The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 16th January 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 29th November 2019)
★★ 2 stars
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.
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