Blumhouse Acquires Rights to Clémence Michallon’s Debut Thriller, THE QUIET TENTANT

Blumhouse has closed on a significant book deal for Clémence Michallon’s debut thriller The Quiet Tenant, “an expertly paced psychological thriller…[with] a white-knuckle climax” (New York Times). The Quiet Tenant has taken the publishing world by storm with rights sold in thirty countries. Blumhouse Television will develop as a premium limited series or streaming movie. 

One of the most-anticipated novels of the year (IndieNext, GoodReads), The Quiet Tenant has just been published by Knopf in the U.S. and Abacus in the U.K. Hailed as “spell-binding” (Megan Abbott), “absolutely brilliant” (Brad Thor), “creepy, claustrophobic, and compelling” (Vogue), and a “tour de force of suspense and character” (The Big Thrill), the novel introduces author Clémence Michallon as an important new voice in the suspense genre.

“I read Clémence’s novel in one sitting and was riveted. The story has all the elements of a great screen adaptation,” said Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse.  

“Jason Blum is one of the most dynamic producers working today,” said Michallon, “with an enviable slate of motion picture and television credits, and every one of them has viewers tethered to the screen. His vision for bringing The Quiet Tenant to viewers is incredibly strong. I am thrilled he has taken an interest in my work and to be collaborating with him on this project.” 

Michallon will executive produce on the project.

The Quiet Tenant is a serial killer novel with a twist: one centering not on the murderer but on those impacted by his crimes. “Haunting but never prurient” (Alafair Burke), The Quiet Tenant is told solely through the perspectives of three women in the killer’s life: his daughter, his girlfriend, and the captive he has earmarked for death. Of the way she has chosen to tell this story, Michallon says: “I knew from the beginning that my serial killer would not get to speak. I’m a reporter by trade, so I took writing an authentic serial killer novel as a great responsibility. Since the serial killer here victimizes women, there was something important in the centering of female voices.”

A searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant promises to be one of the most talked-about novels of the year.

Michallon was represented in the deal by Ryan Wilson at Anonymous Content and Stephen Barbara at Inkwell Management.