My thanks to Net Galley and Knopf Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this e-book. Pub Day 6-20-23

A heart pounding thriller that drew me back to some true life captive stories like Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart, and captors like Ted Bundy, good-looking and likable.

Serial killer Aidan Thomas is married with a daughter, well-respected in his community, but has a problem he can't stop. At one point, he decides to keep one of these women locked up in a shed behind his home. She is the only "lucky one" of so many who aren't alive anymore. We follow Aidan's and "the woman's" stories for five years. After Aidan's wife dies, he moves into town and decides to bring "the woman" in the house to live with him and his daughter, Cecilia. He has a girlfriend, Emily, who owns a restaurant in town, and seems pretty obsessed with Aidan.

The story plays out through the eyes of "the woman", Emily and Cecilia. So much of this book had my heart pounding and needed to take breaks from reading, despite no graphic descriptions of the horrors of the story. This was a very impressive story written by Clemence Michallon from France, her first book written in English.

Many many thanks to the author and NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy of this book! I read it in two days- could not put it down! It was written from the perspective of the different female characters in the book but was not confusing at all. Extremely well done, especially for the author’s first novel written in English!

Nestled in a small, sleepy town in upstate New York lies the house of lineman Aidan Thomas and his 13 year-old daughter, Cecelia. Behind the house is a shed. And within that shed, is a nameless woman.

She's been there five years. And she's the one victim whose life Aidan has--for reasons unbeknownst to her--spared.

When Aidan and Cecelia must unexpectedly move to a rental house in town, the nameless woman comes too. Still Aidan's prisoner, but presented to Cecelia as Rachel, the quiet tenant renting out their spare room. As the woman's world expands beyond just Aidan for the first time in years, her hope of escape--however small--returns, but one wrong move under the guise of the tenant could be the end of everything.

Told in various points of view that alternate between the woman from the shed, Cecelia, and Emily, a bartender from a popular restaurant in town, "The Quiet Tenant" is a masterfully-executed story that tells you exactly what it is from the beginning. Perhaps most important is for readers to decide if they're willing to embark on the dreadful march of suspense that this story takes you on knowing full-well what it's all about, because from the onset, there's little to figure out.

At face value, this is a rather unremarkable story, but its execution truly is what makes it remarkable. Michallon's writing is stunning, spine-tingling, and ends chapters in the sort of way that makes you realize you've been holding your breath the entire time. Her characters are plausible, intriguing, and human; which means, in ways, they're unpredictable.

Going into this, I suspected it would be a slow burn but instead found myself finishing it in under a day. Here, Michallon sets herself apart in the realm of abduction thrillers with the sheer sense of humanity she embeds into the story. I loved this much more than I was expecting to and can't recommend it enough.

This book was very well written and was hard to put down, especially as the twists kept building in the middle of the plot. The ending was so good and so unexpected. I enjoyed that it left some things open-ended and really made me think. Great character development throughout the book too - Rachel's character development was very well planned and I liked experiencing her development throughout her story.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells a suspenseful story through the eyes of three women and through the eyes of the victims who never got a second chance. Michallon tells a gripping story of a woman held captive by the friendly neighborhood “man’s man”. As three perspectives intertwine, readers will have a hard time stopping while they unveil the story of the quiet tenant.

Sensational! Impossible to believe this was a debut, it was such a page turner.

Aiden Thomas is hard-working family man and also a serial killer. He still holds one woman captive. The story is told from the POV's of his 13 year old daughter, his girlfriend and the one woman he has spared.
When Aiden's wife dies, he needs to move him and his daughter Cecilia, deciding to take the woman he holds captive with him. She will survive, as long as she plays by the rules.

This was terrifying, dark, fast moving and while the details were all so unsettling, I flew through it in an afternoon. I really could not put this down.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon Vintage and Anchor for this gifted review copy.

Oh my goodness, what a story. It is about a serial killer, his daughter, the woman he held as a prisoner in his home for five years and the woman he briefly had a relationship with. It is told in their voices and I had trouble putting it down. It is really remarkably well written, unbelievably challenging and possibly the best psychological thriller I’ve read in recent years. Thanks to Net Galley and Knopf for an ARC for an honest review. Read it!

3.5⭐️ (rounded up). I debated going up or down and decided on UP pretty much because I think it’s deserving due to this being a debut novel from this author. Truthfully if it was a well known author it would probably have only been a 3 star, but overall I am quite impressed with the writing as a debut novel.

The book starts off with a bang and grabs you right away with a feeling of “what the hell”. It’s very twisted and so disturbing that it makes you want to look away at times but you just need to keep reading to find out what’s going to happen. It’s written mainly in three perspectives: Rachel (the tenant), Emily (the girlfriend) and Cecelia (the daughter). There are also some very short chapters written in the perspective of Aiden’s victims. As far as the characters go, I did like Cecelia. Rachel was okay. Didn’t like her, didn’t hate her. I felt so sad for her character and just wanted her to escape but then I really liked how instead of just thinking of herself, she thought about Cecelia. After everything she’s been through, she could have jumped at the opportunities to just leave but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Cecelia with her monster of a father. Then there’s Emily, I wasn’t really a fan of hers at all. She was way too needy. Finally, Aiden…he was evil…there are no other words!

Ultimately the storyline for this one was good. The reason it wasn’t a full 4 stars or higher was because it was somewhat predictable, repetitive and the ending didn’t have any special “wow” moments or shockers. But again, it did keep my interest and I’m glad I read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads account:
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*Goodreads - Cherihy808

Wow! A compulsive, suspenseful, and nerve wracking novel! I did not want to put this one down. Knowing that this is a debut novel I will be looking out for anything else this author writes!

The Quiet Tenant

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thinking it was time to read a thriller/suspense, I requested "The Quiet Tenant" when it was offered for review by NetGalley. Not being a fan of kidnapped women who are locked up for years, I was not sure I had made the right decision.

FIRST LINE: "You like to think every woman has one, and he just happens to be yours."

THE STORY: Who would believe that Aidan, the happily married man with the charming daughter, was sometimes someone else? Respected by the community, he was free to continue his activities undetected. The story belongs to 'Rachel', the name Aidan gave her, but is cleverly fleshed out with other female voices. The tension comes from how Rachel has managed to survive when others have not.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I devoured Clémence Michallon's "The Quiet Tenant". The author writes so that you understand what is happening without using common language to describe the dreadful acts. The emphasis is on the thrill of survival with insight into psychological trauma.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for thriller/suspense lovers. It's going to be one of my top five favorites for the category in 2023.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Quiet Tenant" by Clémence Michallon from NetGalley/Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for an honest review.

Review of eBook

Meet Aidan Thomas, a kind and well-liked. He’s a hardworking lineman, a respected member of the community.

His wife recently succumbed to cancer, leaving him to raise their thirteen-year-old daughter alone.

For the last five years, he’s held a woman hostage in the shed in his back yard. He’s killed several other women.

Will his long-held hostage become his next victim?

=========

Although told from several points of view, Rachel is the main voice in this unfolding story of a serial killer, his daughter, and his victims. The story, both disturbing and heartbreaking, keeps readers on the edge of their seats and the pages turning as quickly as possible. While there are moments when the reader is tempted to give Rachel a good shaking for an ill-advised decision, the overriding hope is that Rachel manages to survive where others did not.

Here, as Aidan’s story slowly reveals the sinister truth, his hostage’s quiet courage and perseverance serve as a counterpoint to his evil. While it may seem that she passed up opportunities to make a dash for freedom, the trauma of five long years must be taken into account. By writing Rachel’s story in the second person, the reader easily slips into Rachel’s place.

However, readers who appreciate stories neatly tied up will find some issues here. Many will wish for some explanation from Aidan for what he has done while others will want to know more about his daughter. Everyone is likely to wonder why he spared Rachel.

Readers should expect to feel a bit haunted by this intriguing tale filled with tension and suspense, a tale that is difficult, nerve-wracking, and, ultimately, triumphant.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Knopf Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knofp and NetGalley
#TheQuietTenant #NetGalley

After the first few pages, I was hooked.
I barely put the book down until the end. Talk about a scary and disturbing ride! A serial killer decides to keep one of his victims alive, and this is her story. I didn't mind the various viewpoints from different characters in this book. What matters is, how can she survive? Although not much detail is given to the serial killer elements, the psychological cat-and-mouse game between the imprisoned victim and her jailer is well done. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Unbelievably great writing. Great storytelling. Each chapter increases your fear bit by bit until by the last quarter of the book you're kinda freaking out.

I think just about every woman has experienced a man who gave you the creeps yet you couldn't quite say why. Someone who looks good on the outside but your instinct says don't trust. Don't touch. Don't be alone with. The ones who don't listen to that instinct are his prey.

This is cleverly told from three different aspects: a dead victim, a live victim, and a daughter victim. The daughter is a different kind of victim than the other two.

I literally cannot wait for a second book by this author. And a third and a fourth. I was extremely disappointed to find out that there was not a backlog of books of hers for me to hunt down.

This is a new voice and one that is loud. Ten stars.

Wow what can I say about this book? A true thriller that had me on edge until the last page. A tale of a serial killer from the perspective of his victims and daughter was like nothing I’ve ever read and amazing done.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is honestly one of the better thrillers I have read as of late, I was hooked right off the bat! I found this book to very well-written and easy to keep up with. As a true crime junkie, reading through this just gave me so many flashes of real life stories. Makes you think that how you really don't know anyone truly beyond what they present to the world. Definitely had my blood pumping a few times during some tense moments. I'd give it a 4.25

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this incredible advanced reader copy that would not let me put it down this week! What a story. Who is Aidan and why does Emily find him so appealing. Aidan’s deep, dark secrets will leave you astonished and angry, Will the woman get away and his secrets spill out? Read and uncover this shocking ending to a story that hooks you from the first paragraph.

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon is a thrill ride that grabbed me from the beginning and never let go until the very end! A story following a serial killer told in varying point of views - his victims, his love interest, his daughter, and the one woman he took and kept alive, it’s like nothing I’ve ever read. The character building was outstanding and every word was so descriptive that I felt like I was part of the story. I was on the edge of my seat through the entirety of the book and filled every pocket of free time reading it until I was done. I’m truly astounded that this was Michallon’s debut novel. Her writing is simply amazing. I highly recommend this book! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is my favorite of the year so far!!

WOAH!
When you start this intense, heart stopping story, there is a very real possibility that you will not be able to quit reading it!
It demands your attention even when you try to put the book down!
There is horror, abuse and psychological trauma as a serial killer takes a victim and keeps her on his property. for years.
She is there for many years while losing her identity and life she once had.
She can only wonder when it will be over?
The drama plays out as this serial killer is the one person that nobody in the town would ever imagine and people respect and truly like.
The novel is detailed and is told by three main people alternating chapters.
It is very well done!
Read it and make sure you keep the lights on!!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Knoop,Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review!
Ten scary stars!!!

Pub date: 6/20/23
Genre: thriller, mystery
Quick summary: Aidan is beloved by his community, but he's really a kidnapper and a serial killer. THE QUIET TENANT tells the stories of women he's victimized, despite his attempts to silence them.

If this description sounds like NOTES ON AN EXECUTION, you're not wrong. But don't worry, this book is different from last year's buzzy serial killer novel. THE QUIET TENANT is a much faster read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, whereas NOAE was more of a character study. But it's not a horror story - Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily bring humanity and light to the book.

I read this one on a plane and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It's a strong 4 star read for me (the ending could have been a bit stronger), and I recommend it to readers who like their thrillers a little different than the usual domestic suspense.

Thank you to Knopf for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love “The Quiet Tenant.” Yes, the writing is competent. But too many elements of the story strained credulity. I just didn’t buy it.

It’s the story of serial killer Aidan Thomas told from the points of view of some 11 different women: Cecilia (his daughter), Emily (a woman bartender infatuated with him), Rachel (a woman he kidnapped five years ago and has kept prisoner ever since), and the eight women he has murdered. A majority of the novel is told by Rachel, the kidnap victim in the second person (e.g., You walk into a room. You sit in the chair. You stare at the TV., etc., etc.).

But Rachel has too many chances to escape for me to believe the story. I realize there’s such a thing as “Stockholm Syndrome,” but her reasons for staying rather than running away, for me, didn’t hang together. This made it tough for me to care about the character, what happened to her, or whether or not she managed to escape. And the device of having her tell her story in the second person seemed more gimmicky than revealing or necessary. After a while, it simply became annoying.

Having Aidan’s now-dead victims write short descriptions of their encounters with him, for me, added nothing to the story and further negatively impacted its credibility.

I also found the story too long (probably by a quarter) and that it dragged in places.

I'm giving this two-and-half stars rounded up to three because the prose is competently handled.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.