I really enjoyed this read by Kate Belli. The story really captivated me. The setting within the New York art galleries added a layer of sophistication and intrigue, while the post-9/11 time frame offered a unique backdrop that enhanced the narrative with its distinct atmosphere. The blend of smart writing, mystery, glamour, and romance hit all the right notes for me. They likability of the main character and wit provided much enjoyment, and the pacing kept me engaged throughout. I am looking forward to exploring more of Belli's works!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Went in blind to this book and it was amazing.
We follow Chloe an art assistant at a gallery whose friend Igna is murdered, only months after 9/11 attacks. I enjoyed every moment trying to figure out what happened. There were so many pieces to the puzzle. If you like art and mysteries I recommend this book. If I could give 6 stars I would 😊

slow, unlikable characters unfortunately this was a do not finish for me.. Heavy on 911 and bush maybe that would eventually make sense but it didn't.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 stars

When Chloe Harlow wakes up naked in her bed after partying with one of her company's star painters, she finds out that the painter in question--Inga--has been murdered and she might've been the last person to see Inga alive. If only she could remember what happened that night. Weaving through the world of international art selling, THE GALLERY ASSISTANT centers around the questions of whether Chloe will eventually figure out what she forgot and will she have time to do something about it before her own life is in danger?

THE GALLERY ASSISTANT pulled me in from the beginning. As a reader you feel as disoriented as Chloe is on the morning after a party where she thinks she drank so much that she must've blacked out. Chloe is an interesting MC: almost pitiable because of a failed attempt at college and the fact that she was in one of the twin towers on 9/11. But she's also self-sabotaging and a bit spoiled, as many are in their twenties. In short, she's the perfect kind of character to be an unreliable narrator, which is needed to tell this story. I sped through this book, eagerly anticipating what would happen, until the climax. The connections and characters involved in the mystery around that night felt a bit too contained and tidy. Overall, this was a fun, twisty read (even if the end fell apart a bit).

The Gallery Assistant is out October 14, 2025.

A thriller about the art world after 9/11. This book brought me back in time and also pulled back the curtain on art galleries. Chloe is young and makes not so great choices but you can not help but root for her in this story. I thought the writing was well done and the the mystery kept me wanting to read.

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli was a suspenseful and intriguing thriller that kept me guessing throughout. Chloe Harlow, a young assistant in an art gallery, wakes up after a wild night with no memory of the events, only to find herself wrapped up in a murder investigation involving a rising artist at the gallery. As she tries to piece together what happened, Chloe uncovers secrets that could change everything—and put her in grave danger.

The atmosphere of the high-stakes art world was fascinating, and Chloe’s struggle to remember the night while trying to uncover the truth made for an engaging read. I enjoyed the twists and the slow reveal of secrets, which kept the suspense high. The pacing was solid, and the tension grew as Chloe got closer to the truth.

That said, I felt some parts of the plot were a bit slow, and I would’ve liked a bit more development with certain characters. Overall, The Gallery Assistant was a solid read, and I’d give it 3.5 stars. It’s perfect for fans of thrillers with a mix of mystery and art world intrigue.

I have come to love reading about the art world and all the ins and outs of that business. Wealth, ego, and scandal frequently seems to follow it, making for thrilling reads. I received a DRC from Atria /EmilyBestler Books and after reading the description pretty much dove right in.

Set in New York City several months after 9/11 The Gallery Assistant takes us into the life of Chloe Harlow and her work at a high-end upper East Side gallery. At first, I found myself annoyed with Chloe and her endless drinking. I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators and the use of alcohol to make them seem so. However, as her background and her experience on 9/11 were slowly revealed I better understood why she was at that place in her life. Needless to say, I was rooting her on as she worked her way through the complex maze of a murder and the shady art underworld.

While reading the book I found myself back in that time period and reflecting on how very different life was. The mystery was clever and certainly had me flying through the book to figure out what was really going on. I also so appreciated Geo and his role within Chloe‘s life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and realized at the end that the author has also written a historical mystery series that I loved! With that said, I highly recommend picking this up when it is released this fall.

This art-world thriller was a stylish and clever surprise. It reads like a mash-up of suspense and satire, pulling back the curtain on gallery politics and ambition. The protagonist is complex and not always likable, but that made her more compelling. Some twists stretched plausibility, but I was here for the drama.

I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about The Gallery Assistant for a while, but in the end, it really grew on me. I enjoyed the near-past nostalgia of NYC in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, and the mystery was both satisfying, and unexpected - I didn't really clue in to what was going on other than getting vague bad feelings from certain characters, until it was much further along. And then the depth of the connections/web that our MC was in made it all the more satisfying. Solid 4 star read for me.

I was a little hesitant about reading this book since I'm not interested in art, but I needn't have worried. The Gallery Assistant is a great mystery! Chloe is a likable character even though she frustrated me. She keeps blacking out from drinking and was upset that she couldn't remember the party, yet she just kept drinking! It was exasperating watching her make terrible choices, but I was rooting for her too. She was dealing with PTSD from being in one of the towers during the 9/11 attacks, so it was hard to blame her for making poor decisions. The mystery was rather complex and there were plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming. There are a lot of sketchy characters, and I had no idea who was involved or what was going on. I thought this was an engaging, fast-paced novel and I would definitely recommend it! I look forward to seeing what Kate Belli writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This book was something! An intriguing look into the art world via the lense of the murder of an artist.

This kept me guessing and turning pages.

I spent some time while reading looking up art pieces that were mentioned, and I loved having them in my mind's eye while reading.

Kate Belli wrote a thriller that draws you in and keeps you reading!

This is my first Kate Belli book and I absolutely loved it! Chloe is a gallery assistant right after 9/11 and that plays into her grief and struggles with her life. She wakes up after a party with hazy memories only to learn that the honored artist has been murdered. This is a fast paced thriller that kept me interested throughout the entire book. Such a great read that I highly recommend to anyone that loves mystery or thrillers.

This is my first Kate Belli book and I don't think it will be my last! I was intrigued by the premise - a young woman, Chloe, living in New York and working at an art gallery while still suffering from extreme post 9/11 PTSD and survivors guilt after narrowly escaping the towers alive. About four weeks after 9/11, Chloe is invited to a party for Inga, one of the artists working for the gallery. Chloe overdoes it with alcohol (self medicating) and wakes up in her bed with no memory of leaving the party, only to discover at work the next day that Inga was murdered and Chloe was (allegedly) last person to see Inga alive. Chloe struggles to figure out what happened and fill in the holes in her memory, while nearly everyone around her is gaslighting her (SO MUCH GASLIGHTING). As Chloe discovers clues from the night of the party, clues within the artwork, and clues within the gallery - she questions herself and whether or not she can trust her closest friends.

The overall vibe of the book is pretty bleak because it takes place weeks after 9/11 and Chloe is very clearly unwell so that is something to keep in mind. It's hard not to feel for Chloe and I think the book can definitely warrant a trigger warning - she's clearly suffering, has no support system, drinks to self-medicate, and feels she can't trust herself. It was hard to read at times, probably because it was also somewhat relatable. I appreciated the vulnerability and self-awareness that the author provided in writing Chloe. That said, there were a few drawbacks to the book that I found off putting. For example - when things were starting to get dangerous for Chloe, I felt those situations were one of two extremes: either realistic plausible perceived threats, or straight up chaotic over-the-top chase scenes that didn't seem... likely. Then, after literally jumping in the East River to escape thugs, the next day she would go back to walking alone (albiet hesitantly) and basically proceed with her life as normally as possible, so that stood out to me as a strange deviation from the slow burn mystery of the story. Another one (hidden on Goodreads for spoiler) was her friendship with Gio - we know the basics: he's a nice guy, he's Italian and is close with his family, food is important, his NYFD brother was on vacation during 9/11, but that's pretty much all we know about him, yet he also seems to know the answers to fix all Chloe's problems without a second guess, accepts everything at face value, asks no questions, and this causes no issues or any inconvenience or risk to his life. It felt a little.. too easy. While it was great for Chloe to admit she needs help, finally open up to someone, and have someone on her side, I just wish his character was less of a swoop-in-and-save-the-day-guy.

That being said, it had a VERY satisfying ending! Would recommend for those who like mysteries and I'd definitely read more of Kate Belli's work in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC and for the email invite to read!!

Chole wakes up in her apartment with no idea how she got there and when she goes into her job the police where there questioning her about a rising painter had been murdered.

This book started off slow to me but it did pick up in the middle. The book to me kinda came off as more of a story about her dealing with PTSD form 9/11 and being less of a thriller. It wasn't a bad book it just wasn't for me.

Overall I liked this book but I didn’t love it. I really enjoyed the art side of this and found it very fascinating. I was interested in learning more about the characters and their backstories but the FMC wasn’t my favorite and I found her extremely unreliable and somewhat annoying at times. I thought there was going to be a bit more of a connection/ explanation with the 9/11 references - only bc I can connect with that aspect of it since I work in NY and this is a thought always in the back of my mind. Unfortunately I felt like the story dragged on a bit at times, which was incredibly odd for me since it was a shorter book. I did enjoy it, but it fell a little short for me.

The Gallery Assistant was a fun edition to the thriller genre and led me to ask the question: Is it historical fiction? Chloe is an interesting and flawed main character but her flaws are easily understood as you try to unpack the trauma she faces in the wake of 9/11 in New York. I found the mystery interesting and loved how art was incorporated. While I was able to figure some aspects of the mystery I was left shocked by other parts. My only real complaint is that I only found myself totally engaged and hooked in Part 3. Parts 1 and 2 seemed to really dragged and I felt lost by the dump of names and other information.

Once the story got to about 30%, the pace definitely started to pick up and I was drawn in! For me, it was very reminiscent of The Flight Attendant, and like that story this one would likely make a great movie or show. I loved the authors overall writing style - I felt like I really could picture the characters and events. I’m not a huge fan of the plot device of a main character losing themselves on substances instead of dealing with their traumas, but it’s popular for a reason. Good characters and overall pace. I’ll read more by her!

Oh goodness this was fun! A sleek mystery set in a city still nursing old wounds in the 9/11 era. It’s a story of ambition, blurred lines, and the strange ways grief can surface—especially when art, power, and money are involved.
It’s a fun ride! This one was my first book by Kate belli but it won’t be my last!

Thank you Netgallery for the opportunity to read this book!

TY to NETGALLEY/Simon & Schuster for the digital arc.
Although I am a fan of "thrillers" this one just didn't make it for me. Too many red herrings, twists and turns to be a satisfying read. Main character Chloe has too many conflicting thoughts to be coherent; considering PTSD from the 9/11 tragedy, I just didn't feel for her. Perhaps I had issues with the ambiguous time line. The art part was interesting BUT thus 3 ***

This was my first Kate Belli book and I can’t wait to read more. I love how Chile’s story unfolded and had so much fun trying to figure out the mystery of who could be trusted and who was on the wrong side. If I didn’t have to work this week, I would finished it all in one sitting!