I. AM. SHOOK.

There is a “before” you read this book. And there is an “after”.

Blows any and all other thriller writers, the overhyped ones specifically, out of the water. Step aside because this is a f***ing book!

Told from the female perspectives of the captured, the victims, the lover and the daughter. This book was high anxiety until the very end.

Wow! This was a great slow burn book that truly will captivate you and blow your mind. I would have never known that English was not the authors first language.
Written from two perspectives, it tells of a woman that has been held captive for 5 years, by a family man that everyone in towns knows and loves.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 20 June 2023

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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Okay so I went into this book completely blind. I saw Abby (Crimebythebook) post about it and was giving such a good review for it, that as soon as it was announced it was on NetGalley, I requested it. Let me say, it does not disappoint and I loved going into the book blind. I feel like it helped me understand what all was going on and I loved that there were different POV that included the woman in the house, the other victims, the daughter of the abductor, and the girlfriend of the abductor. I have to say though that it didn’t get confusing or repetitive with the various POV and I absolutely loved them. I feel like it helped moved the story along at such a great pace and there were many times that I didn’t want to put the book down and if I didn’t have a toddler, I probably wouldn’t have. This is one that I would definitely recommend and was one of my most anticipated novels this year! Cannot wait to get a copy of it for my shelves!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

So refreshing to have a title for a thriller that does not include girl, woman, wife, etc. in the title. It is clear the author is pushing back on how thrillers and true crime focus mostly on the perpetrator by giving us the perspectives of his victims and two women who love him. We slowly get to know the only named victim Rachel almost exclusively through her thoughts and the flashbacks we get. Through the flashbacks we learn how she was captured and what she did to ensure her survival. It was also interesting to see him through the eyes of his daughter and a new love interest in his life, neither of whom have any idea of his true nature.

This is a slow burn, more character driven than your typical thriller, so much so I actually hesitate to call it a thriller at all, But the author provides enough suspense to keep you reading so you can learn more about the central characters and how much they do or do not know about Aidan.

There are books that are read and books that are devoured. The Quiet Tenant falls firmly in the latter category. It tells a familiar tale in a wholly original way; a serial killer through the eyes of the women in his life - his daughter, his new love interest and the woman he’s held captive for the last five years.

As tense as it is insightful, it's a literary thriller that defies easy categorization.

Thank You to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.
What a read! This book is incredible, from beginning to end it was heart-pounding. It's a slow burn but it will easily be the best thriller of the year. Please give it a try and stick to the end because you will not be disappointed.

5/5 looking forward for more books from this Author.

We have been taken through a wild ride! Aiden, cunning, manipulative yet charming and everyone in town loves him and his daughter. Set in a small town where this lovely man is filled with secrets. 4.5 stars!

🌟Book Review 🌟

📚 The Quite Tenant
by Clemence Michallon

Release Date: June 20, 2023

Read if you like......

👩‍👩‍👧 Multiple POVs
🔪 Serial killers
📕 Short chapters
😱 Shocking thrillers

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. It took me awhile to finish this one. It was so dark, sinister, and disturbing that I'd have to take a break from it, but I always wanted to come back to it. I had to know what happened.

The story is told from three perspectives that revolve around the life of a serial killer - his victim, his daughter, and his girlfriend. The book is so well written, I couldn't believe this was a debut. The suspense, the nail-biting, the pounding heart, there's no way if you start this one you won't finish it. I loved the end. Overall, this book was unique, different, and I really enjoyed it.

5 solid stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had no idea what to expect going into this novel, and wow was I blown away. I’m so used to horrors and thrillers taking place on a remote island or there’s a severe weather alert that forces everyone into close proximity. “The Quiet Tenant” by Clémence Michallon gave us the opposite. A woman in distress, kidnapped, held hostage inside a shed and her kidnapper’s own home. The fear was prominent, I found myself unable to stop reading when I picked it up. I’m so used to third person novels that reading one from first person was refreshing, it made me feel like I was in all of the victim’s shoes. The multiple POVs of all the serial killer’s victims was heart wrenching, and it made me feel anxious the entire time. I was rooting for the main character the whole time, I wanted to cry with her, plead with her, scream for her. The best thriller book I’ve read in a while. I hope it gets adapted to film! Thank you Net Galley for a chance to read this work in exchange for an honest review, and for Michallon for creating such a suspenseful book.

This book was intense. Very hard to read at times given the subject matter. However, I felt like I was in an episode of criminal minds. I thought the author did a great job making you feel like you were part of this story. Rooting for the girl. Overall I liked this one.

This was a suspenseful page turner that was dark & full of twists! At first I wasn’t sure I would get used to the second person POV of the main character but I ended up getting used to or & enjoying it as I felt more like I was in the story with that style of writing. Definitely pick up a copy of this one if you enjoy dark, twisty psychological thrillers. I really enjoyed this one & found it hard to put down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Knopf publishing for the advance digital copy for my honest thoughts and review!

Serial Killer Thriller aka The Woman of the House

This book could be a study of Stockholm Syndrome on steroids. As you’re reading this page-turner, keep in mind that the authors second language is English. The settings for this novel are a shed, a home and a bar. The story opens up with our main character living in a shed for five years. She was captured by her hostage taker and the reader learns immediately how she is treated and spends her days and nights handcuffed to her bed. She received one meal per day during his one visit and the scenes are rather graphic - up to a point. He is arrogant when he “visits” her and in total control of her sexually.

The man’s name is Aidan Thomas and the kidnapped uses the name of Rachel. There is a sense of urgency in almost every scene. To the outside world, Aidan is a calm, helpful neighbor with an even personality that cannot do enough for his neighbors. He is a widower with one thirteen year old daughter, Cecile. The real Aidan is a secret to the outside world, apparently both to his late wife, daughter and townspeople. Aidan is beloved in his upstate town and apparently always lends a hand to neighbors. However, he is a serial killer and kidnapper.

Many of the scenes are graphic in terms of humiliation and dominance. The author uses sounds (tapping of his boots as he ascends the stairs) as a prelude to Aidan’s sexual proclivities. Cecile cannot do anything without asking her father for permission. She is told when to go to her room, go to sleep, she seems as brain-washed as Rachel to the reader. Rachel has been in captivity over five years. Planning her escape brings in a few more major characters, but it is Rachel who has planned the possible escape. The structure of the book was brilliant, short chapters with meaningful titles.

Some of the novel is not airtight. As I was reading, I knew there were moral questions but the plot is gripping. Technically, Michallon is enterprising, narrating from first, second and third person. The end of the book could have been more detailed and evolved into a serious undoing of Aidan. But I couldn’t put it down. “Rachel’s” attempts at survival were explosive and often horrifying.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Knopf for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Who is Rachel and how does she survive her captivity?

A woman who is told that her name is now Rachel has been held captive by a man who brings food to her in a shed like hiding place. After he gives her not even the barest of necessities, he also takes advantage of her for his needs. This goes on for years; I don't know how she does it. One day he tells her they are moving. She knows this could be the end of her unless she convinces him that she is worth more to him alive.

The move makes her a tenant in his home where his daughter also lives, so she must also walk a thin line between being a captive and supposed tenant down on her luck. Submission is required at all costs and the least little bit of resistance from her gets painful treatment.

Very well done. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is why I have zero desire to date in this century. People are not who you think they are & it's scary AF...

First off props & respect to this author for writing her first Novel in her 2nd language ! Just became a citizen of the US in 2022 & van publish your first novel. #goals 🤘

This book was gripping & I was invested even though I guessed what was going on by like 37% in, it is still gripping because the circumstances.. they can legit happen to anyone. That was the terrifying aspect imo.
Emily did nothing for me .. I thought she was weird & a bit sketchy herself ... & At the end she wasn't the victim so stop ... Idk she bothered me but everyone else 😳

Solid read.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me view this title early . #arc # thequiettenant

I went into this book with high hopes. It started off strong diving right into the thrills. I loved the short chapters, they kept the story moving. I also liked the multiple perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily.

I didn’t care for the 2nd person narrative. The story got repetitive after awhile. I kept waiting for something big to happen. I read that a few people had issues with the MC. I understand some of the decisions she made-she was groomed to live in fear. I also didn’t care for the “Woman # ?” perspectives. It didn’t really add to the story.

This reminded me of Behind Closed Doors (which I loved), but this one fell a little short for me.

First of all, I would like to thank Knopf Publishing, NetGalley, and Clémence Michallon for providing me with a copy of The Quiet Tenant in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant tells the story of a man named Aidan who, on the outside, is a beloved and hard-working person in his small town who will do anything for anybody, while also keeping a really dark secret from the people who admire him. Not only is Aidan a serial killer and kidnapper, but he has been holding Rachel, the main character of this story, hostage and imprisoned in his shed for the last 5 years. When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his daughter Cecilia move away with Aidan having no choice but to take Rachel with them under the guise of her being a good “family friend”. Living in these new surroundings, Rachel becomes determined to form a bond and connection with Cecilia in order to have somebody help with her finally escaping once and for all.

First of all, I loved how dark and psychological this thriller was and how easy it was to get through. The Quiet Tenant portrayed some very difficult themes that were introduced, such as emotional abuse, mind control, gaslighting and r*pe that were extremely hard to read through, but it also added more substance to the story which makes this not your typical psychological thriller. I loved how this story was also told in multiple POVs so we could get different perspectives out of the main characters, as well as loving the writing style throughout with it being very descriptive and almost feeling like you’re inside the mind of the main characters and what they’re going through mentally. The only con that I would give for this book was that it being written in 2nd person which is normally not my favorite in books, but it was still really easy to get into the story. I absolutely loved the fast paced reading style while it also being a slow burn thriller story leading up to the main climax and ending of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this author’s debut novel and being really excited to turn to the next page and see what would happen next. This was definitely an easy 4 star read for me, and I’m excited to read more from this author in the future.

The link to my Goodreads review is listed below & linked to this submission:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5612546694

The Quiet Tenant by Clēmence Michallon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow - simply, WOW.
This book was probably one of the most bone-chilling and complex psychological thrillers I've read in a long time. Not only does it fantastically highlight a young woman doing what it takes to survive. But it touches on the reality of Stockholm syndrome in the process of necessity when surviving. But it also showcases the reality of never truly knowing a person as well as you think you may.
This story of survival will captivate you. It will capture you and chain you.
You won't forget his name. Nor will you forget her story ...

Thank you #netgalley and #knopf for the #arc

This book was brilliantly and horrifyingly written.

Aidan Thomas is beloved by the town. He is a recent widower and father to a thirteen-year-old daughter. He is hard working, and always willing to lend a hand in town. He is a serial killer who has been holding a missing woman captive in his shed for the past five years.

The book is mostly told from the point of view of "Rachel," the woman in the shed. It is also told from the view of Aidan's daughter, the new woman Aidan is dating, and snippets from his past victims.

The biggest thing that sets this book apart from others I have read recently is that the writing switches between first, second and third person, depending on who the narrator is. I found it jarring and a little distracting at first, but as I kept reading, I really began to appreciate the style.

One day, Aidan comes to the shed and tells "Rachel" they need to move. "Rachel" now needs to live in the main house with Aidan and his daughter. At the age of thirteen, the daughter is certainly skeptical that Rachel is just a lodger who needed to rent a room, but she doesn't put the pieces together. With the new living situation, Aidan gets sloppy, and "Rachel" begins to find herself, reclaim he identity and plan her escape.

The book is heart pounding at times, as "Rachel" tests the waters of what she can get away with without getting caught. When Aidan misses things, she begins to question whether the house is really covered entirely by cameras like he claims.

Thank you to the Knopf publishing group for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was hard to believe that this kidnapping and murder thriller was the author's debut novel and also written in her non-native language. By using the alternating voices of the major characters, the reader is given a ringside seat to the story of an upstanding citizen who leads a double life as a serial murderer. It very much reminded me of the book and movie Room by Emma Donoghue along with elements of various true crimes from recent years. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance copy to read and review.

What a dark and fun book. Just to be in the mind of someone who has been held captive for five years and is finally seeing a possible way out is just such a fun read. Readers are going to dive into this book and get lost in all the right ways. I love that Alex to the outside world comes off as this outstanding family man, one who would never have a dark side. It truly shows you how you never really know someone, there is so much that can happen behind closed doors. “Rachel” is also such an interesting character. One that has learned exactly what she needs to do to not die. She bets on him needing her and asking him to take her with him when he moves. Both Rachel and Alex are playing a game. A dark one that either could easily lose.
Thank you so much Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title. I can’t wait to recommend it.