Publication Date: June 20, 2023
*I received this Advanced copy e-book through NetGalley from Atria books. It will not be officially released until June of this year. I am grateful for the opportunity to grab this one ahead of schedule in return for my honest review.

This is categorized as a thriller but at no point was I on the edge of my seat. The story was definitely interesting but it wasn’t a nail biter. There weren’t a lot of twists or surprises, at least not anything that really wowed me. It is told from the perspective of Rachel (the kidnapped), Emily (the love interest who has no idea who she's dealing with) and Cecelia (the daughter). Each tells their story of living with or knowing Aiden, who seems like a great guy, but is actually a kidnapper and serial killer. I liked the different perspective but I feel it was missing a very important perspective…Aiden’s. I would have loved to hear his side of the story. I was not crazy about the second person point of view from Rachel (the captive). It seems like an odd way to tell a story from a single person's perspective. Cecelia and Emily's perspectives are both in first person POV so why use second person POV for the character most connected to the story and the killer? It created a disconnect for me and made it harder to relate to Rachel. I feel like she had the most to say so it really detracted from her character for me. I did like how Aiden was portrayed. He was the model citizen who happened to be a serial killer. It makes you think about the people who you interact with everyday.

Great thriller! This kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time while also watching everyone around me wondering if they could be a serial killer in plain sight.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. The first chapters had me hooked. A woman who has been living in a shed for several years and can only tell time when Thanksgiving rolls around. After she was moved to the house, things became less interesting. The whole time I was reading it just felt like something was missing. The ending was very anticlimactic.

I like this book a lot. It was very interesting to listen to the book through the head of the victim. It was interesting to me that she had the opportunity on more than once to make a getaway and did not go. I enjoyed watching her work through the feelings that she was having, and I also enjoyed watching her at the end of the book. I did not want to give up a spoiler here. I don’t think you’ll go wrong if you pick up this book. Thank you, Net Galleyfor allowing me to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the eArc of this book!

Honestly, creepy and low-key terrifying.

The writing is so well done, and the alternating perspectives are gripping and quickly get you engaged. When you start reading this you automatically just start asking questions and trying to piece things together. Both the perspectives from Rachel and Emily immediately drew me in and had me wondering how they connected/where this story was going to go

Unfortunately, I don't think this one is for me though. With how well done Rachel's perspective is from the beginning, it just hit a creep/chill factor I didn't know could get to me and I just couldn't keep reading. I've read crime fiction since I was a teenager - so I was really surprised by the fact I had to stop. There wasn't really anything graphic either!

I wish I could finish this one, but I must be getting too soft in my old age...lol.

This was definitely not what I expected. I really felt like I was watching an episode of criminal minds which I loved. I thought the perspectives we followed were really powerful. I couldn’t put this down!

First let me start off by saying, Clemence Michallon is extremely talented. I absolutely loved the format of this book and the way it was written. It was perfectly descriptive and I felt like I was there, in the shed and in the house. It was definitely a page turner. They storyline and concept is A+. I would definitely like to read more from this author.

I only have one criticism of this book. I was slightly disappointed in the ending. I feel like I had too many unanswered questions. What was his logic or reasoning? I was looking for the "why," and hoping for some insight into Aiden's psyche. Unfortunately, I didn't get that so I was a little unsatisfied.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Michallon for a chance to review "The Quiet Tenant." I tend not to read psychological thrillers that evolve kidnapping, but I vowed to rate this book as one who did. I struggled with the first half of the book then suddenly Michallon sucked me into the book. By being sucked in, I mean I wanted to throw the book against the wall with the frustration that I felt for the main character. I couldn't put the book down and I was so taken by the story that my body was tensing up. Wow! Such an intense read. Being pleasantly surprised by how the book turned out is an understatement. So,yes I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review.

What a great debut novel! After seeing the cover and reading the description, I was all in on this book.

Adian Thomas is a wonderful man and father caring for his 13 year old daughter after his wife passed away from cancer. At least that is what most people see. In reality, he is a serial killer and has held one woman captive for 5 years. This story is told from different POV from the women he encounters or has relationships with: the women he holds captive (Rachel), the women he has killed, the woman who is falling in love with him (Emily) and his daughter (Cecilia). One of the creepiest things about this book is reading beyond the obvious is watching Emily fall in love with Adian knowing who he really is. I recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this to read. I like the cover, I struggled picking this up and putting it down I wasn’t drawn to the story/plot and seemed just mindless.

This is a new take on an abduction story, told by three women: Rachel, the captive; Cecilia, the daughter; and Emily, the local bartender while they navigate their respective lives with Aidan. I feel like this is going to be a really love/hate book for most people. It was extremely dark, sinister, and the set up of the chapters and narrators is really different but I liked it. I was definitely enticed and wanted to know what would happen next, but it was a bit slower at times. And the storyline alone could have been a 5 stars for me, but the slower parts and the ending knocked it down to a 4. No real twist, as much as I love a happily every after.

Aidan Thomas is the man around town that everyone cares for- he’s kind and helpful, always willing to lend a hand. When his wife dies from cancer, and her parents evict him and their 13-year-old daughter from their house, the entire town steps in to help. An influential man gives him a low rent place to live, and the entire community rallies behind a fundraiser to help the widower. But Aidan is a man with secrets, he is a serial rapist and killer. And he has kept one of his victims alive and imprisoned in a shed for five years. When the move forces his hand, he decides that “Rachel” is traumatized enough to trust and moves her into the house with his daughter and himself.
This book is told entirely from the viewpoint of the women in his life: “Rachel” whose name changes from chapters to “the woman in the shed” to the “woman in the room,” and other dehumanizing identities, his daughter Cecilia, and the woman who has a crush on him, Emily. There are also brief chapters written by the victims he killed. Despite the novelty of this approach, this book was still only a middling read for me. I just couldn’t get caught up in the suspense of whether Rachel would escape, would Cecilia clue in to her father’s dual nature, would Emily be his new girlfriend or his next victim. I think the third person perspective was too removed. I didn’t really feel Rachel’s fear and Stockholm syndrome from reading this book, I simply from having heard/read about it from actual victims in the news. And for a 13 year old, who isn’t being abused, it seemed as if Cecilia was also too mild mannered. Her mother dies a slow unpleasant death, her grandparents evict her from the only home she’s ever known, her father moves in a “boarder” (who the author has her wonder if she’s her father’s lover), and she’s not at all moody, angry, sad? Emily’s character is also confusing, because there’s a sense she might be his next victim, but they have a texting relationship, she knows his real name, and lives in his hometown- anyone careful enough to be a serial killer would never leave a trail such as this. For a novel like this to be successful, we need to believe in the characters motivations and impulses. For me, this one just didn’t jell. It’s not terrible, but it’s not fast paced enough to overlook the plot and character flaws. I was given a free digital edition in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was great...serial killer with woman imprisoned on his property living his pleasant life with his wife and daughter...but something fell short for me. I feel we got just a glimpse of this story at the very end and wish there had been a bit more background on all the characters. I enjoyed the pace and short chapters. I would've loved an epilogue maybe showing the woman's (imprisoned woman, daughter, bartender) lives a few years after the ending. That may have wrapped things up better for me.

This is a story about an upstanding widowed father Aidan raising his now 13 year old daughter Cecelia who is beloved and hardworking in his community. But there's a secret upstairs and also did I mention that he a serial killer! This book is dark and twisted and will make you feel all kinds of emotions. I once again read this one in one setting. The story is told from Aidan's, Cecelia's and the lady being held hostage point of view. Get ready for the ride of your life. Get this book now! Thanks Netgalley for the advanced ARC!

Wowow!! What a fantastic read. This kept me wanting to read more and more. It was really hard to put down. I loved the writing and the different perspectives. Rachel’s perspective is so well written and unique as well. I will be suggesting this for friends to read.

Wow! Clémence Michallon knocked it out of the park with her debut thriller “The Quiet Tenant.”

First, I must say I loved this book without knowing much about the author but, after learning that Clémence spent 10 years learning to write her very first novel in English (she is French)… I was blown away. The way this story is told if far different than anything I’ve read in recent years. The way “Rachel” is incredible. “Rachel” is a woman who was captured 5 years ago, kept in a shed for a majority of the time begging used and abused. Despite the horrid things being done to her, “Rachel” has done everything in her power to muster up the strength to survive against all odds.

The novel is written from multiple different perspectives. I haven’t read a book in a format quite like this, so I really enjoyed all the different perspectives. We read POVs from: “Rachel” the captive. Women 1-5 and 7-9… the victims. Emily… the one you might not expect and Cecelia, the daughter of Aidan Thomas… the town’s favorite nice guy AKA… a murdering sicko.

If you love a good mystery/thriller.… this one is a great choice! A solid 4/5 stars. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Clémence Michallon, and the publishers at Knopf for the ARC of “The Quiet Tenant.” Coming June 20, 2023!

This book swallowed me completely into the depths of a kind of horror only certain people can fathom. Yes, it swallowed me up but not before chewing me to bits and gnashing my core to dust. Of course, please mind trigger warnings, this touches on subjects that are not for the faint of heart. Michallon lays bare the absolute terror of not only assault of the body but also of the mind and heart. This book made me so angry and I cried several times but it was amazing and worth every tear. This is about surviving the worst and each character portrays the gritty human relationships in ways other authors cannot grasp. This is one hell of a book! I highly recommend it.

My thanks to Net Galley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the arc of this book to review.

I found this read unique from the perspectives of a kidnapped woman, the kidnappers daughter, and a local woman who is in love with the kidnapper. This jumps around a lot, but this was good and different at the same time.

My only complaints: what triggered Aidan, a beloved widower and community member to kidnap? Why did he target the woman he was holding? How can his daughter be that oblivious to what was going on? Ending was a bit rushed. You just were hanging. Still I recommend.

Compelling read. Thankfully the author chose to tell this story without feeling the need to graphically tell this story. It was easy to read as long as you didn’t think too hard about what you were reading. I’m not sure I could have finished otherwise. So much of the unknown was very apparent but the unfolding was so satisfying. My only gripe is the underdevelopment of Emily’s character. There is no fathomable reason for some of her actions. Distracting but definitely not a deal breaker for me. Thank you Knopf Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Quiet Tenant follows three different women who lives become intertwined because of a serial killer.

I thought it was interesting how the main plot line involves a serial killer but we never hear his perspective. I liked how the women whose lives he upturned were given a story before his. The writer does a really great job at not putting the killer on display — I feel like a lot of time the victims of crimes are forgotten and the criminal becomes infamous. This was a little over the top dramatic at times, but it was a good enough story that I could ignore it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!