Freida McFadden The Tenant book is a psychological thriller novel that was published May 6, 2025. The Tenant, primarily follows the POV of Blake. This thriller book is unique for McFadden as this is her first novel with the main character being a male. If you love psychological thriller books with a twist, be sure to add this book to your reading list.
Psychological thriller books have unreliable narrators and play mind games with other characters in the book and even the readers. They are books that make you as a reader second guess everything. Just when you believe you uncovered the truth, an unreliable narrator might throw you for a loop. Often times, one or more characters is struggling with an internal battle or is mentally unstable. Finally, a great psychological thriller book will have you on the edge of your seat, anticipating the jaw dropping plot twist. If you love being fooled by books while having those jaw dropping moments, be sure to check out The Tenant by Freida McFadden.
In this post, you will read about Freida McFadden The Tenant book which may contain some spoilers. You will read about the book synopsis, a book review, and get some discussion questions for your book club.
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This post is all about The Tenant Book by Freida McFadden.
Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller author known for her unpredictable plot twists and gripping storylines. If you are looking for a new thriller author to add to your reading list, be sure to add her to your reading list.
If you are a Freida Reada, be sure to check out this related post.
Book Summary:
The Tenant is a psychological thriller book that follows the story of Blake Porter. Blake has what some may consider a picture perfect life. He has a high paying job as a VP of marketing. Blake has a gorgeous fiancé whom he adores and they live in the most beautiful Brownstone in Manhattan. Blake’s world comes crashing down when he suddenly gets fired from his job. Also, not only did he get fired, but he feels as though he is being framed. He claims he did not do what they are accusing him of.
Since Blake is now unemployed and in desperate need of money, him and his fiancé decide to get a tenant. As a result, the couple places an ad that they are seeking a tenant. This is the solution to their problems. Or so they thought… In the interview, Whitney (the tenant) is literally perfect in every way. She is exactly what they are looking for. However, as time progresses, strange occurrences begin to happen.
Everyone in this thriller book has a secret. The question is, who’s secrets will be exposed? Is Whitney out to get Blake and his fiancé? Also, the biggest question is why?
If you love a thriller book with twists, secrets, lies, and multiple POV’s be sure to add this to your To Be Read.
SPOILER ALERT: The below section contains Spoilers of the book.
Welcome to book talk! A place to discuss books after you read them. This post contains spoiler alerts if you have not read the book already. This post is intended for after you finish the book or a refresher. Let’s talk books! 🙂
Book Talk | Discussion Questions
The below contains questions for your own book club. Please leave some comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts on this novel.
Do you believe that the ending is open to a sequel or prequel?
This book would be an amazing prequel. Readers are typically curious about the “villain” in the book. Krista AKA The real Whitney for sure has a dark past. Krista’s mom alluded to the fact that she had a troubled childhood. The fact that her mother was in fear for Blake’s life speaks volumes. A prequel that allowed the reader to get an inside look into Krista’s childhood would make for a gripping psychological thriller book.
Did you predict any plot twists?
No, this was a book that completely took me by surprise. The entire time the way the book is written leads you to believe that Blake and/or the tenant are the villains. Between Blake being a cheater and getting fired from his job, it was possible he is an unreliable narrator. However, the twist with Krista’s hidden identity and her plot for revenge, this was a recipe to have readers want to re-read every page from the beginning. This was a brilliantly written book if you love those jaw dropping book moments.
Do you believe Blake got his karma?
This is a tough question. On one hand, Blake was in the wrong for cheating and lying; however, what happened to him was extreme. The fact that Krista was attempting to frame him for murder was too much. She should have confronted him or maybe messed with his head a bit. However, if Krista did not go to the extreme’s that she did, this would not make for the jaw dropping plot twists or a psychological thriller. In books, it is beneficial to have unhinged characters.
Book Adaptation
At the time of this post, there is discussion of The Tenant being adapted into a film. Indeed it is always fun to picture your favorite book come to life for the big screen. Adaptations done well are a treat as a reader. Do you enjoy reading the book first or film adaptation?
Here is what we know:
First of all, the book is being adapted into a movie by Amazon MGM Studios. Freida McFadden is involved in the adaptation as an executive producer, like The Housemaid adaptation. However, there are limited details as the adaptation is in the early stages. Hopefully additional information will be released soon for the adaptation of this book. However, this is an excellent time to read the book if you love reading prior to an adaptation.
If there was an adaptation, who would you choose to cast?
Firstly, this is a tough question for this one! But, the casting for Blake would be someone in their early to mid 30’s that is good looking. The age range is because Blake is in his early 30’s and someone at the VP level is typically 30+. Tall, dark, and handsome are always what come to mind when thinking about executives. Next, Krista could be an actress that looks innocent and sweet but knows how to turn it on and off. Additionally, Whitney would likely look similar to Krista since she stole her identity. Also, the persona would be similar to Whitney with her being innocent. The innocence would be the way to convince the audience that you cannot tell whom the true villain is.
While the book does describe the characters, sometimes it is nice for the movie adaptation to change the appearance slightly. As a reader, sometimes you might have an image of a character in your mind even if they were described in detail.
Please drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Similar Authors
Did you love this book and are looking for similar thriller authors? Some thriller authors with a similar writing style or plots to Freida McFadden are, Jennifer Hillier, Alice Feeney, John Marrs, and Mary Kubica. These thriller authors know how to grab the readers attention and have jaw dropping moments throughout their books. Be sure to add them to your reading list if you have not yet read any books by them. Also, if you are looking for the most up to date book reviews book recommendations, and book talk, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest.
Specific thriller books that you might enjoy based on the aforementioned authors are as follows:
- Keep It In The Family by John Marrs
- Local Girl Missing by Mary Kubica
- His & Hers by Alice Feeney
- Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Overall Rating
How would you rate the book?
To summarize, this thriller book is a solid five stars out of five. I might be slightly biased since McFadden is my all time favorite thriller author. If you follow me on Instagram or have been following this blog, is it easy to figure out. 🙂 Nevertheless, this book is gripping, jaw dropping, and has an unexpected plot twist. Freida McFadden’s writing style grabs the readers attention within the first chapter. In conclusion, the multiple POV’s and the fact that Blake has some enemies make for an amazing psychological thriller book.
What are your thoughts on this book? Drop some comments below.
Happy reading! xx
This post was all about The Tenant Book by Freida McFadden. The post gave a summary of the thriller book, book talk including book adaptation, and similar author recommendations. Additionally, the post has some discussion questions which are great for a book club. These questions are meant to generate conversation if this book is chosen to be read in your book club.
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