Wow! This is a gripping psychological thriller which affirms all of my worst suspicions about smart technology, to the point that I wanted to call out on more than one occasion saying ‘see, what have I always said’. Let’s just say it has done nothing to persuade me that I need an Alexa in my life.
I was led to this book by the author, having enjoyed his other books....this is nothing like either of the other two! That said, the writing is superb, the setting familiar and the subject matter truly believable.
Set in and around Camden one snowy winter with more than a nod to Sylvia Plath, we follow a few short months in the life of Jo who is being tormented by her ‘assistants’. Her father killed himself when she was young and she therefore seriously questions whether she is simply destined to inherit his genes and be consumed by schizophrenia as he was.
The story is terrifyingly believable and I was kept guessing until the very end, my suspicions of whodunnit constantly changing. There are tragic and very serious threads to this tale which examines mental health and abuse on different levels and from different perspectives.
One word to sum up? Gripping....I found it hard to put down and am still thinking about it several days after finishing it.

Interesting idea. Sub-par execution.

BUT I am not a fan of the 'technological thriller' and that has truly been cemented for me now so I promise not to request any more ARCs in this sub-genre.

This book certainly twists reality in a scarily realistic way in this book about Artificial Intelligence.
Using devices similar to the likes of Alexa the main character becomes scared to live in her own home. What follows is an intriguing story in which Jo tries to figure out just who wants to terrify her so much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I am a huge fan of this author and I was extremely excited to be approved for this title. I found the author's previous books deliciously spooky. This book was rather different to the other books but still really enjoyable. It kept me guessing and I was never quite certain about what would happen next.

This is quite simply a good psychological thriller and I am eagerly awaiting the author's next book.

A cracker. I was a bit sceptical at first having recently read another book about the assistant devices going rogue but this was on a whole other level. I devoured this book in a day. Definitely recommended.

A techno-thriller for the modern age. When newly-divorced Jo moves into the spare room of her best friend's luxury hi-tech flat, she is terrified when the home assistant "Electra" turns on her. Felt this book took too long to get going but an interesting concept.

What a really great read, had me hooked from the beginning and I struggled to put it down, a great idea for a novel and these days probably not far off something like this happening, very scary to think

Now this book really had me thinking. And a bit too much, if I'm honest. It would make a great TV programme which I know I and many others would be glued to.

My first book by this author - and what a creepy one. I wasn't sure at first where the story was going - part big brother - part psychological thriller. I couldn't warm to the main character I have to say but I wasn't expecting the ending. A dark tale which makes you think.

I really enjoyed the story. I assumed "The Assistant" was going to be a woman who would reveal herself to be unhinged and crazy not an Alexa/smart speaker machine.
It goes to show - not to judge a book by it's cover.
Not sure whether I'd want to own an Alexa or not after reading this book.

I totally loved this novel, really creepy and shows you how just how much control technology has! I loved the main character and I loved the storyline, never one across a storyline similar to this and really enjoyed it, there was some good twists and turns and the pace was fairly fast. Seriously great read which I devoured in two sittings! Can’t wait for mire from the author, go buy it you won’t be disappointed 😃

I read and loved S.K. Tremayne's first thriller "The Ice Twins" so I was excited to read THE ASSISTANT. But while the premise promised a disturbing tale at the hands of a Home Assistant, I found it slow and drawn out and relatively unexciting. I was disappointed because the concept of such a thing happening was unique to this type of book despite the very real danger of it occurring through cyber attacks.

I guess I must be in the minority as many people have enjoyed it, so maybe I will come back to it at a later time when my TBR list is reduced.

In this new age of technology where homes are now becoming "smart homes" hooked up to wireless smart technology that can turn the lights on, the heating, the cooling as well as give you any information you request just by simply asking it a question, THE ASSISTANT takes this to a whole new level.

The story begins with Jo, recently divorced from Simon, who now shares her best friend's flat in an exclusive area of London practically rent-free. The flat has been set up as a smart home with various devices known as Home Assistants to maintain the various appliances and ambiance of the home. Jo thought that when she moved in that she would get to spend more time with Tabitha but her friend is very rarely home - either travelling for her job or staying over at her fiance's place in another exclusive London suburb. Leaving Jo home alone and feeling rather lonely.

Jo begins to chat with "Electra", the Home Assistant, just to hear another voice and for some company. When Electra begins to randomly speak without being prompted, Jo begins to wonder if the system is malfunctioning. But when the Assistant reveals "I know what you did", going on to detail a secret buried so deep from her past, Jo fears that her past has back to haunt her. Only two people in the world know what happened - Tabitha and Simon - and neither of them would break her confidence. Would they?

Simon was incredibly hurt when she had her affair and ended their marriage but he is now living happily with Paula and a new baby. There would be no need for him to expose her secret...would there? Tabitha's fiance works in IT so it would be easy enough for him to hack the system...but would Tabitha really betray her?

The book is incredibly slow to start with that I honestly could not finish it. The first three chapters are spent with Jo monologuing pathetically about her life, missing sex, the doom of her career and setting up an internet dating profile. She spends two chapters filling out the first details before deciding to go for a walk, where she continues her monologue of depressing perspectives before returning home to continue with her profile. By the end of the third chapter she's only got as far as adding a profile picture whilst dissecting the message she may or may not be conveying in it, and how desperate she must sound. Who spends two hours to ponder three basic questions?? Bleh! By this point, I am screaming "OMG woman! Get a life!"...and not an internet one.

But one thing is for sure. Jo is bored. Talking to Electra provides her with company as well as something to do...so when Electra started with her random revelation of secrets I though "now it gets interesting!" But no. It just went back to Jo's incessant monologuing while I felt like gouging my eyes out. That was the perfect opportunity to up the ante and make it interesting!

Maybe I gave up too early as others have said it picks up about a third of the way through - which to me is far too long for a book to become intriguing. I was so disappointed. This concept is a thrilling one that I would have loved to explore but Jo just drove me barmy! She isn't the only person to get divorced or be lonely. I felt like yelling "Grab a book and lose yourelf to fiction!" It's what I would do. You're never alone when you have a good book for company.

While Jo begins to question her sanity (which I had done long ago), she recalls her father's suicide after a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Her mother assured her is wasn't genetic, but that's crap, because schizophrenia has a very significant genetic component of around 80%, usually manifesting itself in mid to late 20s or early 30s. Just about Jo's age. Her own recollections of her father from that dark time was a combination of a the loving father she remembered and a frightening version of himself after the TV had begun talking to him. The similarities are not lost on Jo. It wasn't a TV this time, but a Home Assistant. Was she showing signs of schizophrenia just as her father had? Or is being alone so much playing with her mind? Or is someone playing a cruel game and trying to scare her?

Despite my misgivings, THE ASSISTANT has a sinister and creepy atmosphere set during one of the coldest winters London has seen. It has that claustrophobic feel that traps you because there is no escape outdoors in the cold and there's none inside from Electra either. It is almost suffocating...had I already not died of boredom with Jo's depressing monologue.

THE ASSISTANT does provide an element of tension throughout, no doubt culminating towards the end. Sadly I didn't make it that far. I would have loved to see how it all ended up and while I did flick through to the end to see who or what was behind it, I did discover that piece of truth...but it didn't make much sense to me having not read the rest of the book. As I said...I just may well come back to it.

I have to say that short snappy chapters may well have been the saviour for this book to make it far more intriguing, rather than long drawn out ones with incessant monologuing and pondering on three basic questions on an internet dating site!

A dark and thought-provoking story, THE ASSISTANT is a very real reminder of the place smart technology has in our lives and our dependency on it. Smart TVs, Home Assistants - we've all been told that they can listen to your conversations and we've also been warned not to disclose any private information in front of these devices. THE ASSISTANT does reveal and explore this very modern fear in the form of the creepy Electra, a character in her own right.

Despite my issues with the book, THE ASSISTANT is unsettling and creepy and perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Just be sure to unplug your Google Home or Alexa first...

I would like to thank #SKTremayne, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #TheAssistant in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book even though it scared the S..t out of me! I was totally immersed within the first five pages and found the story deeply menacing and goosebump raising. I’m definitely not having that kind of technology in my home! A thoroughly well deserved five stars

Having read all of S K Tremayne’s books I couldn’t wait to start this one. It’s a little different, as this is based around technology in the home and what Alexa knows, but how does the dot on the worktop know these things. Or is it all on the mind.

Truly captivating and very well written.

Many people, including me, have home assistants, so I was intrigued to read this very relevant, modern thriller. Jo's home assistant, Electra, begins to malfunction from the first few pages so I was immediately drawn into this very cleverly written novel.

Most of the chapters are narrated by Jo and this made her situation seem very real, as she tried to make sense of what was happening around her. However, there are also chapters narrated by Jo's friends and family. This gave me insight into Jo's social circle and the impact it had upon her when it started to shrink. I found the novel chilling and I was desperate to know who was behind Jo's destruction.

As Jo searches for answers, the tension in The Assistant rises and I was gripped until the very end. I even became very wary of my own device! There is a slight twist which made for an interesting conclusion.

Yet again I am pleased I avoided reading the blurb on this book before starting to read it. I was instantly drawn into this book because of how well it was written and the humour Jo, the main character, brought to it Then suddenly this well-written tale took a dramatic and disturbing turn and it became so much more. Without spoilers, Jo's character and state of mind is called into question. The other characters are almost incidental as I was drawn into the plot. I could not put this down - I had to know the outcome. Definitely a compulsive read which had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Original and frighteningly believable.
Four and a half stars for me!
Very many thanks to Netgalley/S.K. Tremayne/Harper Collins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, SK Tremayne and Harper Collins UK for my arc of The Assistant in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Jo's life is falling apart. She's recently divorced after some ill advised sexting, homeless and work in journalism is drying up. So when her old university friend Tabitha offers her a room in her posh flat in Camden, for Jo it's a lifeline. Tabitha's flat is super rich and opulent and everything is controlled by the latest technology, smart assistants (like amazon's Alexa) control everything from the heating to the lights and as Jo descends further into loneliness with her friends always busy and Tabitha never at the flat, she starts to take comfort in the companionship of the assistants, that is until they turn on her.

I really enjoyed this, like others I'd chosen the book based on been a fan of the author and not looked at the description properly so thought 'the assistant' was a physical person not an electronic device. It was fascinating to see how the assistants slowly began to torture Jo and it's an eye opening look at our reliance on technology for everything and how that can go wrong. The book got more gripping as it went along leaving me desperately turning pages to see what was going to happen. I hadn't suspected who was controlling everything either so that was a great twist! Thoroughly enjoyable!

Where do I start? This book was absolutely tremendous from start to finish. The characters were really strong, some I loved and some I hated. I was glued to it throughout and couldn't read it fast enough, I also didn't have a clue where it was heading. Brilliant 5* read to start off 2020!!!

What an engaging read. The story pulled me in immediately and didn’t let go until it spat me out at the end. It was well written and very tense. Very well thought out storyline too.

Firstly, if you’re thinking of buying yourself a virtual assistant, you might think twice after reading this book! It’s scary stuff, I can tell you!

After her divorce Jo Ferguson moves into her friend’s flat in Camden which is managed by a home assistant called Electra. One night Electra starts talking to her as if it knows her personally and taunts her with a big secret only Jo and a couple of other friends should know about. From here on in things only get worse.

Well, this is very much a page turner. It gripped me from beginning to end. It’s described as a psychological thriller - it’s more like a horror story! If I had a virtual assistant (which I don’t, I’m not that lazy. I don’t use Siri, either.), it would be taken to the electrical recycling centre immediately. Having said all that, although it’s an enthralling read, it is a little far fetched at times and I wasn’t totally convinced about the ending. Even so, it’s thought provoking and makes you wonder at all this quite invasive technology. Big Brother is definitely watching you.

The Assistant is an edge of your seat and disturbing nail biter of a story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it. It will haunt your dreams.