On Your Mark, Get Set...
Run! Run! Get out of there! Geez... why doesn't she get the hell out of there? -- My brain at more than one point here...
Rachel is "The Quiet Tenant," a woman abducted and held prisoner for five years. Her captor, Aidan, is a respected widower whose thirteen-year-old daughter, Cecelia, has no clue Rachel is being held against her will, nor is she aware Dad is a serial killer. Here's an unconventional family.
The story is structured in an unusual manner-- switching first, second and third person narratives from chapter to chapter. It takes a little getting used to and may be jarring at first, but once you get onto the rhythm, it is really effective. We see Rachel's fragile mindset. We see short disturbing vignettes of victims in their last moments. We see Cecelia's blind love for her father and the unwillingness to recognize his villainy.
As things develop and Rachel seems to have the opportunity to make a break for it, patience is stretched, and her actions / inactions seem questionable. Clemence Michallon does supply us with insight into Rachel's fears and concerns, however. The goal of this type of thriller is for the tension to mount as the inevitable showdown arrives-- and the payoff here was well worthwhile. I found myself reading at a breakneck pace-- nothing was going to stop me from finishing as I sped into the finale. It really was a rush.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Run! Run! Get out of there! Geez... why doesn't she get the hell out of there? -- My brain at more than one point here...
Rachel is "The Quiet Tenant," a woman abducted and held prisoner for five years. Her captor, Aidan, is a respected widower whose thirteen-year-old daughter, Cecelia, has no clue Rachel is being held against her will, nor is she aware Dad is a serial killer. Here's an unconventional family.
The story is structured in an unusual manner-- switching first, second and third person narratives from chapter to chapter. It takes a little getting used to and may be jarring at first, but once you get onto the rhythm, it is really effective. We see Rachel's fragile mindset. We see short disturbing vignettes of victims in their last moments. We see Cecelia's blind love for her father and the unwillingness to recognize his villainy.
As things develop and Rachel seems to have the opportunity to make a break for it, patience is stretched, and her actions / inactions seem questionable. Clemence Michallon does supply us with insight into Rachel's fears and concerns, however. The goal of this type of thriller is for the tension to mount as the inevitable showdown arrives-- and the payoff here was well worthwhile. I found myself reading at a breakneck pace-- nothing was going to stop me from finishing as I sped into the finale. It really was a rush.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Aiden Thomas has a dark secret which he is hiding from his 13 year old daughter, Cecilia. He has Rachel imprisoned in the backyard shed. He is a kidnapper and serial killer. When Aiden's wife dies, they have to move after Rachel has been held for five years in the shed. When Emily, a local restaurant owner develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia's orbit dangerously coming close to discovering Aiden's secret. This book explores the psychological impact of Aiden's crimes on the women in his life and the strength to fight back. This book is an astute study of trauma, survival and the dynamic of power. It is an electrifying debut from Clemence Michallon. If you like suspense with your mysteries, then you will love this book. I'm hoping Clemence writes another book soon.
