Skip to main content

Member Reviews

So grateful to the publisher for access to this book. Incredibly suspenseful and fast paced and told from the perspective of a number of women in the orbit of a serial killer. Very reminiscent of Room. I hope this book succeeds!!

Was this review helpful?

a psychological thriller that has good and bad point. It is dark and twisted, but at times the writing is a bit dry. There are definite triggers in this book, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. How does one know a family member is a serial killer? the POV from the girl who is crushing on the serial killer is intriguing. We also see things from the POV of the kidnapped girl. I found the multiple points of view refreshing even though the actual story is quite disturbing If you like psychological thrillers, Give this a shot.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I could not put this book down! It was very suspenseful . I really liked how the story was told from several different points of view.

Was this review helpful?

Everyone in town knows Aidan Thomas. He's the one who's always there to lend a helping hand to his neighbors in this small upstate New York town. But how well does anyone really know the "nicest guy around?" Aidan has secrets and his secrets each get a chapter describing how their interaction with Aidan lead to their deaths. All except for one, the woman he renames "Rachel." She's been kept prisoner for five years now, biding her time, building his trust in her compliance and waiting for the right opportunity to escape. Author Michallon has created a tightly wrapped pulse racing tale about a battle of inner strength and one young woman's attempt to alter the fate that her captor has planned for her. Pages will fly by as readers won't be able to put this down until they've raced to the end. Does "Rachel" escape? Will anyone believe her story? And how will the knowledge of their "perfect neighbor's" secret life affect the trusting townspeople? Put this on your summer reading list now!

Was this review helpful?

Aidan Thomas is the kind of upstanding guy everyone likes and respects. But this husband and father is not the bastion of family values he appears to be. Aidan is a serial killer who’s already claimed eight victims. His ninth, Rachel has been chained up in his backyard shed for five years. The death of Aidan’s wife forces him to move, so he takes along his daughter and Rachel, calling her a friend of the family. After all the years of captivity, Aidan is sure Rachel is too cowed to do anything but go along with his plan. Aidan is very wrong. This is a disquieting novel, told through the voices of Aidan’s victims. It’s a searing commentary on how women are underestimated and treated as disposable

Was this review helpful?

This book was "un-put-down-able". Told from multiple points of view, the author doles information out at just the right pace to fuel the need to continue reading. Handsome, civic-minded Aiden Thomas is a community icon... and a serial killer. The "woman in the shed", one of the story's narrators, whom Aiden has renamed Rachel, has devised a set of rules that have enabled her to stay alive during her 5 years as his captive. She has also begun to figure him out -- just enough to take some chances that may ultimately save her life and win her release. But only if she's able to continue to put her own needs over those of others-- Aiden's daughter and new girlfriend-- who clearly need protection as well.

Driven by the plot, it wasn't until after I finished the book that unanswered questions surfaced. Why DID Aiden choose to keep this one victim alive for years, while killing several others, before and after? Rachel speculates, but the question is never satisfactorily answered. And why would he agree to take her into a new home with him, when so much could... and does... go wrong? This seems to go against all his meticulous planning. Unanswered, but questions to ponder which make you continue to think about the story long after you finish reading it. Not a bad thing at all!

Was this review helpful?

A captivating, can't put it down thriller. Aidan appears to be the ideal family man man and neighbor, an image he carefully cultivates. No one would imagine the secrets he hides in his shed and basement. The author has crafted a brilliant tale. The voices of women who have been snared in Aidens web intermitantly pop up to attest to Aidens activities. Through it all you root for Rachel as she just tries to stay alive another day.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reminiscent of THE ROOM but with additional characters and more of a backstory.

Was this review helpful?

Aidan Thomas is a beloved member of his community. A recent widower, the lineman is a devoted father to his 13-year-old daughter and is always willing to help a neighbor in need.

But he's also a serial killer, and at the book's opening, is keeping his ninth victim, Rachel, in his garden shed. When the death of his wife forces him to move, Rachel somehow convinces him to take her with him. And fooling his daughter that his "family friend" is coming to live with them as a tenant, he does so, thinking Rachel is already so brainwashed, there's no way she could escape.

As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new captivity and develops a tenuous relationship with Aiden's daughter, Cecelia, a new woman comes on the scene: Emily, a local restaurant owner desperately in love with Aidan since she was a teenager. And as Emily becomes closer to discovering Aiden's secret, she puts Rachel in more danger.

Wow...

Let me start by admitting that I was ready to DNF this book very shortly into reading. It had a couple of things that I really don't like: characters' full names being repeated several times over a few pages, and 2nd person narrative (probably the most divisive of all POVs?). But something kept me reading. I think it was a curiosity of Rachel's fate and the fact that Knopf graciously gave me a NetGalley copy of this ARC to review.

I'm so glad I kept with it! The Quiet Tenant ended up being a book that literally made my heart pound over the last half of it.

I think this was helped by the fact that Clemence Michallon put this entirely in the perspective of the women in Aiden's life (Rachel, Emily, and Cecelia), rather than his own, and chose to make Aiden a devoted family man. I think we can all remember interviews of friends/family/neighbors of real life serial killers. You know how they always say, "I can't believe he did this/he was so gentle/quiet/nice to me," etc. etc.? That's exactly what we have here. In thrillers/horror/suspense I usually read, there's no question of the bad guy's badness. But here the creepiness is in how "normal" Aiden acts, and Rachel's survival is always in question.

I'd definitely recommend this one, and would suggest to keep with it if, like, me, you're on the fence about continuing. This was a great read.

Special thanks to Knopf, for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a review through NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely amazing. Even though there are multiple POVs, I was still able to understand and keep up.
There are some triggers such as SA, and abuse. Overall, it was a good read.

A woman is being held captive and the man has named her Rachel. He ends up moving and Rachel has convinced him to take her along. Her only reason for doing the things she does is to STAY ALIVE. She ends up staying in the house with her kidnapper and his daughter named Cecilia. Cecilia has no idea who she is or what her dad has done. All she knows is that "Rachel" is renting out a room in their house.

Was this review helpful?

Ah!!! This was bananas!!

This book was told in four perspectives: the woman in the shed, the daughter, the new girlfriend/love interest, and the victims.

This was a such a tense story! I read it in one sitting because I needed to know how it was going to play out 😅

The multiple POVs definitely made the whole story have an edge to it. I really enjoyed this!!

Was this review helpful?

Within the first few chapters of this book, I was invested. The writing format was beyond different than what I am used to, but in a way it grabbed me in more. Getting to read different storylines from past and present and also different characters made this book a wonderful read. There wasn’t many twists, which usually I need and love most about thrillers but for this one, I don’t think my heart could of handled twists with everything that was going on. I for sure would read this authors next book!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. It’s about a serial killer who keeps one of his victims alive. She starts out in a shed but then moves into a house. Every so often a chapter is about one of his other victims. Then there’s Emily, a restaurant owner/bartender who gets close to the serial killer without knowing he’s a killer, he is just a widow with a teenage daughter whose an upstanding citizen, little do the town know.
I enjoyed this book. I do wish there was more about what happened after the arrest and from the teenage daughters perspective on what went down. But an excellent book. Sometimes with Emily’s perspective it could drag on, like her somewhat obsession with him was getting a little annoying. I give this book 4 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This book is incredibly clever; I was hooked from the very beginning!

It’s a story about a serial killer (Aidan) told from the POV of his victims, his 13-year-old daughter, and his girlfriend, and the juxtaposition between how the three of them experience Aidan was brilliant! Things that seemed innocuous or mundane on the surface had potentially profound impacts on each of them and it was fascinating to watch it all unfold.

Another thing the author does so well is she centers the victims. I wouldn’t say this book is an indictment of society’s obsession with true crime, but it flips it on its head and forces us to look at, know, and remember the people victimized by the killers “we’ve” become so obsessed with. She shows us how easily someone can fall prey to a person who doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold of a predator in spite of the numerous, infamous examples we’ve seen to the contrary (like, Dennis Rader, Ted Bundy, etc.). And, for me, she expertly points the finger at the unrealistic expectations placed on victims – that serves no purpose other than to make society feel better about their victimization – while simultaneously creating a scenario where the reader (aka me!!) placed said expectations on the victim. Case and point. It was so well done.

I loved learning about the characters and witnessing their lives, but about halfway through the intensity really picked up and didn’t let up until the end of the book. I couldn’t put it down! Honestly, if life and adulting hadn’t gotten in the way this would have been a one-sit read for me.

Like all books, this one won’t be for everyone. It’s heavily character-driven (with strong character development!), one of the POVs is told in the 2nd person, and it’s a literary psychological thriller. But all those things worked perfectly for me. I can’t think of anything that would’ve made this a more enjoyable read. It was outstanding!

Huge thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

This is creepy, haunting and horrific. Please look out for trigger warnings…. But if you don’t mind them, this is the book for you.

Try to go into this one as blind as possible.

Was this review helpful?

This is a really solid debut thriller! Rachel is “The Girl in The Shed” and Aiden Thomas is the reason she’s there. Aiden is a serial killer, he’s also a widow and a devoted father to Cecelia. Rachel isn’t sure why he’s kept her alive in the shed for 5 years. When Aiden and Cecelia have to move, Rachel thinks this is it for her. But Aiden moves Rachel with them and forces her to pretend to be a tenant renting a room in their new home. When local bar owner Emily becomes smitten with Aiden, and Cecelia starts to befriend Rachel, things get complicated.

Packed with suspense, my heart was literally beating from my chest as I read, wishing Rachel would find any window for escape. We do also get tiny passages from Aidens other victims, which I would’ve liked to either see be longer and more detailed, or eliminated altogether, as they didn’t really add anything to the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow this one kept me on the edge of my seat! I read this in two sittings and could not stop until I found out what happened. This book literally had me screaming WHAT ARE YOU DOING? If you love fast paced thrillers, this one is for you. Definitely a different spin on a serial killer story.

Was this review helpful?

This book was...very underwhelming. The story had a lot of promise, the characters were fine, but there was something missing for me. The book was well-written, though a bit wordy at times. There was no twist and the story played out exactly as you'd expect. I guess overall this story just fell a bit flat for me.

Was this review helpful?

The Quiet Tenant is an English debut novel written by French author, Clemence Michallon. Told from multiple points of view, this book blew just me away. The writing had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I could not put it down.

Rule number five of staying alive outside the shed: He must need you at least as much as you need him.

This book is a great psychological thriller about a serial killer, his girlfriend, his daughter, and the girl in the shed. Trigger warning for sexual assault.

Thank you Netgalley, Clemence Michallon and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A woman has been kidnapped and forced to live in a shed for over 5 years. Forced to be called “Rachel” a name that is not her own. But things are about to change soon, her kidnapper/serial killer has decided to let her live inside his home with his daughter.⁣

When I got approved for this one I was beyond excited, I mean with a summary like that who wouldn’t want to read The Quiet Tenant. I did really enjoy the plot, but I had some issues with the writing style it just felt so impersonal that it was hard to connect to the characters.⁣

I wish it had been worded differently but besides that I think this was a good read! The Quiet Tenant releases June 20th!

Was this review helpful?