Madison Rivera is on track for the life of her dreams. She’s secured an internship with her idol, Judge Kathryn Conroy, and she’s at the top of her class at Harvard Law School. But she has a secret that could end her career before it has even started—her younger brother Danny has been arrested and Judge Conroy is presiding over his case. And when Danny suddenly goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison unwittingly gets sucked into a world of glamor and corruption she never could have imagined.
Sometimes, all I need is a nice legal thriller to cleanse the palate and this book got the job done quite well. Madison entering Conroy's world is the embodiment of “never meet your heroes” and, while sometimes she just feel incredibly naive, it’s also hard not to feel for her as she is swept up in that world. For her own part, Conroy is a nuanced character that you aren't able to get a read on completely until the POV shifts in the second part of the book. As for supporting characters, there are quite a few to keep track of and it does get a bit confusing at times trying to remember who each character is in relation to either Madison or Conroy; however, Campbell is able to find a way to intertwine them all in a way that serves the larger purpose of the story.
There are multiple different storylines to follow throughout the book and it takes a bit to figure out how they all connect. The choice to utilize both Madison and Conroy's POV in different parts of the story helped to connect the dots in a way that was magical. Campbell created suspense by giving the reader just enough information to pique interest without giving away how things would resolve. I found myself guessing how the book would end right up until the very end. And even after the suspenseful parts were over, Campbell threw in some scenes that kind of tugged at my heartstrings, which was a nice way to ease my heart back to its normal rhythm after all the suspense.
This book was the first I've read by Michele Campbell and it was an excellent introduction to her storytelling. If this is what I can expect from her, I can't wait for the next one I pick up!
THE INTERN by Michele Campbell is available now and you can pick up a copy for yourself here.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."