The Quiet Tenant

Bookseller recommendation

“Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, Murder, Death of Parent. The author utilizes the perspectives of various characters to tell this twisty novel. Each character offers a unique insight to the life of a serial killer (Aiden), which often leaves the reader relating to his more caring side. This thread of the story also makes the character interaction with Aiden that much more terrifying. The writing style is darkly humorous and straight to the point. Several times throughout the novel the reader is left reeling from the decisions that each character makes which leaves you on the edge of your seat. What a great debut novel !”

— Kristen • Little Green Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“I was awed by Michallon's ability to create such vivid portraits of every character in this book, while keeping the tension so taught, I had to remind myself to breathe. The "family man with a dirty secret" trope is not new, but giving all the power of storytelling to the victims in the killer's sphere, was fresh. That in combination with Michallon's atmospheric writing make this a must-read thriller. ”

— Destinee • East City Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“It was pretty tempting to write a to-the-point, one-word review for this novel. That word would start with a capital F, end in a ‘ck’ and have a whole lot of U’s in the middle. But you're a reader, and I have a degree in English, so I’ll try to elaborate. I have read a lot of thrillers and mysteries in my life, but I have never read one that made my pulse rise to the point where it probably counted as exercise. You could probably actually track the entire novel on my fitness watch - stress, pulse, blood pressure - whatever the heck else it measures. It did this not just through cliff hangers and plot twists, but by making me care deeply about the characters - namely, the women who get to narrate this book - and never the brutal man who controls their orbits. The narrative structure of this book is a large part of what makes it so brilliant, like a Greek tragedy told only through the voices of its female chorus. Michallon has written a gorgeous, haunting, and at times terrifying novel, one that I would recommend not just for thriller fans but for literary readers as well. ”

— Rachel • The Book Table

Bookseller recommendation

“The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon is one of those thrillers that gets under your skin. It follows Aidan Thomas, a seemingly perfect guy - widowed, a great dad, well-liked in his small town. But he's actually a serial killer, and he's been keeping a woman captive in his shed for years. When he and his teenage daughter have to move, he brings her with him, introducing her as a tenant. As she carefully plays along, trying to survive and find a way out, tensions build, especially when another woman starts getting close to Aidan. It's intense, unsettling, and hard to pause!”

— Sara • Judging By The Cover

Bookseller recommendation

“The Quiet Tenant is a slow-burn thriller with many chapters written from the second-person point of view. It's pulse-pounding and haunting; once you start, it's impossible to stop reading. The cast did a wonderful job narrating this book. ”

— Caitlin • Grimsby Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Intriguing thriller, told from the perspective of women the killer lives with or has encountered. I liked it and was invested all the way throughout. I listened on Libro.fm! Quite a cast!”

— Melanie • The Well-Read Moose

Bookseller recommendation

“The Quiet Tenant is dark, disturbing, and fabulous! Recently widowed, Aiden Thomas is beloved by everyone in the small town he lives in with his 13-year-old daughter. He is also a serial killer and a kidnapper. Rachel has been kept captive in his backyard shed for five years. She knows he has killed his other victims but also knows she is doing something right to still be alive. The story is told from the perspective of the three women currently in his life (and snippets from each of his victims). They are Rachel, his current captive, Cecelia, his daughter, and Emily a local restaurant owner and his current love interest or perhaps the next victim. You are kept on the edge of your seat trying to understand what might happen. Has Stockholm syndrome affected Rachel, so she won’t try and escape or is she just being smart and cautious? Will Cecelia finally rebel against her father’s rules and strictness and see him as he really is? Will Emily end up as just another victim? Reminiscent of Emma Donahue’s Room it is a look at true depravity and how easy it is to hide it. It is also a look at the strength of a woman who wants a chance to have the life she should be living. ”

— Nancy • Fiction Addiction