I enjoyed Jessa’s first book and this second book did not disappoint. At first, it felt kinda of surreal that this random person would be picked to be an advice columnist.

But as the story keeps going, you find out that Alex has a unique connection to Francis. The reader learns more about Alex’s past via letters she wrote to Francis.

Alex is a character that you can route for, but she isn’t without her own faults. She questions one relationship while not questioning another relationship.

Besides the mystery, there are also found family themes. Be sure to check the trigger warnings as there are some serious topics referenced in the flashbacks.

If you are looking for a solid mystery, add this book to your list.

Thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks providing the ARC.

I really wanted to love this one because The Golden Spoon was so good. It was good but not great. I enjoyed enough but definitely not my favorite. It felt a little drawn out and overly explanatory.

An advice columnist is murdered, and her replacement, Alex, tries to find out what happened to her. Meanwhile, Alex is looking over her shoulder as her own past catches up to her.

I liked the premise, but I couldn’t get past some of the things I had to allow for it to work.
Alex getting hired at the Herald was absolutely bonkers. The application and interview process made no sense, and her concern that they brought her in to tell her she DIDN’T get the job… that’s never how it works! A salary of $125k to reply to one letter per week? And I’ve never heard of an “exploding offer.” The environment in the office also seemed ludicrous. What kind of newsroom empties out at 5pm? Isn’t that one of the industries in which people are always working around the clock?

The writing was okay, but it did feel a little juvenile (makes sense since the author writes children's books) and some of the dialogue was awkward. I liked Alex’s friendship with Janice and Raymond from the diner - it was nice that, even though she was on her own in the city, she still had someone who cared about her. There were very few surprises in the story - it was pretty easy to figure out who was up to no good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Another gripping, twisty, and riveting page-turner that you’ll devour in one sitting—this book keeps you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails as you reach the shocking climax, packed with revelations. From the author of Golden Spoon, I have to admit this book is even better than her previous work.

The characters are captivating, including the supporting ones like Janice, the observant diner waitress, and Raymond, the old-school detective who feels like he stepped right out of a Raymond Chandler crime thriller. Alex, the protagonist, is equally engaging, a survivor trying to rebuild her life alone in the city that never sleeps. She faces her fears and past traumas while honing her consulting and creative writing skills. The advice columns in the book are especially well-crafted, making them just as enjoyable as the central mystery of who killed Francis Keen, the famous advice columnist known as “Dear Constance.”

To summarize the plot: Alex Mark, a pharmaceutical firm copywriter, is trying to start anew, connecting only with two people at a diner near her apartment—retired detective Ray and the overly friendly, talkative Janice. Janice always has her bagel and jelly ready before she sits next to Ray, who’s often covered in toast crumbs.

When Alex’s favorite columnist, Francis Keen of the Herald newspaper, is found brutally stabbed at her beach house, Alex is devastated by the loss of her icon. Keen was a lifeline to so many vulnerable people who sought her advice. When Alex learns that the newspaper is already looking for a replacement, she, like many fans, is outraged at how quickly they’re moving on. After a few too many glasses of wine, Alex checks out the job requirements and, on a whim, fills out the application, writing sample advice letters. To her surprise, she gets a callback for an interview with Francis’s famous editor, Howard Demetri. Amazingly, she’s offered the job on the spot, with a salary more than double her current one.

But Alex knows this job will be intense, demanding, and draining, with thousands of letters to sort through for her column. Luckily, she has the help of eccentric young assistant Lucy, though Howard’s other assistant, Jonathan, treats her like dirt, and Howard himself is acting strangely, engaging in long, mysterious late-night calls and drinking heavily.

Soon, Alex starts receiving threatening letters, raising the terrifying possibility that someone is watching her, digging into the past she’s tried to bury. Could someone have targeted her because she took over Francis’s column? Could the killer be coming after her too? To relieve the mounting pressure, Alex decides to conduct her own investigation into Francis’s murder, enlisting the help of her only friends from the diner—risking her life and confronting her own dark past.

Overall, this is a well-written, engaging, heart-pounding, and enjoyable mystery with some great twists that I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this unputdownable book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was a big fan of Jessa Maxwell’s debut novel “The Golden Spoon” and had rather high hopes for this next book of hers. While I thought that the story was unique and interesting, it took quite awhile for the story to really get going and I had a hard time keeping myself interested in what was going on.

I thought the anxiousness of our FMC Alex was super captivating and the portrayal of OCD through some of her tendencies was well done. I thought that the friendships/relationships of hers that we got to see were insightful to the kind of person she was, as well as what her level of trust and comfortability with other people was.

There were a few too many things going on in this book for me though. Firstly, there were a LOT of “Dear Constance” letters from the same someone throughout the book that you get to read, as well as other letters from other people that you also got to read. It got to be a bit much at times. Second, the ending had way too much going on in it. I feel like we got smacked in the face by a multitude of different plotlines colliding and exploding all at once. Third, there were a few too many characters involved to keep up with at certain times, and I do pretty well with large casts, so do with this info what you will.

Overall, it was a good thriller that keeps you uncertain of everyone and everything as you read through it. I would recommend!

Thank you so much to Atria Books for this advanced copy on NetGalley!

3.75 rounded up

Alex is clearly cautious as we meet her. She may even be hiding. But when she starts a new job her confidence grows and she stops looking over her shoulder.

Overall it’s a quick paced book with the story mounting little by little as it goes. Clues are dropped and the characters are developed, including Alex and her fear/nervousness. The end is full of a few twists that aren’t obvious but also don’t feel shocking either.

Advance reader copy provided by Atria and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

When the iconic figure behind the Dear Constance advice column is murdered, Alex Marks leaves her dull copywriting job to take on the responsibility of offering life-changing guidance—and perhaps solving a murder.

Jessa Maxwell’s latest book is an atmospheric and cozy mystery that hooked me from the very first page. The novel is fun and a bit whimsical, which is exactly what I anticipated based on her debut, The Golden Spoon. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the more intricate mystery woven throughout this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, even if they leaned a bit into caricature territory. From Alex, our anxious and mysterious protagonist, to the array of side characters she encounters, each added something special to the narrative. My favourites were Raymond and Janice, Alex’s slightly older friends from the diner across from her apartment, who provided delightful comic relief.

The advice columnist subplot was another highlight for me. I loved the inclusion of past responses from the original Dear Constance, as well as following Alex’s experience as she stepped into the role herself.

While the plot was somewhat predictable, and none of the reveals truly shocked me, the book felt more like a cozy, warm read than the nail-biting thriller I expected based on the cover and description. It was a bit slow at times, but still a quick and enjoyable read.

Loved it! This story is full of suspense and had me flying through the pages to see what was going to happen. Perfect mystery!

I loved the suspense in this book
I was glued to the pages and couldn’t put it down! Late at night reading had me spooked a few times 😊. Some of the things I figured out but there were plenty of twists and I enjoyed the characters so much!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC
Loved this one! 5 star
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 rounded up!

When Frances Keen, the woman behind the Dear Constance advice column, is found murdered, her entire community of readers is devastated. When The Herald puts out an advertisement for her replacement, Alex jumps at the chance to take her hero’s place. However, with Frances’ murder unsolved and Alex’s own mysterious past, taking on such a public role may come with a cause for concern…

I NEED YOU TO READ THIS by Jess Maxwell is a slow-burn mystery set in the bustling city of New York.

I loved how Maxwell intercut the present-day timeline with “Dear Constance” letters from the past and the whole premise of this murder mystery being focused on an advice columnist was so so good.

There was a sense of dread woven throughout, which really added to the suspense and atmosphere of the story, making it incredibly difficult to put down!

Definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a fresh take on a slow-burn thriller!

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the early copy for review!

Publication Date: August 13

Alex has stumbled upon her dream job- an advice columnist for a popular newspaper that she grew up reading herself. The former writer for the advice column had mysteriously been murdered, and she feels like she may be next.

This was a slow, slow, sloooooow burn. I felt like it took until the end of the book to really get into the meat and potatoes of the plot. The Dear Constance letters, while being somewhat important to the story, were severely long-winded and unrealistic for advice column letters. I can’t imagine a universe where I would write full conversations in search for advice.

I definitely had a few theories throughout the book, and it constantly had me theorizing what direction it was going to go in. Also what drew me to the book to begin with was the cover art. Definitely check it out if you like slow burns with quite a few twists! Overall, I will definitely be checking out Jessa Maxwell’s other work.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a solid thriller - one that kept me engaged and I absolutely loved the Dear Constance element.
I didn't find this to be overly dark or scary, but it was truly engaging and entertaining.

An advice columnist at a newspaper is being followed by her past..

I think this is marketed so far as a thriller, but it felt more “cozy” to me! Character development, pacing, and plot layering were all there and consistent. The twists were there too, but I wouldn’t call the earth shaking. Fun, easy, with bonus OCD representation. Worth a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I love that they delved into anxiety and some agrophobia. Loved this mystery and couldn't figure out the end. This one had some unique twists.

I really enjoyed this little thriller. It was fast paced, kept me on the edge of my seat, and the characters were interesting. I loved the Dear Constance letters and what they added to the story. It took me til halfway through before I figured out who was writing them. I loved the twist at the end and I did not see it coming! This was well done and I will be reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alex Marks lives a routine life with a job in New York City as a copywriter that pays the bills but she isn't passionate about it. One day she reads that her childhood hero, Francis Keen, has been killed and the newspaper she worked for is taking applications to replace Francis as the writer of the "Fear Constance" advice column. This column got Alex through some darker times when she was younger so on a whim, she applies. She is shocked and thrilled when she is hired! She loves the idea of following in her hero's footsteps on the job, but when she starts receiving threatening letters, she's afraid she may be in danger just like Francis had been.

I enjoyed this book, but in spite of the title and cover, I wouldn't consider it a thriller. It was an entertaining mystery that was fairly light except for a portion that dealt with domestic violence. Alex is a likable character who truly wants to help people. She is great at her new job, but is definitely over her head when it comes to investigating. Luckily she has help from some new friends, including Janice who is a waitress at  her favorite diner and Raymond who is a former detective. I liked their friendship but wish their characters, especially Janice, would have been fleshed out more.

The mystery of who killed Francis Keen is interesting and Alex is determined to get justice for the woman had looked up to for so many years. Most of the story is told in the present, but events from the past are brought to light through older letters written to "Constance" that show a young woman in peril from an abusive boyfriend. I liked this method of giving up backstory that turns out to be relevant to the current plot. There were some red herrings in the death of Francis and threats to Alex, but I was suspicious of all the right people. There were still a couple of plot twists that took me by surprise. I had to suspend disbelief at some of them but I found the hopeful ending satisfying. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Atria Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

4.5 stars. What an interesting mystery!

I really enjoyed The Golden Spoon so felt pretty confident I’d like this one - it’s very different in overall tone but sets some great suspense throughout. It was so compelling that I didn’t want to put it down! I really liked Alex and the new family she was able to make for herself, especially after landing her dream job.

Another hit from Jessa Maxwell!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5
This one was fun, but not a favorite thriller. It was pretty quick paced but in the end just didn't stick with me. Thanks to netgalley for the eARC.

I love Alex.
Loved the book.
Wish if never ended.
I was so caught up in all of the characters.
Thank you for my ARC copy!

I really liked The Golden Spoon by this author and was excited she had another book coming out. I really liked The Golden Spoon and I really liked this book!

In “I Need You to Read This” we are following Alex who takes over the role of advice columnist “Dear Constance” who was murdered. While reprising the role of “Dear Constance” Alex is determined to find who committed the crime. As she starts digging into the murder, dark secrets start to emerge and Alex’s dark past surfaces.

I liked the cast of characters in this book, I liked Raymond, Janice and Tom. They were all fun and had unique personalities. This reads like a cozy mystery to me, with just a bit more thriller. I read the entire book in a day, it was a thrilling page turner. I liked that there was a little romance, sprinkled into our mystery as well. The book had some twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, mysteries and thrillers.

Thank you Atria Books for an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.