The Tenant, on audio, was stunningly great.

This was my 20th (!) Freida McFadden book, but I do not consider myself a rabid fangirl that thinks she only writes 5 star books. She is prolific and some of her stuff is good, some great, and some meh. In fact, despite being a Netgalley reviewer, I am cheap with the stars. Goodreads tells me my average rating is 3.35. So when I say I LOVED this book, it is genuine praise well-earned by McFadden.

From the publisher:

Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he's desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets...

Will Damron and Christine Helen Lakin were perfect as narrators and I was inside the story for the day I listened (non-stop until done).

If this is your first, or 20th, McFadden - go in cold and enjoy the ride.

Whenever I am in a reading slump, I turn to Freida McFadden. Blake has it all - a prestigious job and a sweet live-in fiancé. His world is turned upside down when he is abruptly fired. He thinks that he will have no problem finding a position, and yet he has yet to have a nibble. Soon they are forced to bring in a boarder named Whitney. It doesn't take long before odd things begin happening, and Blake blames Whitney. What began as irritating soon became threatening. The narration is top-notch!

When a man loses his job after false allegations are made against him, he and his wife decide to rent a room in their New York brownstone to make ends meet. Right away, the reader is thrown off guard by the husband, he’s just slightly sleazy. He soon begins to believe the new tenant, a beautiful young woman, is out to destroy him. What follows is a twisted tale that totally surprised me. I loved this so much, I went in search of more McFadden books as soon as I finished this one

Just finished The Tenant by Freida McFadden and wow—I was hooked from page one. It’s one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s 3 a.m. The tension builds so well, and every time you think you’ve figured it out, something new drops and you’re like, “wait, WHAT?”

The plot develops at a perfect pace—never drags, never rushes. And the narrators? Spot on. They really brought the characters to life and amped up the suspense even more. Honestly, it was such a fun, twisty read. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing till the end, definitely add this one to your list.

In order to keep up with his mortgage repayments, a couple takes on a new tenant. Oh Freida...you've done it again! Never will an ordinary situation (getting a housemate) be just that. Now I'll definitely rethink things if I get into the same situation! This book was in typically Freida fashion, wild. Short chapters, lots of twists and me thinking I knew what was going on (I didn't) all adds up to a thrilling ride. Climb aboard if you dare!

I can never put down a Freida McFadden book! The twists always twist so hard!

About this listen
There's no place like home…Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he's desperate to make ends meet. Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she? Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets…Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Select for the ALC of this book!

The Tenant
by Freida McFadden
Narrated by Will Damron; Christine Helen Lakin
Publisher Dreamscape Select
Pub Date May 06 2025

Freida McFadden wrote another banger! I have yet to see her drop the ball, whenever I start one of her books I know I'm in for a good time. Pick this one up if you're into:
* NYC psycho roomie thrillers
* unlikable, problematic, but thoroughly charming characters
* revenge dramas
* the banalities of domestic life, but gruesome
* unhinged love stores

Premise - After Blake Porter loses his high-flyer job as a VP of marketing he needs a financial fix soon or he, and his lovely fiance Christa, will be out on the streets soon. Christa suggests they invite a tenant into their new brownstone and while Blake is reluctant at first, he ultimately caves.

Whitney seems perfect - beautiful, charming, down-to-earth - but soon after she moves in things start getting really weird. Their home smells like death, no matter how much they clean, and the neighbors start acting strange. Throw in some unsettling noises at night and the threat of past secrets coming out, and you've got a hair-raising psychological thriller!

Perfect pacing, rich character development, delicious deviance, and the sort of awful behavior that makes you grateful you're on this side of fiction. So so SOOOO good!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Damron and Christine Helen Lakin. Damron's read is so wonderfully smarmy you instadislike Blake, but also can't look away from the five car pileup of his life. Lakin's Crista is no less compelling, though she only pops up for brief interludes. They're both strong narrators, delivering varied, engaging reads without ever veering into melodrama. The audiobook is a treat, I highly recommend enjoying this story in the audio format!

Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.