A solid five stars for The Gallery Assistant. Yes, even though I’m cranky by nature and annoyed by the rest of the world, I relished The Gallery Assistant. I received a free copy of The Gallery Assistant from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Why five stars?

1. I like the MC. She’s vulnerable but not whiny, though she has her share of vices. Now, I’m a Mom and a Granny, so those parts of me wanted to sit her down for an intervention. She drinks too much, smokes too much, takes ridiculous risks—walking home late at night in a sketchy New York neighborhood–and she hooks up with unsavory guys on impulse. But she’s dealing with trauma—something we all dealt with at this time. (See #2) I want her to find a way out of this, and I kept reading, in part, to see if she would.
2. The setting is compelling. We are in New York shortly after the 9/11 attacks. The MC was in the North Tower when the first plane crashed. She made it out alive through sheer good fortune and the guidance of a total stranger named Maya. Her memories of the event are chilling. The author captures the atmosphere so well, I admit I relived that day as I read. The MC, like the entire country, struggles to come to terms with what happened.
3. Shit goes down! After a late-night party, the MC can’t remember how she got home—or much else about the night. Her roommate is acting weird. Her bosses at the art gallery aren’t talking—at least not to her. Oh, and the artist hosting the party turns up dead the next morning, and the cops turn up at her office soon thereafter. Are her faulty memories of the night and the ever-present terror of 9/11 conjuring conspiracy theories, or is something rotten? If she could only piece together the fractured images of that night. The plot percolates until it bubbles over—Nicely paced, keeping you on the edge of your seat.
4. The writing is solid. The vivid imagery brings the scenes to life, the character development is done without overwhelming info dumps, and the plot points are clearly leading to a conclusion. It’s a check, check, check for me.
5. A little love. Yep, even my blackened heart can appreciate a sweet romance. Can’t say more about that except that it worked for me.

I loved the inside look at the fascinating, high-stakes art world. The plot is intriguing and moves right along. The characters are distinct and believable.  Thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to urban mystery lovers. The Gallery Assistant will be released October 14.