Literary Leftover Book Review: The Tenant by Freida McFadden

A psychological thriller with a male main character, but the question is, is Blake a good guy or a bad guy? The reader must follow repeated ups and downs and get past a few twists to be able to finally answer that question.

Author Freida McFadden has written psychological thrillers with twists that many readers can’t predict. This novel doesn’t disappoint. The back and forth of who to trust will leave you dizzy right until the very last page.

The Tenant by Freida McFadden

Literary Leftovers are book reviews and recommendations that do not contain recipes, but are books that I highly recommend.

The Tenant

by Freida McFadden

Outline and Tone:

A fast paced psychological thriller with narrators who may or may not be unreliable. And, of course, there are good twists. I review mysteries because that’s my favorite genre in books and when searching for a documentary; however, the vast majority of mystery thrillers that I read feature a female main character. Female main characters work for me because I can more easily relate to their thinking and decisions as compared to male main characters. As I immerse myself in a novel, I think about what I would have done (compared to the main character), or I learn lessons of what not to do the next time I find myself in jeopardy. Main character, Blake, starts the novel as a man who is very likable. He is someone who is not sexist or unethical. But still, I had trouble relating to him.

As the novel moves along, the main character begins to morph, and as a reader you will begin to question all of his actions. Deciding who is trustworthy and who is not trustworthy is a common plot progression for Freida McFadden novels. The Tenant takes this pattern to an even more complicated level. What makes the decision about who to trust is further complicated with a good twist or two or three!

As I read, I knew there had to be a twist as usual for Freida McFadden novels, I did not see it coming. For me, a surprising twist that I did not easily guess is a mark of an excellent mystery thriller.

Point of View:

The majority of the story is told through main character Blake Porter.

The Author: Freida McFadden

Freida Mc Fadden is a bestselling author according to several outlets, Amazon #1, New York Times, and USA Today just to name a few. Her website, https://www.freidamcfadden.com/ makes it clear that all of her books are available in paperback, audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited. While she is an independently published author, my library also has copies of her books so you can check with your local library and even request that they get copies if they don’t have them. Her website also has a merchandise store. Get your Freida won’t let me sleep shirt, sticker, coffee mug and more. She really has some clever items. Ms. McFadden has an active Facebook page, Twitter (X), and Instagram. Perhaps the best thing on her website are Discussion Questions for many of her books that you can use with your book club, or just to make you think.

What is not to like?:

The action is a slow build. I thought for sure I knew what was happening and it seemed as though it was taking a while for the action to get tense. But then I was wrong and as the twists began to reveal themselves the timing seemed perfect. Just hang in there if you think it is slow at the beginning.

The verdict:

This is another win for author Freida McFadden.

Book Statistics

The Tenant

by Freida McFadden

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars
Genres: Psychological thriller
Setting: Manhattan, NY
Pages: 368 pages
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback, Audio Book
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press (May 6, 2025)
Information Sources: Amazon, Goodreads, and Author’s website

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