The Quiet Tenant

A novel

By: Clémence Michallon

Narrated by: Gilli Messer, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohman, Amber Battaglia, Reba Buhr, Clémence Michallon, Jess Nahikian, Aure Nash, Milly Sanders, Sara Sheckells, Yu-Li Alice Shen

NATIONAL BEST SELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR • GMA BUZZ PICK • “A bravura feat of storytelling...daring and completely satisfying.” —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

"Intelligent and suspenseful." —Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

“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 New York 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 thirteen-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. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, 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.

Fantastic

This is a pulsating psychological thriller that had me hooked from the start. The multiple perspectives come together in a marvelous final act. The author paints a gothic and bucolic tableau of the New York Hudson Valley

mundane....

It was kind of boring and i kept having the feeling that something big was about to happen but just fizzled out every time all the way to the end and speaking of the end felt hurried....I felt like too many female voices and the killer needed to have a voice for bigger impact...

A thriller like no other

Just an amazing thriller/mystery. Full of depth, full of full characters, full of things not in other books

I think I enjoyed it? But..(spoilers)

I finished it. Clung to every word and waited for something smart or interesting or realistic to happen. The main character was so frustrating. She made stupid decisions. And why, even after realizing the truth about the father-daughter relationship- did she continue to try to drag the girl into the escape plan?

I really didn’t like Emily at all. Why did the story end with so much of Emily’s pov? Honestly, i mentally groaned every time the story switched to her POV. I didnt care at all about her perspective of things. Why did she feel so wounded? I understand being shocked, but I wanted more from the MC at the end. Why did we have to end the story with Emily getting closure from MC? It just frustrated me.

The narration was good. I liked getting other victim’s stories. But the majority of book was annoying. Somehow, I can still say I mostly enjoyed reading it. Just hated the ending. I would have preferred to get a glimpse into the MC telling her story; being free again: reuniting with her family; all of the steps she had to take to begin healing.

I could not stop listening !

Great book. Keep me on my feet ! Very dark, good pace and great character perspective !