The Assistant ★★★★

SK Tremayne, HarperCollins

Anyone who has had Siri butt in unexpectedly when you hadn’t even asked her for help will be equally thrilled and chilled by this plot that takes the digital assistant concept to hellish depths. Jo, a broke, divorced Londoner with a shameful secret hidden in her fun-loving past, moves into her rich best friend’s luxury flat. The friend is mostly absent but her Camden apartment comes with all mod cons, including a Home Assistant called Electra, who not only controls the heating and lights but will also chat to her lonely human roommate about anything from the weather to scriptwriting techniques. You know where this is going of course … Electra turns evil and Jo’s life becomes a nightmare. There is nothing Electra doesn’t know about Jo and she seems intent on destroying her. Is the devilish device just malfunctioning or is someone pushing her buttons? Read and find out.