An AI controlled home. That would be my absolute worst nightmare. It gives me the creeps and this book was very creepy. Your AI worse nightmare.

An AI controlled house, my worst nightmare, and especially after reading this! You wont put it down!

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
A novel for the internet age that everyone who finds it creepy that after discussing something with a friend finds that same thing popping up on their Facebook page. This was certainly a page turner which kept me entranced to the wee small hours with just one more chapter.
Although I did have some reservations hence four rather then five stars The Assistant is a winner and highly recommended.
The presence of AI technology in our homes is becoming more pervasive, along with voice activation and recognition, and learning our behaviours and habits. These, along with the dubious authorship of social media posts, are cleverly and menacingly manipulated to good effect in this superb and highly recommended thriller.
The story follows a woman named Jo who lives in her best friend’s house in London almost rent-free. Her friend is very wealthy and she has set of home devices that work as assistant to maintain the house, and keep company to people who live in the house.
As her friend is often out of the house, travelling and sleeping in her boyfrined’s place, Jo is usually alone and after some time the assistent start to talk to her about personal things no one should know.
The book starts slowly and to be honest, the first 10% was pretty boring and dull. Jo was alone and the only character in those chapters and, as I was reading, I started to yearn for other persons, in hope they’ll pick up the story.

As the story progressed it became more and more intriguing. The close to the end I was, the more thrilled I became.
The writing style was amazing and it is easy to read, with many quotes worth remembering.
The story is written in first person, from Jo’s perspective, but it also has several chapters that follow other characters’ perspectives, and those are written in third person.
In the end I loved how the story unfold and it really made me think about the rise of technology in our world and where it all can lead us as species.
What our life will be and will we use it to make our lives easier as we all long for, or will it turn us against each other, bring the worst of us?
The end was satisfying and, even though the first person I suspected turned out to be the villain, I like the reasons and revelations behind the one’s motive.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to thriller lovers, but also to people who like to read books set in future ( even though this one is set in our time, it felt futuristic in some sense).

I've read a few books by this author before which is probably what drew me to the title in the first place. I'm not sure why I hadn't read it sooner, but perhaps, if I had, I may have thought differently about some of the choices I made around my home. Then again, without the benefit of several years of hindsight, and a far broader understanding of the interconnectivity of so many aspects of our daily lives, it may not have felt so current; Perhaps I'd have dismissed it as a work of pure fiction. Now though ... well, I'm not so sure. Yes. This is fiction, but fiction that feels unsettlingly plausible.

A number of years ago, I was carrying my mobile phone as I entered my home, did something daft and essentially insulted my own intelligence. The next thing I know, Siri pipes up with 'that's not nice'. Now, back then, I most likely had my thumb or finger over the button that old phones had back then to activate the A.I. It was funny. I laughed. I had to rename one of my Alexa devices as it was to close ot the TV and reacted any time someone mentioned it's name. They are always listening after all. Now imagine that kind of reaction, that judgement, on steroids, and spontaneously happening on all of your so called smart devices, with no prompting or interaction from you (or your TV).

That is the premise of The Assistant, a tale in which our protagonist, Jo, finds herself under attack from her smart home, besieged by devices that seem to know her every secret, and have launched a campaign against her, systematically isolating her from her friends and family, and trying their darnedest to drive her mad. Whether they can, or will, succeed, and why they should s=wish to do so, you'll have to read to find out, but by god, they are good at what they do.

At its grassroots level,this is a really effective psychological thriller. Logically, we know that this will be a targeted campaign against Jo. We are even given a reasonable, or rather plausible, explanation for it, rather early in the novel, although the who remains concealed until nearly the end. There are plenty of suspects as Jo has not exactly led a perfect life, but so much of what we witness plays well for the benefit of those extra years of experience of A.I. and Smart technology. We know so much more about what it is capable of. Of the perils of social media, fake profiles, hacking etc, and that is what makes this book quite chilling. Yes, some of it is exaggerated, to get the blood pumping and the tension pounding, and there are several reasons why it is simple for people to dismiss this whole thing as a breakdown of some kind, but viewed with present day knowledge, this whole thing just feels very, very, possible.

We know A.I. can do much of what we humans can do. That it is always learning. Heck, I could have written this whole review with A.I. (I didn't), and it is likely that this page will be sucked into some A.I. development programme somewhere to inform developments of the future. And from what i have heard from others, the ability of A.I. to mimic people's style so perfectly ... well, this may have been a very different book if written now, moving from the realm of near sci-fi to 'are you sure this isn't a memoir'. Then again, with present day knowledge, it is easier to be suspicious of some of what happens precisely because it is widely known that tech is capable of all of this and more. Maybe it only works because of the relative ignorance of the people involved in the story, the so called friends Jo once had.

If you live in a fully 'smart' home, this may give you pause for thought. Then again, you'll likely already know that Alexa, Siri, whoever, is listening, waiting and judging and just not care. But with so much uncertainty, a good pace, and a real ramping of the tension as we power towards a near cataclysmic ending, this book entertained and engaged from start to finish, and I will treat my devices with a far greater sense of caution going forward. You have been warned!

With rise of A1 this is a very topical novel. Electra the Home Assistant controls the heating, lights and even gives company. Then the day arrives when it announces that it knows what Jo did. Jo is horrified as only 2 people know what she did in the past and now Electra wants to destroy her. This book may make you think about how much your home assistant knows about you

The Assistant will make you think twice about your smart home that's for sure! Oozing creepiness from its pages, it's a brilliant read that highlights the dangers of modern technology.

The Assistant by S K Tremayne is a thriller that immediately captures the reader's attention with its intriguing premise. The story revolves around Jo Ferguson, a journalist who starts working as a personal assistant for her boss, the famous bestselling author, Nathanial Shepherd. However, as she delves deeper into her new job, she discovers dark secrets about Nathanial's past that threaten to unravel both his life and her own.

The novel is well-written and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout. The suspenseful plot is complex and multi-layered, with unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed, with their own secrets and motivations that add to the tension of the story.

One of the strengths of the novel is the way it explores the power dynamics between employers and their assistants. Jo's job as Nathanial's assistant puts her in a vulnerable position, and the novel effectively portrays the subtle ways in which he exerts control over her. This adds an extra layer of tension to the story and raises important questions about the ethics of the employer-employee relationship.

Overall, The Assistant is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers engaged until the very end. While it may not be for everyone, those who enjoy complex and thought-provoking stories with well-developed characters and unexpected twists will find much to appreciate in this novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly this reminded me of that Sandra Bullock thriller back in the 90s 'The Net' about the power of the Internet. I think the Internet ended up going sentient or something. The Assistant is basically an Amazon Alexa device gone rogue. While I appreciate it was an exploration of technology it all seemed a trifle preposterous. And it just seemed to be incredibly slow-paced given it was supposed to be a thriller. I found Jo a really tedious protagonist. I am coming to the conclusion that I am not well suited to contemporary thrillers however as it has been a long long time since I found one engaging.

This has been sitting on my shelf for a long time waiting to be read. I now wish that I had read it sooner!
It’s a unique and interesting book that kept me guessing. There were plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
It’s a really enjoyable read and one I’d recommend.

Everyone’s biggest nightmare (well, probably not but it’s what we’ve all been taught to fear anyhoo!) is technology suddenly turning on you, and this is the premise of this, The Assistant tells the story of Jo, who lives in a very nice apartment after her divorce. When the equivalent to Alexa speaks to her, and suddenly strange things start happening, Jo is scared. I felt everything in this book, as I wandered through in a fog, wondering who the hell was doing this awful stuff and recognising that we can’t get away from technology and actually it can ruin everything! (Straightens tin hat;)). I had a few issues, tiny ones, but all in all I flew through this and really enjoyed!
Rating:4.5/5

I must be honest. I am reading too much thrillers these days, and each of them the main character has a secret nobody can know, but someone does know, and so we carry on. Makes a little bit of a tedious read. But this book is well worth the effort, it just gets repetitive sometimes.

It feels a bit like a suspicious techno thriller writen by someone who has a negative look on new technological enhancements. I've got the feeling this autor watched a bit to much Fox News and sadly believed every word.
The story is weak, repetative and sometimes even plain rambling.

Wish I skipped this one.

This is such an excellent premise for a novel. How reliant we have all become on technology, when most of us don’t really understand it or what we’re signing up for. The idea that all those Alexas could turn on us has so much potential.

This has all the elements necessary for a real page-turner. And there are parts of it that work really well. The terror that Jo begins to feel builds and builds and there is real tension. Her frustration and her helplessness in the face of what the Electra’s are able to do to her work, her reputation, her family, her life comes across clearly.

However, there is too much here that just doesn’t feel realistic. Jo isn’t easy to like, and it’s hard to understand why everyone else is so enamoured of her (to the extent that one friend lets her live rent free in their flat, and her newly ex-husband drops his wife and new baby to help her out). The way she treats her mum is awful. And I was quite disappointed in the ending.

So lots of promise that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but worth a read.

This is an on trend topic. Every household is close to getting one or already has one. Meet Electra... a similar version. Jo begins to hear Electra talk about Jo's past and begins to wonder if she is suffering from Schizophrenia just like her dad. Emails are sent from her account to close friends and family even though she didn't write them.

Some red Herring in this plot that are all reasonable but then a shocking revelation happens at the very end!

Brilliant. After a few slow burner books where I struggled to enjoy as much, this book was unputdownable.

Control…
Home assistants turning self sufficient? Home assistants turning on you? They may well know all your secrets, and hence your lies. Are you controlling them or have the tables turned? Tension fuelled and immersive suspense where nothing is really as it seems. With a deftly drawn cast, an amenable protagonist and a menacing tone throughout this is a compelling and gripping one sit read.

The Assistant by SK Tremayne is a realistic and creepy story about modern technology taking over our lives. An eye-opening and thought provoking thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story centres around Jo, who is a journalist. Jo’s life has fallen apart, with being recently divorced and in financial difficulty. Her wealthy friend offers a place to stay in London at a very cheap price, and Jo jumps at the chance. The place is modern, and is a smart home, and has an Electra, a tech assistant similar to Alexa. Jo is lonely and finding life tough, and she starts to talk to Electra like a friend and a source of company. But one night, Electra tells Jo she knows what she did, and that’s where Jo’s nightmares begin.

This was a twisted, atmospheric read, that really incorporated the modern world of smart living. Jo was an easy character, and most of the book was written from her perspective. It was greatly written, and was dark and creepy. An excellent read!!

I enjoyed The Ice Twins but much preferred this. I felt it was a ‘straight in and love’ book. I read it last night in 2 sittings which I am now regretting as it was so good it should have been savoured. However I just needed to know!
I love the link to Alexa (Electra). You’ll think twice about using it after reading this! Gripping.
A strong 4/5

I love the atmospheric way in which S. K. Tremayne writes. I find it so easy to picture the scene with the amazing descriptional writing.

This book has such a slow start that it was hard to be truly invested from the get go. Jo's personality seems to be just average....like very vanilla and nothing that makes her interesting at all.
How can someone spend that long answering simple questions to a dating profile? How jokes' were so embarrassing and I was cringing rather than laughing.

I feel like The Assistant is the book the is the prequel to that awful film they joke about I'm Forgetting Sarah Marshall (my phone attacks me!).

Whilst in a world where social media is king and everyone has some form of technology in their house...those ideas can be very interesting but the unravelling of this thriller just didn't work for me.

Why would her friends even think she had sent those emails? Can't have been good friends then! It just didn't seem very organic and even for a thriller seemed far fetched.

I was a bit frustrated with the revelation as how was Jo blamed for that (what a truly awful person to blame Jo!) And it all seemed a bit obvious...I was waiting for something unexpected or interesting that shocked me but it was all a bit paint by numbers for me.

I can see that there should have been a taut psychological thriller here but it didn't work and as others have sent some of the turns of phrase within the book are very thoughtless and I was surprised they had got through editing.

There was definitely a lack of understanding of mental health and the surrounding issues....and rather than breaking the stigma of mental health which is surely needed in modern society...it seemed to be adding more stigma to it which was disappointing.

I would certainly like to read something else by this author to see if these inappropriate turns of phrases are standard or just a misstep.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.