A Book A Week

How well do you know your neighbors? The folks who live on either side of my house are always good for a wave or a quick chat, but I can't say I truly know them. I'm reminded of the countless news stories that we see where neighbors are shocked about the actions of the people living near them. Sentiments like "He was always such a nice guy" or "He was a quiet neighbor, never caused any problems" come to mind. The truth is we can never really know the people we choose to live by. In her debut English language novel The Quiet Tenant, French author Clémence Michallon explores the idea of the community everyman and the dark secrets he harbors. 

Aiden Thomas is a hardworking utility lineman, known in his upstate New York community as an all-around good guy. He's the kind of guy who will drop everything to help out a friend in need. Car won't start? Call Aiden. Has the freezer at your restaurant stopped cooling? Give Aiden a ring. Along with his wife and teenage daughter, Aiden has become a pillar in his local community. There's more to Aiden, however, than meets the eye. He isn't the man everyone thinks he is. If his secrets were to come out, the community would be appalled to know him. 

The woman in the shed has come up with a set of rules for staying alive. It is simple really. Do whatever he tells you, and you get to live. Anger him or go against what he says in any way, and you'll end up dead like the others. This is her reality, the life she's been forced to live for several years. He sneaks in food for her, a bucket to relieve herself, and books that belonged to the girls who came before her. He uses her body for his own primal pleasures. She lets him do what has to be done so that she can stay alive. Her life is completely at the mercy of this monster. This is the existence she has been resigned to, and there seems to be no way out. 

The Quiet Tenant is a shockingly impactful psychological thriller that had me glued to each page. I couldn't put this one down! Clémence Michallon writes from three unique perspectives that give a holistic view of her horror story. There's the voice of the imprisoned woman, desperate for escape but aware that there's little hope for the life she lived before. There's also the voice of Emily, the next woman targeted by the abductor, though she's completely unaware of his true intentions. Finally, there's the voice of the abductor's daughter, a child living with a monster. By combining the POV of these characters Michallon vividly builds the world where her story takes place, inviting us into the psyches of everyone involved. Only the abductor's perspective is omitted, giving him an air of mystery and uncertainty that drives much of the suspense in the novel. The characters and their stories culminate in a pulse-pounding conclusion that will have you breathlessly turning the pages. The Quiet Tenant is a fantastic thriller that should go to the top of your summer reading list. My thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy to review. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 32)