Before writing my review, I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, Clémence Michallon, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for gifting me the ARC of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! It was a privilege to be able to read THE QUIET TENANT before publication!

I was so incredibly excited to learn I had been given an ARC of THE QUIET TENANT! I had such high hopes for this one. The premise was fantastic and intriguing. I loved both the title and the cover! However, the story was not exactly what I was expecting, especially given what I read in the synopsis.

The first half of the book was very slow-going, but did keep my interest. Thankfully, though, the book seemed to pick up the pace near the last third. The writing from Rachel’s point of view — her captivity, her emotional turmoil, her grief over what this evil man had stolen from her — was well done and had my heart breaking for her. I was rooting for her to finally confront the sadistic, cowardly Aidan and show how much stronger she was than he ever could be. I wanted justice for Rachel, as well as the other women Aidan had abducted but eventually killed.

Aidan as our serial killer was indeed a mystery— I would have loved more of his backstory, perhaps delving into his motivations and psychopathy. Emily as a character fell flat for me. She came across as too needy, with her actions teetering on stalker behavior. Her relationship with Aidan appeared forced, and the dialogue between the two seemed stilted, almost banal.

Now, I needed to finish this book because I wanted to see Aidan’s world come tumbling down. Like I wrote previously, I wanted justice for Rachel and his other victims. However, the ending felt rushed and came too abruptly. It was all too easy in my opinion, and a bit anticlimactic. Also, I think an Epilogue with Rachel finally speaking in first person would have been a wonderful way for the reader to gain more closure.

Overall, I found THE QUIET TENANT an interesting and engaging read, especially after the midway point of the book. I think it’s a very good debut novel, even with its weaknesses, and I look forward to reading this author in the future.

The Quiet Tenant was a unique and thrilling ride. It is a dark, mysterious, and emotional read that is medium-paced. The book has flawed characters with strong character development for each one. What a FUN debut!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.. It was extremely well written with, interesting dialogue, and captivating characters, The storyline ran smoothly and was not rushed. It kept my attention. and was full of suspense and intrigue. I did feel Emily’s character was a bit extra and unbelievable at times, however, still a five star rating. I did not want this novel to end…. Clemence Michallon is a wonderful author, I can’t wait to read more from her.

Wow what a debut. This chilling tale really reminded me a lot of a 2022 favorite - Notes on an Execution. I think hearing only from the female pov really helps to center on the victims rather than the killer. So much of the time the focus is on the victimizer. This is a slow burn and really pays off in my opinion. I was on the edge of my seat at the end. I did find that I wanted the story to progress at certain times so patience is needed. So unsettling and feels so real. Definitely recommend.

Arc from NetGalley:

I loved this book!!! It’s been a while since I’d read something from the thriller genre but this was just what I needed to break that dry spell.
The story drew me in right from the very start and there were times where I could not pull myself away from the pages.
I love the way we slowly find out more about our kidnappee and how the story of our local girl on a diner coincides with hers.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I was hoping for another great thriller but this book did not deliver! This was more like a drama novel than anything. I was not satisfied with the conclusion and feel like I was left with more questions than answers.

This was great, I loved the different points of view from, Cecilia, Emily, and "the woman in the shed" it gave a great perspective on how they can be describing the same person but their points of view was very different.

The same man can be described as; protective, loving, sweet, firm, and terrifying just base don the points of view. This book also explores that we see the person in front of us that they want us to see. Ultimately a great book, the only thing I wish would've been given to me was a view from Cecilia after climax of the book.

From a thriller standpoint this book was great and I would recommend for any thriller reader. Also beware when reading this book before bed, you may end up staying up way too late to finish it.

Thank you netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for the eARC of The Quiet Tenant.
This book is definitely more of a drama than a thriller. I’m still left with more questions than answers.

The title and cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention, so I immediately read the description/synopsis to learn more. A serial killer, a trapped woman, and a daughter that is unaware of what is happening... completely intrigued me, so I was excited to dive in.

I really liked the alternating narrators, which happen to be three different women in this serial killer’s orbit, with different relationships with him, who see him in various lights to his true self. I also really loved the short chapters as this kept me captivated and curious about what would happen next.

I would have liked to see more build out of Aiden’s backstory. How did he become this person? What about his wife? What was her story - was she as unaware of his true self as his daughter was or was she attracted to his dangerousness?

The character of Emily also left me wanting more. She almost seemed that she could be a bit sinister herself, stalking him when ghosted and maybe still attracted to Aiden despite what she learned about him? Maybe the intention was just to demonstrate how captivating Aiden could be despite his dark secret, but it hinted at more and I would have loved to see that built out more.

This book is less thriller and more eerie and general fiction. I found it engaging and hard to put down but do wish it dug a little deeper to bring to thriller and sinister vibe territory.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, NetGalley, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 20, 2023

Thank you netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, vintage, and anchor for this early read in exchange for an honest review.

This woman is held captive, for how long she doesn’t quite know. The man who is holding her captive is being kicked out of his home with his daughter because his wife died—they lived with her parents. No one but the guy knows about the woman who is being kept hidden in the shed on the property. They move to another home. In the new home she has a room inside the house. She meets his daughter, Cecilia. Overtime they kinda bond because of her dads need to control. The woman wants to escape but she’s scared. Will she ever get out?

Okay soooooo I ALMOST DNF this book. The way it is written is confusing. There are some grammar issues that make it read weird to me. As I continued, it got easier to read though. It does have a good plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC in exchange for an honest review. Just when I thought there was nothing new or exciting in the suspense/thriller genre, The Quiet Tenant proved me wrong. Even with other life responsibilities, I finished the book in two days. A lot of the story is based on things that happen to women around the world - abductions, rape, murder. "Rachel" as she is called has been missing from her family and friends for five years and is kept in a shed, held by chains. Her capture, Aiden, is a man with a recently passed away wife and a young daughter. He's seemingly normal to the people in his town - friendly, helpful, good-natured. His secret spans years and over a dozen of women victims. The story moves quickly and there are no guarantees regarding who will be safe and who won't. Clemence Michallon has written one of the most compelling suspense novels that I've read in recent times.

This book was so good I didn't want it to end!!! I was in the edge of my seat the whole time. I do wish we had a little more follow up at the end, but the whole thing kept me up reading way too late into the night. Five stars!!

This book hooked me from the first page. I found it difficult to out it down. Amazing and riveting while making me shiver in the dark. I am so happy to have been given the opportunity to read and review it. Recommend this to anyone who loves crime, thrillers, and being able to see the darkness around us. Although fiction i could feel that this being a real crime. Hope for a movie in the future

Thank you

For a debut novel, this is a fantastic thriller! It was fast paced from the first page. I felt very satisfied with the plot and character development. I look forward to future novels from this author!

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michllon had me hooked from the start..
Aiden Thomas father of Cecilia seems like a normal guy, handsome, hardworking, family man, loved by his community. But what they don't know is that he is a kidnapper, and a serial killer who has had a woman named Rachel handcuffed in a shed for the past 5 years.
After the death of his wife he and Cecilia are forced to move, and thinking Rachel is brainwashed enough decides to move her into the new home with his daughter . Emily, a restaurant owner and possibly his next victim becomes infatuated with Aiden making his life a little more complicated.
The story is told in Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily's point of you, which read more like a female drama than a thriller. Rachel's point of view was interesting, I found myself wondering if I would respond the same? Would I be too fearful to try to escape? Second guessing everything? Or patient enough to wait for the perfect opportunity and brave enough to risk the consequences of failure? Cecelia didn't contribute a lot to the the story line and I found some of her decisions questionable. But Emily, Emily, Emily...what were you thinking? Sometimes I found her almost as disconcerting as Aiden. I would have enjoyed a look into the mind of Aiden, and how this psychopath is able to fool everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC to read for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat novel that kept me enthralled and nervous. Aidan Thomas is a beloved community figure with an amenable demeanor, a dead wife, and a young daughter. He's also killed several women and holds one captive, first in a backyard shed and then inside his home.

Worlds collide when Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily come into contact with each other and form an unspoken bond that could possibly help save them from the predator that binds them together. This is tale of the power forged between women and how they empower each other, even when the bond is unspoken.

One of the things that sets this book apart from other thrillers is that we get the story from the women in Aidan's life. Each of his victims tell their story of crossing paths with him and we get narratives from Cecelia, his daughter, Emily, his girlfriend/possible victim, and Rachel, his quiet tenant.

Michallon has written a must read. I very much thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is told in such a unique way that at first it was hard to get used to the writing style but after a few chapters I was drawn into the pages. The story is unfolded by the perspective of three people connected to a serial killer; a woman named Rachel currently being imprisoned by him for five years, his daughter, and his girlfriend. Aiden Thomas is a well respected man in the community that hides in plain site. Able to get away with many awful crimes. With such short chapters I couldn’t put it down. I had to know how everything panned out for each of these women in his life. They all seen a different side of him, fooled by his charm. The perspective of Rachel was so hard to read because of the things he put her through. It was slower paced, maybe not always realistic. I found myself questioning the decisions that they each made. In the end I had to know how it would all come to an end. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I recommend picking this one up when it becomes available!

(3.5⭐️) Many thanks to my friends at @aaknopf for a gifted e-copy of this book.

A few years ago, I devoured Will Dean’s The Last Thing to Burn. It is an intensely horrifying novel about abduction that made me feel trapped within its pages. The trauma and tragedy were impeccably portrayed in the victim’s pov, and I recommended it to everyone. (I still recommend it to everyone! If you haven’t read it yet, this is your sign.)

So when I saw the premise for this book… a serial killer/kidnapper and the 3 women surrounding him… I jumped in excitedly, expecting it to expound on Dean’s premise.

But here’s the catch. The Quiet Tenant is marketed as an intense thriller. It’s not. No mystery. No suspense. (The synopsis pretty much tells you everything.) There’s no sense of dread or looming danger. My pulse didn’t race. My heart wasn’t in my throat.

Instead, this is a character study. It’s an intimate look inside the minds of three women orbiting one nice-looking, well-respected man with sinister hobbies.

Had I known that going in, I would have likely enjoyed this book much more.

Of the three perspectives, the one most interesting to me was that of the kidnapped woman, Rachel. The explanations of how she survived. The constant anxiety over what was to come. Her ongoing list of rules for not getting killed.

The psychological impact of captivity is felt in Rachel’s portrayal of mundane life, often handcuffed to a radiator. Maybe most interesting was the tangled web of emotions she began to feel for her captor, ranging from understanding to hatred, showcasing a degree of Stockholm Syndrome.

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.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to have early access to the Quite Tenant! I LOVED this book! I was hooked from the first page! Each chapter was more and more intriguing and I did NOT want to put it down! This being a debut author was very shocking to me (especially with English being their second language)! This book was twisty and suspenseful with every chapter! I also enjoyed the chapters being short.

The chapters were alternating between the different point of views of the main characters. Being able to see the same experience from different perspective intrigued me even more. I loved seeing everyone’s perspective, especially being able to hear from the past victims The book kept me guessing if “Rachel” will make it until the end ! I could not put the book down for the last 20% and it held be captive until the very last page! This is definitely one of my favorites from the year thus far! I will definitely be recommending this book !!

Holy shit I loved this so much. The altering perspectives and constant tension between every chapter had me completely hooked from the jump. I was already recommending this to other people before I had even finished it because of how amazing it is.

This book follows Aidan Thomas, he's your average suburban father who's just trying to do the best that he can to comfort his daughter after the death of her mother. While also attempting to continue to hide the woman he calls "Rachel" that he's kept hidden in their back shed for 5 years. Isolated and near broken, "Rachel" is dragged into a ruse of normalcy as Aidan forces her to pretend to be an old friend renting the spare room in his new home. Now hidden in plain sight, "Rachel" collides with the normal life Aidan has created amidst his evil acts. Tension bleeds off the page as Aidan attempts to keep his daughter from discovering the secrets that would destroy him.

This book truly captures that common description "he seemed like a nice, normal, quiet guy", that people often say when a white man does any horrendous act. It's completely chilling and captivating to see all the different views people have of Aidan, and the persona's he's created to stay hidden.

I truly can't believe that this is a debut novel, and I'm giving a million kudos to the author for coming out the gate with quite possibly the best read of 2023.