Chloe is a gallery assistant in New York who experienced first hand the trauma of 9/11, and it seems like her life is one bad event after the next. One of the gallery artists, dies at a party Chloe was at, and now the police are questioning Chloe herself. She has no idea what happened that night. She had blacked out as she drinks often and in large quantities to cope with her past. Chloes takes it upon herself to uncover how this murder took place and who all is responsible.
First book by this author for me. It was very descriptive, but I appreciated that aspect. The beginning was a bit slow. Then I was kept on the edge of my seat, especially toward the end—the closer we got to the truth, the more suspenseful this story was. Interesting resolution—decent twist. Interesting journey inside of the NY art world, something I am not familiar with but intrigued by. Chloe’s stupidity really annoyed me at some parts..how she wanted to do the cop’s job and risked her life just to find her own answers first. I did get a bit confused on who played what role since the explanation at the end was slightly rushed, and there were a LOT of characters in the story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kate Belli and Atria Books for this advanced digital copy!

I rode the struggle bus on this one. While it's short, it did not feel that way at all. I had no sympathy for Chloe and overall she just annoyed me. I couldn't tell if her PTSD was real or if it was just alcohol induced. I think this was a valiant effort as the storyline had promise, but for me, I just found myself not caring who did what and for why. It felt repetitive and drawn out.

Expected publication on October 14, 2025

Rating: ⭐⭐

I wanted to like this but ultimately ended up not enjoying it. It was giving more mystery than thriller and seemed to drag out. I can appreciate a slow burn, but this wasn’t executed well enough for me. A sad miss.

Thriller set in the months following 9/11 in NYC. Chloe wakes up from a night out to learn an artist she was with the night before is missing. Every one is trying to find out what happened at the party and she can’t remember, but she may have been the last person to see her alive. The mystery part was ok, but the author really captured the anxiety of living in NYC during that time. Her description was so vivid and realistic I wouldn’t be supposed to learn she lived there then.

Chloe Harlow, a gallery assistant at an exclusive Upper East Side art gallery, attends a party for the gallery's newest rising artist. Waking up the next day, hazy and unclear of the events of that night, Chloe finds out the artist was found murdered. Unable to corroborate her story from that evening, Chloe is suspected of being involved. Over the course of the novel, Chloe's memory begins to reform, leading her to weave connections amongst other suspects in order to avenge the artist she has come to know through the work she left behind.

The Gallery Assistant is full of high suspense and unlikely twist that do not derail the readers intrigue into the facts of the crime set before them. Kate Belli makes sure to give just enough information to keep the reader in the know while hiding important details in the body of the plot. Set in the New York during the aftermath of 9/11, the unease and sense of instability exhibited by Chloe is heightened and sets a suspenseful tone throughout the novel, making it a well done thriller.

Months after the 9/11 attacks an art gallery assistant finds herself uncovering sinister details when an artist on the rise is murdered. Chloe knows she was one of the last people to see the artist alive , but has no recollection of the details of that night. This is a mystery full of bone chilling revelations and heart breaking truths set in a time when everything felt uncertain to the whole world.

Chloe losing her sense of certainty and security in the world around her after 9/11 is spot on for how the entire nation felt in those days. I love a flawed main character and Chloe has unresolved trauma. It makes her question herself as much as those around her. It’s a slow burn and I do recommend taking the time to savor it as the story unfolds. It does stir up memories of 9/11 and feelings of the time after so I think slow and steady was a great choice for the pacing of this story!

This was an interesting read, though I found it a very slow burn, we spend a lot of time in the head of the main character, who spends a lot of time doubting her decisions and trying to remember what happened through most of the story. Chloe works at a small art gallery, they do deal in expensive art, but mostly their art deals on are the smaller amounts instead of in the millions. Chloe had been the receptionist until promoted to assistant to Lou who purchases art and arranges sales. Chloe also suffers from PTSD, she had been sent to the North WTC on Sep 11 to deliver a print to a fellow that had purchased it, she had never been to the WTC previously, while waiting for the fellow to take a look at the item, the building suddenly rocks and both Chloe and the fellow stumble. What follows is her chaotic escape from the tower just before it collapses and her mental suffering from survivor's guilt, she self medicates with alcohol and causal sex. One night while attending a party at the house of an artist, she over indulges and has no memory of how she got home, the next day two detectives from the NYPD are waiting for her at work, asking her about what happened. Chloe then attempts to remember what happened, she talks to people who were there and does piece together some of the events. But she doesn't think people are always telling her the truth. Overall this was interesting, the setting was well done and I would recommend especially if you enjoy stories that take place in New York or that include art. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria for the ARC.

It’s November 2001, and Chloe, having survived 9/11, is trying to move on with her life and enjoy her job as an assistant at a prestigious gallery in Manhattan. However, she is drawn into a dangerous situation when one of their artists is murdered and Chloe has no memory of the night she died. What follows is an engaging thriller with the gallery, Chloe’s coworkers and even her Brooklyn neighbors tied in surprising ways. I really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc!

The plot of the story was great and I was very excited to read it but didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I felt like the book was very dragged out and felt like there was a lot of unnecessary details in it. I enjoyed the mystery part of it but didn’t get thriller vibes.

Vert interesting setting and storyline, but overall thought it was a better idea than execution. Slow at times, though the climax was a great thrill.

Moody, messy, and layered with just enough suspense to keep me flipping pages.

The Gallery Assistant blends post-9/11 NYC tension with the glossy, cutthroat world of art and ambition. Chloe is a fascinating, flawed narrator—reeling from trauma, foggy memories, and a night she can’t fully piece together. I loved the eerie atmosphere and the slow-burning suspense as truth twisted out of reach.

That said, pacing sometimes dragged in the middle, and a few side plots felt underdeveloped. But the ending paid off, and the art-world noir vibes were chef’s kiss. If you like unreliable narrators, tangled timelines, and books that feel like a shadowy indie film—this one’s worth a read.

I needed a thriller palate cleanser after a heavier read and this one definitely fit the bill, even with its dark undertones.

Chloe is an unreliable narrator, trying to fill the gaps in her own memory while also dealing with post 9/11 PTSD. Manhattan art gallery world is definitely an interesting setting for a murder mystery and I enjoyed learning more about that world. There were a lot of twists and turns and red herrings that kept my attention and kept me reading. The plot was a bit chaotic at times but seemingly purposefully so.

If you're looking for a quick, dark and broody thriller I would recommend.

3.5/5 rounded up

This story was unpredictable and nostaglic. It did seem fairly far fetched and the pro-cigarette/drinking and anti-therapy values of the characters were jarring, but that was also more the values of the setting so I understand why the author did that.

The Gallery Assistant proved to be an enjoyable historical mystery. Set against the backdrop of the art world, it follows a determined protagonist unraveling a sophisticated plot involving a stolen masterpiece. Kate Belli’s meticulous attention to period detail and character development elevates this tale into a satisfying read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy!

I enjoyed this thriller. The mystery kept me guessing, and the depiction of 9/11 added some emotional weight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This book was not consistent for me. I felt like we were given two different book topics and made them into one.
It was a slow read and it was not something that kept my interest throughout. The potential was there for me but it lacked and was a bit boring.
The situations with 9/11 seemed a bit random for me. Parts it seemed like they were focused on more than necessary.
After getting to around 40% I felt like I didn’t really learn much at that point.

You almost forget what the book is even about with the parts thrown in about 9/11. I get it’s suppose to be a connection of her life but it just didn’t connect. Less is more in this case IMO.

I almost did not finish this book, but decided to tough it out on the hopes it would get more interesting. It didn’t. It was slow moving and didn’t feel realistic to me. I didn’t find the main character interesting or particularly care for her, which was likely part of my issue. I also felt like the 9/11 theme was overused and not needed - while it was meant to convey the patients trauma I felt this could have been done in other ways

At first, you’re excited because the book is setup for you to think it’s a “whodunnit”? However, the pace was a bit slow for me and didn’t move quick enough to keep my heart rate up as I normally would expect with a thriller/mystery. The main character is relatable as a broke NYC girl trying to get by. Quite unpredictable which is always appreciated because the more you read this genre, the more you can anticipate some endings, but this was def a surprise. Enjoyable, quick read if this is your genre :)

A page-turner mystery anchored by an unreliable main character who was blackout and doesn't remember what she was doing when murder occurred. Entertaining but not groundbreaking.

Murder mystery set in NYC in 2001 after 911
PTSD and disoriented view point after a night of drinking and hazy recollection
Mystery thriller
Wish I loved it more but I'm just getting back into reading books that aren't romance

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!