The Quiet Tenant – Book Review

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED NOVELS OF 2023 – “A bravura feat of storytelling…a daring and completely satisfying mystery.” –James Patterson, #1 best-selling author

A PULSE-POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER NARRATED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM: HIS 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, HIS GIRLFRIEND–AND THE ONE VICTIM HE HAS SPARED.

“All…of the expected suspense and psychological tension, but offering a story about women—the ones who didn’t know the evil that lurked within, the ones who tried to placate or fight but still perished, the ones who might actually survive. Haunting but never prurient…truly unforgettable.” — Alafair Burke, author of The Wife

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.

This is the debut book of Clemence Michallon and is the most anticipated psychological thrillers. I managed to get a copy of Kindle and thought to give this book a try.

It does deserve to be the most anticipated psychological thriller but there are some hiccups that lowered my rating from a five star to a four star.

This is the story of three women centered about a single person–Aidan Thomas. To outsiders, Aidan is smart, handsome blue-eyed man and is respected by many. But inside, he holds a dark secret–he is a serial killer.

The three women are Rachel, Cecelia and Emily. Rachel, who we know her as “The Woman” as that’s not really her name has been held captive by Aidan and is one of those few lucky ones to be spared from murder. Cecelia is a thirteen-year-old daughter of Aidan and Emily is a restaurant owner who falls in love with Aidan. The story is told from these three women POV’s.

The writing was good and I have to say the author is a very talented writer. The plot of the story is really great–there were some gripping parts in the book. Reading Rachel’s POV was emotional and sad and I am glad that this is one of the books where we focus more on the victim and not on the killer (most of the times, we tend to forget the victims and glorify the serial killer). But there are ones that made me give this book lower to four stars. I did not like the character of Emily at all. I feel Emily is stalkerish, stalking after Aidan but maybe the author did that to give an air of feeling that Emily is going to find Aidan’s dark secret soon. The ending wasn’t so much great–even though I like how the author outlined Rachel (Rachel is the main protagonist here), I wish I know if Emily was intended to be the next victim of Aidan, or the potential to become the next wife of Aidan.

Overall, this book is fast-paced and will keep you hooked till the end–worth four stars!