Aidan Thomas is a widower, a devoted father, and beloved by the members of his small town. He’s also a serial killer and has had a woman locked in his shed for years. This is the story of Aidan Thomas, as told by the woman he’s being holding captive, the women he’s killed, and his current girlfriend.

This book was dark. But it was really good, and different from any other thriller I’ve ever read.

The Quiet Tenant, by Clémence Michallon is a psychological thriller that is receiving a lot of attention as the must read thriller of the summer, and the hype is well deserved. Rachel was kidnapped 5 years ago and locked in a shed by Aiden: grieving widower, doting father, beloved helpful neighbor to those that know him. Only Rachel, and his dead victims, know his true nature: cold blooded, evil, calculating, serial killer. As much as Rachel wants to fight back and try to escape, Rachel has to follow the rules to stay alive.

The Quiet Tenant is a fast paced page turner for fans of the You, series, by Caroline Kepnes, and the Dexter series, by Jeff Lindsey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great debut. Tense, creepy, believable. The exact things you want from a thriller!
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Wow. This book was downright chilling, frustrating, and complex. There's a moment about halfway through when one of the characters makes a choice that made my jaw drop and my heart hurt. The last ten percent of the book made me cry. That said, I absolutely loved the rollercoaster this took me on. I know, and I fear that there are far too many Aidan's out there that have spun these tangled webs and live double lives, so many captive women who have had to keep quiet when they're internally screaming, and then the people who just have no idea about any of it. It's an excruciating reality. It might take a bit for me to digest it all but this was so fast-paced, unnerving and so damn well written. I can't wait for what @clemencemichallon will write next. This is a thriller, but trust, there's a lot of horror here. Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for this egalley! 5/5.

Thank you to Knopf, the author, & NetGalley for the ARC. It took me a while to adapt to the second person perspective, which is yourself, but once I did it was an easy read. I would have liked a little more backstory on the serial killer/captor. There was no clear answer to the killer's motives or why he decided to hold one captive. One character, Emily, she really irked me. She is a very questionable character who has to be a bit insane herself to do some of the things she does... Is this a suspenseful thriller? No. Yes, there is a serial killer, a woman captive, and a man planning his next victim, but it seemed very light compared to most thrillers. I see so many reviews calling this "twisty" and I really question whether they actually read the book or not. If they have, was this their first give into the genre?! There weren't any twists. The story played out as expected. Although it was interesting at times, and I did find it enjoyable at times... Overall, it was underwhelming, and I wasn't satisfied with the ending. There were questions left unanswered. Cecilia, his daughter, mentions something that never really comes to light. So much detail throughout the book and then the ending was rushed with little context. This book had so much potential. The author has so much potential.
I did learn after reading this that English is not Clemence Michallon's first language, that's impressive.

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant!’

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This was so good! I loved reading from the different perspectives and getting to see everything play out from inside the house and outside of it.

I liked the writing style and really enjoyed “Rachels” chapters. I also liked that Emily seemed pretty normal then leans a little more toward unhinged before coming back. She really had me questioning how everything was going to play out in the end. I loved this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. This was such an exciting thriller that I couldn't put down! I loved the fact that it was narrated mostly by the kidnapped girl, the girlfriend and the daughter of Aiden. Aiden was beloved by the whole town who had no idea that he had an evil side of him! Well done!

Wowza! This book was excellent!
Aidan Thomas is a good man. He loves his community and they love him back. He’s always there ready to help out anyone in need and he is an amazing father. At least that’s what he wants everyone to think. Aidan is carrying a big, terrible secret and no one knows what this terrifying, manipulative man is capable of.

I always, always enjoy books when the chapters alternate points of views. Going between the girl in the shed (Rachel), his daughter (Cecilia) and his girlfriend (Emily), the reader gets to truly learn about the monster that Aidan Thomas is. I just feel like you’re able to know so much more about the story when you can hear it from multiple perspectives and I especially appreciated it in this particular novel.
This book was thrilling, suspenseful and intense. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

WOW, WOW, WOW. What did I just read? THE QUIET TENANT blew me away. Some reviewers did not like the second person perspective, but I found it worked very well in this story. I was completely invested in Rachel’s story and her will to survive being held captive by a serial killer. My favorite chapters were the ones told from the serial killer’s victims and at the end of each one, I had to take a moment to catch my breath. Those chapters were gut wrenching and haunting and I cannot remember the last time a book made me feel like this one did. My only minor complaint is I would have liked more background on the serial killer. What happened in his past that made him become a serial killer.

This story is dark, heart breaking, and overall, beautifully written. I cannot believe this is the author’s debut novel. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time and have no problem giving it the 5 stars it deserves.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this slow paced mentally insight read about a serial killer from the viewpoint of his victims and daughter.

The pacing was done well, except for the ending. I do wish they had finished with this point of view or a female officer interviewing him to pull out his viewpoint.

That being said, I really enjoyed this read

Thrillers aren’t usually my go to book; the premise has to be extremely promising. So right off the bat, this summary hooked me, and the book did not disappoint! I was unable to put it down. It was intense and had my heart beating faster. With each chapter, it duh in deeper and deeper. This is a book I’d recommend to thriller loves any time!

Thank you to NetGalley, Clemence Michallon & Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an arc of The Quiet Tenant in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

I’m a thriller/suspense junkie and when I see something is “One of the Most Anticipated Novels of 2023,” I immediately want to read it, plus a good book friend of my highly recommended it, so I definitely was glad to snag an arc from NetGalley.

I am usually pretty good an putting a book synopsis into my own words, but sometimes, I can’t do the synopsis justice in my own words and that is the case with this novel. So, I’m going to quote the official synopsis (not written by me) and then will give my review below.

“Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives: he's the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he's been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him: he's a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there's a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed fearing for her life.

When Aidan's wife dies, he and his 13-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a "family friend" who needs a place to stay. After five years of captivity, Aidan is betting on Rachel being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia's orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan's secret.

Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan's crimes on the women in his life-and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut thriller by a major talent.”

I was intrigued, not by the multiple POV, but that we get Aidan’s story told through the women in his life, Rachel, Cecilia and Emily. To me, that was a unique way to tell the story and I was on board!

I do feel like there is not going to be any middle ground with this novel. You’re either going to love it or you’re going absolutely hate it. This book was incredibly intense, captivating, extremely complex and psychological. I just don’t feel like with all of those things, that anyone can say “It was just ok” or “I liked it but didn’t love it.” In my mind and from my take on it, you love it or you hate it. Period.

What did I think? I am happy to say that I am Team Loved It! It gets really tiresome reading the same thing over and over again with a lot of thriller/suspense novels, so I love it when I can read something that is not only different in the storyline, but different in the writing style as well. This book hooked me. Yes, it was intense and disturbing and I will be thinking about it for a long time to come, but isn’t that what you want out of a novel? I have read almost 90 books so far this year and there are probably only a handful that I actually remember and, of course, those were the ones that I absolutely loved and stuck with me. You don’t want something that you’re going to forget as soon as you read the last word.

If you want something unique and different, definitely give The Quiet Tenant a shot. I can’t guarantee what side of the line you will fall on, but it is worth a read.

5/5 Stars from me.

Wow. Just...wow. What a great read! At first glance, I feared it was going to be a "Room" (also a good read by Emma Donoghue) redux. Those thoughts were completely swept out of my brain by the end of the first chapter. I truly couldn't put it down. Michallon's debut novel knocks it out of the park. Intelligent writing, totally unique style/plot, hold your breath pacing, can't turn the pages fast enough, A+ thriller...all from an author whose first language is *not* English.

I have a new author to add to my list of favorites. :)

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

What a stellar debut! There was a different twist in the serial killer/victim dynamic and set of circumstances which was somewhat refreshing. I was grateful that Ms. Michallon steered away from the explicit details of what was done to the victim. But instead, she went for a more intriguing “lack” of description which left it up to the reader to visually fill in the details if they so wanted. I would have wanted a bit more of what was going on in the serial killer’s head for a bit more of a connection-if there is such a thing with a serial killer. I look forward to further work by this author. Well done!

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC. I love psychological thrillers with a big twist at the end and this was the total opposite. We know the killer immediately, yet I could not put it down and was holding my breath waiting to see what happened next. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in the last few years.

The Quiet Tenant Review!

A huge thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and Netgalley for this gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review! The Quiet Tenant comes out June 20, 2023!

Wow, I have a feeling this book is going to blow up and honestly, it will be really sad if it doesn’t because it deserves it. This one was so good! A solid 5 ⭐️ read. It had my heart racing at times, it was so suspenseful. I also loved the switch between povs of characters. It has been a while since I read a book this fast, I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait to see what Michallon comes up with next, what an incredible debut!!

This is a page turner another clear your day because you won’t put it down till it’s finished type book. You’ll be on a thrill ride with 4 characters. Rachel is infuriating, Aiden is dark and calculating. Emily is weird and obsessed with Aiden. Cecilia is apparently lacking intelligence. Enjoy the ride!

A shocking account of a kidnapped woman thought to be dead, and the tale of her trialsl, and the life of her kidnapper. Terrifying suspense, sleep-depriving horror, too real to be ignored. I can't stop thinking about the woman, the serial killer's wife, his daughter, and his girlfriend. Edge-of-the-seat anticipation of the next brutality. A mind-blowing what-would-I-do story not to be missed. It puts cracks in the structure of our social reality.

The Quiet Tenant is for anyone who loves combining the best of true crime, mysteries, and thrillers all into one. With the element of true crime being present, the serial killer theme is ever present. Instead of it being from the perspective of the serial killer, I thoroughly enjoyed the book being from the perspective of the three women in his life. The book hooked from the very beginning and kept me interested throughout and eager to pick it up and continue reading. The reading is dark, disturbing, sinister, and complex. Some parts had me biting my nails so badly and kept my heart pumping. 4 stars.