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.
The Quiet Tenant was a good book, but it wasn't the heart-pounding thriller that I was hoping. Instead, it was quietly tragic. I ached for Rachel and Cecilia and I was desperate for Emily to not get entangled with Aidan. I got frustrated with Rachel when she did not take advantage of opportunities to leave. I struggled to be empathetic, knowing that five years of abuse and brainwashing is hard to undo. By the time I got to the end of the book, it felt overdue.
Final thoughts - I understand why some put it on their "Best of 2023" list, but I would not give it that honor. It was good, not great.
- Title: The Quiet Tenant
- Author: Clemence Michallon
- Pages: 320
- Publication Date: 6/20/2023
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