I read over half of this book in one sitting before I went to bed because I didn't want to stop. It was so fast paced and never dragged.

The story starts right away, and as I said there were no draggy parts. I really enjoyed the chapters that ended with the Dear, Constance letters and found myself missing them when they weren't in a chapter.

The mystery was a little predictable, but it was such a quick read that it didn't even really matter. I loved the friendship between Alex, Raymond, and Janice, and would love to read more about the three of them!

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖
Genre: 🔪 Thriller
Violence: 🔪🔪
TW: Gaslighting, Cutting

Synopsis: A reclusive copywriter’s carefully cultivated world is upended when the advice columnist whose words got Alex through her darkest days is brutally murdered. When Alex is chosen to replace her idol, she quickly proves adept as solving others’ problems. But soon she begins to receive threatening letters and her inbred paranoia makes her suspect everyone. Is her past coming back to haunt her?

Thoughts: I find the premise novel and much of the character development nuanced and engaging. Maxwell has a skill with atmosphere that makes the reader share in a sense of claustrophobia or a feeling of enchantment. The author is particularly proficient at enmeshing us in Alex’s confusion and fear as she unfurls her main character’s backstory. Certain hints made me confident I knew the culprit. But the author deftly misdirects me. Using the interplay between Alex’s history—and the resulting fear that drives so many of her choices—and her predecessor’s murder, Maxwell distracts me to the point I don't not see the penultimate twist coming. At the same time, there are places where the suspension of disbelieve required has me asking, “Is that really plausible?” One is the way basic police procedure is omitted in service of story; an incompetent cop only has so much leeway. The other is one component of the resolution, which requires one to believe in facts and behaviors that seem unlikely. While I found myself occasionally pulled out of the story by these inconsistencies, I would definitely recommend it, along with Maxwell’s The Golden Spoon.

Thank you to @atriathrillers and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley. This was a twisty thriller, which kept me guessing. There were definitely some creepy vibes, but I enjoyed it.

Is it weird to say a thriller/murder mystery felt endearing? This felt pretty endearing. I foresaw how the plot was gonna play out, but it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment. Loved the ending and how things ended up for Alex. :)

What happens when you drink a bit too much wine? Well, if you are Alex Marks, you apply for the job of writing a newspaper column, Dear Constance. The former author, Francis was murdered, and the killer has not yet been found. Alex relied on her column for years, and even though she knows she has no chance of being hired, fate intervenes. She gets the job and is pushed out of her very lonely existence. Why Alex is always looking over her shoulder will slowly be revealed.
As Alex is attempting to read the thousands of letters that have backed up since Francis was killed, she begins to get suspicious of her boss Howard. She decides to put her amateur sleuth hat on and get justice for her idol Francis. But things aren’t quite as straightforward as they may appear, and it seems someone from Alex’s past is still looking for her. Will the newest Dear Constance writer be murdered too? All will be revealed before the final page.
There was one character that I knew from the first time we saw her, that she was trouble. I kept screaming at my Kindle for Alex to just be a little bit smarter. A good mystery, and I won’t dive into spoiler territory, but I enjoyed Alex’s growth.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Jessa Maxwell’s latest novel, I Need You to Read This, is a masterful blend of suspense, nostalgia, and psychological intrigue. This gripping mystery follows Alex Marks, a copywriter who unexpectedly lands a job as an advice columnist after the murder of her childhood hero, Francis Keen. As Alex delves into the mystery surrounding Keen’s death, she finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and danger that threatens her own life.

Maxwell’s storytelling is atmospheric and addictive. She skillfully balances the dark, suspenseful elements of the plot with the warmth and wit of her characters. Alex is a relatable protagonist, whose journey from a mundane existence to a perilous investigation is both compelling and emotionally resonant. Her interactions with the enigmatic editor-in-chief, Howard Dimitri, add layers of tension and suspicion, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

The novel’s setting, from the bustling streets of Manhattan to the eerie summer house where Keen’s body was found, is vividly described, enhancing the overall sense of unease and mystery. Maxwell’s prose is sharp and evocative, drawing readers into Alex’s world and making it difficult to put the book down.

One of the standout aspects of I Need You to Read This is its exploration of the advice column as a narrative device. Maxwell cleverly uses the letters Alex receives to deepen the mystery and provide insight into her character’s psyche. This unique approach adds a fresh twist to the classic murder mystery genre.

I Need You to Read This is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. Jessa Maxwell has crafted a story that is entertaining and thought-provoking, with a protagonist who is easy to root for and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Maxwell’s work or new to her writing, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression.

As an avid lover of both mysteries and advice columns like Carolyn Hax and Dear Prudence, this seemed to be a perfect summer read for me! Alex, a copywriter in NYC, applies to be the next Dear Constance. Once she starts the job, she starts getting mysterious letters and is also intrigued about the death of the former writer. I loved the side characters in this, showing that Alex has created a found family in such a big city. I enjoyed the story much more than Jessa Maxwell's last mystery and feel like she's starting to find her stride. This was an easy thriller to read and perfect for a beach or pool read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

I was a big fan of this authors debut, and this next work is just as good!

I really enjoyed the characters, as well as the plot. It was really believable and twisty. I’d call it a more mild, almost cozy, mystery, which I also thought of her first novel. It’s a really fun read for me all around!

Would definitely recommend the read!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Quick read! I liked the cafe friends! Ray is lovely and I'm super intrigued by the Nest. I look enjoyed the letters framework formal, tiny slice of duel timelines.

I really wanted to love this a little more than I did. It was an enjoyable book with a cool premise, but it hasn't been super memorable for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and read it pretty much in one sitting. I loved Alex and her growth, I loved Janice and Raymond and felt I could really connect with the characters. However, maybe I read too many thrillers, but I did find the whole book rather predictable. It was still a really enjoyable read though!

Alex Marks is unhappy in her current job writing for a pharmaceutical company after moving to New York looking for a fresh start. After her favorite advice columnist, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered in her summer home, Alex decides to apply for the open position. After she unexpectedly gets hired into the new role, she begins to uncover mysterious and unexplained elements around Francis' death. When Alex starts to receive threatening letters, she begins to try and uncover what actually happened to Francis... and if she is now in danger too.

This book was faced-paced, tense, and I just couldn't wait to find out what happened. I loved the structure of Dear Constance letters mixed in throughout the book! I definitely recommend this to fans of thrillers, and if you liked Jessa's previous novel, The Golden Spoon, I think you'll really enjoy this one too!!

Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so much more. And for awhile, it was a perfectly good read. But it eventually just got too ridiculous. Alex (the MC) is portrayed as a 30-ish year-old woman who's paranoid and anxious, but so many of the decisions she makes are impulsive and/or irrational. As irritating as those parts were, my biggest problem with the book is that it tried to do too much; there were two "mysteries", but I think it could have been a much better book if solving Francis Keen's murder was the only plot.

I was hooked from the first page! Fast-paced suspense with relatable, vulnerable characters and a tense, satisfying ending. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tore through this in a matter of days! I was a little leery because I didn't love The Golden Spoon, but this one grabbed me from the start. I kept trying to guess who the culprit was and I definitely guessed who it was but I did not figure out why. Great read!

If you've been following me awhile then you'll know that mysteries/thrillers aren't usually my jam. This book surprised me though. While some of the plot was obvious, I thought the red herrings and apex of the book were really good. I liked Alex's growth as a character, and I honestly couldn't put the book down. I read it in almost one sitting.

Alex starts the book as kind of meek, stuck in a copy writing job and with very little social life. When the author of Alex's favorite column, Dear Constance, is brutally murdered, Alex feels even more unmoored. After a night of drinking, Alex decides to apply for the Dear Constance job. Much to her surprise, she gets the job. After she gets the job Alex spirals, she's sucked into solving the murder of her predecessor and conquering her own personal demons.

This is really a story about survival and how violence can shape a person. Alex is a survivor and as she dives deeper into the mystery of the Dear Constance murder, she also unravels more of her past. This book really surprised me, and not in like a Game of Thrones twist surprise, but like a good surprise. I thought the plot made sense and when you get to the climax, you gasp and clutch your pearls. The reason this wasn't a 5-star read is I thought the supporting cast was flimsy. Her friend Raymond had a backstory, but her other friend Janice doesn't. Alex seems so fully fleshed out that it's a shame the other characters are so dull. Also, there's a few times when Alex is mentioning how long she has been in NYC and it changes from 10 to 8 years. I think it's just a typo, but still it made me lose the thread of the story.

Overall, this was a good mystery and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

A fun, twisty thriller, <i>I Need You to Read This</i> follows Alex Marks, a pharmaceutical copywriter looking to reinvent her life in more ways than one. After learning that The Herald is looking for a new advice columnist to replace the legendary (and recently murdered) Francis Keene, she applies on a whim and is accepted. As she tries to fill Francis' formidable shoes, Alex begins getting threatening letters and starts piecing together what happened to her predecessor.

I love a good advice column. As a kid, I used to read Dear Abby and other columns for hours, imagining others' problems and the advice I would give to them. (Now, my column of choice is Ask a Manager for all of those juicy workplace problems.) I also enjoy mysteries and whodunits. For me, this was a fun, fast-paced read, but as with many thrillers, it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief.

The perfect mix of mystery, suspense and a little bit of romance! I really enjoyed this book and it kept my interest until the very end!

This was such an intense thriller! I couldn’t stop reading once I started! The characters were complex and interesting!

This book is already getting much-deserved buzz! A compulsive read and perfect for those that love the newspaper publishing industry and mysteries.