‘Clémence Michallon has written a classic’ James Patterson
‘Beautifully written, entirely convincing and relentlessly gripping … so brilliantly told, with characters so plausible and compelling, that I was hooked until the last word’ Sophie Hannah
‘Wonderful’ Robert Gold
‘Gripping’ Daily Express
‘A brilliant, breathtaking thriller’ Abigail Dean, bestselling author of Girl A
Aidan Thomas is a hardworking family man respected by his local town. He’s the kind of man who always has a good word for everyone. He’s also a kidnapper and serial killer who has murdered eight women. And there’s a ninth, a woman he calls Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed.
When Aidan’s wife dies, he’s forced to move and has no choice but to bring Rachel too. He knows that after five years of captivity, Rachel is too frightened of the consequences to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and a survivor. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
A searing, unputdownable thriller about trauma, and survival.
Read what everyone’s saying about The Quiet Tenant:
‘Wow what a book…All you thriller lovers need to get this in your baskets and read it NOW!’ Five star reader review
‘It was beautifully written, the characters felt like real people and I loved the ‘rules’. It reminded me so much of Room by Emma Donoghue’ Five star reader review
‘I was totally gripped’ Five star reader review
‘Overall, I was completely gripped by this high stakes thriller – it’s a creepy and unsettling read that had me hooked’ Five star reader review
‘Wow, this was a completely mind-blowing read, I didn’t want to put it down. There was so much tension as you waited for Rachel to get her possible moment to escape’ Five star reader review
‘Beautifully written, entirely convincing and relentlessly gripping … so brilliantly told, with characters so plausible and compelling, that I was hooked until the last word’ Sophie Hannah
‘Wonderful’ Robert Gold
‘Gripping’ Daily Express
‘A brilliant, breathtaking thriller’ Abigail Dean, bestselling author of Girl A
Aidan Thomas is a hardworking family man respected by his local town. He’s the kind of man who always has a good word for everyone. He’s also a kidnapper and serial killer who has murdered eight women. And there’s a ninth, a woman he calls Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed.
When Aidan’s wife dies, he’s forced to move and has no choice but to bring Rachel too. He knows that after five years of captivity, Rachel is too frightened of the consequences to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and a survivor. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
A searing, unputdownable thriller about trauma, and survival.
Read what everyone’s saying about The Quiet Tenant:
‘Wow what a book…All you thriller lovers need to get this in your baskets and read it NOW!’ Five star reader review
‘It was beautifully written, the characters felt like real people and I loved the ‘rules’. It reminded me so much of Room by Emma Donoghue’ Five star reader review
‘I was totally gripped’ Five star reader review
‘Overall, I was completely gripped by this high stakes thriller – it’s a creepy and unsettling read that had me hooked’ Five star reader review
‘Wow, this was a completely mind-blowing read, I didn’t want to put it down. There was so much tension as you waited for Rachel to get her possible moment to escape’ Five star reader review
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Reviews
Clémence Michallon has written a classic on her first try. The Quiet Tenant is a daring and completely satisfying mystery; a one-of-a-kind; a bravura feat of storytelling
The Quiet Tenant seethes with male anger and aggression and yet its beating heart is about the strength of women and our ability to survive. I was desperate to find out what happened to Rachel and all the characters because I was so invested. Beautifully written and observed
A gripping psychological suspense novel.. Michallon's riveting tale shows a killer through the eyes of the women in his life
I loved this book so much. So disturbing but so beautifully written. Clemence Michallon is an author to watch out for...Truly outstanding
Dark and juicy...like Emma Donohue's Room, the novel takes this creepy and claustrophobic premise and spins a paradoxically expansive plot from it, told from the perspective of his victim, his daughter, and a local restaurant owner
A brutal, sad, heartbreaking story focused on resilience and survival. Recommended for fans of true crime stories, Gillian Flynn, or Jessica Knoll
Stunning. Terrifying. Impossible to put down. A remarkable achievement
Immersive from page one, thrilling, at times unbearably tense, intelligent, electrifying and moving. I loved it
I was pulled in from the very first page. The plot was masterful, the many threads honed and pulled taut kept me turning pages. I loved the dynamic between the protagonist and victims, which is very truthful and powerfully told...Extraordinarily accomplished
The Quiet Tenant is an absolutely brilliant, incredibly delicious, edge-of-your-set thriller. Imagine Jodi Picoult meets Jeffery Deaver and then watch as Clémence Michallon exceeds every one of your expectations. She's that good. The book is that good. And the ending is a killer!
This impressive debut follows the escape plan of a woman held captive in plain sight by an outwardly respectable serial killer
Breathtakingly brilliant. I tore through it and was absolutely hooked from the first chapter. It tells us so much about how gender works in our society, about power dynamics in relationships and what can lie behind the illusion of a good husband, father and neighbour. An absorbing and addictive psychological thriller - I couldn't put it down
Clémence Michallon's The Quiet Tenant is a spell-binding Trojan horse of a novel, bracing and beguiling. A dangerous man and his unforgivable crimes are its seeming center but, in Michallon's nimble hands, the novel soon reveals itself to be a story of female strength, cunning, depth and power
Nightmarish, nerve-jangling, and horrifying, this one is not for the fainthearted, but it's an explosive, utterly gripping read
Clemence Michallon has managed to re-imagine the serial killer novel, delivering all (and frankly, more) 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, The Quiet Tenant is truly unforgettable. Read it
From the first page, you can say farewell to sleep, conversation, Netflix. This is Room meets Notes on an Execution, a brilliant, breathtaking thriller with characters you love - and love to hate. I didn't know whether to tear to the end or savour every page
The tension in The Quiet Tenant grips from the very first page. The novel's emotional intensity never lets go, keeping hold until the very last page...Wonderful
Cleverly constructed, well written and harrowing in the extreme from the very first page, this is an unforgettable debut. If this is a first novel, what's the next going to be like? I dread to think - literally. Congratulations to Clémence Michallon, queen of the psychological thriller. We'll be waiting
A nail-biting terror of a read, slowly revealing how Rachel, already a little bit broken, ended up where she did....And then following as her courage incrementally ratchets up, as brainwashed and terrified, she starts to eye, and then discard, her opportunities to escape. I finished it at very high speed, heart pounding, absolutely loving it
I can recommend The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon. The story of a male serial killer called Aidan Thomas is told from multiple perspectives, in a way that centres the female voices of his victims. It's a pacy thriller and a sharp study of survival
Extraordinary and utterly original... Michallon has created a modern masterpiece. I can't wait to read what she does next!
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
In this dazzling debut thriller from journalist Michallon, handsome Hudson Valley family man Aidan Thomas has a ghastly secret in his shed - and even worse ones hidden elsewhere...The ensuing match of wits and wills between Rachel and Aidan becomes almost excruciating in Michallon's skillful hands, and as challenging as the going can get, it's impossible to look away from. 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
An expertly paced psychological thriller...with a white-knuckle climax
A beautifully written, entirely convincing and relentlessly gripping novel, featuring a protagonist in captivity. She's been kidnapped and taking prisoner by a serial killer, and her only mission is to stay alive long enough to find a way to escape. This isn't a mystery puzzle novel, so I'm surprised that I loved it as much as I did, because usually I like to be able to solve a mystery (or cheer on the solving of one) when I'm reading crime fiction, but this tale is so brilliantly told, with characters so plausible and compelling, that I was hooked until the last word
A mystery that is at once riveting and heartrending, The Quiet Tenant is a sharply insightful look at what it means to live and love as a woman in this harrowing world. It is truly extraordinary
This slow-burning but gripping novel stands out in the overcrowded "women held prisoner" genre
I am in awe of Clémence Michallon's talent. The Quiet Tenant is a heart-racing thriller but also a beautiful work about survival, sacrifice and the responsibility we bear to others...Breathtaking
The Quiet Tenant is a humane thriller, one that doesn't shy from asking the most difficult questions of its characters and its readers, and dares, ultimately, hopeful answers. Intelligent and suspenseful, I couldn't stop turning the pages
In a small American town, single dad Aidan is regarded as a good guy, but he is hiding a secret - he is a serial killer and kidnapper, and is holding a woman captive in his shed. A chilling depiction of evil