Review Of The Assistant

This is a an EPIC book! Spellbinding, amazing and truly intriguing in every sense of the word. I was mind-blow and couldn't get enough of it. Truly brilliant! Marni Mann has nailed it this time and it's as perfect as it can get. Where do I begin? I don't want to give away anything it the plot. It's so good and well drafted and intricately layered that it has to be dived into blond. Only then can this story be so enthralling. Reading the blurb, I had quite a few guesses as to what the story would be about but believed it would have strong romantic roots. I was right about the romance part of it, but tell story part...wow there was no way I would have seen it coming from the start. That's the brilliance of her writing. The way she had structured the story - The before after and the three different narratives that she has used - first person POV for Jesse and her husband, Emery and this person POV for Charolette (Emery's assistant) made perfect sense! I was totally lost in the beginning unable to figure out how everything adds up, but the way so seamlessly and beautifully it ties up at the end left me speechless! I loved how much planning and thought the author has put in planning the chapters and unraveling everything in a slow yet suspenseful pace. Hats off the to execution as well. It never felt dry, slow or boring. There was always something happening either in the Before or After that added more to the story, removing the haze and providing a much clearer picture. Initially I thought I had most of it figured out. (Like I could guess the plot for 'When ashes fall') but I was right and wrong at the same time and that there is the beauty of the story as well as the writing. It's not at all predictable and though there are not twists at every turn, the climax had be jaw dropped open and I was struggling for answers. Not all parts were surprising, as we get one reveal sometime post the 50% mark and that pretty much sets the tone of the book but the how and when part of it were the true show-stealers. Though I had made kind of weird guess earlier, the author had smartly added a red herring to defect our train of thoughts that clearly works (t least in my case).The best part was the ending thought answered the questions, it paved way for some questions and also discussions that the author has herself mentioned/addressed post the acknowledgement session. And those questions really makes us think, questioning the very nature of the characters, their ultimate motives and how right and wrong they were. And what works - there so no definite answers for the same. We never learn the characters perspectives for the same. It works beautifully for this book. In one word - It's Perfect and one of the best books of 2019. Loved it!!