The Personal Assistant

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Personal Assistant

Author: Kimberly Belle

Publisher: Park Row

Release Date: 11.29.22

Publisher’s Summary 

USA TODAY bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns with a deeply addictive thriller exploring the dark side of the digital world when a mommy-blogger’s assistant goes missing.

When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job—one that was impossible to manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.

But all the good-will of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control, but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and front row seats to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers. As Alex digs into AC’s identity – and a woman is found murdered – she’ll find the greatest threat isn’t online, but in her own living room.

Written in alternating perspectives between Alex, her husband, and the mysterious AC, this juicy cat and mouse story will keep you guessing till the very end.

My Review

I have given up on contemporary mysteries and thrillers because they are just so terrible, but there are a few authors who can really deliver. I really enjoyed Kimberly Belle's Stranger in the Lake (review here) and I'm pretty into "the dark side of social media" reads lately so I thought I'd give this one a shot. First of all, I really loved the Atlanta area setting and the generous inclusion of local details. Second, I was immersed in the story the entire time. With most current "mysteries" I can usually figure everything out within the first couple of chapters (pages sometimes 🙄 but I was mentally rearranging the pieces right up until the end. That is a rarity and earns The Personal Assistant my recommendation to readers who love true mysteries/thrillers, with an added bonus if they consider themselves fairly knowledgeable about social media.