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

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2023 Clémence Michallon (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • GMA BUZZ PICK • A LibraryReads #1 Pick

One of The Washington Post’s Notable Summer Books 2023

One of Vogue’s Best Books of 2023

One of Goodreads’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023

One of New York Post’s Best Summer Books

One of CrimeReads’ Most Anticipated Books of 2023

One of Apple’s Best Books of the Month–June 2023

"An expertly paced psychological thriller . . . with a white-knuckle climax."—The New York Times Book Review

“A gripping psychological suspense novel . . . Michallon’s riveting tale shows a killer through the eyes of the women in his life.”—The Washington Post

“Clémence Michallon has written a classic on her first try. The Quiet Tenant is a daring and completely satisfying . . . bravura feat of storytelling . . . Who in her right mind would attempt a novel utilizing the first, second, and third-person? And then have the skill to actually pull it off.”—James Patterson, #1 best-selling author

Authors Do Your Research!

The story was good overall.

However, if you write about something you are unfamiliar with (i.e. the military), please do your research.

The Marine Corps has no medical personnel. As they fall under the Department of the Navy, they use Naval Officers and Enlisted for these services. They ARE called Corpsmen (pronounced "coremen", not corpsemen), but they are Navy personnel, not Marines.

So if the serial killer in this story was a Marine, then he was NOT a Corpsman.

great writing and narration but plot not convincing

could a kidnap victim ever really think like this? I am not sure, but I doubt it

Addictive to the end

TW: it is understood and implied many times throughout the book that rape is taking place. Nothing graphic, but it is made clear what is happening.

That being said, this was a page turner to the very end. Twisty and keeps you guessing the entire time.

Pulse Pounding, Unique Thriller

Loved everything about this thriller from start to finish! Love the resilience of May and how smart she was. Aidan’s character was also unique in that he could be charming and diabolical at once. I also loved the authors use of words and descriptions!

Captures you from start to finish

From the beginning, you are drawn into the women who are in this serial killer’s life, only one of whom knows the monster he is. That being said, he’s also portrayed as a “ real person” not someone who others later claim” I always knew there was something odd about him. “Instead, the shock is real.

Heart wrenching

A fascinating book & told in an interesting literary style that kept me captivated until the end. I would recommend this book & the author!

Suspenseful but…

I definitely binge listened to this but was so very frustrated!
SPOILER ALERT:
She had so many opportunities to leave and didn’t 🤷‍♀️ I understand stockhold syndrome but even being left alone in the house and she didn’t try? It seemed not believable and the ending was kinda silly with the car crash and the chase.. would have liked to hear the daughters point of view at the end as well..
I recommend listening because it’s interesting and suspenseful. But certain parts are a little silly and unbelievable.

Empowered victim

This was the edge of your seat, thriller that was a lot of fun, and despite the violence, not too traumatizing, at least for me. The narration was well done. The reason it was not traumatizing is also the best part of the book: a victim, who refuses to be beat down and traumatized. While I have few criticisms, I did not like the Emily character as I found her over the top romanticizing hard to swallow and hard to believe for 20 something. That said, this was an excellent and very engaging listen. A perfect long flight sort of story and one that leaves you thinking about the nature of violence and the ability of humans to compartmentalization.

Unputdownable

I was immediately intrigued by this book and its characters. Around halfway through, chapter 35, I got extremely frustrated and my belief in the storyline faltered. Once I reached the end - I was fully back in it though, and the twist I despised made sense. A few unbelievable moments throughout, but overall riveting.

I found Emily to be so annoying, but the book was good

There were a few frustrating parts to the book, but I devoured it, so I guess that means it was entertaining.