Wait until you meet Aidan Thomas, a man beloved by his town and his daughter. He is always the one to be a "johnny on the spot" whenever the need arises. Sounds like the perfect friend, neighbor, father, but deep within Aidan, there is a stunning secret. Aidan's a rapist and a serial killer tallying up eight murders while number nine is being prepped for her demise.

Aidan definitely has two faces, one he shares with his community and one he scares to the women he has killed. Rachel has been a prisoner of Aidan's, kept in a backyard shed and then moved into his home where he traps her, and feels due to his intimidation and fear, Rachel will acquiescent. Her duties include taking care of Aidan's daughter, Cecilia, and meeting his demands for fear of her life.

Aidan meets a local bar owner, Emily, who falls prey to his charms. He is planting a seed for her to be victim number 10, but can she beat him with Rachel's help?

It's a tense story one that with the amount of missing women, is not at all hard to believe. I enjoyed this book as the author always managed to keep her audience engaged and anxious.

Thank you to Clemence Michallon, Knopf Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out June 20, 2023.

I absolutely loved this book. The Quiet Tenant takes you on a dark twisted road. With multiple point of views to keep you captivated the entire time. The character development is so good that I almost liked and felt bad for the villain at times. I felt all the emotions with this one: scared, anxious, worried, happy at times and very satisfied with the ending. This is a book that horror and thriller readers will absolutely devour. Every page was an adventure making it an intense page turner. I’m really excited for June 20, 2023 when a bigger audience can enjoy such an incredible masterpiece. Also a fun and interesting side note, the author Clémence Michallon was born and raised in Paris, she moved to New York City in 2014 and became a U.S. citizen in 2022 and she now has published her first book in English, her second language following French. Kudos to her and I loved the book! Thank you kindly to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor and Clémence Michallon for this advanced readers copy.

Shout out to Net Galley for letting me read the ARC of this book.

This book was a ride. There were times I had trouble putting it down even though I had other things I needed to do. From start to finish, I was hooked.

I liked the book from its various perspectives. I think the book could have benefited from some more Cecelia at the end, but the book wrapped up quite nicely. I enjoyed the perspectives the author covered, being that they were from people affected by the killer in the book. Very good read!

I enjoy reading horror and thriller books, but rarely find myself feeling scared while reading them.

This book was the first in a long time to really get my heart pounding as I frantically sped through the book to learn what was going to happen next.

This book was dark and heavy and definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you are looking for a book that will keep you up at night, this might be the one you need to check out.

This book was an unexpected surprise and will likely be one of my favorites that I read this year. I hope to see more from this author in the future!

I’m going to keep this review short because I think knowing very little about this one will make it even better!

From start to finish this was completely absorbing but not at all creepy, just intense. It was one of those rare mysteries I could read late at night and not stress or have dreams messing up my sleep. Getting distinctive perspectives from people who interacted with a serial killer on a daily basis was engrossing and made it extra hard to put down.

This novel was captivating, well-written, and perfectly exuded a deep sense of urgency. A fantastic debut thriller that lands around 4.25⭐️ for me!

Many thanks to Knopf for providing me with a e-arc via Netgalley!

😵🤯🫣👀

THAT WAS MY FACE THIS ENTIRE BOOK!

This was definitely one of those *I want to look away but I need to know what's going to happen* situations.

When I say I was glued to the page... I was GLUED to the page. It's been a long time since I truly haven't been able to put a book down and that alone really trumps everything else for me!

Was it disturbing? Yes. Was I satisfied with the ending? Mostly. Do I think everyone will love it? Nope so don't come for me if you don't 🫣🤣 I warned you!

I wish I didn't know the synopsis going in so if I were you, I wouldn't read anything about it and just go in prepared to be shocked 😂

I think if I wasn't so invested in the plot, the writing style would have annoyed me, but I didn't even care because I was ingesting it so quickly 😂

Thank you so much to @aaknopf for the ARC!

The Quiet Tenant will make your blood curdle, your veins turn to ice, and you will have nightmares for days to come. It is dark and sinister making you wonder what every man has in his shed or keeping in his house. It is a book that I yelled at, threw across the room, and became angry with. It will seep into your pores and make you want to devour it in one sitting. As all your fears come to life in this one book.

Aidan is the man to go to if you need help. He is the man who would give you the shirt off his back. He has then entire town fooled. Everyone who is anyone knows him and thinks highly of him. When in reality he has kept Rachel in his shed for five years. She is at his beck and call. She has learned the rules of staying alive in the shed. She sticks to these rules. This all changes when his wife passes away and he is forced to move. Rachel convinces him to take her with him. Will the rules change? Is Rachel just setting herself up for the ultimate fall.

This book will shock you and make you take second glances at everyone who is just a little too nice. Aidan is a master of manipulation. He fooled his wife, his child, the entire town. Even as women vanished no one had a clue. There is no aha moments, it is all written out for you. I still loved every second of it. I loved the multiple points of view, which added layers to the story. Thank you to Clemence Michallon and Knopf Publishing Group for this mind twisting read.

Though I deeply appreciated the powerful themes of this story, trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, I did find that it moved at a slower pace than I was expecting. Being a story of a serial killer told from the perspectives of his daughter, his girlfriend, and the victim he spared, I think I was looking for a bit of a police perspective, as well. As in, those forces looking for the victim. This was definitely a very powerful psychological thriller that will leave you thinking even after it’s over.

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Being kidnapped is a terrifying thought. Being kidnapped and held hostage might even be worse. It happens all too often in our society. Girls and women go missing. Sometimes they are found again, but too frequently they remain missing forever.

I struggled with reading this book. It was such a hard subject, so frightening, too realistic. The woman in the shed grapples with being a prisoner every single day. Behaving only so she can live to see tomorrow. Being the perfect victim. Always wondering why he keeps her alive.

Aidan is the grieving widower. A very private man who is always there in his community to lend a helping hand. Now the community is trying to repay his kindnesses with their own. They know how hard it has been for him since his wife unexpectedly passed away. Him, alone, with only his teenage daughter.

Emily is attracted to Aidan. She knows she should be more respectful of his recent loss, maybe that’s part of the attraction. But she’s felt this way toward this attractive man since she was just a kid. She wants to do a kindness for him. It starts small, but then blossoms into more. She doesn’t know that he holds very dark secrets.

While this topic was so difficult to read, it was fascinating. Who is the woman in the shed? Who is Aidan? How will all this play out? I wanted to put it down so many times, as I cringed through some of the scenes. But the intricate storyline and the bravery of the woman in the shed kept me going. Honestly, it’s a very dark story, but I would struggle through it again.

I had high hopes for The Quiet Tenant. Told from three different character perspectives the story unfolds in a dark way and seeks to answer the question, what secrets are we capable of keeping in order to survive and what bonds will form to help us move forward?
While the story was somewhat compelling I did not find myself loving the journey we were taken on.

Recently widowed Aiden is now taxed with raising his 13 year old daughter after his wife died. He is a quiet man who is truest a mensch. But Aiden is hiding secrets- one of which is tied up
Upstairs. Yikes! This is told by multiple perspectives. And really riveting. Truely tell you you can never know your neighbors.

Was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Very dark but couldn’t put it down. Every woman’s worst nightmare come to life- kidnapped, repeatedly raped and abused by a serial killer. Not only that, but a serial killer who is perceived by the outside world as an upstanding husband, father and community member.

The different perspectives were very effective. The most jarring were the 2-3 pages reflecting the murdered victims last moments, told in their own voices.

Excited to read more of this author’s work.

What does it feel like to be somebody’s pet? This haunting but simple read seemed a bit drawn out for me. Maybe it carried on a little longer than necessary but still easy to read. We get to know the victim intimately and there is always a tug of the mystery to keep us going … does she ever escape, or does she end up like his other victims?

The haunting part is how I found myself liking the bad guy. I found myself, at times, pulling for him and his daughter and at other times hating him. There is definitely promise with the author and her abilities while it is apparent that she is not a polished veteran writer.

I was surprised when I discovered that she wrote this in a second language, which explained the simplicity of the writing. Well done for a first English novel.

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. I heard about this debut from @crimebythebook on Instagram, and I was intrigued by the synopsis: Upstanding community man is really a serial killer and kidnapper. He has kept a woman in the shed for 5 years, but when his wife dies, he and his 13-year-old daughter are forced to move, so he brings the woman with him. Told from the perspectives of the woman, the daughter, and a woman in the community with a crush on him, and interspersed with a POV of each of the women he has killed. I was drawn in immediately by this book, and the short chapters helped the pages to turn fast. The writing was compelling and the story was unique. This is a slow-burn, complex psychological thriller, and I am still thinking of these characters. This was a 4.5 star read for me!

Thank you to the tagged publisher & @netgalley for my #gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review!


✨𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

This was just OKAY for me. I did enjoy how dark, sinister, and claustrophobic this book was, and the premise of the story was great. What compelled me to want to pick this book up is the cover itself, as it is so eerie, spooky, and really grabbed my attention! After reading the synopsis I was even more intrigued and knew I had to get my hands on this one! Unfortunately, for me, this was about all that was enjoyable in this book.

✨𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

The lack of mystery, as we knew from the start what the premise is about. Also, this one is told from second-person POV, which annoyed me. I will say that I felt like not much happened in this book, and there was no real twists or excitement to keep me fully engaged. It definitely lacked the mystery, suspense, twists, and thrills for me. At times I even struggled to continue on as it was pretty slow and lacked any sort of climax. The ending was pretty disappointing as well and left me feeling very underwhelmed and with more questions than answers.

✨𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

If you enjoy a unique psychological thriller give this a try, just know that there is a definite lack of ’thrills’ and ’twists’ throughout this one before diving in, that way you are not left disappointed like I was.



𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

I was excited to read this one, based on what I had been hearing about it. It was enjoyable, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The premise was an interesting one—a woman (named Rachel) is kidnapped and held hostage for five years in a backyard shed by serial killer Aidan, an “ordinary father in a small town”. When his wife dies and he has to move to a new house with his daughter Cecilia, he moves Rachel into his house. The ensuring story is told in second person POV which was a bold choice, and I’m not sure how I feel about it still. The chapters are told in the perspective of Rachel, Cecilia, Emily (a bartender that has a bizarre crush on Aidan) and the other women he killed. Overall I enjoyed the story, but felt the addition of Emily’s part unnecessary. If you can get past the second person POV, it’s a solid thriller. 3.5 stars

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher of this book for providing me with an early copy of the book to review! Before requesting this book, I read through many of the polarizing reviews on GoodReads. Ultimately, I decided that the premise of the book was interesting enough for me to give it a shot. And, I’m certainly glad that I did. I would classify this book as the perfect, easy to read, summer book. It’s an easy read that kept me engaged throughout the entire book. In addition to enjoying the book, I thought the premise of the book was unique, following the story of a woman who had been kidnapped and held hostages for an extended period of time.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would give it a solid 4/5 stars.

Aidan Thomas is raising his daughter on his own because his wife has died. He is a devoted father and a beloved figure in his community. However, unbeknownst to anyone — including his wife while she was alive, his daughter, and the townspeople — he is a serial killer. Although a serial killer living a seemingly normal life is not a unique premise, using three POVs to tell his story (the woman whom he has captured but not yet killed (Rachel), his13-year-old daughter Cecelia, and his new girlfriend Emily) certainly is. This rather distinctive way of getting into Aidan’s mind and moving the plot along makes for a great read! The Quiet Tenant is a real page-turner, and I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

This immersive story focuses on a woman who has been held captive by a man for five years. I was on the edge of my seat as she contemplates how and when (and if) she should attempt escape.

❤️I absolutely could not put this down! (I had to obviously, but I could have easily read it in one or two sittings.)

⚠️I'm really not a fan of stories involving serial killers, and I was unsure about how I'd feel about this one. However, killings aren't the main focus here, and it doesn’t contain the graphic, gory detail that I tend to steer clear of.

Thank you to Knopf and @NetGalley for my ARC!

The name he gives her is Rachel. She has been held captive and abused by a serial killer for five years in this story that is mostly told from the POV of his victims. Before “Rachel” and after taking her, he has killed. Aidan Thomas is a quiet, beloved lineman/handyman; he helps people out all the time. His wife has recently died and he is left to take care of his daughter, Cecilia. A forced move results in “Rachel” having to meet and spend time with Cecilia even while she is still a captive. Emily is a local restaurant owner who develops a strong crush on Aidan. Will she spoil Aidan’s secret? Chapters are also from the POV of Cecilia and Emily.

I have a policy that I will not DNF a novel, no matter how much I want to. I will stick with it to the end in the hopes of finding some redeeming quality and sometimes I am pleasantly surprised. Although the last roughly quarter of the novel picked up for me, I found most of it unpleasant. The author presents the serial killer and the main victim from a unique perspective and the reader learns more about the inner workings of Rachel’s mind and her adaptation to the situation than the psyche of a serial killer. I found humanizing this monster very disturbing.

While this was an uncomfortable read for me, there are many who will find it compelling. And I do credit it with its unique perspective.