Very fast=paced legal thriller. I found it very difficult to put this one down! One of the better thrillers I've read this year. Both Madison and Kathryn were compelling characters. I'm glad we got a chance to read the story from both women's perspectives and to realize that not all is black and white. There are many shades of gray to people's motivations. Highly recommended, especially to fans of legal thrillers.

I loved this book! Michele Campbell always writes an amazing book with a twist.
Madison is a law student trying to get a head in life. Her brother Danny was recently arrested and Madison felt caught between her family and her career.
Judge Conroy is Madison's idol. She is everything Madison hopes to be. Amazingly Madison is offered the opportunity to intern for Judge Conroy and that's when the story kicks up. Madison has to figure out quick who she can trust, in order to save her family and herself.
I loved the dual POVs. Reading about Madison's and Judge Conroy's childhood really gave background to the story. The plot twist was so unexpected but it worked perfectly. This was a fast paced cat and mouse thriller where you never fully knew who to trust or what to expect.

The Intern by Michele Campbell is probably best categorized as a legal thriller. A Harvard Law student gets swept up in the mystery surrounding a judge she admires. The narration slips between present and past as we learn about the judge's childhood, marriage, and general backstory alongside the present-day drama she is enduring.

I enjoyed the portions of the book that were set in the present, but the judge's history left me feeling dissatisfied. Additionally, there were a couple of promising characters that played a role in the first half of the book that were simply never mentioned again during the rest of the story. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, although I would have enjoyed getting a bit more information about some of the crucial characters' future plans once the drama ended.

While The Intern was not my favorite book by this author, I am a big fan of Michele Campbell's domestic thrillers, and I will continue to watch for new releases from her. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Madison is attending Harvard and studying to become a lawyer, following in the footsteps of her idol and professor Judge Kathryn Conroy. Coming from similar backgrounds, the Judge sees potential in Madison and offers her an internship position in her office.

When Madison’s brother Danny is arrested for suspicion of selling drugs and pressured to plead guilty, she’s surprised to hear Judge Conroy is working with crooked cops to make him the fall guy. Accepting the intern position, Madison plans to learn the Judge’s secrets to help her brother. But a chain of events bring the two women together in an unlikely partnership while the story unfolds between two POVs.

This was a pretty solid legal suspense drama, I found myself intrigued by both women and the tough decisions they had to make to save their loved ones. I liked how we got to understand Kathryn from her flashback chapters, the bigger mobster picture gave tension to the story and made me root for both of them. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy to review.

The dialogue in The Intern felt super cheesy to me, but I didn't entirely mind since it was a lot of legal jargon that I may not have understood without dumbing down. This is a true page-turner. Maybe a bit far-fetched with at least one loose end I'd been hoping would be tied up, but overall, I was enthralled and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It felt like a rollercoaster of wondering who was good and who was bad and what the heck was going on. I enjoyed the relationship between Madison and Judge Conroy even when it felt totally wild and unbelievable. And the ending was truly excellent. Definitely recommend.

This part legal drama / part suspense book was so good! It reminded me of a really good multiple part episode of Law and Order!

The book follows Harvard Law Student, Madison Rivera, as she interns for the infamous Judge Kathryn Conroy. This book explores the depths of our corrupt justice system - and sadly, didn’t seem too far-fetched. Some parts, of course, were unbelievable.

I literally couldn’t put this book down. I had to know how it ended. I didn’t trust anyone, yet I wanted them all to be okay. The plot buildup was incredible and I was literally spooked more than I care to admit 😂

If you love thrillers or legal dramas, this is a must read.

Once again, Michele Campbell has delivered an exceptional thriller that left me thoroughly impressed. While I've enjoyed all of her previous books, I must confess that "The Intern" has taken the top spot as my favorite.

Campbell skillfully maintains a pervasive sense of tension throughout the story, and her mastery in weaving a captivating mystery while keeping the narrative seamless is truly commendable. From the very start, the plot grabbed me and didn't let go until the final page – a genuine page-turner, indeed. It's a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, heart-pounding suspense, intricate lies, chilling murder, family dynamics, and intense drama.

The characters are both complex and intriguing, leaving me eagerly anticipating how their stories would unfold. Campbell's sharp, intelligent storytelling and her knack for creating a suspenseful atmosphere made it impossible for me to put the book down until 2 a.m.

It's important to note that I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I want to emphasize that the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for their generosity in providing me with this outstanding eARC!

The Intern tells the story of Madison, a 2nd year Harvard law student, who lands an internship with a very prestigious federal judge, Kathryn Conroy. She soon learns that the judge has lots of secrets and might be caught up in an illegal conspiracy with some very bad people. It is a fast pace thriller, full of suspense and twists. The characters are well developed, the story line intriguing, I couldn't finish this book fast enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't read a legal thriller in a long time so The Intern was just what I needed!

Suspenseful and kept me on my toes!

This is my first Michele Campbell thriller, which was selected as an early release for the Book of the Month club (an excellent sign that it impressed a lot of people even before publication). The book is divided into Madison’s and Kathryn’s POVs.

Madison is an ambitious 2nd year Harvard Law student, vying for an internship with Judge Kathryn Conroy. Unfortunately, Madison also has a ne’er do well brother, Danny, whom she wishes she could ignore and hide. Danny has unexpectedly pleaded guilty to drug dealing and his case is before Madison’s idol, Kathryn. Does she meddle and risk the judge’s wrath or will the judge understand Madison’s coincidental predicament? The judge is very nice to Madison, but also exceptionally security conscious (her husband was gunned down) — will Madison betray that trust? Especially when it seems that Kathryn is connected to the corrupt cop and lawyer who are railroading Danny.

In Kathryn’s part, we find out how as a very young girl, she became basically beholden to a rotten cop (her out of wedlock father) and a mob-connected lawyer (who rescued her when her mother had cancer and paid for her education). While Madison is just considering crossing ethical lines, Kathryn has had to compromise her legal ethics for years.

As their paths cross in the present day story, they circle each like prizefighters — each wanting something not quite above board from the other, and trying to figure out how best to use each other. An option is to team up, but there’s no trust between them.

Madison was more of a puzzling character for me — she had the privilege and the responsibility to be honest instead of blindly ambitious; often she was failing both her family and her boss. Kathryn was a beaten down character — forever being blackmailed and sacrificing her beloved husband’s life in the process; trapped in a way that saw no way out.

This legal thriller is pulse-pounding, character-driven, engaging, and full of cliffhangers. Once you get into it, you can’t put it down. 5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Lucy (a cat) and Matthew have green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Only the woods of the Canadian border make a guest horticultural appearance

This is a powerful look at a female prosecutor who has some serious issues of being controlled. People expect some degree of control in life but how much is too much? And, how many undocumented extraordinary gifts can be taken without influencing the judicial system?

Kathy Conroy had a troubling childhood with her single mother who wasn’t the best. Things got bad when her mother was hospitalized and she was sent to live with her abusive father. However, her mother’s friend and employer, Ray Logue, an attorney, rescued her a few years later. He made it possible for her to attend good schools and also paid for her tuition at Harvard Law School.

When Kathy became a federal judge, Ray made it clear that it was time for her to pay back her debt noting that his organized-crime clients contributed to her education. “You belong to them now.” She thought her position was a result of her hard work and didn’t realize that these invisible mobsters had made connections easier for her. Ray said they could also help her in the future to get higher positions as Governor, Senator and a Supreme Court Justice. At this point, she knew she was being watched.

She also taught a class at Harvard. One of her bright students, Madeline Rivera, was encouraged to apply for an internship in her office. Madeline was thrilled but also nervous as her brother was caught in a heroin bust and wrongly sent to prison as he was innocent. She knew if she revealed this information, it would blow her chances of being hired. Kathy wanted to be free from the mob and needed someone like Madeline to help her. This would be complicated with two people that had secret agendas. Would it work?

While the book is fiction, it made me think of how federal positions can be manipulated in exchange for funding or other benefits. I especially liked how the author used two strong women to try to beat the system. I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat with suspense, but I found the story to be well written. The timing was good along with the visualization of characters. It would make an excellent topic for discussion.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy with an expected release date of October 3, 2023.

Love her, love this book! Madison feels incredibly lucky to be asked to intern with her professor, Judge Kathryn Conroy when she attends Harvard Law School. But filling out the form is problematic as Madison's brother, Danny is in prison for "intent to sell heroin." But she is immediately drawn to the charismatic Kathryn who befriends her and even invites Madison to her home and trusts her to watch it and her cat when she is away. But there are forces beyond their control that are bigger than either of them imagined. It's a deftly-woven, convoluted plot that leaves you gasping for breath just when you believe you have it figured it out!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Woo hoo!! I just absolutely love this Author and how she writes! Such suspense!! You will want to clear your night for this book because you won't move until you finish!!

This was such an amazing read. I love a book that I can’t put down. I felt like it was a cat and mouse game and you couldn’t figure out who or what to trust.

4.5 stars rounded up 🌟 Wow, does Michele Campbell know how to write a thriller. “The Intern” follows two MCs Judge Kathryn and her new intern Madison. As this story develops, neither Kathryn or Madison’s life is really as it seems.

This book hooked me right from the first chapter and was full of twists, legal drama, and corruption! The dual POVs were well timed and the ongoing game of cat and mouse was so enthralling I didn’t want to put this one down.

The only downfall for me was there were maybe a few too many characters to keep track of and I found myself backtracking at times to keep them straight. Overall a SOLID legal / mob thriller I would definitely recommend.


Thank you goes out to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Michele Campbell for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 🖤

- Pub Date: October 3, 2023 -

Michele Campbell is always a must request/must read on here for me! And for good reason. Her books are smart, twisty and totally addicting. In this book, Madison is law student who is struggling with family issues when she gets an amazing offer to be an intern for her professor Judge Kathy Conroy. But Madison has ulterior motives for wanting the job and Judge Conroy has some secrets of her own. Told from the two perspectives of Madison and Kathy, I love that we get to know each woman and the reasons they do what they do. Both women are interesting, strong and determined characters. This book was a fun, engaging read.

As an attorney, I have a special place in my heart for thrillers concerning the legal system. And while I sometimes find that authors glamorize the world of judges/attorneys/etc., Michele Campbell did a great job of making an arguably fantastical plot become believable. The Intern was the perfectly paced book, with snippets of backstory sprinkled in throughout -- the reader got JUST enough to explain something but need to keep reading to find out more. I also loved the settings throughout the book, all of which added another layer to the suspense. Overall, a must read for 2023!!

Michele Campbell has written plenty of excellent thrillers, and this one is no different. Madison, a Harvard law student, applies for an internship and gets it--but she has a secret. A deep, dark one, that could ruin everything. And of course, nothing goes as planned as she's thrust into a dark web of lies and secrets. She must try to save herself, her career, and keep her family safe.

This book was a RIDE. Told from the perspective of both Madison, a law student interning for a federal judge, and Kathryn, the federal judge. Madison deeply admires Judge Kathryn, and Judge Kathryn might have some dark secrets hidden up her sleeve. Things get really twisty once Madison realizes her brother is under arrest and Judge Kathryn is presiding over his case.

This was fantastic, I loved the dual narration between the two main characters. This balance kept me torn between loving and hating the judge and not knowing which was the "right" perspective to have. I found this to be fast paced and frequently had me on the edge of my seat wondering how certain characters were going to pull through some pretty tricky spots. This one was classified as a legal thriller, which it was, but not to the degree of a book like John Grisham would write. I enjoyed how the setting encompassed multiple backdrops of law school, law enforcement, and the backstage of the court room, without it being too much or too dense in these subject matters.

I don't know if it was just me, but Madison's mom annoyed the hell out of me. I'm sorry, but you cannot task your daughter with the (impossible) task of getting her brother out of jail AND then guilt trip her over it. Overall, this was a great thriller with a fast pace, and a neatly wrapped ending.

I could not wait any longer to read the new Michele Campbell and I'm so glad I didn't. Michele is the queen of of the "how are they ever going to get out of this mess?" in writing these days. I literally could not put this book down for the last 40%. Whatever chores there were, well they were just going to have to wait because I was absolutely hooked into this book. I don't know why I though it would be any different because this happens to me every single time I read one of Michele's books. The more I read, the more I enjoyed this. The plot is excellent, the characters rich and fleshed out and the anticipation factor of how this was all going to work out A+. I originally thought this was going to be a 4 start read but now that I have let this sit with me overnight I just know that I really enjoyed my reading experience with this book and when I keep thinking about a book like it's real life characters and their story I know this is a 5 star read for me.