★ Winter 2018
Since the moment she started as a temp at Appleton, Christine Butcher has been a devoted and hardworking employee. When Mina Appleton, chief executive and daughter of the current chair, picks Christine to be her personal secretary, Christine is delighted. She works long hours for Mina that often interfere with her own personal time but ultimately feels it's worth it because she knows Mina is as loyal to her as she is to Mina. Appleton prides itself as a supermarket with a conscience. Mina, however, is eager to increase profits and consequently forces her principled father out of the company. When a newspaper reports on Mina's unethical deals, Mina relies on Christine to cover up her actions. Even as Christine faces increased personal and legal repercussions, she remains steadfastly devoted to Mina and her job. But one can only lose so much before devotion turns to hatred. VERDICT Knight (Disclaimer ) builds tension in this page-turning story about misplaced loyalty, secrets, manipulation, and class with an alternating time line, slowly revealing what happens when one woman's desire to be helpful and needed ruins her life. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 8/27/18.]—Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL
12/10/2018
British author Knight follows 2015’s Disclaimer , her well-received debut, with a decidedly creepy psychological thriller. Ambitious Mina Appleton, who becomes the head of a London-based supermarket chain upon her father’s retirement, is finally able to execute her aggressive plan to increase the family-owned business’s market share. For this, she needs more than a secretary. She wants someone who will make sure no detail falls through the cracks, either at the office or at home. Perfectionist Christine Butcher fills the bill. Devoting herself to anticipating Mina’s every need, she personifies the secret in secretary. Whether it’s reciting meeting minutes and business phone numbers from memory, picking up dry cleaning, or baking cookies for Mina’s children, Christine does it all, invisibly, discreetly. Their mutual trust far exceeds the norm as long as Christine, who will remind many of Mrs. Danvers in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca , remembers her below-stairs place. But, after 18 years of Mina’s demands costing Christine her husband, her child, and more, a bitter betrayal spirals into a chilling comeuppance. Readers are sure to be left breathless. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. (Feb.)
A scintillating double psychological portrait. . . . Knight conjures an arresting ending reminiscent of Ruth Rendell at her flintiest.” — London Times
“Knight builds tension in this page-turning story about misplaced loyalty, secrets, manipulation, and class with an alternating time line, slowly revealing what happens when one woman’s desire to be helpful and needed ruins her life. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“British author Knight follows Disclaimer , her well-received debut, with a decidedly creepy psychological thriller...Readers are sure to be left breathless.” — Publishers Weekly
“A cinematic page-turner steeped in atmosphere and just awaiting its adaptation to miniseries.” — Kirkus Reviews
“You will devour this gripping tale of obsession and duty with an ending as dark as it is astonishing. Deliciously addicting!” — Liv Constantine bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“A cool, contemporary, whip-smart thriller.” — Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
“Knight, whose debut, Disclaimer , was highly praised, again shows her skill in creating an absorbing psychological thriller.” — Booklist
“Woah, you are in for a treat with The Secretary ! Dark and intriguing with utterly compelling characters. I genuinely couldn’t put it down.” — Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request
“Deceptively clever and so unsettling. I love the way she casually slips in a twist that makes you shake your head at how wrong you were!” — Lesley Kara, author of The Rumour
“I started reading The Secretary last night and couldn’t put it down… Such a deliciously dark, hugely satisfying read.” — Paul Burston, author of The Black Path
“The Secretary is an excellent, dark and clever thriller with a compelling central character. The story draws you in from the start and builds and builds to an intense and unsettling conclusion. I loved it.” — Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl
A cool, contemporary, whip-smart thriller.
I started reading The Secretary last night and couldn’t put it down… Such a deliciously dark, hugely satisfying read.
A scintillating double psychological portrait. . . . Knight conjures an arresting ending reminiscent of Ruth Rendell at her flintiest.
Woah, you are in for a treat with The Secretary ! Dark and intriguing with utterly compelling characters. I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
Knight, whose debut, Disclaimer (2015), was highly praised, again shows her skill in creating an absorbing psychological thriller.
Deceptively clever and so unsettling. I love the way she casually slips in a twist that makes you shake your head at how wrong you were!
You will devour this gripping tale of obsession and duty with an ending as dark as it is astonishing. Deliciously addicting!
Liv Constantine bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
The Secretary is an excellent, dark and clever thriller with a compelling central character. The story draws you in from the start and builds and builds to an intense and unsettling conclusion. I loved it.
A scintillating double psychological portrait. . . . Knight conjures an arresting ending reminiscent of Ruth Rendell at her flintiest.
Knight, whose debut, Disclaimer (2015), was highly praised, again shows her skill in creating an absorbing psychological thriller.
A scintillating double psychological portrait. . . . Knight conjures an arresting ending reminiscent of Ruth Rendell at her flintiest.
You will devour this gripping tale of obsession and duty with an ending as dark as it is astonishing. Deliciously addicting!
Liv Constantine bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
The slow build of this audiobook may seem a bit off-putting at first, but it soon becomes obvious that the mounting tension and gradual reveals are intentional. They’re an important part of understanding just how twisted and complicated the relationship at the heart of the story truly is. Narrator Victoria Hamilton is masterful at creating two distinct characters: celebrity businesswoman Mina Appleton and her personal assistant, Christine Butcher. Mina is charismatic, selfish, and demanding. Christine is loyal, secretive, and blind to her boss's flaws. When controversy rocks Mina's business and Christine's years of devotion become a liability, listeners will be blown away by what happens when loyalty doesn't extend both ways. The unexpected ending is darkly twisted and perfectly delivered. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
The slow build of this audiobook may seem a bit off-putting at first, but it soon becomes obvious that the mounting tension and gradual reveals are intentional. They’re an important part of understanding just how twisted and complicated the relationship at the heart of the story truly is. Narrator Victoria Hamilton is masterful at creating two distinct characters: celebrity businesswoman Mina Appleton and her personal assistant, Christine Butcher. Mina is charismatic, selfish, and demanding. Christine is loyal, secretive, and blind to her boss's flaws. When controversy rocks Mina's business and Christine's years of devotion become a liability, listeners will be blown away by what happens when loyalty doesn't extend both ways. The unexpected ending is darkly twisted and perfectly delivered. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
