Happy Pub Day to The Quiet Tenant by @clemencemichallon!

If you are looking for a new thriller to read, look no further! This book is out today and it is absolutely incredible! I cannot remember the last thriller that had me turning pages like my life depended on it, but I could not put this book down.

Michallon’s writing is so beautiful. The entire tone of this book is eerie and quiet but in a way that doesn’t leave you bored or wishing for action. I was so engrossed in every single page.

Without spoiling too much, this is the story of a serial killer told through three POVs: his captive, his daughter, and the girl he is currently seeing. Everyone is just a little bit shady and your anxiety for all three narrators builds so steadily throughout. I cannot believe this is a debut novel because it’s just so expertly crafted in my opinion.

Huge thanks to @netgalley & @aaknopf for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion! One of my easiest ratings in a while!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#thequiettenant #newrelease #clemencemichallon #fivestarread

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

The Quiet Tenant is a unique psychological thriller. Told from 3 different perspectives from women in Aiden's life. The woman being held hostage for 5 years, surviving. Emily the bartender at the local restaurant that is obsessed with him. And Cecelia, his 13 year old daughter in the aftermath of losing her mom to cancer.

The woman in the shed/house perspective is told in second person which took a minute to get used to. I've never read a book with this perspective before so it was a bold, interesting take. It felt like it helped put the reader into her (lack thereof) shoes.

Cecelia's entries were few and read like a diary entry. Honestly the book could do without them and there would be no difference in the story.

Emily. Oh, Emily. This girl has some issues. She is obsessed and infatuated with Aiden...and doesn't know anything about him. She is a straight up stalker and breaks into his house, twice. Like girl, get a grip. You don't know this man, he just lost his wife to cancer, and he's significantly older than you. I could not empathize with her character at all. Even at the end when they try to make her into an almost victim, she forced her way right into that rabid lions den.

Over all, I enjoyed this book. It paced well. You got snippets into the murders and how May was taken. The ending was too quick. I wanted more. I wanted to know what was in the dark corner of the basement he tried to take Emily to before the truck started. I wanted a chapter from Cecelia after the fallout. I wanted more into the investigation and if they identified his victims. I just wanted more of an ending, and less details throughout from Emily.

I'll give it a 3.5 and round up to 4.

4.5
Holy Cow! This is a tense, riveting, bite your nails kind of book. It is the story of a serial killer told by 3 main voices - his current victim Rachel, his 13 year old daughter, and his wanna-be girlfriend. If you have read Notes on an Execution, the style of the voices felt similar and I was there for it 100%. Our serial killer, Aidan, is the nice new guy in the 'hood - newly widowed single dad that is a good looking guy and everyone likes him and wants to help him and his daughter as they grieve the loss of his wife. I don't really want to say more. It is definitely a bit of a stressful read and while you know what's happening, its mostly not too specifically-graphic.

This one is an excellent summer read! I did receive an early e-copy from NetGalley and Penguin Random House - Knopf in exchange for my honest opinion and honestly I loved every stress filled minute of it. The Quiet Tenant is now available.

Impossible to stop reading, this book grabbed me, shook me, and took me for a wild ride. I just finished it, and am still a little breathless. Once I read the first page, that was it. I only stopped to sleep, then was back at it.
I tend to be critical of mysteries and thrillers. If there are too many events that I find impossible to believe, I begin to lose interest. This long and intricate story had only one thing I couldn’t find any plausible explanation for….the unloaded gun. The rest seemed to make sense to me and kept me immersed in that world.
Chapters are from the point of view of various characters, and often in different timelines, but the story is seamless and easy to follow. I especially appreciated the deft handling of grisly events, not going into detail while making the end result clear.
The skill required to successfully write such a book is astounding, and even more surprising as English is not her native language. I highly recommend this clever, macabre tale, and look forward to reading more from this author.

The Quiet Tenant" is a gripping thriller that reveals the dark secret of Aidan Thomas, a seemingly kind family man. Through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, the psychological impact of Aidan's crimes is explored. With suspenseful storytelling, this thought-provoking debut keeps readers captivated until the shocking conclusion.

The Quiet Tenant was such a great thriller and a really impressive debut novel! Aidan Thomas is the town's beloved widower. He will do anything for anybody who needs help and asks for little in return.

Aidan Thomas is also a serial killer. We don't know exactly how many women he has killed, but as the story progresses we get glimpses of the women whose lives he's taken. The bulk of the story is told from the POV of Rachel, the only woman he's spared. Rachel spends her days and nights confined to the shed behind Aidan's home, but when he's forced to move he decides to bring her with him.

The author does a great job of setting a scene and I felt truly uneasy throughout this novel. I loved how we got to see POVs from multiple characters, including Aidan's daughter Cecilia, his "girlfriend" Emily & even his victims. It was rather slow burn and there wasn't a ton of action, but I enjoyed this nonetheless. I'd rate this 4.5 stars and the only reason this doesn't get a full five is because I kept feeling like something was missing or should happen throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley & Knopf for a review copy. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This thriller explores the power that men have over women and the strength inside a woman that can get them through the worst of times. Aidan Thomas seems like the perfect man, hardworking, there for his neighbors, mourning the death of his wife and raising his teenaged daughter on his own. When Emily, a local bartender, falls for him she starts trying to insert herself into his life. Meanwhile there is a woman who has been held and abused for 5 years and other women who never made it home alive. What does Aidan know about these women and how will his choices affect his daughter?

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon is an electrifying, intense, edge of your seat debut psychology thriller. I immensely enjoyed reading and appreciated the reimagining of the serial killer trope. A big thank you to Knopf, the author and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of the book.

The premise of this dark, intriguing story is about a monstrous serial killer. Aidan Thomas is hardworking family-man who is recently widowed and is taking care of his young daughter. He is a beloved and respected member of his small community, always willing to help others. But Aidan’s whole demeanor is a facade and all isn’t what it appears to be. He has a deadly secret that he is keeping from everyone, he is a killer.

What makes the storyline unique is that it is told not through the lens of the killer, but from the perspective of the three women that are alive in his life Rachel, Cecilia and Emily. Rachel is the one he let live, imprisoned, held captive and tortured for the past five years. Cecilia is his thirteen year old daughter, who is clueless to what her father is actually doing, but is introduced to Rachel by her father as a family friend in need of a place to stay for a while. Emily a bartender who is quite infatuated with and pursues Aidan. She finds herself drawn into the sphere of what is happening. And then there are voices of the eight women that Aidan has already killed. Will Rachel end up being his ninth victim, or will she be able to escape her captor’s clutches with the aid of the other two women?

The Quiet Tenant is a riveting, suspenseful thriller that examines the psychological impacts of trauma, survival, the dynamics of power and the strength of women who make the decision to fight back. If you are a fan of thrillers then this is definitely a book to buy!

In this debut psychological thriller; Rachel is chained to the floorboards of a dark, creepy shed behind her kidnapper’s house. Her captor, Aiden Thomas, is a hard working family man that’s well respected in his small town but he’s living a double life. Nobody knows the darkness that lies behind his locked shed. He’s kept Rachel alive for five long years and, for reasons unknown, he hasn’t killed her like all the others…

When Aiden’s wife passes away, him and his daughter must move out of the family home and into a new house. He contemplates taking Rachel with him but decides to introduce her to his daughter, Cecilia, as an old friend that’s in need of help. He chains Rachel to the bed at night and only brings her down for meals with him and Cecilia.

Rachel appears weak but she’s strong! She’s strong for herself, she’s strong for her friends and family that are looking for her, and she needs to keep her body strong if she’s given the opportunity to run. But first, she must gain Aiden’s trust, befriend Cecilia, and plan an escape.

This novel was bone-chillingly creepy with the multiple POV’s from Rachel, Cecilia, and each of the women that Aiden had killed. The author did an amazing job writing this book; near the end the danger was imminent, my pulse quickened, my chest tightened, and I wanted to scream at Aiden enough for him to slow down.

This is a book that will give you nightmares for the first couple of nights but you’ll often think about women like Rachel who would do anything to survive.

The Quiet Tenant is a young woman who is abducted and held captive in a shed, where she remains for years until she's told her captor has sold his house and has to move. In a last bid for survival, she plants the seed to convince him she can come along and not give away his secrets - and that's just the beginning of the story.. Michallon has this so well thought out it is completely believable how this plot unfolds, carrying you along to understand the psychological impact on the captive, the captor, his young daughter, and the woman who enters their lives and throws everything off balance. This book stayed with me for a long time after finishing!

"Rachel" has a small existence. She has been held captive in a shack behind her kidnappers' house. When his wife dies and he has to move, she convinces him that she can pretend to be his lodger so that he doesn't kill her. But she has to pretend in front of her pre-teen daughter and the entire town who thinks he is a local hero and not a serial killer.

This book is very suspenseful. It alternates perspectives between Rachel, the daughter, and Aidan's next possible victim. The language is sparce and some of the situations with this angry man are very violent, but I think this book will have mass appeal. This one is perfect for lovers of true crime. Its basically Room crossed with These Silent Woods. So scary and unputdownable. It is very memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

The Quiet Tenant is the most unique thriller I've ever read. I loved the writing style and the eerie feeling throughout the whole book. The book is told from three points of view: Emily, the woman in the shed, and Cecilia. The Woman in the Shed, known as "Rachel", was told from a second-person point of view, which I've never read before. It gave me an unsettling feeling, but I think it worked here and made it more real.
This is not your typical fast-paced, action-packed thriller, but it was a dark and captivating story that makes you want to stay glued to your page until you finish it.

Read if you like:
-true crime
-psychological thriller
-multiple pov's
-second person pov

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant is a dark, gritty, tough read.
Aiden is a well loved community member. Recently widowed with a daughter. To the outside world he lives a normal life caring for his daughter & working.
She goes by Rachel but it's not her name. She lives with Aiden & his daughter, however it's not your typical living situation.

I found The Quiet Tenant intriguing but somewhat repetitive & very much a straightforward story. I kept waiting for something to happen. A twist or surprise. However none came. I did become invested in the story enough to keep reading to find what out what happens to the characters. The ending was satisfying enough to make it a solid 3 star read.

Wow. WOW. W o w. Y’all I haven’t read a thriller this good in such a long time!!

It was the writing that made this for me. Second person is such a rare pov and so tricky to pull off but I couldn’t imagine this story any other way. This was so flawlessly executed, I’m just in awe.

This is also one of those thrillers that just hurts your heart. Because it’s second person, you feel so much more for the woman in the shed and her fight to stay alive becomes your fight.

And the way this wove the other women into the story? The chapters where each talked about the moments before their deaths were absolutely chilling.

This is honestly one of the best thrillers I’ve *ever* read and definitely a favorite of the year. An absolute masterclass in storytelling. I already cannot stop thinking about this one!

I also cannot sing enough praises for this book!! If you’re a thriller lover, PLEASE pick this one up!!

Thank you SO MUCH to Knopf & NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review (and for the beautiful finished copy!) What an absolute treat!!

Aiden is well known and well loved in his small town. If only they knew his secret: he’s a serial killer and he’s been hiding a woman in his shed for 5 years. When his wife dies and he has to move, he decides to take his captive with him and hide her in plain sight.

This book was different than any thriller I’ve ever read with its multiple points of view. We hear from the girls Aiden already killed, Rachel the tenant, Cecilia the young daughter, and Emily the love interest. Rachel’s second person point of view felt so disturbing and really puts the reader in the story. It’s rare I find second person in a book and this one really did its job.

As for Emily, she really started to bother me as her choices became increasingly questionable. But then I have to ask: were they all that bad or did they feel worse to me because I knew something she didn’t? A lot of them were pretty bad though.

This is the scariest type of thriller to me. One that makes you wonder could this happen to me? Is there someone I know that’s hiding a dark secret? Is it possible to be a beloved part of town and also be capable of such evil? It’s so interesting to see the three sides of him. What his daughter sees, what the town sees, and what Rachel sees.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is outstanding. Serial killers have been done a million times and The Quiet Tenant manages to take this and make it completely fresh. Chilling and visceral, I read this in one day because I couldn’t put this down. You can feel the sinister vibes coming off the page. I will now read whatever Michallon writes.

“Rule number two of staying alive in the shed: he’s always right, and you’re always sorry.”

Quick Summary: Aidan Thomas is a family man, beloved by his small New England town. He is also a serial killer who has held a woman captive in his shed for five years. When he is forced to move, he makes the surprising decision to take “Rachel”, the woman he’s kidnapped, with him. Aidan tells his daughter, Cecilia, they are helping a woman in need.

Genre: psychological thriller
Length: 320 pages
My Rating: 4 stars
Read If You Like: stories about serial killers in plain sight, slow-burn psychological thrillers, “Girl A” by Abigail Dean

I really enjoyed this debut thriller! The story is told from 3 perspectives: Rachel (the woman held captive), Cecilia (the serial killer’s daughter), and Emily (a local woman with a crush on the serial killer). The writing style is phenomenal. The three POVs elevate the mystery and fear surrounding the serial killer, Aidan, since he isn’t given a voice. Rachel’s POV is most of the book and written from the second person POV. Cecilia and Emily’s perspectives are written from the first person POV.

THE QUIET TENANT is a character-driven psychological thriller. It’s an exploration of human endurance. I wouldn’t say that is it super suspenseful but it stressed me out nevertheless. There were moments so filled with dread that I was holding my breath. It begged the question, “How well do we really know our neighbors?” And do I need to start breaking into my neighbor’s backyard sheds to check for kidnapped women?

I think it is super impressive that the author wrote this book in English with her first language actually being French. So cool! I’m sure that was no easy task.

This would be a great thriller to binge this summer. But it would also be a good selection for fall spooky szn reading!

Thank you @aapknof for the #gifted copy of “The Quiet Tenant”!

Aidan Thomas is a sympathetic figure in town - his wife recently passed away and her parents told Aiden and his 13-year-old daughter Cecilia that they had to leave the house they lived in. The town comes together to help Aiden and Cecilia during this difficult time. But when Aiden has to move, he has a problem. Namely, Rachel, the woman he's kept imprisoned in his backyard shed for 5 years. Aiden decides to introduce Rachel as a family friend needing a place to stay. Terrified for her life, Rachel is too brainwashed to escape.

I really liked this one. Rachel's POV is told in second person, which I found really interesting and I felt added a lot to Rachel's telling of her story. The writing throughout the book is really well done and I was completely sucked in. Adding in Emily, owner of a local restaurant, accentuated to me how these types of monsters just move through life without suspicion.

Overall, this was an excellent book and I would definitely read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Available June 20, 2023.

4.5 stars rounded up

Aidan Thomas is a well-liked member of his community, but Aidan’s got a secret - he’s a kidnapper and serial killer. He’s murdered eight women, and has his ninth victim living in a shed in his backyard. When Aidan is forced to move, he decides to bring Rachel along and moves her in with him and his daughter as a family friend needing a place to live. Rachel is a fighter and gets stronger as she tests the boundaries of her new living situation.

I’m surprised about all of the mixed reviews I’m seeing for this book. I thought it was done so well, and I really liked it. I thought the way the women in the shed was written was really interesting being second person isn’t used often. It gave me an unsettling feeling reading it that way. I also thought it was brilliant that Michallon gave Aidan’s victims a voice in this story by giving each of them a chapter.

This book had a slow build up, and because of that, I felt the ending seemed rushed. Also, I would have liked more of a backstory on Aidan to explain why was he doing this. Was it only because his wife got sick or was there more that happened in his life to make him this way.

Overall I really liked this one. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I could give this book 10 stars! Have you ever read a book that was so intense that every couple chapters you had to close it and walk away. But then you couldn't stand not knowing what would happen next? So you picked it up again and read a few more chapters and put it down again. I don't often try to communicate out loud with the characters in a book but I found myself constantly talking to Rachel and Emily as if they could hear me. If you are looking for an excellently written book that will keep your adrenaline flowing, go buy this book.