Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and Knopf #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Quiet Tenant in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Knopf / Random House Audio
Published: June 20, 2023
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
This is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the year and I love that it’s a debut novel! I know I’m going to be rereading it at some point and I will be recommending it to everyone, though I know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea…but for those who love thrillers and books like Room or Notes on an Execution, this is a must-read!
In a word, this book is unsettling and dark but so well executed! I love serial killer stories but this one is just so different from all the other ones I’ve read so far in that it’s not told from the serial killer’s point of view. Rather, we have a story told from the female perspectives of those closest to him – one of his captives, his daughter, and a new love interest, and a few of the women he has killed. It is through these voices that we learn about him and I found this structure to be so compelling.
I think the quote at the opening of the book really says so much about what Aidan is all about:
“Alas! Who does not know that these gentle wolves are of all such creatures the most dangerous!” — Charles Perrault, Little Red Riding Hood
To the neighbors in his small upstate town, Aidan is a normal guy, living a quiet life, but he hides quite an unimaginable secret, one he is willing to do anything to keep hidden. He even manages to keep this secret from his own daughter. Reading about him, it’s hard not to get chills, wondering if and when he is going to be found out. But equally terrifying is reading about his captive, Rachel and how she has managed to stay alive all this time. Why hasn’t he killed her? And now that they have had to move and he has Rachel living in the same house as his daughter, how can he keep this charade up without Cecilia figuring out what is really going on?
The further I got into this book, the more unsettled I became. It is a slow-burn at first that builds in tension and suspense. I had a hard time putting this one down and haven’t stopped thinking about this one since I finished reading it. If this is your type of book, go get it and let me know what you think!!!
Audio thoughts:
I’m so glad I was able to get my hands on the audio version of this book – it’s narrated by a full cast, including the author herself for a small part! I love full cast narrations and this one was one of the better ones I’ve listened to. The narrators – Gilli Messer, Elena Rey, Valeri Rose Lohman, Amber Battaglia, Reba Buhr, Clemence Michallon, Jess Nahiklan, Aure Nash, Milly Sanders, Sara Sheckells, Yu-Li Alice Shen – all did a fantastic job bringing this story to life and I loved that the author herself had a part in this audio, even if it was just a small one!
