Blake Porter is riding high, until he’s not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he’s desperate to make ends meet.
Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She’s exactly what Blake’s looking for. Or is she?
Because something isn’t quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets…
Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it’ll be far too late. The trap is already set.
The Tenant is an addictive psychological thriller that explores betrayal, revenge, and the dangers of living with strangers. Set in NYC, the story follows Blake Porter, a successful VP of marketing, who seems to have it all: a promising career, a beautiful fiancée named Krista, and an upscale brownstone in Manhattan. However, his world crumbles when he’s abruptly fired, leaving him scrambling to pay mortgage bills. At Krista’s urging, they decide to rent out a spare bedroom. After meeting potential tenants, they choose Whitney Cross, a charming waitress who’s ready to move in immediately. But soon after her arrival, unsettling occurrences happen in the house: inexplicable odors, night noises, and Blake develops a chronic skin rash. As Blake’s paranoia intensifies, he questions whether Whitney is an eccentric tenant or a threat to his safety.
What makes this thriller fresh is McFadden’s choice to center the narrative around a male protagonist. Blake remains the main character for the majority of the narrative, but the book is broken into 3 parts with additional POVs from Krista and Whitney, offering different interpretations of what’s unfolding and surprises readers won’t be expecting. From Blake’s POV, he is depicted as anxious and emotionally charged. Even though he’s not overly developed, readers get enough insight into his backstory and bold personality to understand his motivations—he desperately wants to get his life back on track and marry Krista. He often speaks without thinking and offends others without intending to—most notably Whitney but also his boss, Krista, and his elderly neighbor! His relationship with Whitney quickly goes downhill once strange things start happening, and their many confrontational scenes add a lot of drama and intrigue to the story. As he makes one bad decision after another, it becomes increasingly difficult to empathize with him—until things get dangerously out of control and he’s in real trouble!
Most of the story takes place in the brownstone, which becomes a character in its own right. With Whitney living on the third floor, just above Blake and Krista, and strange occurrences happening all over the place, the home becomes an eerie, claustrophobic setting filled with secrets. True to McFadden’s style, the story is fast-paced and full of unexpected twists that will keep readers guessing. The only complaint with this story, compared to McFadden’s top books, is that some of the major reveals come too early. While there are some smaller twists later on, they are quite predictable. In addition, the final epilogue, which typically offers a “final-nail-in-the-coffin” reveal or an open-ended interpretation, falls flat here. Fortunately, the highly addictive drama and compelling dialogue still make this story highly entertaining overall.
What many readers appreciate in Freida’s books are the straightforward, uncluttered writing and engrossing dialogue. Her books have become a quick dose of pure entertainment for many readers, and her ability to offer multiple titles a year keeps her fans always excited for what’s coming next! Her books are some of the best palate cleansers around because of the addictive nature of her stories! If you’re in a reading slump, this book is a great option to pick up right away!
Overall, The Tenant is a fresh and captivating psychological thriller that readers can easily binge-read. While seasoned thriller readers may find the twists predictable and the ending to fall somewhat short, the story still offers a fast-paced, addictive narrative with compelling characters. Fans of McFadden’s previous books and those who enjoy propulsive popcorn thrillers with multiple twists will find this a worthy read!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Tenant is a gripping, unstoppable listen voiced by award-winning narrators Will Damron and Christine Lakin! Will Damron performs the majority of the narration as protagonist Blake Porter, using a clear and commanding voice infused with anger, frustration, and tension—perfectly mirroring a character whose life is upended and who becomes increasingly paranoid as strange occurrences happen in his home. The dialogue scenes between Blake and Whitney are some of the most entertaining scenes, as Damron maximizes all the engrossing drama and makes the heated tension between the characters very palpable. Damron also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including very convincing voices for Blake’s elderly, angry neighbor and Whitney’s mother, giving the feel of a multicast listen. When Blake’s circumstances become increasingly dire towards the end, Damron elevates his performance with additional hysteria in his tone, and listeners will be holding on to every word!
Christine Lakin performs the POVs of Krista and Whitney/Amanda using a myriad of emotions and an abundance of dramatic flair. Most of the major plot twists unfold through these characters’ actions and revealing dialogue, and Lakin maximizes the dramatic effect and entertainment value for listeners, especially during the final high-stakes confrontational scenes!
Overall, McFadden’s fast-paced, gripping writing, coupled with two outstanding narrator performances, makes this audiobook an unstoppable listen that readers can easily binge in a single day. It’s a must-listen for fans of McFadden’s previous books and for audiobook enthusiasts who love addictive popcorn thrillers with high drama and multiple twists!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Tenant is a gripping, unstoppable listen voiced by award-winning narrators Will Damron and Christine Lakin! Will Damron performs the majority of the narration as protagonist Blake Porter, using a clear and commanding voice infused with anger, frustration, and tension—perfectly mirroring a character whose life is upended and who becomes increasingly paranoid as strange occurrences happen in his home. The dialogue scenes between Blake and Whitney are some of the most entertaining scenes, as Damron maximizes all the engrossing drama and makes the heated tension between the characters very palpable. Damron also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including very convincing voices for Blake’s elderly, angry neighbor and Whitney’s mother, giving the feel of a multicast listen. When Blake’s circumstances become increasingly dire towards the end, Damron elevates his performance with additional hysteria in his tone, and listeners will be holding on to every word!
Christine Lakin performs the POVs of Krista and Whitney/Amanda using a myriad of emotions and an abundance of dramatic flair. Most of the major plot twists unfold through these characters’ actions and revealing dialogue, and Lakin maximizes the dramatic effect and entertainment value for listeners, especially during the final high-stakes confrontational scenes!
Overall, McFadden’s fast-paced, gripping writing, coupled with two outstanding narrator performances, makes this audiobook an unstoppable listen that readers can easily binge in a single day. It’s a must-listen for fans of McFadden’s previous books and for audiobook enthusiasts who love addictive popcorn thrillers with high drama and multiple twists!
The audiobook of The Tenant is a gripping, unstoppable listen voiced by award-winning narrators Will Damron and Christine Lakin! Will Damron performs the majority of the narration as protagonist Blake Porter, using a clear and commanding voice infused with anger, frustration, and tension—perfectly mirroring a character whose life is upended and who becomes increasingly paranoid as strange occurrences happen in his home. The dialogue scenes between Blake and Whitney are some of the most entertaining scenes, as Damron maximizes all the engrossing drama and makes the heated tension between the characters very palpable. Damron also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including very convincing voices for Blake’s elderly, angry neighbor and Whitney’s mother, giving the feel of a multicast listen. When Blake’s circumstances become increasingly dire towards the end, Damron elevates his performance with additional hysteria in his tone, and listeners will be holding on to every word!
Christine Lakin performs the POVs of Krista and Whitney/Amanda using a myriad of emotions and an abundance of dramatic flair. Most of the major plot twists unfold through these characters’ actions and revealing dialogue, and Lakin maximizes the dramatic effect and entertainment value for listeners, especially during the final high-stakes confrontational scenes!
Overall, McFadden’s fast-paced, gripping writing, coupled with two outstanding narrator performances, makes this audiobook an unstoppable listen that readers can easily binge in a single day. It’s a must-listen for fans of McFadden’s previous books and for audiobook enthusiasts who love addictive popcorn thrillers with high drama and multiple twists!
