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A Novel
by Clémence Michallon
A pulse-pounding psychological thriller about a serial killer narrated by those closest to him: his 13-year-old daughter and his girlfriend—and the one victim he has spared.
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 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
"A dazzling debut thriller ... This is a smart, female-focused inversion of the serial killer thriller perfect for readers who otherwise wouldn't give the genre a second look." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"While a widowed man falls for a bartender, the woman he's held hostage for years plots her escape in this fast-paced thriller ... A twisted premise that raises unexpected moral questions." —Kirkus Reviews
"A brutal, sad, heartbreaking story focused on resilience and survival. Recommended for fans of true crime stories, Gillian Flynn, or Jessica Knoll." —Library Journal
"Nightmarish, nerve-jangling, and horrifying, this one is not for the fainthearted, but it's an explosive, utterly gripping read." —Booklist
"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
This information about The Quiet Tenant was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Clémence Michallon was born and raised near Paris. She studied journalism at City University of London, received a master's in Journalism from Columbia University, and has written for The Independent since 2018. Her essays and features have covered true-crime, celebrity culture, and literature. She moved to New York City in 2014 and recently became a US citizen. She now divides her time between New York City and Rhinebeck, NY.
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