Rachel, the name she was given by her captor Aiden, has been held against her will for the past 5 years in a shed in his backyard, lacking any human interaction other than with the man she knows has killed many times before. When Aiden decides to move to a new house after his wife's death, he allows Rachel to come under one condition: she must play the part of a "family friend" to Aiden's young daughter, Cecilia. With the three living under one roof, Rachel must figure out a way to safely escape, without endangering her life and the life of her new friend Cecilia. Told in alternating perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Aiden's new love interest Emily, The Quiet Tenant is a fast-paced psychological thriller that will keep readers enticed until the very end.

Wonderfully suspenseful and quickly-paced chapters, The Quiet Tenant was such a fun read. The constant back and forth between narrators, voices of Aiden's victims, and time period changes was a bit disorienting (we had 3 narrators which was fine but then also flashbacks of those narrators). I could have done without Emily, I don't think she added a ton of value to the overall story--it would have been more fun to have had Aiden as a narrator instead. The ending felt a bit abrupt and I would have liked an epilogue for all the narrators, but overall I really enjoyed this and would recommend to friends for a quick, suspenseful thriller. Really impressed this was a debut novel, too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for the ARC!

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Rachel. That's been her name for five years. That's how long her captor has kept her in a shed just barely alive. She knows she is lucky as she knows he has killed others. Aiden Thomas has many faces. He is the cruel captor, a loving father and devoted husband. When Aiden's wife dies of cancer, he is forced to move with his daughter to a new house. What to do with Rachel? He takes her along with strict instructions as she is kept in a locked bedroom. However, worlds collide as Rachel meets the daughter, Cecily, and Aiden meets a new woman, Emily. Where does this leave Rachel and how will Aiden react to this collision? At times, the story slowed, but overall a read worth devouring.

4.5 stars

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.

This was such an interesting read and I was sucked right onto this story immediately. It was a real character study of how a serial killer can live among us, never once being suspected of such heinous crimes. Aidan was in fact, loved and admired in his community. This has always been such a scary thought for me.

Rachel's point of view was also very interesting. Watching her struggle with what has happened to her and what she might have to do to get back to her real life. Then, watching Emily get sucked into his orbit really cranked up the tension and suspense for me.

Overall, I really loved this book and look forward to more from this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Wow!

This is an incredible book. I have never read a book like it.
I didn’t want it to end. The three perspectives you were reading between were incredibly well written. I cheered for them the whole way.
It is a darker thriller but it’s incredible.
I don’t think I’ll read another like it this year!

Read this book. A major 'Will she? Won't she?!'

A novel from the view of three women, all impacted by the one man - Aiden Thomas. Let me just say: perfect pace, genuine characters, creepy premise, but a book you can breeze through.

A generous thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor for giving me early access to The Quiet Tenant. Look out for this debut on the 30th June 2023

The Quiet Tenant is about the women surrounding a serial killer: his daughter Cecelia, a local restauranteur Emily, and his victim, a woman known only as Rachel. When the man is forced to move, Rachel is relocated from the shed she's been trapped in for the past five years and is now pretending to be a tenant trying to get her life on track. With freedom so close, will Rachel be able to run for it or has she been taken for too long?

This book has a unique take on a thriller. "Rachel" is the main pov written in 2nd. The rest of the victims show up in short chapters. Emily is frustrating but a good window into how the outside world sees Aidan. There isn't much mystery choosing to rely on tension of Rachel getting free, if she'll get free, as the main story.

The book does little to justify Aidan which isn't entirely satisfying but you know what? He doesn't deserve it. I would have liked a little more time showing us "Rachel's" life after instead of Emily. Maybe even Cecilia.

Anyways a twisty page turning thriller worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley for the free copy.

What an interesting writing style for a book! While the premise is not totally unique, the way it is written (points of view of daughter, kidnap victim, the woman who has a crush on him, and murder victims) certainly is! I was in a bit of a reading slump, not sure what I felt like, but The Quiet Tenant hooked me immediately!

When I came across this novel, I immediately added it to my TBR, so I was thrilled when I found out it was available as a 'read now' on NetGalley. I downloaded it and was immediately hooked. Some decision making by the characters was a little questionable, but this was such a solid read. It's the first thriller I've read since Local Woman Missing that had me on the edge of my seat in the final pages. I'm so happy to have had a chance to read this one early and I hope Clemence Michallon continues to write!

After a painfully long March, we knew we had to resume reading with something… explosive! We’d seen The Quiet Tenant across bookstagram (and, thanks to Netgalley, already had it on our TBR), and it was just what we needed.

TQT, Clemence Michallon’s debut novel, revolves around Aidan Thomas, an enigmatic, seemingly innocuous recent widower and single father, who harbours a dark secret: he is a serial killer and kidnapper. Written across various timelines and in the POVs of the women in Aidan’s life: women he murdered, “Rachel”- the woman he has kidnapped and held captive for 5 years, Cecilia- his 13-year-old daughter, and Emily- the young restaurateur who develops feelings for him, TQT takes us through the trauma he inflicted upon them.

While the plot was intriguing and exuded some “You” meets “Room” vibes, we found that TQT lacked the pace and nail-biting twists that we’ve, rather ironically, come to expect from psychological thrillers. Instead, it stayed true to its synopsis and focused largely on the psychological impact of Aidan’s actions.

Opting to narrate TQT in the women’s POVs not only furthered the tale but facilitated the slow unravelling of Aidan’s true character without overtly humanising him. It was an especially bold choice to narrate Rachel’s parts in the second person. While this can be polarising (as evident from reviews on Goodreads), we didn’t mind it. We felt like it offered us the occasional adrenaline rush that was needed in a book that packed such a slow burn and helped us connect with her character. In contrast, despite a decent start, Emily’s character became unbearable over time, and her choices were questionable and frustrating (and very often downplayed).

Furthermore, the writing felt a tad inconsistent and in need of sharper editing. Some parts, especially Rachel’s POV, were eloquent and poetic, while others felt awkward. Additionally, some insignificant parts dragged on endlessly, and more critical areas were glossed over. The biggest letdown, however, was the rather anticlimactic conclusion. We wish the ending was not so dramatically rushed and that we’d gotten better insight into Aidan’s motivations. Perhaps a final chapter from his POV?

TQT is a book that one can either love or possibly DNF, but we didn’t mind it. While it wasn’t our favourite, it was worth a one-time-read.

L&L Rating: 3 stars

TL;DR: Slow burn, more psychological than thriller, one time read.

I received a free copy of, The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Everyone thinks Aidan is the perfect neighbor, everyone is wrong. Aidan is a serial killer, having killed eight women already. This book is something else, its definitely a thriller, I really enjoyed this book.

This book was wild! Told from the perspective of the missing women, the woman in the shed, the woman in the house and Cecelia, The Quiet Tenant will leave you flipping pages till the end! The chapters are short, and I stayed up way too late finishing this one! Excellent! Instagram review to follow!

Are you looking for a fresh take on a psychological thriller written from the viewpoints of mutiple women impacted by one serial killer? Aidan Thomas, a husband, father and beloved member of a small community, is hiding a secret- he is also a kidnapper and killer. When his wife passes away, Aidan is forced to move to a new house, and his captive, Rachel, convinces him to take her with him. After so many years of being the person that Aidan required her to be hidden away in a shed in the backyard, Rachel moves into the role of a guest in the Thomas' house, getting to know Aidan's daughter Cecelia. Emily, owner of a town restaurant, falls for Aidan and finds herself face to face with Rachel. Aidan's secrets are in danger of discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was impressed that Michallon was able to incorporate multiple viewpoints so clearly; I didn't at any point have difficulty distinguishing the speaker. It was interesting to see the way that Aidan impacted each of the women and their very different thoughts and feelings about Aidan, depending on the side of him that he allowed them to see.

I hope to see many more titles from Clemence Michallon in the years to come.

This was one creepy and tough to put down thriller!
Aidan is a serial killer. But for some reason he’s kept “Rachel” in his shed for 5 long years instead of adding her to his list of kills. Rachel’s whole life consists of Aidan, the shed and thoughts of survival. And in the meantime Aidan leads the life of a respected man in town with a loving daughter, Cece, and new girlfriend, Emily. We also hear from them and about their relationships with Aidan, in addition to Rachel.

The description of this book is really reminiscent of the book Notes on an Execution (my top book of 2022) but it’s really different in terms of perspective and ultimately its message. I found at least the beginning similar to the tenseness and atmosphere of Room. Rachel’s harrowing existence is tough to read but it’s like a train wreck you can stop watching. The rotating perspectives worked for me and Rachel’s 2nd person narration also resonated with me especially after watching interviews of survivors and noticing they do the same when talking about ordeals. Perhaps it’s a way of self preservation in the midst of trauma. Similar to Room I was on the edge of my seat hoping Rachel would escape and I flipped through the end so fast I went through and re read the ending the next day. I also really enjoyed the themes of women’s survival, how we can overlook the “killer” next door and finding strength and power. Overall a really compelling thriller that I think people will fall for hard come June.

Well Respected Man: "The Quiet Tenant" by Michallon Clemence
Rachel, not her real name, is alive. And doing whatever she can to stay that way. She is the captive of a man she suspects is a serial killer. And he has kept her locked in his shed for five years. He is also a husband and father.
Chained and starved and given only the minimum hygiene capabilities, he still finds time to use her for his own needs whenever he feels like. But she remembers a life before, and it's what keeps her going.

Then things change. His wife has died, her family is kicking him out and he is moving. And taking her with him. Rachel goes from captive to "friend of the family", a ruse invented for Cecelia, his daughter. When Aiden, her captor, takes his daughter to school and goes to work, he leaves her handcuffed in her "room".

Is there hope for Rachel? And what of 13 year old Cecelia? And then there is Emily, a young woman who owns and runs a bar and who can't take her eyes of the shy loner who sits at the bar twice a week. A man who has ingratiated himself in their community and is beloved by everyone, including a local judge.

Ms. Clemence has created vivid characters, both good and evil, and especially Rachel, whom we root for throughout her ordeal. If you are a fan of thrillers, then don't miss this one. It's Ms. Clemence's first novel and it's a stunner! Don't plan on going to bed early, once you start the Quiet Tenant!

Thank you to NetGalley for the DRC!

This one will stay with me for awhile. I loved the story and it kepts me guessing and holding my breath. The character development was top notch. I truly felt like I was in "Rachel's' head as she contimplated surviving, escaping and how her choices affected Cecilia.

This book was a slow burn of anxiety, and creepy crawly goodness. Who was the woman in the shed, and then the house? And how would she fit in with the number 1, number 2, etc POV chapters? What kind of a man keeps a woman abducted in his home with his young daughter living there? It asked so many questions, and was enjoyable at every moment. Even though it took me a minute to like Emily.

This book was so confusing to read.
The name of the woman being held captive kept changing in the chapter titles and I never knew who was being referred to until a few paragraphs in. The disconnected writing style, jumping from tenses, one in the past, one the present was also a downer for me.
The level of creepiness was just too high for me as well.

Holy heck! I loved this book! Once I started, there was no stopping. The ending was not what I thought it would be, I love surprises! I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author.

Aidan Thomas seems to be a great guy. Happily married with a teenage daughter, he seems to have it all. He is an upstanding man, quick to help his neighbors or lend a helping hand when needed. However, he has a dark side. He is a serial killer.

After his wife dies from cancer, her family asks him to leave the house they lived in. Unfortunately, the woman he has been keeping in a shed on the property for the last five years needs to be dealt with. She convinces him to take her with him to his new place. He decides to keep her chained up inside the house and tells his 13 year old daughter that she is down on her luck and will be staying with them.

This is a deliciously twisted and psychological thriller. You won't see the ending coming.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book!