We chat with author Kate Belli about The Gallery Assistant, which is a twisty and sinister thriller and follows a New York art gallery assistant reckoning with her past and now trapped in a web of deceit after an up-and-coming painter is murdered—perfect for fans of Katy Hays and Julia Bartz.
Hi, Kate! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! I’m Kate, I write thrillers and mysteries. In my day job, I am the director of an art gallery at a small Liberal Arts college, and I teach art history and museum studies – the art world often works its way into my books. I live in Central Pennsylvania with my husband and son, am also a yoga teacher and a longtime runner.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved reading and stories, for as long as I can remember. I wrote short stories all through my high school, college, and post-college years, just for fun. I didn’t start taking writing more seriously, as in, “could I get paid for this?”, until I was in my 30s.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I remember a bunch from around the same time, age 5 or 6! Let’s go with Ramona Qumby, Age 8, by Beverly Cleary.
- The one that made you want to become an author: On the Way to the Wedding, Julia Quinn. It’s part of the Bridgerton series. It was that book that made want to write my own novel.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Circe, by Madeline Miller. I think about that book a lot.
Your latest novel, The Gallery Assistant, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Post 9/11 art world thriller [I’m treating 9/11 as one word, which may be cheating]
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a twisty thriller set in New York City in the months following 9/11, about a young woman, Chloe, the titular gallery assistant, who learns that the gallery’s newest artist was found murdered in her loft after a party, and Chloe was the last person to leave. As other seemingly unconnected incidents start to happen around her (one friend goes missing, another is attacked), Chloe begins to fear for her life. But at a time when conspiracies are rife, how does she tell truth from fiction? There is both art world opulence and the burgeoning hipster enclave of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the book: dive bars, a creepy factory, a high-stakes auction, and NYC in the early 00s vibes. There is one scene at Ground Zero during 9/11, which readers should know will happen if they are sensitive to that topic.
Where did the inspiration for The Gallery Assistant come from?
This book started with the setting. I lived in New York City during 9/11 and clearly remember what the city felt like after the attacks, how everything felt like a conspiracy. It was an anxious, jittery time, and I thought that would be a compelling setting for a thriller. The idea was, what would happen if you became embroiled in a real conspiracy during that moment? How would you navigate that? I wanted to layer that moment with the art world, which often has it own rules and can feel so glamorous but can also be a little shady – there’s so much money flying around – so I tried to bring that environment alive for readers.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved creating my protagonist Chloe. She’s at this very vulnerable stage in her life, in her mid 20s, where she’s trying to figure out what feel like big life questions, and all of a sudden she has to do so against this massive local and national upheaval. It was a little bittersweet to revisit that time of life (I am firmly middle aged now), but enjoyable at the same time. I have a lot of empathy for Chloe.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I moved into a full time role at the college while writing this novel, after a few years’ hiatus. My writing time became much more compressed, and I had to figure out a new writing schedule, which turned into evenings after my son went to sleep, combined with longer stretches on the weekends. It was an adjustment, but it worked out in the end.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just finished a full first draft of my next book for Emily Bestler Books/Atria. It’s a dark academia, college reunion story, about a cohort of art students. One goes missing their senior year and is never found. Think a mash up of The Secret History, College Girl Missing, The Yellow Wallpaper, and the bridge to Taylor Swift’s “Champagne Problems.”
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I really loved Lisa Jewell’s latest, Don’t Let Him In, and can’t stop talking about it. I just finished Julie Clark’s new book, The Ghostwriter, and thought that was great too. Both are super propulsive page-turners, which is my reading mood right now. I just started Lisa Gardner’s fourth Frankie Elkin novel, Kiss Her Goodbye, which so far is as fantastic as all the others. And I can’t wait for the next Louise Penny, The Black Wolf, which comes out later this month.
