I love a cozy mystery but this one had a little dark side. Trigger warning for domestic abuse. I loved Alex and how she pulled herself up and found her dream job. Even though she was scared, she did it anyway! So inspiring.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy of I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell. I was interested right away because Alex was such an engaging character. I loved the advice columnist gig, and I liked how it was woven into the story, but not the main part of the story. If you love cozy mysteries and are branching out to thrillers, this is a great entry point, because it’s a great mix of both genres. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, engaging read, try this well-written book! 4 stars

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell is enjoyable, entertaining and an easy read. Alex Marks is an insecure young woman who moves to NYC in an effort to restart her life. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is offered the New York Herald position of writer for the Dear Constance advice column.
The previous writer for decades was Francis Keen, a respected and somewhat revered woman, who was murdered in her home. An arrest had not been made at the time of Alex's hire. Alex had long been a fan of Dear Constance and greatly admired Francis; she was determined to continue her legacy of excellence. Alex had written letters to Francis during a challenging time; those letters are part of the novel.
Throughout the story we learn why Alex moved and why she is so diligent about personal safety and being wary of others. Alex becomes rather obsessed with finding Francis' killer, and puts herself and friends in some precarious situations. I liked Alex, and came to understand her insecurities. I also enjoyed her relationships with Raymond, a retired detective and Janice a waitress at the Bluebird Diner. There were a few times when I felt the storyline was a bit contrived although those times didn't significantly diminish my enjoyment. I quickly became hooked, and would recommend this book if you enjoy a fast paced suspense novel. Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster and Jessa Maxwell for the opportunity to read an ARC of I Need You to Read This; my review reflects my own opinion. 4 stars.

“Dear Constance - He’ll be back now at any moment. I know that he’ll be angry. ”
Here are reasons to read the Mystery book:

Advice Columnist - Francis is a beloved advice columnist with a very popular column
Death - 8 months after her death, they have an open call for the job
New Job - Alex, who has loved Francis for years, applies on a whim and finds herself taking over the job and a new mystery

I really loved this author’s previous book, The Golden Spoon, so I was excited to read this. But unfortunately, I didn’t love it as much. The mystery of Francis’ death seems to be the point, but also the afterthought as the book has interspersing chapters of Dear Constance letters that point to another mystery entirely. And it’s pretty easy to guess that mystery as well. I enjoyed reading it but it left me wanting something more.

This was a really good thriller that was fast paced and a quick read for me. I had a hard time putting this one down. I felt that the plot was very unique and different from other mysteries I have read. I also loved that this book kept me guessing.

📚🔍✨ The author of the “clever, atmospheric, and creepy” The Golden Spoon returns with an irresistible new mystery, I Need You to Read This. Jessa Maxwell delivers a gripping tale that blends intrigue, suspense, and a touch of the sinister.

🌆 A Fresh Start with a Dark Twist
Years ago, Alex Marks fled to New York City, seeking a new beginning. Her life is routine, almost mundane: she works as a copywriter, frequents her favorite diner, and avoids dating. But everything changes when her childhood hero, Francis Keen, the voice behind the iconic advice column Dear Constance, is brutally murdered.

✉️ An Unexpected Opportunity
Driven by impulse and nostalgia, Alex applies for Francis's now-vacant position and, against all odds, lands the job. She soon excels at advising others, but her newfound role comes with its own set of complications. Strange, potentially threatening letters start arriving, hinting that Francis’s murderer might still be out there, watching her every move.

👁️‍🗨️ Everyone is a Suspect
The tension ratchets up as Alex navigates her new workplace, turning a suspicious eye on everyone around her. Her boss, the editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, is particularly unsettling with his late nights and heavy drinking. As Alex delves deeper into the mystery of Francis's death, her own dark past threatens to surface, ensnaring her in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

🏡 A Haunting Conclusion
The investigation takes Alex from the bustling streets of Manhattan to the eerie isolation of Francis Keen’s summer house—the very place where Francis's body was discovered. The chilling setting and the looming threat of the killer make for a heart-pounding climax.

🌟 Final Thoughts
Jessa Maxwell has crafted a sly and addictive mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. I Need You to Read This is a masterful blend of suspense and psychological intrigue, perfect for fans of atmospheric thrillers.

📖💼🔎 Dive into Alex’s world, uncover the secrets, and see if you can piece together the puzzle before it’s too late. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery with unexpected twists and a compelling protagonist.

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 8/13

Thank you so much to Atria for my physical copy.

This mystery mixes a murder case with the personal reinvention of Alex Marks. Moving to New York City for a fresh start, Alex ends up getting caught in the aftermath of her childhood hero Francis Keen's murder. Keen, the adored advice columnist behind "Dear Constance," leaves behind a shocked and grieving fanbase. When Alex lands the job as Keen's replacement on a whim, she soon starts receiving creepy letters and suspects her new boss, Howard Dimitri, might be involved in the murder.

The setup of this book is super interesting, and Maxwell does a great job creating a tense, atmospheric story. Alex's shift from a boring copywriting job to playing detective is filled with suspense as she digs into both the newspaper office's secrets and her own past. But, despite this promising start, the book falls a bit flat.

Alex could have been much more engaging, and the other characters seem one-dimensional, each fitting into predictable roles without much depth. The mystery's reveal is pretty obvious, lacking the twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The flashbacks in the form of Dear Constance letters were meant to be another twist, but were also transparent almost immediately.

Even with these issues, "I Need You to Read This" has its moments. Maxwell's writing shines in the descriptive scenes and the initial mystery setup is captivating. However, nothing actually happens in this story until the very end. It's a decent read, but thriller fans might find themselves wanting a bit more excitement

Alex escaped from her traumatic small town past to become anonymous in NYC; and now she's known only by those who frequent her local coffeeshop. But then her childhood hero, an advice columnist, Dear Constance (Francis Keen), is murdered. One day she sees an advertisement for Dear Constance's replacement and applies for the job - and miraculously gets it! However now she is no longer anonymous, life at the paper is very creepy, no one knows who murdered her predecessor and she's now receiving threatening notes. Alex realizes she has to solve Francis’ murder in order to save her own life.

I ended up listening to a lot of this one and it is great on audio - it pulls you right in! I thought the ancillary characters were great for this - the locals at the coffeeshop really helped to make this book, they were comedy relief. I will say while the book took place in NYC, it didn't feel like NYC - it felt like a smaller town or earlier in time - it just didn't have an NYC feel. That being said I thought the story was engrossing and I was hooked for the entirety of it. Once my packing was done and I could sit and read the remainder of the novel, I read straight through until the end. While a tad predictable it was still a great popcorn thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to review

Honestly 3 stars is me being generous, I’d say more like 2.5,
This one just wasn’t for me.
Too slow, too juvenile, and very cheesy at times.
Also WAY too many storylines going on at once.
I did enjoy the premise of the book, and it was intriguing enough to get to the end & find out what happens.. but it was just not my type of mystery/thriller.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed the way this book way laid out. It was easy to follow and entertaining. A great whodunnit! Fun, quick and quirky, it read fast and was easily digestible.
Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the earc
4/5

Alex Mark moves to New York City and is a copy editor; it’s supposed to be a new start for her. She loves reading the advice column Dear Constance. But the author of that column, Francis Keen, has passed away. Now The Herald is looking for someone to take over the column. Alex applies, thinking she would never get the job, but she does. But once at the office, strange things seem to be occurring. The murderer was never found; she gets strange letters at the office, and she can’t help but be curious. She becomes suspicious of her boss. Investigating on her own leads her to a dangerous situation where she may not make it out alive.

I really enjoyed this book! Alex is relatable and honestly, I would love to have a job as an advice columnist! Though, realistically, I’m probably not very good at giving advice. Alex is though, and I appreciated reading some of her advice. The story is interwoven with letters from Dear Constance from Lost Girl. It was interesting to read those letters and to later find out how they fit into the storyline. I loved this touch.

This is a fast and easy read – it’s like a popcorn mystery. It’s interesting and the reader will find it easy to keep turning the pages. The mystery was a good one! I didn’t see the twists coming at all. And there was more than one, which of course I loved.

I picked this one up because I loved Jessa Maxwell's The Golden Spoon! This was a very fast read for me, I read it within 48 hours and I could barely put the book down. I enjoyed the setting of the old building in New York and her office as an advice columnist. Definitely a different premise from other mystery novels I've read. I was kept guessing who was behind the murder the entire time.

From the author of The Golden Spoon comes a new twisty mystery centered on a murdered advice columnist for the New York Herald. Alex Marks, a longtime fan of the Dear Constance advice column, is shocked to hear that its longtime author, Francis Keen, has been found dead in her lake house and that Alex based on sample columns has been surprisingly tapped to take her place.

As Alex starts her job with trepidation about doing right by Francis Keen’s advice column, more ominous things are afoot at the newspaper. She wonders if her new boss, the paper’s editor-in-chief, could be implicated. Tension mounts and Alex turns to her two morning breakfast diner friends, a smart waitress and an ex-cop who have taken young Alex under their wing, as she fears she may next in line as a victim for Francis’ killer. As Alex goes out on a dangerous search for clues to solve the murder mystery, hidden secrets from her own past rise up to illuminate another key source of anxiety for her.

As an aside, I loved the endless reader letters asking for help which Alex sifts through as she ponders which to highlight for her column- all the endless permutations of human angst in search of compassion and guidance.

A fast, taut read.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Jessa Maxwell — author of a book club favorite, The Golden Spoon — does it again!

This was an easy, fun whodunnit with short chapters and several major twists. Enough was going on that even though I guessed correctly on some plot lines, there were still plenty of surprises.

The author cleverly intertwines an advice column, murder at a beach house, and an imperfect past into a fast-paced mystery that you won’t want to put down (I sure didn’t)!

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the e-arc!

I really liked the way this book was written, Alex’s POV and Dear Constance letters from people seeking advice. I figured out what was going to happen but a couple of the twists were out of the blue and super interesting! Alex lands her dream job after Francis ends up murdered, whose role at The Herald newspaper needs to be filled to take over the Dear Constance advice column. I really liked how the story jumped right in and didn’t waste any time getting to the meat of the story quickly and what a wild ride it takes you on! I honestly didn’t know where this story was going to go but I thoroughly enjoyed it! If you’re looking for mystery, suspense, drama, jealousy, romance, friendships and the need to know wtf happened then this one is for you!!

I really, really wanted to love this one, but it just didn't deliver.

I liked the protagonist, who receives her dream job as the replacement for a long-time advice columnist (who was recently murdered in her summer home), but that's about it.

I went into this thinking it would be a gripping thriller, but there were honestly not very many gives-me-the-chills, goosebump-inducing moments (except for one that was reminiscent of *that* scene in Rear Window), and the ending felt rushed.

I didn't really like any of the other characters, including the ex-police cop and café server. They had a lot of scenes with the protagonist that honestly felt like filler chapters.

The biggest problem with this novel is that the big plot twist at the end was incredibly obvious. I don't know if it's just because I've read too many thrillers, but I guessed it early on and was not surprised when it happened.

I liked the narrative style, though, so I might be willing to pick up The Golden Spoon and give Maxwell another chance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

4 out of 5 Stars!

When Alex Mark moves to New York City, it is supposed to be a refreshing and exciting start. But when her childhood hero Francis Keen is murdered, she feels lost. Francis Keen was the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance. But when Alex sees an advertisement searching for a replacement for Dear Constance, she applies, thinking there is no way she will actually get the job. But, she magically does. When Alex starts receiving strange letters instead of letters asking for advice, she realizes she may be the next victim. Since they never actually caught Francis’s murderer. Is one of her new coworkers the murderer? And will she be next?

WOW! I don’t know the last time I was hooked by a book like this. “I Need You To Read This” by Jessa Maxwell had me hooked from the very beginning. I started reading the book one evening, and before you know it, it was dark, and I was 75% done. This was a very fast, thrilling book until the very end. Not only are you reading about Alex’s investigation, you are reading Dear Constance's letters asking for advice. Which was my favorite part of this entire novel.

I will admit, I saw some of the twists coming very early out in the book. But, I still really liked reading it and seeing how it played out. I thought the plot was very refreshing and easy to follow.
I especially liked the main character, Alex, and her story.

I wish I could actually write to her asking for advice, as I thought she did have a lot of wisdom. I also really liked the side characters. I thought everyone had an interesting story which added to the overall plot.

Before reading this book, I would recommend looking up trigger warnings if you believe you would benefit from them.

Pick up “I Need You to Read This” by Jesse Maxwell on August 13th, 2024!

Thank you to Atria Books, Jesse Maxwell, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

"I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell is a captivating cozy mystery. Alex Marks, seeking a fresh start in New York City, finds her quiet life upended when her childhood hero, Francis Keen, is murdered. Francis’s advice column, Dear Constance, was a beacon for Alex during dark times.

When Alex impulsively applies and lands Francis’s job, she excels but soon starts receiving threatening letters. With Francis’s killer still at large, everyone around Alex becomes a potential suspect, including her enigmatic boss, Howard Dimitri.

Maxwell excels at developing character relationships, and although I figured out many plot twists early, it didn't lessen my enjoyment. The Cape Cod setting added extra charm, especially since I read it while there.

Overall, "I Need You to Read This" is a compelling blend of mystery and character-driven storytelling that keeps you hooked until the end.

I Need You to Read This is a thriller about Alex, a journalist who replaces her late idol in an advice column, Dear Constance. After receiving threatening messages while settling into her new role, she wonders if she is on the path towards the same fate as the previous columnist.

This was a short and entertaining read, although the pacing was a tad slow for my liking. This book is more of a cozy mystery, rather than a fast-paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot of buildup & a couple clues throughout the story that helps with the grand reveal at the end.

I thought the Dear Constance letters throughout were a fun & interesting touch. I was excited to see what would end up happening with that plot line & I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are lovable and you will definitely want to find out how this one ends!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

3.5 stars!!

Alex lives in New York City as a copy editor for a pharmaceutical company. She’s often bored by her job, but she’ll do anything to stay in the city, far away from her past. When Alex’s favorite advice columnist, Francis, is murdered, Alex struggles with the death and is very surprised when The Herald, the newspaper Francis wrote for, announces that they’re looking for a new writer for Dear Constance.

Alex decides to apply for the job just to see what the screening process is for a potential replacement for the beloved writer of Dear Constance. As Alex continues her application process, she realizes that the words flow naturally from her when it comes to giving others advice. Still, Alex doesn’t think to hear back from the application, so she’s very shocked when she’s called in for an interview.

Alex is offered the job, bearing out hundreds of other applicants. When she begins working at the office, she is a little put off about how her new office (Francis’s old office) is on its own at the other end of the building, a kind of creepy, eerie location. Still, Alex is determined to get through these stacks and stacks of letters to find the perfect one for her first column. Only, Alex finds herself frightened that the past is catching up with her when she starts getting threatening letters in her Dear Constance mail. She’s unsure whether the person sending the letters has it out specifically for her, or if the person is the same one who killed Francis.

As Alex tries to figure out who is sending these mysterious letters, things come to light about her boss, making Alex even more afraid for her safety. Her past already makes her question the intentions of everyone around her, but her paranoia is heightened the deeper she gets into the happenings at the Herald.

I enjoyed this book and it was definitely a fast read for me. This is also the first book I’ve read by the author and I definitely want to read more. I would recommend this for those who like to read mysteries and or thrillers.