Book Synopsis:
He took you and you have been his for five years. But you have been careful. Waiting for him to mess up. It has to be now.
Aidan Thomas is a hardworking family man and a respected member of his community. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and 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 where she fears 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 too, introducing her to Cecilia as a family friend who needs a place to stay. 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 drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life through the voices of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily – 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 by a major talent.
My Review:
The Quiet Tennant is a tense, absorbing and gripping read that was hard to put down.
The story is told from the point of view of the three women in Adrian’s life; his daughter, his lover and ‘Rachel’ the lady he kidnapped five years ago. I liked getting to know Aidan through the eyes of the three women and see how different he could be to each of them. The fact the reader knows about Rachel does make some of his interactions with the other ladies very intense as I wondered whether they would become another one of his victims. We also hear from Aidan’s other victim’s which I found quite chilling, especially the casual way key moments of his life are dropped into the description.
The psychological impact Aidan had on Rachel was heartbreaking to witness, especially as the reader becomes aware of how far reaching it was. I often found myself wishing I could jump into the book to give her a hug and support her in escaping. It made me so cross to realise how he played with her and I often found myself gasping out loud when this was revealed to her.
Overall I did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked psychological thrillers. The book does go a bit slower in the middle and I did find myself skim reading a few pages but it soon picked up, with the ending being incredibly tense. I’m glad the author continues the story a bit longer than expected as it was good to see how everything ended for all the characters.
This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. If you want a book that will steal your sleep and get inside your head than I highly recommend this one.
About The Author:
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.
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Love the sound of this one, fab review x
LikeLike