In "I Need You to Read This," Jessa Maxwell cozy murder mystery with a powerful emotional core. The story follows Alex Marks, who leads a monotonous life in New York City, working a job she dislikes. Her world is jolted when she learns of the murder of Francis Keen, the beloved advice columnist behind "Dear Constance," whose writing had once offered Alex solace. In a moment of impulse, Alex applies for the column’s position and is unexpectedly hired.

Maxwell excels in creating a compelling protagonist in Alex. As she navigates her new role, she discovers a talent for solving others’ problems but soon finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue. Her boss’s suspicious behavior, the antagonistic attitude of his assistant, and a series of threatening letters add layers of tension and uncertainty. Alex's past begins to resurface, intertwining with the murder investigation in unexpected ways.

The secondary characters add depth and flavor to the narrative. Alex’s interactions with Raymond and Janice, her café acquaintances, bring a touch of levity and offer a push toward personal growth. Tom, a complex figure who oscillates between a potential love interest and a suspect, keeps readers guessing and adds to the suspense.

The murder mystery itself is absorbing, but the novel’s most haunting elements are the letters from “Lost Girl,” featured as interludes between chapters. These letters vividly portray the slow unraveling of a young woman’s life in an abusive relationship, offering a poignant and disturbing look at the cycle of abuse. Maxwell handles this subject matter with sensitivity and depth, providing a stark contrast to the surface-level intrigue of the murder mystery.

However, the depiction of abuse is intense and may be challenging for some readers. Maxwell does not shy away from depicting the grim reality of emotional and physical violence, which might be difficult for those with personal experience of such trauma. The book avoids romanticizing or trivializing these issues, presenting them with the gravity they deserve and holding characters accountable for their actions.

As the narrative builds toward its climax, the interconnected threads of Francis’s murder, Alex’s recent experiences, and the disturbing "Lost Girl" letters converge in a dramatic and intense finale. While some plot twists may be anticipated, others offer genuine surprises, leading to a satisfying resolution.

Overall, "I Need You to Read This" is standout thriller that combines intricate plotting with psychological depth, making it a gripping read for fans of the genre. Maxwell’s ability to craft a suspenseful and emotionally resonant narrative ensures this book will linger long after the final page.

I’ve never been drawn to cozy mysteries. But I thought the premise of this book would offer me more than just your regular murder mystery. And I was right!

Alex is a longtime reader of Dear Constance, a regular advice column in a New York newspaper. When the author of the column is murdered, the position becomes available and Alex applies on a whim. Much to her surprise, she is offered the position and quickly learns that the job entails so much more than she thought.

The characters made this book. Raymond and Janice were such a lovely complement to Alex, and it reminded me a bit of Only Murders in the Building. There were plenty of characters that ended up distracting me, wondering whether they were involved. That to me is the mark of a good mystery writer, one who makes you question everyone you meet in the book, curious as to their purpose for being in the story.

Alex’s past is revealed slowly and done quite tastefully - not for shock value or to infuse drama, but to highlight the all-encompassing nature of the situation she found herself in, and how difficult it can be to extricate one’s self from it permanently.

While I had a hunch at about 35% in that the character who was ultimately the subject of a big reveal was up to something, I did not in any way expect it to be in the way that they were.

If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a deeper, darker tone, look no further!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell

* Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for providing the ebook in exchange of a honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3,5⭐️)

The first half of the book felt to me almost like a five stars read but than I started to think that maybe I already had the twists... turns out I did managed to find 2 of the major twist which was a little bit disapointing (and I never find them out!). Things I absolutety adore : reading about people who writes for a living, the friendship between Alex, Janice and Raymond and there little breakfeast routine and finally the journalism universe and all the columnist letters.

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Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell!

Alex Marks gets her dream job. But, with hidden secrets, death threats, and her own past coming to haunt her... is it really all it's cracked up to be?

The premise of this book sounded interesting! Reading about writers is always one of my favorite tropes.
The beginning half of this story felt more like literary fiction, and it was slow-moving to get to the mystery of it all.
Once we got into the mystery, I started to lose interest.
The ending felt rushed and my head was spinning with plot holes. I was not a fan of our main character in the latter half. When things got rolling Alex became super incompetent and things weren't adding up for me.

The writing in the story was great! But, I wasn't a fan of the mystery aspect-- which sadly, was the point of the book.

2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

Oh I did not see that twist coming. I truly enjoyed this mystery/thriller by Jessa Maxwell. I enjoyed her previous novel, The Golden Spoon, and I was not surprised to have loved this book just as much. Good pacing, easy to read, captivating enough to have you staying up late to figure out what happens next. You think you have it all figured out - but you don’t, well at least I didn’t. The ending was fitting for the book, and wrapped everything up nicely with sensible conclusions. Overall, great book and truly enjoyable read. Highly recommend!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up! This was such a quick read for me! I enjoyed the plot, the letters that broke up the chapters and brought in the back story of Alex’s life. It was interesting, quick, if not a touch predictable. I’d recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

This started slow, with a lot of confusing parts, but when they finally came together, what a bang!!

Alex lives alone in New York City, writing advertising blurbs for a pharmaceutical company from home. She really only interacts with two people who she sees each morning at a nearby diner where she goes for breakfast. Otherwise, she mainly stays securely locked up in her apartment. She is afraid of everything, it seems, and her two friends/acquaintances from the diner constantly encourage her to live a life. But she just can't.

Then one day she sees and ad for a replacement for an advice columnist who was recently murdered and who Alex had long followed and depended on. She thinks she may be able to do the job, so, on a whim and with a lot of encouraging wine, she fills out the online application. And she is offered the job! She is terrified that some mistake has been made, but it turns out she is good at the job. But someone is sending threatening notes and she is not sure if they are aimed at her or her murdered predecessor, whose murder has never been solved.

She becomes obsessed with solving the murder and looks at her boss as the possible murderer. When she follows a lead to the dead woman's beach house, things get really complicated, but the mystery DOES get solved. And a lot of Alex's problems also get solved as we find out what she is so afraid of, and how important the previous columnist was to Alex.

Many thanks to Atria books and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

There is just something so refreshing about Jessa's writing. I loved The Golden Spoon and I was so excited to read this one. I actually never knew I liked "cozy" books until I read this author. I definitely recommend!

A quick read, but not very rewarding. So much of the plot was unbelievable—namely, Alex getting a columnist job with zero experience and just one interview? Characters felt trite and the NYC setting cliché. Alex herself was not the brightest sleuth.

I loved the premise (murdered advice columnist?? so good) but it just didn’t sparkle. I nearly DNFd several times but I stuck with it. Not much happens until about 75%. And that final quarter is just a little *too* confusing.

It’s entertaining enough, but is it worth your time? I’d say no.

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell was a quick, suspenseful read. Once I got into it I didn’t want to put it down. While there were parts that felt pretty obvious, there were others that truly surprised me.

I adored all the characters right off the bat. They were real and felt like old friends. I couldn’t wait to unfold the mystery of what Alex was hiding from. I enjoyed being fed small bits of information about her past through the Dear Constance letters that were shared throughout the book.


Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We meet Alex Marks who moved away to New York City to escape a secretive past and hopes to find a new life. Since she was a child, she has followed and loved the column Dear Constance and its writer Francis Keen. When Keen is murdered everyone including Alex is shocked. So when she hears they are looking for a replacement writer for the column, on a whim she decides to apply. She’s not a writer but Alex pours her heart into the application and to her surprise and shock she gets the job. she finds out all too soon that there is someone out there who may know her secrets. When she starts receiving threatening letters she’s scared it may be Keen’s killer now coming after her. Every one around her seems suspicious, this includes her new boss Howard Dimitri and even her new love interest Tom. It doesn’t help she’s working in Keens old office in the creepy dark side of the building alone. To help with the mounting pressure, Alex decides to conduct her own investigation into Francis’s murder, asking the help of her only friends from the diner— also risking her life and confronting her own dark past. Alex finds herself trapped in a dangerous and potentially deadly mystery. Will she solve the murder and save her own skin? Or will Alex face a similar fate?

This was a calm thriller. I didn’t really feel like I was kept at the edge of my seat, but it did keep me hooked enough to want to come back. The story follows Alex, a woman with a wishy washy past and a lot of baggage. Unhappy with her current job and a copywriter, she applies for an advice column writer position and somehow lands the role. There’s a whole roller coaster of events that follows, which makes for a really interesting read.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, or the tone, which felt really drab and depressing… though I think that that may be what the author was trying to go for. I think this would be a pretty good book to read during the fall or cozied up in the winter. This book doesn’t have cozy vibes per se, it has this energy of wanting to be better, wanting to be more. That really resonated with me.

This book took me a long time to really immerse myself into, but once I was in it… I was IN IT. The final half of this book was great, some of twists were really predictable and easy to pick up on, but if you don’t clock it early (or work overtime to try and figure it out) and just go with the flow to enjoy the story, you might really enjoy it.

This novel is more literary fiction with a touch of mystery rather than the fast-paced thriller I was expecting. While it incorporates elements of suspense and intrigue, the book leans heavily on character development and the protagonist's personal journey, which slows the pacing. As a result, the stakes never felt particularly high, giving a more cozy mystery vibe than anticipated. However, this slower burn might appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven plots with a sprinkling of mystery rather than a heart-pounding thriller.

The main character, Alex, is likable and has a relatable, flawed personality. However, her decision-making throughout the book left me frustrated at times. She consistently jumped to conclusions based on little evidence, which often took the plot in predictable directions. Her tendency to act on impulse had me rolling my eyes more than once. While I appreciated Alex’s vulnerability, her naivety and sometimes poor judgment lessened my love for her.

From early on, I could guess the major plot point, which took away some of the tension and mystery for me. The twist, though well-written, felt obvious, and I was surprised that the protagonist didn’t pick up on certain clues along the way. That said, the book still had enjoyable moments, particularly toward the end, where the author introduces a twist that slightly redeemed the story. I also enjoyed the epistolary elements, especially the letters to Dear Constance, which were cleverly woven into the plot. They provided rich backstory and added emotional depth to book as a whole.

Despite its shortcomings, I found the novel an easy and quick read. There were some suspenseful moments, particularly in the climax, and the supporting cast—especially the diner trio of Raymond and Janice—added a touch of warmth and humor. I also appreciated how the author tackled sensitive topics like domestic violence and abuse in a realistic manner, though some of the scenes were quite disturbing.

In the end, while this book didn’t fully live up to my expectations, it was still enjoyable, and I appreciated the author’s writing style. I’m curious to see how the author’s future works evolve and would be interested in reading more. Although the mystery was predictable, the journey was entertaining enough, and the story held my attention for the most part.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book would be great for me but unfortunately it was a DNF. The writing was just too clunky and it felt like a slog to get through. I also just found the pacing to be too slow for me. I don't think a mystery/thriller should be slow. I just didn't care enough to finish this one.

I hope others love it.

(I wrote this back in late March early April)

I Need You To Read This
Alex Marks moves to New York City ready for a fresh start. Alex lives a mundane life working as a copy writer. Around this time, murder of her childhood idol, advice columnist Francis Keen the behind the Dear Constance letters throws Alex & many of Francis’s fans for a loop. Alex sees an advertisement for Francis’s job, and impulsively applies for it never expecting to get it until she does! While starting her dream job, not everything is as glamourous as it seems. Alex starts getting strange letters and she can’t help but wonder if editor in chief Howard Dmitri was somehow involved in Francis’s death. Alex must find out who murdered Francis before she meets the same fate.

Writing, Characters, Twists & Turns
Where do I begin? I requested a copy from netgalley and was excited that they excepted. So of course, I began reading speeding through it yesterday and finishing it today. Jessa Maxwell does it again. I like the fact that Alex Marks is an advice columnist whose been through a rough patch of her own, trying to find out who killed her childhood hero and why which makes this murder mystery original. The characters both good and evil were well written & my favorites were Alex, Janice & Raymond. There were so many twists & turns, I won’t go into too much detail because I’m afraid I’m going to spoil it, but Jessa Maxwell is a master at her craft. If you thought Jessa’s debut novel The Golden Spoon was excellent, she does even better with I Need You To Read This. Theres nothing I dislike about this book, I just wish it were longer because I enjoyed it a lot!

Overall
If you love murder mysteries & you’re a fan of Jessa Maxwell’s The Golden Spoon, then you are going to love I Need You To Read This. If you don’t have a physical or digital copy of I Need You To Read This, the book will be available on August 13th! I suggest preorder it now! Thank you so much Jessa Maxwell for another twisty murder mystery! I look forward to our Behind The Book Q&A discussing it!

This book was much better than I expected! I loved the mystery and the main character. After finishing this, I read The Golden Spoon and enjoyed this one much more than that one. I will definitely read more from this author.

If you’re looking for a fun, cozy mystery to get you through a fall weekend, look no further than I Need You to Read This. I enjoyed The Golden Spoon, so was excited to get the next Jessa Maxwell book and it was just as delightful of a read as her last.

Alex Marks moved to New York City for a fresh start as a copywriter, but her lackluster life takes a turn when her favorite columnist is brutally murdered. The famous advice column, Dear Constance, helped Alex through many dark times in her life, so when she sees that the job is up for grabs, she throws her hat into the ring and gets the job.

Skilled at solving other people’s problems, Alex quickly gets sucked into this new world. But when strange letters begin to arrive, Alex must look to those around her to solve who killed her predecessor before she’s next.

This was a light, engaging read that I found enjoyable. I felt like I was along for the ride and had a few ideas as to whodunit, which I may have gotten right! Hooray!

Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy for an honest review.

An interesting and thrilling read. I think my favorite part was the incorporation of Dear Constance letters throughout the story, a nice touch to connect past and present while also giving the readers reasons to question what was going on.

I think the story did a good job of redirecting suspicion to multiple people. I liked that it wasn’t an easy one person suspect, but that almost everyone had a reason to be a suspect.

Interesting that this was told through the main characters third POV.

TW: domestic abuse

If you’re on the hunt for a light, engaging read with a touch of mystery, Dear Constance might just hit the spot. The novel follows Alex, a young writer trying to escape her past who unexpectedly lands a job as the replacement for her late idol, a renowned advice columnist. Things take a dark turn when Alex starts receiving threatening letters similar to those her predecessor got before her tragic death.

Determined to uncover the truth behind the murder and the ominous notes, Alex enlists the help of her quirky friends from the local diner she frequents. The stakes are high—she’s not only on a quest to find out if the advice column is linked to the murder but also if she’s the next target.

While the story unfolds in a predictable, slow-burn fashion and the characters don’t quite leave a lasting impression, the “Dear Constance” letters themselves add an interesting twist to the narrative. They seamlessly weave into the plot and keep the mystery engaging.

This was a fairly good mystery - there were some surprising twists. It was definitely darker than Jessa Maxwell's last book. I feel like Alex should have been smarter about a lot of things given her situation - it would have taken a quick google search to find out more about Tom or Lucy. But I did like the book and will continue to read any more book the author writes. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.