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.

Slow build with lots of foreshadowing. You know there is something Alex is hiding from but it is not revealed until the very end. How do the letters and Alex's mystery all tie in together? Why does she care so much about Francis? The last 20% is where all the action happens and then it moves quickly and reveals it all!

I absolutely LOVED the premise of this book. The cover and title drew me in immediately before I even read the synopsis but unfortunately it was a miss for me.
I truly love a slow burn but this was just boring to me. When we finally got to the twists, they were so far fetched and ridiculous - I couldn’t help but be disappointed.

I had high expectations for this book given the premise, but the execution fell flat for me. A murdered advice columnist and a replacement plucked from obscurity who senses all is not what it seems felt promising and I did keep turning the pages to find out what happened next. That said, the characters felt a little flat, the twist at the end felt silly and somewhat implausible. Entertaining enough but not a must read.

Alex Marks has just taken over the job of advice columnist after Francis Keen, the famous advice columnist of Dear Constance, is murdered. Francis's advice helped Alex through her darkest times and she is honored to take the role.

Francis's murderer was never apprehended so out of loyalty and curiosity, Alex starts her own investigation. Unfortunately for Alex, there may be consequences for her curiosity.

I was so excited to read this book from the author of The Golden Spoon and this cozy mystery did not disappoint. While there were some aspects of the book that were not surprising, others were pleasant twists.

The novel centers on a woman named Alex who, after moving to a big city, is offered the chance to take over the advice column at a major newspaper following the mysterious death of the previous columnist. Her curiosity is piqued when she stumbles upon a cryptic note, leading her to delve into the circumstances of her predecessor’s demise.

The story thoughtfully addresses significant issues, and I appreciated the depth with which the author explored these themes. Alex, as the main character, is wonderfully crafted—imbued with both an intriguing air of mystery and a relatable humaneness. This book beautifully weaves together elements of strength, community, and instinct, making it a compelling read that resonates on multiple levels.

Alex’s favorite advice columnist dies. She decides to apply for the position and gets the job. Her first column is a massive hit! And then she discovers that perhaps her predecessor was murdered and sets out to discover who did it. Meanwhile, her job is going well and her assistant is a lifesaver. Together they find the letters to which Alex responds in the paper. Along the way, Alex begins to get threatening letters - and the writer knows too much about her personal life. An enjoyable read - thanks to NetGalley!

This was much darker than I expected and the execution of the story was very layered. I was interested the whole time and found the characters to be fully developed.

I enjoyed this book. I knew nothing going into this but it was a great read. Solid thriller/ suspense

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one 40% in. I tried to read it on my kindle and couldn’t get into it so I waited till the audiobook came out and I still couldn’t get into it. Not much is happening and nothing was grabbing my attention to keep me reading.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

A cryptic mystery that was a bit of a slow build for me but I could really see the payoff! This was my second Jessa Maxwell novel and she really does not disappoint. The first pages were just so gripping in this one. I do wish the momentum of those first couple of pages stayed up, but overall a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books Publicity Department for the advanced reading copy of this book. This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but by the end, I absolutely loved it! It's a classic whodunit mystery with some surprising twists that kept me hooked, especially in the second half. The characters were fantastic and really added to the experience, which is always a bonus. Overall, a compelling and enjoyable read!