Potential spoilers…..


I am honestly struggling with how to review this book because loved so many aspects of it, but overall it ended up falling flat for me.

The topic is interesting and definitely attention grabbing. A serial killer is portrayed from the eyes of his daughter, captor, female suitor, and victims.

What I did like about this story was the POV narrative style. I also loved that the chapters were short. This book kept chapters short which helped to build suspense and kept me coming back for more. I read this book in about 3 days which is a few days less than my typical reads because couldn't wait for it all to come together and with short chapters it was easy to keep sneaking a few more!

What I didn't like overpowered what I did like which is why I ended up only giving this book 3 stars. The entire story was building to what I expected to be some shocking twist or epic conclusion but it just didn't. The chapters from the victims were wildly short and cryptic with absolutely no clarification or explanation. guess I expected to learn anything about Aiden and his former victims but that never happens. The chapters from Emily bordered on unhinged (absurd?) I half expected her to become a serial killer by the end. His daughter's perspective would've been good but it never actually lead to any clarification and there wasn't enough of her perspective either! There was no shocking conclusion or explanations. Anticlimactic comes to mind.

If you're looking for suspense you will certainly find it amongst the chapters of this book but if you're looking for a thriller with twists and turns this book is not it at all. I think my mistake may have been going in to reading this expecting a roller coaster ride so I basically just spent the entire story waiting for something (anything) to happen that never did.

The concept of this book was great because it was from all female perspectives and it truly felt like you could get into their psyches a little bit, but it didn't delve deep enough into that aspect to me so was left with a lot more questions than answers.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really into the plot of this book, but the different POV (first and second person) didn't really work for me. The second person POV really didn't fit and was confusing to read. It was a pretty big factor and really got in the way of my enjoyment of the book. The writing, aside from the disastrous second person POV, was a bit flowery and melodramatic. Emily was an absolutely useless character. The romantic aspects were absolutely awful. However, I really enjoyed the story itself. The plot was good and it was fast-paced towards the end. I just wish it was more palatable to read.

This is one of the darkest and most sinister, bone-chilling, complex psychological thrillers that you may either hate or enjoy completely. Even though it will give you nightmares for a long time, I found myself allured by this book with its unconventional structure, slow-burn progression, mind-blowing, multilayered, and also disturbing characterization. I think it tainted me, haunted me, and destroyed me! Even though I finished the last chapter, my mind stayed on the detailed, heart-wrenching victim portraits that left a sour taste in my mouth. I think I’ll keep thinking about the dark atmosphere and the effective wrapping up of the whole structure.

As for readers, there's no middle way: you can stop reading this book after a few chapters later because it’s too slow, hard to digest, and eerie, or you can choose to continue by taking more steps in the dark side. I chose the darkness and I enjoyed the full wild ride!

The plot revolves around four characters: Rachel, a kidnapping victim who was chained for five years, presumed dead, abandoned, neglected, and forgotten. She’s not the first victim of serial killer Aiden Thomas, but she’s the only one surviving.

Aiden is cunning, manipulative, and a very dangerous chameleon who acts like a decent human being, such a grieving man, an excellent father, and a broken-hearted widower. His daughter Cecilia is only 12 years old, and has no idea about the real identity of her father, who is secretly hidden behind his perfect facade. She’s just an innocent, lovely child.

When a recent development pushes father and daughter to move to another house, Aiden convinces Rachel to move with them, introducing her as his old friend and quiet tenant to his daughter. Rachel has no choice but to stick to this imaginary scheme to survive, looking for a way to connect with Cecilia to help her escape.

The fourth party who is allured by Aiden is Emily, who may be the most irritating character of the book, making you curse a few times when she does something extra stupid, putting the others into more escalating dangerous situations. Aiden is gaslighting her adroitly, holding her strings like a puppet master, as Emily becomes more obsessed with him at each chapter.

The pacing, the nerve-bending, slow-building pressure make you bite your nails harder, keeping you on your toes. I honestly wanted to stop reading, put down the book, and go outside because I felt like I would have panic attacks. It’s absolutely effective, amazingly written, and penetrates into your soul kind of thriller. Especially Rachel’s parts affected me more than I expected.

I loved the conclusion. This is something so unique, thought-provoking, heart-throbbing, and different from the regular thrillers I read. I honestly enjoyed it a lot, and I’m looking forward to reading more works by the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sharing this brilliant book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow, I gotta say…this was a pretty good debut. A story about Aiden Thomas. A well liked man in upstate NY that has a secret. He's a serial killer. This is told from the POV of 3 people in his life. Cecelia, his 13 yr old daughter. Rachel, a woman he's held captive for 5 years, to eventually kill, and Emily, who works at a restaurant they visit, and has a crush on him, and finds herself intrigued by Rachel and Cecelia.

This shows the strength these women have, the bonds they develop, and their persistence to survive. You get a look at Stockholm syndrome and how victims end up almost sympathizing with their captor. This was a dark read but really an interesting read!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out June 20. My review will be posted on Goodreads, Bookbub, instagram, and Amazon once it publishes.

This book is told in a detached sort of haze, which is very very fitting. I felt as if I was really there with the woman in the house, being manipulated and so far from her own life. This is more of a heavy read, not for the lighthearted mystery lover. I would’ve liked maybe another perspective, perhaps from the detective investigating all of these cases, rather than Cecelia. Cecelia had very minimal chapters and they truly didn’t provide much insight into the story. Regardless, I still very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you love a twisted read.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

The writing in this book is well thought out, descriptive, and intriguing. Overall, however, this book just didn’t end up clicking with me. I couldn’t seem to get into it enough to fully enjoy the read. I typically really enjoy multiple POVs, but I found this one to be a bit confusing and too much back and forth.

I did really enjoy the concept and idea behind the book. It just wasn’t a favorite for me so I have to go with 3 stars.

I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Wow, such a great thriller! I can't believe it's a debut novel. I loved the different points of view. You really got a sense for how deranged this man was. 5 stars all the way!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this debut thriller! It wasn’t anything I haven’t read before but the author did a great job of making me root for the tenant. I read this one in about 2 sittings to see how it ended. The end was a bit anticlimactic for me but a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

The themes of the book were well presented and it was definitely dark and disturbing and made me uncomfortable a lot. The storytelling had me in a chokehold.

Aidan Thomas is well known in the community as a hard working and dependable man. Little do they know that he is a serial killer and kidnapper! His kidnapped prey (who answers to Rachel) lives in the shed and for many years stays a secret. When Aiden is forced to move he has to make a decision.

This was a great serial killer thriiller. Michallon did an excellent job of illustrating Stockholm Syndrome and how difficult Rachel 's life was. There was a bit of suspended disbelief needed but the book was so enjoyable it didn't matter. If you like thrilling thriller and conniving serial killers, The Quiet Tenant is for you! #Knopf

5 🌟

Holy shit. This novel!! 🫢

“The Quiet Tenant” is honestly one of the best thrillers I’ve read in quite a long time. I had to keep racing through to see how it would end.

The story centers around “Rachel,” a young woman who is abducted by Aidan Thomas, a kidnapper and serial killer who has murdered eight women before her.

After being held captive for five years, he relocates her to move in with him and his daughter, posing her as a distant cousin. As she explores this new life and tests the shifting boundaries of this new life, will she be able to escape?

I have been hearing this novel sparked mixed reviews, but I honestly LOVED how it depicted just how resilient survivors are in the face of danger and unrelenting trauma. It reminded me of “Room” in some ways.

Warning: This novel is dark, bleak, and oftentimes brutal. Tread carefully before reading.

Thank you to Booksweet for providing me this ARC. 💕

I absolutely loved this book. Best book I've read in a long time! Highly recommend it to anyone that loves a good pycho thriller!

The Quiet Tenant was one of the most fresh and riveting thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you are the woman trapped in the shed. And just when you start to get bored or feel like it’s not moving quickly enough you’ll understand why things had to move slowly. A slow burn with a pounding pulse, I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read everything that Clémence Michallon writes from here on out.

Very dark and disturbing, but it was pretty good, especially if you can handle that sort of thing. The writing style was intriguing and original. The themes of the book were thought-provoking and lingered on my mind for quite some time. I hope this book finds its audience.

Follow me @literaturewithalatte for more book content!

✨The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon✨

Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320

📚Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate New York town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life.

When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.

📝I requested this book because the premise reminded me of the book/movie Room by Emma Donoghue. Rachel has been kidnapped and imprisoned for the past 5 years, while her captor is free to be celebrated as a family man in the local community.

The plot, albeit a little slow at certain times, held my attention. I was interested in learning about how Rachel survived the years of imprisonment and how her captor managed to evade detection.

The writing was good overall, but some sentences and descriptions were confusing or made no sense.

💫Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for my #gifted copy💫

Wow, what a rush. The Quiet Tenant was thought provoking of a read. It was like reading the headlines in todays paper. We are introduced to the girl in the shed, someone who was kidnapped about 5 years ago. Her captive’s plan is to keep her for a sex toy. He eels her just barely alive and she is has learned enough from him to stay alive. One day his plans change and he says he has to move. Will she see another day, can she convince him to take her with him? Along with this story we learn about a man named Aiden who is a town hero who just lost his wife. The townsfolk rally around him and his daughter. But who is he really?
I really enjoyed the electrifying mystery, it was definitely one of those books that you couldn’t put down.

I received a free ebook ARC from Alfred A. Knopf via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The woman in the shed was abducted 5 years ago, she is brutalized daily by her captor — a predator, a sick obsessive and cruel man. However, Aidan Thomas is also the perfect resident in a small town: always helping those in need, he has caught the eye of the local female bartender, he just lost his wife, and is the sole caregiver for a 13 year old daughter. Now Aidan must move to a new home and he isn’t willing to give up the control he has over the woman in his shed, he moves her with him to their new home.

This debut thriller was an amazingly fast read. Alternating chapters between different female characters seeing Aidan as a terror, a love interest, and a father. I tore through the chapters and was invested in each woman’s story. This was just the type of quick read I like over a weekend. I didn’t have to think hard and I was satisfied with the pacing and story. I wish there was more development in so pearls, but overall recommended for thriller fans captivated by serial killers.

With a small cast of central characters, this debut novel is an intense ride that draws the reader in and never lets go. Told from multiple perspectives, the lines between fear, survival, and action shift and blur. Each chapter title gives a hint of what might happen, and left me turning pages.
Aiden is a man with two lives which he has been able to successfully keep separate, but will they collide? After the loss of his wife, Aiden and his daughter rent a home from a local judge a little way out of town. The local bartender develops a crush on Aiden, threatening to reveal his secrets.
Rarely do I read a book this quickly, but the possibilities and twists kept me engrossed. Are all their lives set on a collision course, or will secrets be kept and relationships dissolve?
#NetGalley #TheQuietTenant

This book surprised me in a good way. A propulsive, novel take on a story that you've heard before, but not quite like this. I thought the use of the second person would grate on me but after a few chapters I got used to it, and found it very effective. Affecting, engaging, moving, and at a fast pace that keeps you turning the pages. I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley.

This debut thriller is simply a masterpiece! When a town favorite, who is also a father and serial killer, keeps one of his victims alive for five years in a shed and then moves her into his new house as a tenant after his wife dies, anything can happen. This is a wild ride that will keep you guessing and rooting for all the women in this despicable man’s life. Bravo!!