This is such a good whodunit! It's a little creepy and a little you-might-think-you-know-but-you-dont. So enjoyable and hard to put down.

I was expecting more to happen throughout the entire book, but really a lot of the action happens at the end. A lot of the characters are mediocre and not really that important.

I was a huge fan of Jessa Maxwell's debut, The Golden Spoon, so I was thrilled when I got my hands on this one. It follows a girl with a scary past who ends up becoming the new "Dear Constance" writer at a big newspaper in New York. My first gripe/complaint with this was, for this girl to be so scared of someone finding her, she reallyyyy took a high profile, very public job? The story dragged a little (in my opinion), but I was overall surprised at the main plot twist. Because of that, this gets a higher rating in my mind and makes up for the slowness/plot points.

Alex moves to New York City and gets a job as an advice columnist. Her predecessor and hero was murdered under suspicious circumstances. Alex decides to investigate the crime.

In my opinion this book has a very slow start and I had a hard time staying engaged. It was not very thrilling for a thriller. It’s more like a slow burn mystery. I had the”twist” figured out so it fell flat for me. I know a lot of people will probably enjoy it unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this. I read The Golden Spoon and thought it was ok but this one I felt was so much better! I loved the suspense and while some of it was predictable, the ending had me in total surprise. I really enjoyed the characters in this one!

This was a disappointing read. It was a great premise but the author didn’t execute it well in my opinion. Too many coincidence and plot twists that just didn’t make sense.

An absolutely unputdownable book for me! I was drawn in immediately to this book; it was on my list of most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint! Alex Marks has a drab, boring life in NYC until she unexpectedly ends up with a job as a column writer after the murder of the beloved Francis Keen, who held the role for decades. Almost immediately she begins to get threatening letters and knows that all isn’t what it seems when it comes to Francis’ untimely murder and it’s up to her to bring to light what transpired.

I loved the dark, moody atmosphere provided by the writing and the NYC setting. It was perfect for a fall evening. The book went so fast for me because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and I was definitely surprised at the ending! This will be a top favorite for me this year.

Rated: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty basic as far as murder mystery story goes. Not highly memorable. But I did enjoy the premise of the MC, having once been a writer herself to Dear Francis, took up the gauntlet herself to replace the then missing need.

Alex gets her dream job because the previous employee was murdered, which doesn't sound great, but she really needs to leave her previous job and desperately wants to take over the advice column that she feels so attached to. She's determined to be the best that she can be at it until she starts getting threatening letters. She's not quite sure if it's an enemy from her past, the killer of the previous columnist, or someone completely new.

Good concept, but not quite the best execution for me. This was a deeper introspection on Alex's character but at times I found I didn't really know why she was the way she was despite all the context. Usually I adore character studies, but this one was just a smidge lacking. The side characters also felt very one dimensional.

This also had a very slow pace and everything happened in the very last portion of the book. I felt like the main villain here was Alex's anxiety since that seemed to be what she had to overcome in the end mostly. I appreciate how different this was from most mysteries I have read especially with a good portion of it being epistolary, but it just fell a little flat for me.

3/5 ⭐

I really enjoyed The Golden Spoon by Maxwell, which was essentially a murder mystery meets The Great British Bake-off. It was light and quick and well executed.

I Need You to Read This features some heavier, darker themes, so I was a little surprised. Still, this is a fun mystery to get me into spooky season reading.

Alex Marks was an avid reader of the Dear Constance advice column … right up until the author of the column is murdered. Soon, a posting appears for the columnist’s replacement and Alex, eager to feel closer to the columnist, applies and gets the Job. But almost immediately upon starting, she begins receiving strange messages. Alex embarks on an investigation to figure out what happened to her predecessor and finds herself in a tangled web of secrets, lies, affairs, and danger.

This kept me guessing at every turn and has a number of twists that leave the reader reeling. I blew through it and was shocked by the ending. It’s just the creepy, atmospheric, engaging read I enjoy this time of year. Highly recommend!

Set across dual timelines, we follow the journey of a new advice columnist determined to escape her past. Through flashbacks and her pursuit to uncover the truth behind the murder of her childhood hero, we gain deeper insight into her motivations and struggles. As the story unfolds, she evolves into a stronger, more confident woman—one who might finally rise above her challenges, if she can learn to trust her instincts.

This was a combination police procedural/mystery and not very mysterious at that. It was a quick read for a blustery autumn day. I can’t say I would recommend it but it was entertaining.

I Need You to Read This is an atmospheric, quiet mystery that focuses on character over thrills.

The standout elements of this book are the mood and the atmosphere. Maxwell shines in describing the isolated life Alex lives, and the dreary newsroom came to life in my mind. The characters are well-drawn, but a little lacking in depth. For a slower mystery that relies on character, I would have liked to delve deeper.

That said, the mystery aspect hooked me early on. I was intrigued by the letters and Constance's unsolved murder. Unfortunately, I was able to guess the more major aspects, but Maxwell did manage a surprise or two as well.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this story, but it's not one I am likely to revisit. I will continue to pick up the author's works though. I really enjoy her concepts and settings, and if her character work continues to develop, I could see her becoming a favorite mystery author.

3.5/5
Read if you like:
-Slow burn mystery
-Mysterious character backgrounds
-New York and/or newsroom settings

This was my first book by Jessa Maxwell and it was an enjoyable dark mystery/thriller full of suspense. Our main character, Alex moves to New York City for a fresh start. She is hired for a copywriting job, but then receives the news of the murder of, Francis Keen, the famous advice columnist of Dear Constance. Alex has been a fan since childhood and is shocked by the news. Alex applies for the position of Francis' replacement and despite never expecting to be hired, gets the job. However, as soon as she starts, she begins to receive strange letters at the office and Alex wonders why the murderer has never been found and doesn't know who to trust.

Such a fun mystery! It definitely was dark vs. cozy, which I enjoy but just to be aware of as a reader. I thought this was really well-written and any time I put it down, I kept wanting more. The pacing was perfect and made it incredibly bingeable. I'm definitely checking out The Golden Spoon and look forward to reading more of Jessa Maxwell's work!

An advice columnist solves the mystery of her predecessor’s death.

This was a very predictable amateur sleuth story that was slow and formulaic. I didn’t care for any of the characters, especially not Alex, the protagonist, and most of what happens to her was unlikely and highly improbable. The leaps to conclusions made me laugh, but I don’t think that was the intent. I could barely force myself to finish this once Alex starts trying to do some investigating and goes off totally half cocked. Her diner friendships were convenient, and the new boyfriend should have left her behind the minute she got so weirded out after he asked her a simple question. Alex’s backstory told in the form of the overly long and detailed Dear Constance letters was not a good use of that writing style/technique. In any case, I’d not recommend this. In truth, it was boring and banal.

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the ebook ARC provided by the publisher. It did little to enhance the narrative and I was meh about the narrator’s voice and her attempts to give life to the characters. It wasn’t enough to save it.

A slow burn at the start but boy did it pick up! I loved the quirky supporting characters and their sleuthing abilities. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me turning pages. Well written and engaging.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Twisty and turny, everything I needed in a thriller. I have read her before, but I think this is one of her best. A good quick read!

Alex Marks is living in New York City, spending time at a diner and working in a droll of a job. She learns that a famous advice columnist has been murdered - a columnist she has relied on during dark times in her past. One night she sees an ad searching for the columnists replacement, and on a whim, she applies. When she gets the job, she starts receiving nerve-wracking letters and learning more about her predecessor and the strange goings on at the newspaper. Soon she finds herself in a deeper web than she was expecting, unearthing her predecessor's past as well as her own.

Similar to MAxwell's "The Golden Spoon", this was a unique and creative mystery. It felt a little surface level, but was a quick and fun read.

I loved this book. It was the perfect cozy mystery. Really well written and kept me guessing. I loved Golden Spoon, but enjoyed this one even more. There is something about a newsroom setting that gets me every time!

This was a great read. Mysterious enough without being scary. I kept picking it up because I had to know what was going to happen.