Josephine Oliver has a secret. As an assistant at security titan, Locke Industries, she’s presented with an opportunity to advance her career in the form of a test. Josephine jumps at the chance to dig herself out of debt and earn the company’s respect on her way up the corporate ladder. But a visit with a potential client leaves her shocked, forcing her to reconsider everything she thought she … everything she thought she knew about the company, those she works with, and herself.
When the client takes a particular interest in her, and his demands grow increasingly dangerous, Josephine must continue to fight for the life she’s always wanted or find a way to escape their clutches after learning the darkest secret of all.
In this installment of the standalone LOCKE INDUSTRIES SERIES, The Assistant’s Secret may be the one to destroy everything…
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After finishing the first book in the series I was more than eager to read this one immediately. This was my first book by this author and it’s not going to be my last! It was just as good as the first book! I loved everything about this book….the characters, the plot, the storyline….everything!! It was another edge of my seat book that kept me wondering what was going to happen next.
The Assistant’s Secret is an intense read.
There are lots of twists and turns.
I thoroughly enjoyed another amazing book by this author.
(I would, however, read this book before The Nanny’s Secret)
I received an author’s copy and have left an honest review
WHEW! The Assistant’s Secret by Emerald O’Brien was quite a book. If you read The Nanny’s Secret by Kiersten Modglin, you will definitely need to read this book. They both take place during the same time period at Locke Industries. Both stories are different but, you get glimpses into some of the same situations from different perspectives. I don’t know who thought this scenario up but, it was genius.
Emerald has what I like to call a more traditional writing style. She starts out with a slow burn that continues to build until you have a huge bonfire at the end without a fire extinguisher. There were so many times in her book that I was worried about Josephine while she was at the home of her client, Mr. Tackman. He and his men scared the you know what out of me! I’ll tell you Jo has a lot more guts than I do.
You really have to read both of these books. I was afraid at first they were the same story and just different perspectives. That’s just not the case. If you like one or both of these authors or haven’t tried either one, you must! I’m not sorry I did and I guarantee you won’t either.
I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you!
Emerald O’Brien scores 5 stars for The Assistant’s Secret, by using her creative edgy streak, to give sinister meaning to succeeding in the corporate world. Unbelievable!
Suspenseful, tension filled storylines…exciting, unpredictable…believable characters, good and bad that may be good…perfect fit in storylines…an excellent, must read goodread.
The Nanny’s Secret is next for me, so glad, no waiting.
I was completely enthralled in “The Assistant’s Secret” from the moment I began this thriller.
Emerald O’Brien has a way of capturing you with the complicated characters initially and then the unexpected twists keep you wanting more.
Josephine met a number of challenges throughout this intriguing novel.
The ending was definitely a jaw-dropping and mysterious final turn in Josephine’s life!!!
I received a copy of this book by the author in exchange for fair and honest review.
4.25 Stars
As soon as I had finished reading The Nanny’s Secret I jumped into this. Both are Locke Industries novels and can be read as standalones. This was a brilliant read and I couldn’t read it fast enough. Can’t praise this author highly enough. Definitely a must read.
This book was so thrilling and unexpected. I really enjoyed the plot line and the characters.
Wow!! Who wouldn’t want to work at Locke Industries with all the shenanigans going on?? Mystery, action, suspense, shady characters and OMG moments. You won’t put this down once you start it. I really hope we get some more from the Locke Industries soon!!
The Assistant’s Secret (A Locke Industries Novel) by Emerald O’Brien is such a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I have loved reading. I highly recommend this story to everyone.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
Wow. That was. Intense. Thrilling, gripping, did I mention intense? I don’t think I breathed much while reading I was so anxious for Josephine. Torn between liking Tackman and not trusting him. This was a masterpiece of a thriller. I loved it!
This story is about Josephine Oliver, a ‘wallflower’ type person who is an assistant for a major person at Locke Industries. She is given a chance to ‘prove herself’ to the company and get a huge raise in the process which would help out in her home life. But things don’t always go as planned, and there is trouble brewing all over the place. Could Josephine lose her job and all her plans go up in smoke? This is a great story that is intertwined with The Nanny’s Secret. Each one can be read alone, but believe me, they are super together! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Thank you, Emerald!!!
This book is a stand alone book but part of the Locke Industries Series written by Emerald O’Brian and Keirsten Modglin. Emerald O’Brian is a new author to me and after this book, I can’t wait to read more of her books. This story is a well written psychological thriller. The story intertwined with Keirsten’s The Nanny’s Secret so that it does not matter which book you read first. The Plot and mystery are great, you won’t figure it out before it is revealed. The characters are well developed. I strongly reccommend you read both books one after another.
I received a copy of this book from the author, this review is solely my opinion.
4.5 stars!
I started reading this book as soon as I had finished reading the other standalone book in the series! I really enjoyed the other book, so I couldn’t wait to read this mystery and find out what was going to happen! I also haven’t read any of this author’s other books, so I was excited to read my first book from her! After reading this book, I can say that I enjoyed it just as much as the other book! The plot developed at the perfect pace and it only took me a few sittings to read! I also enjoyed the direction the plot went in and the mystery aspect! The mystery aspect was different to what I was expecting, but overall I liked it! I also really wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, so I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished it! I liked the hint of romance in the plot as well! There wasn’t tons of it, but there were lots of other things going on in the plot! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Josephine was the main character, and she made a few small appearances in the other book in this series, so I was intrigued to know more about her! I felt for in this book because all she wanted was to provide for her sister and nephew and she did do things she didn’t want to do to make sure she could do this! I felt sorry for Josephine, but she was a strong character and stood up for what she thought was right! There wasn’t really a love interest for Josephine in this book, but Raymond ‘Tackman’ came pretty close lol! I was intrigued by Tackman because I wasn’t sure what he did and what he was involved in, so I wanted to know more about him! There were also quite a few other important secondary characters as well and they all added to the plot and made it better! All the characters added to the mystery aspect as well! This book was only written from Josephine’s point of view, which I wasn’t expecting in a way! The other standalone book in this series was written from three different point of views, so I was sort of expecting this book to be written in a similar way! I understood why it was only written through Josephine’s eyes though because it was her story and her trying to work out what the right thing to do was! It also kept the plot a mystery and let the reader find things out at the same time as Josephine! I can also completely understand why this book is a standalone! I really wish it wasn’t because I would love to read more on Josephine and find out what happened maybe months or years down the line for her! The ending was left at a good place for the story, but I just wanted to know what happened next lol! I now can’t wait to check out this author’s other books! I haven’t read any of her other books, so I have the choice of any of them lol! The cover for this book is also perfect for it! I love how well it suits the other cover in the series and it suits the feel of the plot as well! It would also draw me to the book!
Josephine Oliver is supporting her recovering addict sister Maggie and Maggie’s son and struggling to make ends meet on her salary as assistant to Catherine Locke of billion dollar security firm Locke Industries. When Catherine offers Olivia a client of her own and double her salary, Olivia thinks she has it made. All she has to remember is to never discuss the client’s personal affairs with anyone anywhere at any time. Sure she can do this, Olivia meets with the client. However she was not prepared for things that may by unethical, immoral and downright illegal. Can Olivia save herself while keeping quiet? This book had lots of twist and turns. You need to read it with The Nanny’s Secret by Kiersten Modglin. These books present two sides of the Lockes at about the same time. They can be read in any order but you will definitely want to read both. Thanks to the author for letting me read this book early. I loved it!
Other winner from this author I just couldn’t put down she’s a great author and I love her writing. This book had a few twists and turns I didn’t expect but kept my interest all the way through, I loved it…!!!
Josephine is Cathrine’s assistant at Locke industries. She gets an assignment to get a client. She goes to the client’s house and sees more than she wanted to. She is offered more money and a promotion to acquire this contract. Josephine is in deep debt, so this money means a lot to her. This novel is a page turner with a heart pounding conclusion.
I received an arc copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Josephine Oliver is a young woman who works hard to help take care of her sister Maggie and nephew Andy who live with her. Jo got her dream job at Locke Industries as an assistant to Cathrine Locke. Jo finds it may not be her dream job as she wonders who she can trust and who she needs to stay away from. Wonderful, well written psychological thriller. I highly recommend it.
This was my first read by this author and I truly enjoyed it! When Josephine is given an opportunity to prove that she can do bigger and better things at Locke Industries, she never perceived that it could drastically change her life! She is introduced to her new client and finds out things about him that may not be on the up and up. She wants to protect her sister and nephew and is put in a position that may endanger all their lives. Will she be able to find the proof she needs to get out of the predicament she’s in?
I must say I loved Josephine’s character. She has morals and loves her family and will do anything to protect them. I really enjoyed the interactions between her and her client. There was definite chemistry there and I hoped they acted on it. If you are looking for a suspenseful read that will keep you captivated from beginning to end, then this story is for you!
O’Brien’s The Assistant’s Secret is a unique and intensely satisfying story about power, corruption, and challenging your morals. The main character, Jo, is sympathetic and lovable and you truly root for her as she navigates through an amazing job opportunity gone wrong. Tackman is amazing and the perfect opposite of Jo, making for an interesting dynamic. As usual, O’Brien’s writing is fast paced, easy to read, and emotional. I loved the characters, loved the twists, and loved the way it played out so effortlessly. A must-read for thriller readers everywhere. This is O’Brien at her very best!
This book was a real page turner with the great character and plot development that kept me totally glued to my kindle until the very last page!