. Aidan Thomas’ life/actions are told through the perspective of his daughter, his girlfriend, and his victim, which whom I deeply rooted for as I read this masterpiece. If you are looking to read a thriller that explores danger, survival, and instinct, then I recommend that you read The Quiet Tenant!

Dark, disturbing, and utterly addictive.

This novel kept me up until the early hours of the morning. I couldn't put it down, determined to find out the end and desperate for justice. I can safely say, this is one of my favorite thrillers of the year.

I loved the psychological element to this serial killer story, and thought it enhanced the depth of each character, focusing on the victims instead of the antagonist. This is one of the most fascinating tropes in suspense fiction, and a topic I always find interesting when reading survivor's accounts in nonfiction too. The author succeeded in writing a very authentic story, and the use of second person POV for Rachel, the woman held captive, created a sense of dissociation further emphasizing a sense of isolation and paranoia. The chapters were short and easy to read, alternating at a rate that created enough tension to keep me turning the pages. After the midpoint I couldn't put it down.

Alternating between the perspectives of his latest captive, Rachel, his 13-year old daughter, Cecilia, a young woman in town, Emily, and interspersed with his unnamed victims (one through nine), it provided an in depth look at his character from multiple angles, creating a disturbing visual on the types of predators who hide in plain sight. The chapters were short and tense, making this an easy and enjoyable read. I also loved the immersive setting of the Hudson Valley, somewhere I spent a lot of time when I lived on the east coast. The scene in the basement still haunts me when Rachel finds various taped up boxes, and pulls out the sweater she was wearing the day he abducted her. The thought that that could be the last piece of her to ever exist gives me goosebumps all over.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For readers who enjoy psychological suspense, compelling female characters, and multiple POVs.

Holy. Crap. Completely blown away. I could NOT put this book down! I’m so happy for this author’s future. The story is a slow burn thriller that takes you through this bone chilling, slow building pressure and it’s a nail biter! I truly enjoyed this thriller and cannot wait for more to come! Thank you NetGalley, Knopf and Clémence Michallon for this amazing ARC.

It’s strange to say you love a book this dark, but this was so excellently written I can’t help but give it a 5. I think if you enjoyed Notes on an Execution or even if you didn’t like that book but the premise of a story about a serial killer told from the women who surround him interested you, you will love this one. I have concerns that this will be misrepresented as a thriller. While it is extremely tense, I would call this a literary suspense. Michallon takes on some tough topics in this book. It is truly memorable. I can’t wait to see where this authors goes next. I’ll follow her into the dark.

This book grabbed me right from the very start! I am a huge horror/thriller fan so this was right up my alley. The Quiet Tenant is definitely in my top 5 reads of 2023!

I am looking forward to reading everything else from this author!

This book pleasantly surprised me! At first the writing style was a little different than what I was used to but I quickly adapted and was invested. I love that we have a serial killer who is loved by the community. I loved the perspective from the 3 characters in the book, especially getting a glimpse into the serial killers daughter, Emily's mind. Our protagonist is strong and likeable. Overall a solid book! I don't have anything negative to say other than I wish we found out what the serial killers motive was. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read for free in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tennant is a fast-paced thriller where the biggest crimes have already been committed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t compelling. The story has multiple narrators, but the primary ones are “Rachel” a woman held captive for over five years by Aidan Thomas, and Emily, the woman in the community where Aidan and his daughter Cecilia live, that is romantically interested in Aidan. When Aidan’s wife dies and he and Cecilia have to move out of their home, it creates new dynamics between Rachel and the pair, while opening up the possibility of escape. With the alternating perspectives the reader sees the cruelty of a man, but also how easy it is to see him as just another member of the community. Cecilia throws a wrench into Rachel’s plans - because how can she leave her with Aidan, even if he’s her father? The story does a great job of letting the reader into the mind of someone in Rachel’s situation. How do you know what is true? How much do you believe what you’re being told by your captor? How do you know when the right time is to make a break for it? How do you know if people will believe if you manage to make it that far? Compelling story and one that will make you want to keep an eye out for dangerous strangers (or very normal looking ones) long after you read it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Quiet Tenant is a story of a beloved man in the community and the deep dark secret that he has hidden. The community and those closest to him may see a generous and lovable man, but behind doors closed-- even to his daughter-- he is someone else entirely. Aidan is a secretly dark and troubled man, a serial kidnapper, rapist, and murderer with one victim locked away from the world. The Quiet Tenant is told from the perspectives of the three women closest to him, his daughter, one of his victims, and Emily, a girl who has taken a liking to him. After Aidan's wife dies and his in-laws decide to sell the house from under him and his daughter, Celia, they move into a new home. The only problem, Aidan has a woman locked in the shed out back. After creating a story, "Rachel", the woman in the shed, becomes the woman in the house that Aidan is "letting stay" because she needs help. We learn a lot about Rachel, Emily, and Celia and watch as Rachel proves that she is not a victim, she is a survivor.

Typically, point-of-view changes to not work well and I have not read many that include both first- and second-person perspectives but Michallon did a great job of executing these perspectives. This was a great novel that I definitely recommend. Props to Michallon for writing a novel in English which is not her first language!

I love a “new” story and this one didn’t disappoint! Wow! Still reeling from those last few chapters. I think this is the only book I have ever read told from the point of view of the bad guy and his captive. Throw in a teenage daughter and a love interest and it’s just unputdownable!

Wow! I don’t know where to start. This is definitely going to be one of the most talked about books of the year. The story is ingenious and captivating.

Aidan is liked by everyone in town. He has a daughter, Cecilia, who is 13 and a wife that just recently passed away. Aidan is a normal guy who has it all together, in the eyes of everyone around him. Except his victims, they know he has a few dark secrets. Rachel is one of the victims we get to read the story through her POV. The descriptive writing makes you feel to your very core everything she had to endure. I do feel like we could have had a little more to the ending, but I will highly recommend this book to everyone.

So, how does one man living in a small town get away with murders? Read this book to find out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

I started this one right before I fell asleep. The book is written from multiple perspectives. Two of the characters remain consistent: Emily, a bartender written in the first person, and "The woman in…" written in second person.

It is unnerving how one POV is in the second person. You are the one captive. You, abused and powerless, experience living in a shed. It is pointedly YOU who experiences being "The Woman" or "Rachel." The man keeping her captive needs to leave the property and move with his daughter to another house. Somehow, “Rachel” convinces him to take her to the new house where she becomes “the quiet tenant.” Instead of the shed, the man attempts to masquerade her as a renter in the house, so his daughter does not become suspicious.

I kept turning pages to see what happened next, and the connections of the characters. It’s a bonkers premise with parts that are absolutely unbelievable. Yet I still needed to find out what happened.

The Quiet Tenant was...quiet. While it is a thriller with a very compelling plot line, it is slow burning and calm. It is not action packed and focuses more on the psychological aspect of the deeds being done. I did like it, but unfortunately for me, it fell into that category of thriller that (and I know I can't be alone here) starts off with a bang, slows to a crawl in the middle, and the final chunk of the book gets exciting again.

I definitely liked the premise of The Quiet Tenant, and I always like books that read from the different character POVs. I enjoyed reading this one, but I never felt that pull to keep going, which I personally like to feel in a thriller. But if you don't like graphic details in your thrillers and prefer one of the tamer side, then this one is for you.

I received a free digital copy of The Quiet Tenant from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

WOW! That was not exactly what I was expecting, yet everything the description offered. Captivated from the start and only put it down when I could no longer keep my eyes open.
The multiple POVs were appreciated but "Rachel's" was far more in-depth than any other character I've ever read pertaining to abduction. The author really sank her claws into the mind of the captured and made the experience palpable. We all have our own thoughts and opinions on what we would do in certain situations, but here, she really breaks it down moment by moment and details the reasons for "Rachel's" decisions and actions (or lack of action) to help you fully grasp the enormity of her situation.
While I enjoyed the plot and overall structure of the story, my absolute favorite thing about this book is "Rachel's" POV and how it was delivered. That being said, I can't say that I'm not just a little disappointed that we didn't get any POV from Aidan. I wouldn't have minded a longer read in order to get some of his backstory and perspective. Also, it was apparent that there was more to the relationship dynamic between Cecilia and her father (Aidan). I felt left wanting more there.
Overall, it was a thrilling journey with some heart-pounding moments that kept you on the edge of your seat and engaged until the very end.

The Quiet Tenant was the first psychological thriller that I'd picked up in a long while. It lit that fire for thrillers under me again. I was biting my nails I was so nervous. It was a really intense roller coaster that I did not necessarily want to get off of.
Michallon does a great job of feeling all the feels. The story is written in the voice of the abductee, the serial killers daughter and his "girlfriend." I really liked hearing their versions of this twisted man.

Now onto my qualms as to why I only rated it a 2 and will not be recommending....
Way too much bad language that only deterred from the story. Using explicit language does not add any good elements, is so limiting and just makes me feel like the author has no other way to express themselves.
I also did not love the explicit sex scenes. I felt like I had to skip a lot of the Emily parts. I felt like Michallon did a good job with the abusive parts, but Emily was a whole other animal and most of it was unnecessary.

I'm very disappointed that I won't be able to share this wild ride with my reading friends.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite thrillers I’ve EVER read!

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is a story about a serial killer narrated by three women: his 13 year old daughter, his girlfriend, and the woman he kidnapped five years prior.

Michallon’s writing style for this book was GENIUS! I have never read a second-person POV before and the effectiveness of this style for the story was SPOT ON. (Please read it so you know what I mean.) This book had my heart pounding and my mind spinning every second of my day from cover to cover.

Book : The Quiet Tenant
Author : Clémence Michallon
Release Date : June 20, 2023

If you like :
* Thrillers
* Serial Killers
* Suspense
This book is for YOU!

Thank you Net Galley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and the author of this book for an opportunity to review this ARC.

Let’s start with the fact that this book took me up, down and all around. This book is all the thing I devour! A chilling and dark storyline/plot, multiple POV & incredible dialogue. I went into this book 100% blind because I was told the reviews go one way or the other and I had been highly anticipating this read. SO GLAD that I did. 😅

This book is full of dark sinister moments every time I turned a page I had to keep turning them. I kid you not that once I started this book I read from sun down to sun up!! I was sitting on the edge the entire time. The ending. YES!

There are some TW involved and this book won’t be for everyone but for those who read this — you will not be disappointed. This is shelved on my top books of 2023

Race and our this on your anytime day or night TBR.

This one had an interesting premise and i was really intrigued. I liked the different POV but i didn’t like how it changed from 1st person to third and back and forth. And the thoughts that spiraled on the page were hard to connect with. My main issue was that and i was unable to connect to the characters. It was a weird story.

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

What a dark and twisted novel this was. This is a story of a serial killer who keeps a captive in his shed. When he is forced to move he brings his captive, “Rachel” into the house with him and his daughter, claiming she is a roommate. The novel is told from the perspective of “Rachel” as well as the other women he has killed. It is dark novel that examines the nature of trauma and survival. It also asks the question – would you recognize a serial killer if you encountered one? What if he lived in your town, would you be able to tell?

What a terrifying, nerve-chewing and ultimately important book. It was hard to concentrate on anything else, and I found this story deeply un-nerving and impactful.

Thank you to #Knopf, #Borzoi Books, and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is June 20, 2023.

Aidan Thomas is an upstanding man, a hard worker, a good neighbor, always ready to help. So say the people in his small hometown. Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, the three females in his life, would have a different story to tell. That is if they were able to get away from the psychological hold, this man has on them. The Quiet Tenant exposes the madness of a serial killer as told by the women who are captivated by him. Can they escape before it’s too late?