🏠 Book Review 🏠

The Quiet Tenant follows MMC Aidan Thomas, who is the local handyman and beloved father — oh, and no one knows this, but he’s also the town serial kidnapper and murderer of women. He’s killed eight, and the ninth is locked in his shed, where’s she’s been for the past five years. Once Aidan’s wife dies, however, he is evicted from the house her parents own, and he must make a decision. Rachel, the woman in the shed, becomes Rachel, the woman in the house, as Aidan tells his 13 year old daughter that Rachel is a friend of a friend who needs help. Enter Emily, the owner of a local restaurant who has been pining after Aidan since she was a teenager. As Rachel tries to assimilate and also learn how to escape, she soon learns about Emily, and now has one more person to try and save.

Ooookay…..first things first. ITS WRITTEN IN THE SECOND PERSON from Rachel’s pov. 🤢 I hated it. Plain and simple.

Secondly, I both held my breath for most of it, yet nothing really happened, and when it did, I was like, “really????”

Third, the end was just phenomenally subpar and honestly pointless? I don’t want to give spoilers, but my brain said “was that really necessary????”

Fourth, I get that the author wanted to highlight the psychological effects of crimes committed by men against women, but there is SUCH a lack of substance. The book is very character driven, yet we somehow learn so very little about all of the characters or their psychological state???

Overall, mega disappointing. It was a quick read, however — my only saving grace. A meh 😑 3/5 (rounded up) ⭐️ for me.

This one is out June 6th. Thanks to Penguin Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What an interesting debut from Michallon! I enjoyed the alternating POVs and that helped increase the tension in the book. I felt super frustrated by Rachel, especially when she had an opportunity to escape and didn't. The justice served in the ending was certainly well received by me and felt like a good way to wrap up the book. However, I did feel like the book was missing something. It didn't feel tense enough or thrilling enough. Some of the writing came across a bit dry and emotionless and I didn't really feel worried for our main character. Overall, this was just okay for me although I am intrigued enough to see what this author will do next.

It took me a little while to get into this story because of the changing POVs, but once I got into it I could not stop reading!

This was a unique take on serial killer books because we get to know the killer through the 3 women who know him best in his life; his daughter, his current victim, and his future victim (who is a dingbat fluff crushing hard on our killer). I was enthralled, repulsed and so very interested for the whole book because o needed to know how these women would survive this awful man.

Highly recommend this debut!!

Order this book now.

This book is everything you want in a suspense novel.

The Quiet Tenant keeps the identity of its' characters private for awhile and it just fuels the fire, suspense wise. Some characters go unnamed throughout the whole book, which is unnerving but also so suitable to the book. The characters that are named, wow. They take hold of that book and they own it.

Aidan is your average run of the mill neighborhood guy. He's a dad, he's a helping hand, he's a husband, and he's a murderer. Some women he meets never know his name or anymore more than a fact or two about him. Others know nothing of this side of Aidan.

In The Quiet Tenant, neighborhood man and serial killer collide. Which side will you be on? Who will you root for? The other characters named, and not, will remain anonymous in this review. You NEED to read it to know what happens. Find out how his daughter is involved. Find out how the family-owned restaurant is involved. Find out who has a name, and who doesn't.

The title says it all. “Quiet”. One of the slowest, non-action thrillers I have read. A big nothing happened in this book. Literally, there are number chapters relating to victims, which give you again, “zero” action. I did not think this was ever going to end. Dry, boring and lifeless.

Holy moly! What a read! What a ride!

The short chapters with multiple point of view gets me every time. But this one was so much better. The author not only used multiple povs but wrote in multiple ways. When it came to Rachel, it was always written in the second person. Everyone else was written in first person. Brilliant. Such talent.

The story was captivating. From page one, I was hooked. The detail and the growth from Rachel was astounding. Michallon is such an amazing writer and really grasped the feeling of being captive and the details surrounding it all.

I will be recommending this book to whomever will listen.

This was a creepy psychological thriller. "Rachel" has been kidnapped and held in a shed for several years. Then her kidnapper has to move, so he brings her with him and moves her into his house with his teenage daughter. He is well liked in their small town, and is really good at keeping this secret. Good read, hard to put down. #clemencemichallon #thequiettenant #mystery #kidnapping #psychologicalthriller #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #advancedreaderscopy #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #netgalley Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC to read and review for an honest opinion.

This book was great from start to finish! I read this in 2 sittings, I couldn't put it down! The only thing I wish was different was that there was more to the ending.

I stayed up way too late finishing this book because I couldn't put it down. The story really grips you and won't let you go. I was impressed with the author's ability to write different voices so well.

This was addictive! Told from three POV’s all connected to the serial killer, you quickly become immersed in the characters telling their stories. You have “Rachel” the victim, Cecilia the daughter and Emily the obsessed love interest.

While this is a slow burn of a book, it never felt dull to me, which happens a lot when I read slow burns. I needed to know what was about to happen and what Rachel’s next steps were to stay alive. At times, it might feel a little lengthy on Rachel’s POV but I think that is more to show her state of mind. That’s the part that made me wonder the most. Would I feel the same and do the same things she did? The killer had her so scared from his constant psychological dialog that she questioned and second-guessed EVERYTHING. I LOVE the way Rachel started putting pieces together to save herself while also analyzing and manipulating him.

I think the only thing that Cecelia’s character brought to the table was a little bit of depth for her dad’s side. But EMILY! Sis, you had me concerned. Emily felt like a complete wildcard. I didn’t know which way she was going to go. She was obsessed with the killer (whom she didn’t know was a killer) and knew something was going on with him. Little did she know, he had his eyes on her too. It was interesting to see that play out.

Definitely a binge worthy read and one I very much enjoyed. Another one to keep your eyes open for!

My goodness is the cover catchy! I wish the pages within were just as catchcy. Unfortunately, this book fell very flat for me. It was very slow and boring with not much escalation. I kept reading hoping the story would pick up but it never really did. Just before the ending, it did get a little bit more interesting. I was slightly disappointed in how the author ended this book. I guess overall, I was just looking for more. More thrill, more wow factor. This book was just alright. They never really explained why the "killer " did what he did. A few things left me with questions. The book was written from differebt perspectives. The girl kidnapped, the killers girlfriend, and the killers daughter. While reading, i wish more time was spent on his killing scenes and why he did it. Each person he killed was just briefly brushed over. No disrespect to the author at all. Was definitely not the worst book I have ever read and wasn't the best either. I appreciate the author/publisher selecting me to review this book before it's release.

Absolutely fantastic. This book was top tier and so great for a debut. I highly recommend going in blind and enjoying the experience. It is great for mystery fans.

People are going to love this or hate this book. We are introduced to the three female characters who's perspectives tell the story at the beginning. The woman who has been kidnapped and held prisoner for 5 years, the kidnapper's daughter, and the woman falling in love with the kidnapper. But from there the story is slow, taking it's time to unravel it's eerie dark secrets. And some people will love that, and some people who want an action packed, hold no punches, fast paced thriller are going to be bored. I think I was shocked by the pacing because the chapters are so short and usually that helps drive the story along and it didn't in this case.

I read this book before bed for many nights and was still under the 20% mark before I decided I had to just sit down and commit. The pacing doesn't pick up until the 60% mark or so, and for those who stick it out will enjoy it! I didn't love the book, or hate it. It was a good distraction to get lost in for a little while.

When I got to the author acknowledgements at the end and saw that the author is French, the slow pacing suddenly made sense! It's such a European way to tell a story in this slow manner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an eARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the amazing publisher for the ARC of this title! I am so grateful to be auto-approved for this title!
I look forward to reading and reviewing. More to come!

I really liked this book. It's a different take on a serial killer story that has you yelling at the main character at times.
It kept me reading and I would definitely read more books from this author.

The woman in the shed, Emily, and Cecilia are all intimately connected by one man - Aiden. They call him by different names, and know different facets of his personality. Only one of them knows the dark secrets of what Aiden is capable of, and she is the one that doesn't know his name.


The Quiet Tenant is the story of a woman that is hiding behind the name of Rachel - she has been kidnapped by a man and kept in his shed for 5 years. During this time, she has learned the rules to survive, which include many repetitions of "I'm sorry" and not fighting back, and is fairly certain that he has killed others during her stay in his shed. She doesn't completely know why he decided to spare her, but strives to maintain the tentative equilibrium to stay alive. One day, he tells her that he has to move soon, and the woman in the shed fears for her life again. He seems reluctant to kill her, and she takes advantage of that by working to manipulate him to take her along. She repeatedly assures him that she will be good and cooperative in the new place, because she wouldn't be alive without him.

However, a complication exists in the form of his daughter, Cecilia. The man has to come up with a story to tell Cecilia about why he is bringing this strange woman into their home, as well as figure out new work arounds to contain her while keeping his daughter clueless as to the real arrangement. While this is going on, Aiden is also beginning a romantic relationship with Emily. Will Aiden be able to keep all of these separate pieces of his life apart and juggle the complexity of the situation he has created, or will one of these women discover the truth behind the others and bring everything crashing down?

The Quiet Tenant was an intriguing read for me, as although it was a novel about a serial killer, it was told from a very different perspective as it included people who loved him. This emphasized that although he was a monster, he could be quite loving, and that he had a multitude of facets to her personality. What was it about him that drove him to kidnap and kill? Why did he see different women in different lights? How did he choose his victims vs. somebody that he took care of? We do not get to see Aiden's perspective, but the narrative of all 3 women is woven together with great skill to paint the picture of a man that is unbelievably cruel, but a loving father, and reminds us that you never truly know everything about anybody.

Thank you to the Clemence Michallon and to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Publishing the advance copy of The Quiet Tenant. It comes out on June 20th, 2023, and you'll want to scoop it up right away!

I absolutely loved this! It was so addicting I did not want to put it down, I had to know what would happen next! Would Rachel ever escape or meet her demise? There are times it seems Rachel has the opportunity to escape but decides against it. Emily, she was very annoying, almost like a love sick puppy or a teenager with a new boyfriend that is love after a week. I get why she was in the story but honestly I would rather have a POV from Aiden or even his wife. What happened to Aiden, why did he decide to do this? What made him keep Rachel alive? Did Aiden's wife know what was happening? Overall fantastic read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and Clarence Michallon for this eARC I'm exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for The Quite Tennant is June 20, 2023

😍 I ate this book up! Quite the page turner and difficult to put down! Aidan Thomas is an admired and respectable member of his community; always lending a helping hand. His wife passes away and he’s left to raise his teen daughter on his own. The community is quick step in and return the favors to assist Aidan and his daughter during their time of need but what no one knows is that Aidan has a deep dark secret. He is a closet serial killer. In this story, we follow Rachel, a woman Aidan kidnapped who is currently imprisoned in his shed.

This started off very strong and stayed a solid read for the whole book! I never really knew for sure where the book was going to go which I really liked. Being vague to avoid any spoilers I do wish the ending had been a little stronger. It didn't take away from the book at all but made me round down to 4 stars vs giving it 5 stars. Overall I really enjoyed my time with this book and would recommend it to others who like this genre!

The Quiet Tenant
by Clémence Michallon
Pub Date: 20 Jun 2023
Oh my goodness! I couldn't put this one down! Rachel is being kept in a shed, no windows, no bed, no bathroom. She is locked up tight. A man visits her almost every night bringing her food and water, and then taking what he wants. Almost every single night. Sometimes he misses a night. Crazily, those are the nights she's the most terrified. Will he back? Has he been found out but he's not telling the police about her? Will she die of starvation?
With the sudden death of his wife, likeable town heartthrob Aiden and his daughter are kicked out of their house and must move. Only problem? What to do with the woman in his shed.
Lots of thrills and chills. At times you want to scream, "RUN!" Other times, you just want to scream.
#netgalley #TheQuietTennant #ClémenceMichallon