Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

DNF – made it through 53% and couldn’t take anymore. The serial killer genre is one of my favorites and I was excited to check it out after reading the books plot summary. I found it to be slow, unrealistic and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

Rounded up to 2 stars.

All books are either loved, liked, or hated by different readers. But sometimes I’ll read a book that I just know is going to be sitting on a seesaw with readers, maybe going from love to hate and hate to love with the loved it/hated it groups being pretty equal. For the most part, I was captivated by Rachel’s story and fell on the really liked it side.
Cecelia and Emily are secondary main characters, but it was Rachel’s plight that kept me flipping pages. I can’t say as much as I want to without giving away major spoilers. I’ve thought about this book for days now, and while there are certain decisions Rachel made that I’m still having a hard time understanding, I kind of stopped trying. Rachel was a victim, and I’ve decided since I’ve never walked in a pair of her shoes, I really can’t judge her decision making process.
A sad, sad story and one that left me with many many unanswered questions. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as I’ll be thinking about this story for quite a while.

This book had me hooked from the beginning – a definite page-turner! Rachel has been imprisoned by Aidan in a shed for years. Aiden- upstanding member of the community, father, husband… and murderer of 8 women. When Aidan’s wife dies, he is forced to move with his daughter from the family property. He brings everything along, including Rachel, who he introduces as a “family friend.” Rachel knows this is her chance for freedom, but she must wait for the perfect opportunity. Will she find it before Aidan decides it’s too risky to keep her alive and he takes another victim?

Thrilling it is.
Time for chilling yourself with a psychological thrilling story and keep your night awake.
Heart-beating and tears drop when the truth is come out.
Come with the quiet tenant and the transforming of thinking when that scary happened.

This thriller was unbelievably bingeable… I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing it because I just HAD to know how it would end!

I was hooked from the beginning when we are introduced to the main character and find out that she is being held captive in a shed and has been for the last five years! I enjoyed the different POV’s and think that they worked really well together to depict the twisted life of a serial killer… I was puzzled, intrigued and disgusted all at the same time.

Ultimately, the ending of this one just didn’t do it for me, which is so unfortunate because this book was headed for a five star until probably the last 10%! The set-up was just way too good to be left so unresolved - I‘m left with too many questions!

A super fun thriller with lots of twists and turns. I'd recommend this to lovers of all thrillers and mysteries.

Wow, what a debut novel! I’ve read so many thrillers — especially about serial killers — that they usually bore me. But this one was special.

It really explored why the killer’s captive didn’t take even the littlest chance to escape, and it seems much more realistic than what armchair readers believe would have happened. If you were really someone’s captive — and they’d really done all the disturbing things to you that happened in the book — I doubt you’d have been able to just run, either.

I liked it that the book explained everything the killer did in detail except for when he sexually attacked her. As a reader, I knew it kept happening to her, but I didn’t have to read any disgusting descriptions of it. Big thanks to the author for doing that.

I had so many theories swirling in my head, but it turns out that a good thriller doesn’t always need to use a twist ending (despite almost all of them having one). What it needs are good characters and a compelling storyline, which is exactly what this one offered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

THE QUIET TENANT
By Clémence Michallon

Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Aidan Thomas is a family man.
A beloved, contributing town member.
A recent widower raising a teenage daughter.
Oh, he's also a kidnapper and serial killer...

If you're a fan of YOU or ROOM and looking for a safe, mainstream thriller, this one will arrive just in time for a fun summer adventure.

Told solely through the perspectives of the women in Aidan's life-- a kidnapped woman, his new love interest, and his teenage daughter (there are also brief blurbs from previously murdered women sprinkled throughout) we get a sense of different sides of an unfolding situation, without hearing from the man.

A familiar premise, with a unique approach, the novel is a quick read that scratches at the surface of what could be.
Short chapters and brief sentences allow the work to be quickly devoured, but easily forgotten.

The kidnapped-character's-second-person- POV did not work for me; I found it rather irritating and repetitive, reminding me of the YOU novels.

The violence that exists here is more mental than physical. I did not feel much of a connection to the characters, or find the work to be particularly suspenseful.
I was hoping the story would go harder and deeper than it does, but it plays it pretty safe, making it feel familiar in a "been there, done that" sort of way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

This was a great thriller that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The three POV’s are the victim, the daughter and the girlfriend of a serial killer. It was a great book and the authors debut novel. I highly recommend it. Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

I haven't been in the mood for a thriller lately but I'm so glad I chose this one, it's amazing!! I could not stop reading. Any chance I had, I was picking up this book.
This book is about a widowed, amazing dad who is loved in the community but who is also a serial killer that has been keeping a girl captive for the last 5 years.
I loved all the different pov's. Like a random unnamed character's pov will be thrown in, keeping you guessing. It keeps it very fast paced.
It was interesting too because you get the story from the pov's of his daughter and his "girlfriend" which really humanizes him, makes him seem normal. But then at the same time you get the story from the pov of the girl he's held captive which reminds you he's a serial killer jerk. I loved it!!
This author does such a good job of setting the scene too, it felt like I was watching a movie the whole time. I will definitely be looking forward to more books from this author!

This may be the first book I have read where I could not put it down for even one second, the writing and storytelling are just that compelling. High psychological suspense and tension, strong, multi-faceted female characters who are more than just potential victims, with a harrowing and satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended. I can't wait to read what this author does next! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #TheQuietTenant #NetGalley

The Quiet Tenant is a psychological thrill that follows the lives of three woman and serial killer family man, Aidan Thomas. On the outside to everyone he’s a great family man but to Rachel he is the opposite.

I went into this book blind not reading any reviews. Oh my heavens I loved how this book was from 3 women’s POV - the daughter, the kidnapped and the love interest. I enjoyed how you got to see the serial killer through each one of their eyes and just how depending on who you were he seemed so perfect or an absolute monster. It was a page turner for sure, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened next. I would say just one more chapter, just one more chapter.


Thank you so much to NetGalley, Clémence Michallon, and Knopf Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is a pulse-pounding psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. The novel tells the story of Aidan Thomas, a hard-working family man who is also a kidnapper and serial killer. He has already murdered eight women, and has a ninth woman, Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life.

Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Aidan's 13-year-old daughter Cecilia, and Emily, a local restaurant owner who develops a crush on Aidan, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan's crimes on the women in his life. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia, and together they try to find a way to escape from Aidan's clutches.

What makes this novel truly exceptional is the way in which it explores the bonds between women, and the strength that comes from these relationships. The Quiet Tenant is a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power. Michallon's writing is daring and completely satisfying, and she manages to create a story that is both haunting and unforgettable.

Overall, The Quiet Tenant is a bravura feat of storytelling that is sure to keep readers hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, this novel is a must-read for anyone looking for a gripping and thought-provoking read.

Whew - this was a rollercoaster ride. Great concept of telling the story from the 3 different women's perspective on a serial killer. His daughter, his captor, and his love interest.

This book was a page turner full of emotions. I can't wait to see what Michallon come sup with next.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review.

I ignored every one of my responsibilities until I could finish this book! I loved how Clémence Michallon starts the book by using the vantage point of hooking you in by putting you in the shoes of the main female character who has been held captive for 5 years. It kept me flipping pages to find out what happens to "me". I loved the double life aspect of Aiden and watching how he balanced the father role with the cold killer one. I highly recommend this book if you are wanting a psychological thriller!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Clémence Michallon, and Knopf Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Find me on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/70966203
I ignored every one of my responsibilities until I could finish this book! I loved how Clémence Michallon starts the book by using the vantage point of hooking you in by putting you in the shoes of the main female character who has been held captive for 5 years. It kept me flipping pages to find out what happens to "me". I loved the double life aspect of Aiden and watching how he balanced the father role with the cold killer one. I highly recommend this book if you are wanting a psychological thriller!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Clémence Michallon, and Knopf Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Connect on Instagram at https://instagram.com/bookreviewrealm?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The Quiet Tenant was a very quick read! It was a page turner and I couldn’t put it down! The multiple POVs kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the Arc in exchange for an honest review. The Quiet Tenant publishes June 20, 2023.

This book was so creepily wonderful. It gave me the vibes of Room without feeling too identical. It also had the twist of giving the perspective of other people who are living day-to-day life with an abductor.

Off putting, uncomfortable, but thoroughly enjoyable, I definitely recommend!

The Quiet Tenant is a psychological thriller that will amaze the mind trying to get inside the twisted mind of such a normal loving family dad serial killer. The scenes are riveting and so intense awaiting what action and revelation was upcoming. I loved the advanced reader copy.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, Clemence Michallon , and Knopf Publishing for my gifted eARC. Publication date 6/20/23*

I was in the mood for something dark to read and boy did I get it. This book was creepy AF!!!!

I went into this book blind after I kept seeing reviews of how creepy and scary this book was. The only thing I knew going in was there was a girl locked in a shed. It is so much more complex then just a girl locked in the shed. The story is told from multiple different view points and this one had me on the edge of my seat! Definitely recommend this one, but multiple trigger warnings and not for the weak!

Compelling, layered novel about survival and the will to live and the chilling actions of a serial killer hiding in plain sight. This is the story about three women; Rachel, who really has another name and has been held captive for five years in a shed, Emily a young restaurant owner who is seeking true love and 13 year old Cecilia who has just lost her mother and is unaware that her father is a monster. Rachel's chapters are told in second person and comprise the largest narrative of the book. For the past five years she has been kidnapped she has been, starved, mentally and physically abused and survives by reading and rereading the same three paperbacks. Her captor is Aidan Thomas, a loving widower and father who is much admired in his community for always lending a hand and for taking such good care of his young daughter. After the death of his wife, Aidan is asked to move out of the house owned by his in-laws and his move to a rental house is a force for change in both his and Rachel's lives.

Aidan has killed numerous other women but Rachel has survived by gauging his moods and acting meek and helpless. When she suggests moving with him to his new home he agrees to bring her and pretend she is renting a room; only she will still be chained to the bed most of the time. He decides to allow her to join him and Cecilia for some meals and there Rachel finds kindness and the desire to live blooms again for the first time in years. At the same time, restaurant owner Emily sees a kindly, handsome Aidan who comes in for an occasional drink and thinks he may be the answer to her lonely dreams. Cecilia is missing her mother, not sure about Rachel and living a life tightly controlled by her father. What will happen to these women and girl and how will they survive Aiden?

The story is literary in nature and is different than most thrillers. It doesn't have crazy twists out of nowhere but deliberate plotting and I was so excited to read this I put everything aside and read it in one day. I did think Rachel and Emily seemed like the same person at times but I highly recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.