By: Clemence Michallon
Goodreads description:
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
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.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓
I love a serial killer book! Is this ripped from the headlines of the Gilgo Beach killer- maybe? This one is definitely a slow burn. I hate that the man has all of the control in this story although he is a kind of relatable psychopath. You will be rooting for Rachel to escape the entire novel. The ending is spectacular!
Holly says:🤓🤓🤓🤓1/4
I thought this book was great! I am not sure what that says about me, as this is a very intense and compelling psychological thriller about a kidnapper/serial killer and the women who are around him – all who are his victims in one way or another. Most compelling is how he struggles to keep his “lives” separate, but can’t stop himself from bringing them all together – part of his pathological games and control. You will keep reading because you feel so badly for his victim, Rachel (not really Rachel), and you longingly ache for her escape, but you also identify with her crushing, almost immobilizing fear when potential possibilities (or are they really possibilities) for escape arise. You can feel the mind-numbing effects of being under the total control of a complete psychopath, and when you know what he has done to others, the main goal is to stay alive. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, I think this is one of the best! It is very original, and the only book that I find at all similar is Room. If you are not a fan of psychological thrillers, you might want to try something else, this one is very intense.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 