My book review of 'The Secretary' by Renee Knight

by Renee Knight
The Secretary
by Renee Knight

There's a fine line between loyalty and obsession...

When Christine Butcher takes on the post as secretary to Mina Appleton, heir to the huge supermarket chain, Appletons, she wants to do a good job. She has always been reliable and efficient but this role offers her the potential to be so much more.

Christine's family life becomes a secondary concern, as she seeks to please MIna, and to be available to her at all times. Increasingly the lines dividing the personal and professional, right and wrong, become blurred and indistinct.

There are always consequences, though. And while Christine never waivers in her role as loyal and obedient assistant, Mina reveals her true nature.

This is a stunning book!

Christine, our narrator, tells us the day-to-day activities of her working life in almost monotonous, painstaking detail. There's just enough intrigue and foreboding to keep us turning the pages, but who do we trust?

We're torn in how we respond to Christine. At first she seems too controlling, and it's unsettling how Mina and the other members of staff are all running to her tune. But still she captures our sympathies and we know something terrible is going to happen.

And the final outcome is fantastic! Terrifying and brilliant!

Date of this review: March 2019