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I Need You to Read This
9 hours, 2 minutes
The author of the “clever, atmospheric, and creepy” (Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author) The Golden Spoon returns with a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.
Alex Marks’s move to New York City is supposed to be a fresh start. She plans to lay low with her mundane copywriting job but the news of the murder of her childhood hero, Francis Keen, throws her for a loop. Beloved staff writer and the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance , Keen’s death is a shock to her countless fans and readers.
When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to actually get the job. But almost immediately, she begins to receive strange letters at the office and soon, Alex wonders why the murderer has never been found. Worse, she can’t help but question if her new boss and editor-in-chief, Howard Dimitri, was involved with Keen’s death.
As she starts her own investigation, the dark secrets of her own past rise to the surface and soon, 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?
The author of the “clever, atmospheric, and creepy” (Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author) The Golden Spoon returns with a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.
Alex Marks’s move to New York City is supposed to be a fresh start. She plans to lay low with her mundane copywriting job but the news of the murder of her childhood hero, Francis Keen, throws her for a loop. Beloved staff writer and the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance , Keen’s death is a shock to her countless fans and readers.
When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to actually get the job. But almost immediately, she begins to receive strange letters at the office and soon, Alex wonders why the murderer has never been found. Worse, she can’t help but question if her new boss and editor-in-chief, Howard Dimitri, was involved with Keen’s death.
As she starts her own investigation, the dark secrets of her own past rise to the surface and soon, 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?
Audio CD
First published August 13, 2024
About the author
Jessa Maxwell
3 books657 followersJessa Maxwell lives In Jamestown, RI with her husband, cats and a three-legged dog. Follow her on Instagram @jessamaxwellauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,321 reviews
August 31, 2024
Please don’t read the synopsis for this one. I went in blind and was definitely all the better for it. To be brief, it’s about a young woman who’s hired to fill in as an advice columnist after her predecessor’s death. From there the hijinks include a search for what happened on multiple fronts. Anything more could easily spoil this fun, easy read. Now onto my (mostly) glowing review…
I have to say that after reading The Golden Spoon, I was expecting another straight mystery of the cozy variety. Little did I know, however, that I Need You to Read This would have some much darker themes. Don’t get me wrong, there were still Maxwell’s trademark fun characters and intriguing premise, but I was rather taken aback by its more disturbing direction. For that reason, I would label this more of a cross genre mystery/thriller with a slight cozy edge given the pulse-pounding climax and eerie (albeit dynamite) twists.
As I’ve mentioned, the characters were my favorite piece to this enigmatic puzzle. With a finely layered narrator and some eccentric supporting characters, they formed a witty motley crew of amateur detectives that took this story to definite home run territory. But it was the twisty plot and original format that delivered in full. With a storyline peppered with letters to Dear Constance that hinted at a deep backstory, I was spellbound for sure.
My only qualms had to do with the slow burn start and the over-the-top vibe. Despite a beginning that grabbed my attention, the first third was hardly gripping as Alex got her bearings at the paper. Just the same, when things really got going, my fingers simply flew through the pages. But along with the uptick in pace, so too did the melodramatic feel. As long as you’re willing to suspend all disbelief, though, this is one plot that will pull you right in.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this rollercoaster ride of suspense. From its quirky cast of characters to its suspicion-inducing plot, I read as fast as my eyes could go and finished it in just a matter of hours. Now I have to sit back and wait until Ms. Maxwell delivers her next surefire stunner. After all, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll love it just as much as her first two unputdownable novels. So while there might have been a hiccup or two, don’t let that put you off of this one. I was just as impressed this time around and I know that you will be too. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 13, 2024
Scroll down for my potentially plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: threatening letters, gaslighting, domestic violence, knife violence, mention of: infidelity
I have to say that after reading The Golden Spoon, I was expecting another straight mystery of the cozy variety. Little did I know, however, that I Need You to Read This would have some much darker themes. Don’t get me wrong, there were still Maxwell’s trademark fun characters and intriguing premise, but I was rather taken aback by its more disturbing direction. For that reason, I would label this more of a cross genre mystery/thriller with a slight cozy edge given the pulse-pounding climax and eerie (albeit dynamite) twists.
As I’ve mentioned, the characters were my favorite piece to this enigmatic puzzle. With a finely layered narrator and some eccentric supporting characters, they formed a witty motley crew of amateur detectives that took this story to definite home run territory. But it was the twisty plot and original format that delivered in full. With a storyline peppered with letters to Dear Constance that hinted at a deep backstory, I was spellbound for sure.
My only qualms had to do with the slow burn start and the over-the-top vibe. Despite a beginning that grabbed my attention, the first third was hardly gripping as Alex got her bearings at the paper. Just the same, when things really got going, my fingers simply flew through the pages. But along with the uptick in pace, so too did the melodramatic feel. As long as you’re willing to suspend all disbelief, though, this is one plot that will pull you right in.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this rollercoaster ride of suspense. From its quirky cast of characters to its suspicion-inducing plot, I read as fast as my eyes could go and finished it in just a matter of hours. Now I have to sit back and wait until Ms. Maxwell delivers her next surefire stunner. After all, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll love it just as much as her first two unputdownable novels. So while there might have been a hiccup or two, don’t let that put you off of this one. I was just as impressed this time around and I know that you will be too. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 13, 2024
Scroll down for my potentially plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: threatening letters, gaslighting, domestic violence, knife violence, mention of: infidelity
August 28, 2024
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.
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.
December 9, 2024
**3.5-stars**
Alex Marks moves to New York City, hoping for a fresh start and a place to disappear into. Her copy-writing job is low key, and otherwise she keeps to herself.
When her idol, Francis Keen, the woman behind the famous Dear Constance advice column is killed though, it's the impetus that uproots Alex's carefully planned quiet life.
Keen will need to be replaced. Her column is so beloved. They can't let it die along with her. On a whim, Alex applies for the job and to her absolute shock, she gets it.
Shortly thereafter, Alex begins to receive strange letters, threatening in nature. She wonders why Keen's killer was never caught and then begins to suspect those around her, including her new boss.
Unable to leave well enough alone, Alex begins her own investigation into Keen's death. Will she be able to solve the mystery, or will she die trying?
I Need You to Read This is a solid story. I feel like it had similar traits to Maxwell's previous novel, The Golden Spoon, in that it is a slow build really focused on character work.
It took me a while to get into The Golden Spoon, but once I did, I was hooked. I was so intrigued by that full cast of eccentric characters, the setting and the backdrop of the cooking competition.
Unfortunately, this one never ended up hooking me. It felt a lot more subtle and Alex's character was just less enticing to me, as compared to the full cast in the last book.
Additionally, the set-up and setting itself, although I love New York City, wasn't as captivating either.
These are simply personal taste items though and just because I was never truly keyed into this one, doesn't mean you won't be. Give it a go!
This is a solid story, with an interesting overall mystery. It did nothing off-putting and had solid characters. I would recommend it if you enjoy more Literary Mysteries, or anything set in the newspaper, or publishing worlds.
I did feel like, because of the newspaper setting, it had a film noir feel to it as well, which I do enjoy. If that's something you like as well, it's another reason to pick it up.
Overall, it's a sold story, just not necessarily my bag. Maxwell is interesting, she sort of toes the line in between Cozy and Literary. Her stories have a unique feel and she definitely shines with her character work.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While not blown away, I definitely enjoyed this one and am looking forward to more from Jessa Maxwell!
Alex Marks moves to New York City, hoping for a fresh start and a place to disappear into. Her copy-writing job is low key, and otherwise she keeps to herself.
When her idol, Francis Keen, the woman behind the famous Dear Constance advice column is killed though, it's the impetus that uproots Alex's carefully planned quiet life.
Keen will need to be replaced. Her column is so beloved. They can't let it die along with her. On a whim, Alex applies for the job and to her absolute shock, she gets it.
Shortly thereafter, Alex begins to receive strange letters, threatening in nature. She wonders why Keen's killer was never caught and then begins to suspect those around her, including her new boss.
Unable to leave well enough alone, Alex begins her own investigation into Keen's death. Will she be able to solve the mystery, or will she die trying?
I Need You to Read This is a solid story. I feel like it had similar traits to Maxwell's previous novel, The Golden Spoon, in that it is a slow build really focused on character work.
It took me a while to get into The Golden Spoon, but once I did, I was hooked. I was so intrigued by that full cast of eccentric characters, the setting and the backdrop of the cooking competition.
Unfortunately, this one never ended up hooking me. It felt a lot more subtle and Alex's character was just less enticing to me, as compared to the full cast in the last book.
Additionally, the set-up and setting itself, although I love New York City, wasn't as captivating either.
These are simply personal taste items though and just because I was never truly keyed into this one, doesn't mean you won't be. Give it a go!
This is a solid story, with an interesting overall mystery. It did nothing off-putting and had solid characters. I would recommend it if you enjoy more Literary Mysteries, or anything set in the newspaper, or publishing worlds.
I did feel like, because of the newspaper setting, it had a film noir feel to it as well, which I do enjoy. If that's something you like as well, it's another reason to pick it up.
Overall, it's a sold story, just not necessarily my bag. Maxwell is interesting, she sort of toes the line in between Cozy and Literary. Her stories have a unique feel and she definitely shines with her character work.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While not blown away, I definitely enjoyed this one and am looking forward to more from Jessa Maxwell!
August 14, 2024
4 solid stars - a VERY QUICK read (and don't we all love that?!) This is more of a thriller than the author's cozy mystery debut, but I did find it very engaging, if not perfectly plotted. I did, however, find the protagonist, the new advice columnist, Alex, rather slow and frustrating & I nearly tossed my iPad at the wall a couple times at how slow on the uptake she was!! I also enjoyed secondary characters Ray & Janice from the diner. Overall, very serviceable & will look for more from the author.
April 18, 2024
After The Golden Spoon, I was eager to read Jessa Maxwell's latest book, I Need You To Read This. A young writer becomes the advice columnist for a popular NYC newspaper after her hero is murdered. But she's running from something in her past. A new boyfriend appears, plus some curious colleagues, not to mention the former copy and a waitress she sees daily at the diner. How's it all connected? Clever and fun, I enjoyed this mystery. It's less about the protagonist trying to solve the murder as it is to get used to her new job, but the clues keep popping up. It keeps readers guessing, and when the truth comes to light, it's a nice surprise and a bit of an obvious guess all the same time. Looking forward to the author's next book already.
Shelved as 'arc'
March 11, 2024I just looked up my review for the author's previous effort (The Golden Spoon) as I don't recall what I thought of it (never a good sign) and sadly this is what I thought of it:
"I think this book suffers from incorrect advertising - it's billed as a mystery/thriller, but is more of a cozy mystery: light and breezy, which is not how I like my mysteries/thrillers to be. If this book were a movie, it would be a Hallmark one (in case you're unsure, that's not a compliment)."
Unfortunately I feel the same about this book. Additionally, the pacing is brutally slow, the character development lacking (which is even more painful in a slow burn of a book), and the ending anticlimactic and almost embarrassing. Overall, a miss.
"I think this book suffers from incorrect advertising - it's billed as a mystery/thriller, but is more of a cozy mystery: light and breezy, which is not how I like my mysteries/thrillers to be. If this book were a movie, it would be a Hallmark one (in case you're unsure, that's not a compliment)."
Unfortunately I feel the same about this book. Additionally, the pacing is brutally slow, the character development lacking (which is even more painful in a slow burn of a book), and the ending anticlimactic and almost embarrassing. Overall, a miss.
February 25, 2024
Ooh, nice and twisty! And even better, another honest and unflinching portrayal of OCD and anxiety, with a touch of agoraphobia. It’s so important to write about characters with mental health struggles, because every little bit helps to stop the stigma.
Alex is REAL. She’s on her own in a big city, and she is frightened. She’s got her routines that help her feel safe, like ordering the same thing for breakfast every morning and checking the locks in her apartment multiple times.
You’ll grow to love Alex, just like I did. I think we can all identify with some part of her—maybe the imposter syndrome or low self esteem, or perhaps the regrets simmering just under the surface.
Alex is multifaceted, and she’s a character you should get to know. Look for this in August 2024!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC! I was so excited to receive a copy. All opinions are my own.
Alex is REAL. She’s on her own in a big city, and she is frightened. She’s got her routines that help her feel safe, like ordering the same thing for breakfast every morning and checking the locks in her apartment multiple times.
You’ll grow to love Alex, just like I did. I think we can all identify with some part of her—maybe the imposter syndrome or low self esteem, or perhaps the regrets simmering just under the surface.
Alex is multifaceted, and she’s a character you should get to know. Look for this in August 2024!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC! I was so excited to receive a copy. All opinions are my own.
September 13, 2024
Great audiobook! The narrator pulled me into the story. The story was good. I enjoyed the letters written to ask for advice including those from Lost Girl, which she made up for the alternating POV. Alex's story was okay, I'm not sure why she play detective in searching for the killer of the unsolved columnist's death. Alex should have more than one suspect to search for clues. Especially when she seems like she had something to hide, she couldn't ignore that someone was out to get her, but instead she focused on finding the dead columnist's killer instead. That gun shot rang out and I don't know what happened to "her". It's up to readers conclusions and I hope for leniency because she was as much a victim of his manipulation.
The story started with an advice columnist. Her sudden death. Still unsolved. Almost a year later, readers met Alex. She's living under the radar. Working from home. Having secrets. Not in contact with anyone who knows her. Then the advice column is in need to hire a new replacement. Alex decided to give a try and got offered the job!
Alex decided to celebrate but a guy at the bar harassed her and readers just found out one of her secrets. Unfortunately, that secret doesn't get revealed until the end of the book.
Thank you Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook!
The story started with an advice columnist. Her sudden death. Still unsolved. Almost a year later, readers met Alex. She's living under the radar. Working from home. Having secrets. Not in contact with anyone who knows her. Then the advice column is in need to hire a new replacement. Alex decided to give a try and got offered the job!
Alex decided to celebrate but a guy at the bar harassed her and readers just found out one of her secrets. Unfortunately, that secret doesn't get revealed until the end of the book.
Thank you Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook!
February 26, 2024
I do NOT need you to read this.
I finished the book. Well, technically, I finished most of the book. I ended up skipping a seemingly endless supply of Dear Constance letters that, while important to the plot in the end, were a repetitive and overwritten slog to get through. Up to you if you read them all, but you can just read a few of them and the end of the book will still make sense to you.
The most interesting characters were relatively minor. The major characters were dull and lifeless. The advice column stuff was utilized incorrectly.
And nothing – absolutely nothing – happens until the end of the book.
I like the cover, though.
• ARC via Publisher
I finished the book. Well, technically, I finished most of the book. I ended up skipping a seemingly endless supply of Dear Constance letters that, while important to the plot in the end, were a repetitive and overwritten slog to get through. Up to you if you read them all, but you can just read a few of them and the end of the book will still make sense to you.
The most interesting characters were relatively minor. The major characters were dull and lifeless. The advice column stuff was utilized incorrectly.
And nothing – absolutely nothing – happens until the end of the book.
I like the cover, though.
• ARC via Publisher
May 25, 2024
I really loved The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell, so I was thrilled to download a copy of her newest title, I Need You To Read This, due out this August.
Alex is a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company. She works from her computer at home and is basically a recluse – she has no friends (or doesn’t yet know that she has) and she rarely leaves her sparse, pathetic apartment. Each morning, however, she has a breakfast bagel at the diner across the street and, although a regular customer, keeps mainly to herself and does not interact, in contrast to the chatty retired police detective, Raymond, who sits at the same counter several stools away and banters cheerfully with the owner manager, Janice. One morning, Raymond looks up from the paper he is reading and notes that The Herald is advertising for someone to replace their star writer, Francis Keen, aka the popular advice columnist, Dear Constance. Francis is murdered at her summer house at the beginning of the novel and the world is suffering her loss. Prior to her murder, she received threatening emails and messages.
Dear Constance holds a special place in Alex’s heart and when Raymond shows her the advertisement and encourages her to apply, Alex does so. It is no surprise that Alex gets the job, because if she did not, there would be no story (lol).
Alex, like many others who desperately seek help and advice, wrote to Dear Constance in the past, and believed that the columnist saved her life. Although she is hired for the position, she fears Francis’ shoes will be too big to fill. Mountains of letters (in this day and age?) fill the mailroom and her Email Inbox, but soon Lucy shows up and comes to the rescue. She explains that was Francis’ assistant and now she will be assisting Alex. Lucy is a nervous little thing, always hiding, and claims that Howard, the Editor, is a predator and has sexually harassed her and other women on the newspaper. Alex takes everything inferred about the editor, as the holy gospel, this despite the fact that he was practically her idol, only days before when she interviewed and was hired to take Francis' place. This blind conviction is what motivates some of the more peculiar actions she takes – aided and abetted by Raymond and Janice, who have come to her aid in her quest to find Francis’ murderer, and uncover the author of the anonymous threatening letters she, too, has been receiving. I confess I have a pet peeve/prejudice against no talent novice’s believing and eventually succeeding in doing the job better than police detectives. This is a common premise in many mysteries (cozy and otherwise), it’s just so unbelievable, but I'll cut them some slack and go with the flow, because at least one of the trio had some police experience.
Of course, Alex’s investigation will take her to Francis’ summer home where the latter was murdered and there will be an exciting climax.
This book is a super-quick read and not boring but the reader should be prepared for some eye-rolling moments. Lucy is more than a little bonkers, and the reader will figure out her role in the story fairly quickly.
I like a quick read and the author kept me interested throughout, even if I was not 100% satisfied with the plot line. There are epistolary elements (letters written to Dear Constance and her replies) which were well-drafted, and that deftly provided Alex’s background history. There were some disturbing, but realistic, descriptions of domestic violence and abuse, a meet-cute romance, mystery and bungling investigations by the diner trio and some gore galore. There is also a suspenseful climax toward the end of the novel where secrets about most of the characters come to light. I didn’t guess the identity of the murderer, and I was happy to see a violent bully gets his just desserts. All of the above are what I enjoyed.
I was less enamored with the MC, who was more than a bit dim-witted most of the time, jumping to misleading conclusions and following through on them. This made the plot go in obvious directions. I did enjoy the twist in the end and discovering whodunnit.
I will definitely read more by this author, though, I would prefer that the plot show greater finesse in the dénouement. I was delighted by her first novel.
Thank you, Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster Atria Books for an ARC of this book, and although I enjoyed, I felt that the author’s first book was much better written with characters more fully and logically developed. I really look forward to reading more by this author because I predict she is going to be a shooting star at some point in the future.
Alex is a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company. She works from her computer at home and is basically a recluse – she has no friends (or doesn’t yet know that she has) and she rarely leaves her sparse, pathetic apartment. Each morning, however, she has a breakfast bagel at the diner across the street and, although a regular customer, keeps mainly to herself and does not interact, in contrast to the chatty retired police detective, Raymond, who sits at the same counter several stools away and banters cheerfully with the owner manager, Janice. One morning, Raymond looks up from the paper he is reading and notes that The Herald is advertising for someone to replace their star writer, Francis Keen, aka the popular advice columnist, Dear Constance. Francis is murdered at her summer house at the beginning of the novel and the world is suffering her loss. Prior to her murder, she received threatening emails and messages.
Dear Constance holds a special place in Alex’s heart and when Raymond shows her the advertisement and encourages her to apply, Alex does so. It is no surprise that Alex gets the job, because if she did not, there would be no story (lol).
Alex, like many others who desperately seek help and advice, wrote to Dear Constance in the past, and believed that the columnist saved her life. Although she is hired for the position, she fears Francis’ shoes will be too big to fill. Mountains of letters (in this day and age?) fill the mailroom and her Email Inbox, but soon Lucy shows up and comes to the rescue. She explains that was Francis’ assistant and now she will be assisting Alex. Lucy is a nervous little thing, always hiding, and claims that Howard, the Editor, is a predator and has sexually harassed her and other women on the newspaper. Alex takes everything inferred about the editor, as the holy gospel, this despite the fact that he was practically her idol, only days before when she interviewed and was hired to take Francis' place. This blind conviction is what motivates some of the more peculiar actions she takes – aided and abetted by Raymond and Janice, who have come to her aid in her quest to find Francis’ murderer, and uncover the author of the anonymous threatening letters she, too, has been receiving. I confess I have a pet peeve/prejudice against no talent novice’s believing and eventually succeeding in doing the job better than police detectives. This is a common premise in many mysteries (cozy and otherwise), it’s just so unbelievable, but I'll cut them some slack and go with the flow, because at least one of the trio had some police experience.
Of course, Alex’s investigation will take her to Francis’ summer home where the latter was murdered and there will be an exciting climax.
This book is a super-quick read and not boring but the reader should be prepared for some eye-rolling moments. Lucy is more than a little bonkers, and the reader will figure out her role in the story fairly quickly.
I like a quick read and the author kept me interested throughout, even if I was not 100% satisfied with the plot line. There are epistolary elements (letters written to Dear Constance and her replies) which were well-drafted, and that deftly provided Alex’s background history. There were some disturbing, but realistic, descriptions of domestic violence and abuse, a meet-cute romance, mystery and bungling investigations by the diner trio and some gore galore. There is also a suspenseful climax toward the end of the novel where secrets about most of the characters come to light. I didn’t guess the identity of the murderer, and I was happy to see a violent bully gets his just desserts. All of the above are what I enjoyed.
I was less enamored with the MC, who was more than a bit dim-witted most of the time, jumping to misleading conclusions and following through on them. This made the plot go in obvious directions. I did enjoy the twist in the end and discovering whodunnit.
I will definitely read more by this author, though, I would prefer that the plot show greater finesse in the dénouement. I was delighted by her first novel.
Thank you, Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster Atria Books for an ARC of this book, and although I enjoyed, I felt that the author’s first book was much better written with characters more fully and logically developed. I really look forward to reading more by this author because I predict she is going to be a shooting star at some point in the future.
March 4, 2024
Mystery novels under 300 pages should not be boring. I'm almost impressed.
Imagine getting your dream job because the previous employee was murdered, which is not exactly an ideal situation, but Alex is ready to escape her old job. When she takes over an advice column dear to her heart, she's determined to make her predecessor, Francis Keen, proud. Until she starts getting threatening letters. Alex doesn't know if the sender is someone from her past coming back to finish a job, Francis's killer, or someone new entirely. All she knows is she needs to find out before it's too late.
This was more of a character study than a quick mystery to breeze through, but it left me wanting in both aspects. Alex is a frightened woman who has serious trauma, dealing with OCD and anxiety. The book follows her trying to process and break through these struggles, but it's written so oddly. As someone with OCD, the overall representation was written well. However, a specific life event is making her OCD crippling to her quality of life. It's not revealed why Alex is so frightened or the extent of the trauma, so she just comes off as overtly paranoid a majority of the time. Her mental struggles, while valid and well-written, were presented in a way that made it hard to understand and connect.
You can piece Alex's mysterious past together, but that took away from the main plot: who killed Francis Keen, and who is trying to kill Alex? On both fronts, you are getting clues agonizingly slow. The rest of the time is spent in Alex's head. Nothing happened til the last 15%, but the "big reveals" gave me severe second-hand embarrassment. Alex's previous intense caution is thrown to the wind despite her incredibly vulnerable state, and she makes stupid decisions that lead to cheesy villain monologues. I couldn't physically restrain myself from rolling my eyes at times.
This isn't bad, and it's a relatively easy read to get through, but I don't know if it's worth the time. If you like mysteries based on characters overcoming anxieties, you might like this one, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own!
Imagine getting your dream job because the previous employee was murdered, which is not exactly an ideal situation, but Alex is ready to escape her old job. When she takes over an advice column dear to her heart, she's determined to make her predecessor, Francis Keen, proud. Until she starts getting threatening letters. Alex doesn't know if the sender is someone from her past coming back to finish a job, Francis's killer, or someone new entirely. All she knows is she needs to find out before it's too late.
This was more of a character study than a quick mystery to breeze through, but it left me wanting in both aspects. Alex is a frightened woman who has serious trauma, dealing with OCD and anxiety. The book follows her trying to process and break through these struggles, but it's written so oddly. As someone with OCD, the overall representation was written well. However, a specific life event is making her OCD crippling to her quality of life. It's not revealed why Alex is so frightened or the extent of the trauma, so she just comes off as overtly paranoid a majority of the time. Her mental struggles, while valid and well-written, were presented in a way that made it hard to understand and connect.
You can piece Alex's mysterious past together, but that took away from the main plot: who killed Francis Keen, and who is trying to kill Alex? On both fronts, you are getting clues agonizingly slow. The rest of the time is spent in Alex's head. Nothing happened til the last 15%, but the "big reveals" gave me severe second-hand embarrassment. Alex's previous intense caution is thrown to the wind despite her incredibly vulnerable state, and she makes stupid decisions that lead to cheesy villain monologues. I couldn't physically restrain myself from rolling my eyes at times.
This isn't bad, and it's a relatively easy read to get through, but I don't know if it's worth the time. If you like mysteries based on characters overcoming anxieties, you might like this one, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own!
August 14, 2024
I Need You To Read This had an interesting premise. I was really interested in the beginning because who doesn’t love a story about writers?
A writer for a famous newspaper column, Dear Constance, gets murdered. Alex Marks takes her place for the job. Soon, she starts getting unsettling letters in the mail. Is Alex safe? Why are they doing this and who exactly killed her? Or is it someone from Alex’s past?
I think this is good for readers who are new to thrillers. The story was very mild and a slow burn.
Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Out now
3 ⭐️
A writer for a famous newspaper column, Dear Constance, gets murdered. Alex Marks takes her place for the job. Soon, she starts getting unsettling letters in the mail. Is Alex safe? Why are they doing this and who exactly killed her? Or is it someone from Alex’s past?
I think this is good for readers who are new to thrillers. The story was very mild and a slow burn.
Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Out now
3 ⭐️
October 25, 2024
I received this as an ARC from
NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher and author!
I really enjoyed this book. I read it in under 24 hours and I literally kept turning the pages. Three stars for me means it was captivating and I would recommend it. I felt that the plot wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it did have a few twists that caught me off guard. I loved Raymond and Janice’s character kinda gave me like the elderly sleuth vibes. The ending was also really great.
NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher and author!
I really enjoyed this book. I read it in under 24 hours and I literally kept turning the pages. Three stars for me means it was captivating and I would recommend it. I felt that the plot wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it did have a few twists that caught me off guard. I loved Raymond and Janice’s character kinda gave me like the elderly sleuth vibes. The ending was also really great.
December 7, 2024
I do need you to read this!! 😍 I loved The Golden Spoon 🥄 and @jessamaxwellauthor delivered yet another fantastic page turner!! 👏👏 Thank you @atriabooks @atriathrillers for my gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰
Beloved columnist Francis Keen has been murdered.😳 When mega fangirl Alex gets offered her position… she can’t believe it… Thankfully she also inherits a fabulous assistant…😉Yet the killer is still on the loose..😬…Will Alex be next?? This is a perfect whodunnit mystery that you will NOT want to put down. Why??
✅ Creepy vibes
✅ Great characters
✅ Kept me guessing until the VERY end
✅ Page turner!! Kept me up way too late⏰ ☕️☕️☕️☕️
I can’t wait for @jessamaxwellauthor’s next book Dead Of Summer coming out July 22nd!! 🥳
Beloved columnist Francis Keen has been murdered.😳 When mega fangirl Alex gets offered her position… she can’t believe it… Thankfully she also inherits a fabulous assistant…😉Yet the killer is still on the loose..😬…Will Alex be next?? This is a perfect whodunnit mystery that you will NOT want to put down. Why??
✅ Creepy vibes
✅ Great characters
✅ Kept me guessing until the VERY end
✅ Page turner!! Kept me up way too late⏰ ☕️☕️☕️☕️
I can’t wait for @jessamaxwellauthor’s next book Dead Of Summer coming out July 22nd!! 🥳
July 16, 2024
Thank you to Atria Books and Jessa Maxwell for my copy of I Need You to Read This. It was such an interesting story about a famous newspaper advice column, Dear Constance. When the writer is murdered, people are shocked and confused. Alex Marks decides to apply for the job on a whim, and she is thrilled to get the job. But as soon as she starts, she gets stranger letters in the mail and begins to feel unsafe. Alex starts to look into the murder of her predecessor and questions why she would be a target. Is someone from her new job involved? Or is it someone from her past, which is beginning to resurface.
Thoughts: The premise of this story was so much fun. I thought this book would be an amazing thriller, but it felt flat to me. The main character was boring and I thought there was a lot more the author could have done with her character. She added other one dimensional characters which was a bummer and it seemed like each person only had a single personality trait.
The reveal was fairly obvious, and lacked a thrilling element that made me care about Alex and the other characters. The chapters in the past were also transparent, and I wish the author would have committed to the darkness of this storyline, instead of keeping it at a surface level. 3-stars for this one.
Thoughts: The premise of this story was so much fun. I thought this book would be an amazing thriller, but it felt flat to me. The main character was boring and I thought there was a lot more the author could have done with her character. She added other one dimensional characters which was a bummer and it seemed like each person only had a single personality trait.
The reveal was fairly obvious, and lacked a thrilling element that made me care about Alex and the other characters. The chapters in the past were also transparent, and I wish the author would have committed to the darkness of this storyline, instead of keeping it at a surface level. 3-stars for this one.
September 23, 2024
I was immediately drawn to both the cover and synopsis of this book. A novel told in part via Dear Constance letters? Yes please! And almost as soon as I started, Jessa Maxwell hooked me in good with a dynamic and very atmospheric prologue that immerses you in the story immediately.
What I enjoyed most about this book, is the unique mashup of thriller meets cozy mystery. For those who don’t love thrillers because of their intensity, this might be a novel you will enjoy reading. And like your standard cozies, the characters are quirky, vibrant, and a little over the top which was fun. I think this will have wide appeal.
🎧 This was terrific on audio with Carlotta Brentan at its helm. She manages to do double duty, both breathing life into the characters while also allowing the mixed media format to shine.
Read if you like:
• domestic suspense
• epistolary format
• slow burn
• character centric
• bingeable books
Thank you Atria and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
What I enjoyed most about this book, is the unique mashup of thriller meets cozy mystery. For those who don’t love thrillers because of their intensity, this might be a novel you will enjoy reading. And like your standard cozies, the characters are quirky, vibrant, and a little over the top which was fun. I think this will have wide appeal.
🎧 This was terrific on audio with Carlotta Brentan at its helm. She manages to do double duty, both breathing life into the characters while also allowing the mixed media format to shine.
Read if you like:
• domestic suspense
• epistolary format
• slow burn
• character centric
• bingeable books
Thank you Atria and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
September 5, 2024
I little thriller moment without the thriller.
3/5
3/5
September 4, 2024
TW/CW: Language, drinking, alcoholism, assault, anxiety, cheating, domestic abuse, violence
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Alex Marks’s move to New York City is supposed to be a fresh start. She plans to lay low with her mundane copywriting job but the news of the murder of her childhood hero, Francis Keen, throws her for a loop. Beloved staff writer and the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance , Keen’s death is a shock to her countless fans and readers.
When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to actually get the job. But almost immediately, she begins to receive strange letters at the office and soon, Alex wonders why the murderer has never been found. Worse, she can’t help but question if her new boss and editor-in-chief, Howard Dimitri, was involved with Keen’s death.
Release Date: August 13th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 304
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. Writing was descent
2. Quick chapters
What I Didn't Like:
1. Many plot conflicting things happening
2. Nothing happens
3. Boring
4. That ending
5. I hate Alex
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
I wish that the author would have told us how she met Raymond and how she became friends with him. It's so vague and this person's just there.
"On today’s docket : Colesna , a stomach pill to offset the damage from one of the company’s other medications. From there the day yawns and then contracts. An afternoon snack, rarely a full dinner. Some popcorn from a bag, kettle corn if the corner deli has it. Maybe a few cookies or a bowl of noodles. Always a glass of wine, maybe two, usually three."
Why can't books ever let women eat? Have you noticed this lately? Every book has women eating the bare amount of food. But notice men in the books always are gorging on a ton of food. Raymond at the diner is gorging on tons of coffee and eight slices of toast smothered in butter but all that she gets is a bagel with cream cheese and jam and then she ends the day with a bag of kettle corn. What is this obsession with making women eat so little in books?
And of course of course she drinks glass after glass of wine for dinner because we can't have a sane woman who isn't an alcoholic and doesn't eat.
They went through 500 emails that fast in a few days?? Isn't that abnormally fast? She managed to answer the sample questions so perfectly while drunk too.
"We are prepared to offer you the job on a probationary basis.”
The offer that she ends up getting though makes it sound like it's a permanent position it even gives her like insurance and how much she'll make for the year so I'm confused how this is probationary if it's not even included in the offer.
I guess the Hareld newspaper does not do background checks because she goes to an interview on Thursday and is already starting work on Monday. I mean I've had jobs I've done less and still had to complete a background check, but okay in this world they just hire anyone and don't care about their history. Not only that but she didn't even really give her work any kind of notice.
I am really confused on her relationship with Janice and Raymond. She sees them almost every morning and tells them about her life for the last - I guess seven years, but they're not in her phone and she wouldn't call them to tell them about the job first thing.
There's a knock on Alex's office door and we already knew it was going to be a woman and we already know that they're going to start hanging out going to lunch. Just this is my prediction.
I bet Frances was blackmailing people from all the letters she got and emails.
Another mention that Alex is living on coffee muffins and bagels. Of course we can't go a few pages without being reminded how little Alex is eating.
How has Alex turned this cushy job into this complex job where she can't even eat or sleep all week. She literally has to pick one email or letter a week and then reply back to it with some stupid irrelevant piece of advice. It's not that complicated. She answered three sample ones in no time and very randomly all well drunk. Suddenly now she can't even function.
Alex goes on a date with Tom for dinner I guess they order pasta but it bothers me that we skipped over that she even ate any of it because it's not even mentioned she even took a bite. We get a part where Tom takes two bites but Alex is never mentioned even eating the salad nor the pasta. I just I can't tell if the author is saying that Alex has an ed or we just skip over women eating in books totally. Yes yes I know that I've mentioned this a hundred times probably three or four different times in my review but I swear to God this is my pet peeve a thrillers. They do the thing where they starve women.
130 pages into the book and nothing has even happened. Is there anything thrilling going to happen???
How have we jump from Howard having an affair with a woman in his office that suddenly Francis caught them having sex and that's why she was murdered? I tell you thrillers are the most jump the shark story lines ever. Like why would you put those two things together? Why is she so obsessed with her boss? Why doesn't she just go to work and do the job? I am finding Alex a ridiculous character. She is building a mountain out of a molehill. There is nothing here but she is just inventing this crazy story. She's been there for a week!!!
What year is this book taking place in? It must be like 1998. I think that was the last time newspaper articles for advice were relevant. But we have these people running around at the newspaper acting like Alex's column advice was amazing so life-changing it's been posted everywhere on social media. I just again what year is this? I don't understand why she has to be in the office 5 days a week to write this article. Why would she need to be there in person when they could just send her all the stuff to work from home or she would just go into the office once a week. I am confused how this is $120,000 job.
I think Lucy was sexually assaulted but it's hard to tell if he hit on her and nothing happened past that or that he forced himself on her.
Would love if Alex quit calling Lucy "young". Over and over.
Lost girl = Alex.
How ridiculous that the piano player would remember Howard as a famous newspaper person and can even remember the person he was with what she was wearing and what she looked like.
Lost girl says that she has money but all that's stopping her from leaving her man is a ride to the airport... What? That's it??
It's so weird fight with Tom and Alex is so over the top and insane to me. He's like not shaving because he's so upset and she's like bitterly angry at him, but let's remember these two have only went on a date twice. Two dates and they are going through this.
Oh no Lost Girl is Alex who could have seen that. She's randomly getting this letter that she wrote but did not send now in her mail at the office. Perhaps it's the man she left behind who is the one doing all this
I'm trying to understand why Alex feels this obsessive need to solve the death of Francis. It doesn't make any sense. She literally learns that someone knows who she is and has her letter from her old life but she overhears Howard talking about the murder weapon at the beach house, so this is the biggest thing she has to go do now is find the murder weapon because she wants to prove it was him. Why is she causing so much more drama in her life?
How does Alex know where Francis is beach house is? Does she just remember it from memory from the newspaper?
We learned that Francis actually did right back to Alex and all she did was tell her everything Alex already wanted to do, which was leave so I suppose this is why Alex feels this sense of responsibility to solve what happened to Francis, but it's been 8 months and she hasn't done anything suddenly now she feels this overwhelming since of responsibility.
Jonathan even tells Alex that there is no person named Lucy that was an assistant of Francis but all the lights are off in the house and does Alex leave the house when she has an opportunity hearing this news, no she goes to ask Lucy if this information is true. Why would Jonathan lie to her? Why does she feel the need to go and do stupid things? I want to hit Alex so bad.
How did Alex never once mention to Johnathan or anyone else abiut Lucy???
Oh my God so Lucy is the brother of Alex's ex-boyfriend. She's seeking revenge for her older brother. Did I step into a soap opera? How stupid. Talk about setting us up for an ending we would have never guessed. How did we even know that Brian had a younger sister? I don't even remember this. And that she would be this obsessed to help her brother find this woman that he was dating.
This book exhausted me. Why would Lucy pick this time upon any other time to want to have Brian show up and approach Alex if she thinks that Howard is on his way to the house? It doesn't make any sense.
Janice shows up to francis's house because she called the office randomly to ask about where Alex is and he who has never met Janice before gives her the address rather than calling the police. What are we even doing in this book? Why would Janice show up? It doesn't make any sense. Is this normal behavior that if someone doesn't answer their cell phone then clearly call their office. Why would she need to get a hold of Alex this badly that she would then need to call her work to try and figure out where she was to then be directed that she went to a beach house. Oh and then Raymond shows up with a gun too.
Look I'll tell you who killed Francis. It was Regina. Regina killed Francis because she found out about the affair with her husband and her she wanted to get her husband out of the way so she put the knife in her husband's drawer that day when she was in the office. She wanted to get her husband out of the office because remember she said she wanted that job so my guess is that she framed her husband for the murder of his mistress so that she could get the job.
I can't the whole time Lucy has been obsessed with her brother so much so that she kidnapped a person so that he could talk to her and was even willing to have her murdered, but what really changes her mind is that she finds out that her brother lied about the suicidal attempt from Alex and that really her brother was trying to kill alex. But wasn't he going to kill Alex now anyways and Lucy was okay with it? She then shoots her own brother.
Oh then Regina admits for some weird reason to Alex that she did Kill Francis and buried the knife in the garden. So Jonathan manages to approach the hospital room right at that time and says he heard it too. Well that's great grand and wonderful but good luck proving it because of her fingerprints aren't on it what is that going to do. Is the thing we like to call in the law world called hearsay which means that just cuz she's somebody else heard it doesn't mean that you can take somebody to court over it.
Oh my God Regina really does go to prison in this book all because Jonathan overheard her saying that. Get out of town seriously. I just can't even believe this so the father just kept on Jonathan and Alex despite them being the one that had his daughter sent to prison. Am I reading this right?
Is it ever explained how Regina caught on that they were having an affair? Cuz I don't remember reading how she knew.
Also why is Regina keep talking about how Alex helped put Howard in prison when she didn't even do anything??
Final Thoughts:
Normally I would have some great thoughts about some stuff that happened in this book but I'm going to be honest with you this is the worst book I think I've ever read. There are so many plot holes and conflicting things that happen in it that make no sense. This is the most ridiculous book I've ever read in my life.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 8, 2024
So glad I read this! It was a great improvement both in character development and plot from The Golden Spoon.
Alex Marks is a reserved woman with a moderate case of agoraphobia and a mysterious troubled past, who is working a dead-end writing job with aspirations for more. After the famous advice columnist Francis Keen is killed, Alex applies on a whim and is offered her position. But the position is not what it seems, and the further Alex digs the more it appears her life might be in danger too.
The prose was beautiful - I could really picture the environments Alex was in and the emotions she was experiencing. Something about Jessa Maxwell’s writing felt so cozy despite the macabre subject matter. I really enjoyed that and am looking forward to her future releases.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!
Alex Marks is a reserved woman with a moderate case of agoraphobia and a mysterious troubled past, who is working a dead-end writing job with aspirations for more. After the famous advice columnist Francis Keen is killed, Alex applies on a whim and is offered her position. But the position is not what it seems, and the further Alex digs the more it appears her life might be in danger too.
The prose was beautiful - I could really picture the environments Alex was in and the emotions she was experiencing. Something about Jessa Maxwell’s writing felt so cozy despite the macabre subject matter. I really enjoyed that and am looking forward to her future releases.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!
May 22, 2024
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 Need You To Read This follows Alex as she takes over an advice column, Dear Constance, who she’s idolized all of her life. The former “Constance”, Frances was murderer and the case remains unsolved. Once Alex starts her new position, she begins to receive threatening letters and she has to figure out if it’s linked to her past or to Frances murders.
The prologue for this book starts off SO good. The book sadly went down hill from there 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 really liked the premise of the book and it had a lot of potential but it just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
I Need You To Read This follows Alex as she takes over an advice column, Dear Constance, who she’s idolized all of her life. The former “Constance”, Frances was murderer and the case remains unsolved. Once Alex starts her new position, she begins to receive threatening letters and she has to figure out if it’s linked to her past or to Frances murders.
The prologue for this book starts off SO good. The book sadly went down hill from there 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 really liked the premise of the book and it had a lot of potential but it just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
August 17, 2024
Having enjoyed Jessa Maxwell's "The Golden Spoon," I was excited to give "I Need You to Read This" a try — and I was pleasantly surprised to find that she's taken it up a notch with this book! Essentially a cozy amateur detective story, "I Need You to Read This" has a darker, grittier side to it that flirted close to being a thriller. I felt this edge gave the novel a more relatable feel compared to her previous book. While the pacing of this was quite slow and best suited to those with lots of patience, it's a good choice for readers who are just wanting to dip their toes into gentle thrillers. The twists were a bit over the top but nonetheless enjoyable. Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy for my honest review.
September 16, 2024
I enjoyed the “Clue”-like vintage vibe of this mystery/thriller that is primarily set in present-day NYC but features twisting old corridors of a major newspaper office, hidden hotel and basement bars, high rise window-peeping, piles of typed and handwritten letters (some threatening), and fun stock characters like mousy assistants, wise diner waitresses, and crusty retired detectives, among other relics. It’s sort of like a Ruth Ware and Alfred Hitchcock collab. I correctly guessed at a lot of what was happening, and the protagonist can be incredibly obtuse at times for a smart person, but none of this ruined anything for me or made the reading experience less fun and suspenseful.
Get your heavy old letter opener ready to wield at the next creaky-floored footstep you hear coming!
TW for intimate partner violence.
Get your heavy old letter opener ready to wield at the next creaky-floored footstep you hear coming!
TW for intimate partner violence.
July 23, 2024
3.75 stars rounded up - thank you to Atria books for a physical ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This one is a quirky popcorn thriller to its core. The FMC being an advice columnist took me back to my preteen days when I’d read the advice columns in magazines like Bop and TigerBeat. The mystery woven throughout was intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages and the romance aspect kept me suspicious. Though I was able to guess a few aspects of the story, overall I think this book is perfect for people who want something easy, fun, and quick to devour.
Video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNucURAs/
This one is a quirky popcorn thriller to its core. The FMC being an advice columnist took me back to my preteen days when I’d read the advice columns in magazines like Bop and TigerBeat. The mystery woven throughout was intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages and the romance aspect kept me suspicious. Though I was able to guess a few aspects of the story, overall I think this book is perfect for people who want something easy, fun, and quick to devour.
Video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNucURAs/
May 21, 2024
What a fantastic read! After reading and loving The Golden Spoon by @jessamaxwellauthor I knew I had to get my hands on her upcoming novel. I ate this book all the way up - the short chapters had me turning the pages so fast! I loved Alex, Ray and Janice’s friendship so much! I did figure out everything pretty early on, but that didn’t effect how much I enjoyed this one.
August 19, 2024
I’ve read advice columns most of my life, so I expected to enjoy this. But it’s so far-fetched and so predictable, with flat characters and pretty basic writing.
Audio Notes: The narrator did a nice job with all the various voices, though.
Audio Notes: The narrator did a nice job with all the various voices, though.
August 1, 2024
Alex Marks, a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company, is a lonely woman who works from home. Really, the only things that make her happy are her two friends - Janice, a waitress at a diner, and Raymond, a former detective who is a regular at said diner - and reading. One of her favorite things to read is a weekly advice column in the New York Herald, called “Dear Constance”. For decades, Francis Keen, aka Constance, has given advice to a national audience - an audience that is stunned when they hear that she was murdered at her summer house.
Alex is one of her readers who is devastated by the news. She looked up to Francis, and never missed her columns. It’s not until she sees an advertisement from Howard Dimitri, the paper’s editor in chief, that she decides to come out of a shell she’d imposed on herself, and applies to be the new Constance. When a snooty secretary named Jonathan calls Alex with the news that Howard wants to meet her, she almost backs out. Luckily (or maybe not), she decides to go ahead with the interview, where she is hired on the spot. They loved her sample columns, and want her to start right away.
After months of having no advice columnist, the letters have piled up, and Alex is looking through all of them, trying to find the perfect story for her first column. She finds many letters signed by “Lost Girl”, asking for advice about how to leave her abusive relationship, but she decides to go with a different person - and her first column of advice was a hit. “Dear Constance” is back, and Alex is loving her new job, despite it putting her in the spotlight. Soon, she has made a couple of work friends, and she also met a man at the coffee shop by her office. Tom just happens to be a banker with an office directly across the street from Howard’s, and has seen some interesting sights when working late. Howard is married to Regina, whose father owns the building and the newspaper. Is he risking it all by having an affair?
This was a great mystery, with an ending I definitely did not see coming! This also makes me nostalgic for the job I had in college, writing news briefs and obituaries for the local paper. I, too, had a boss who had liquid lunches. I, too, had to occasionally go to the old part of the building, where everything felt scary yet amazing. And I, too, loved everything about it - the smells, the sounds, the grueling hours and how delicate the pages from over a century ago are. This book took me back there, while also giving me a page-turner of a story. I absolutely loved it! 4.5 stars, rounded up.
(Thank you to Atria Books, Jessa Maxwell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 13, 2024.)
Alex is one of her readers who is devastated by the news. She looked up to Francis, and never missed her columns. It’s not until she sees an advertisement from Howard Dimitri, the paper’s editor in chief, that she decides to come out of a shell she’d imposed on herself, and applies to be the new Constance. When a snooty secretary named Jonathan calls Alex with the news that Howard wants to meet her, she almost backs out. Luckily (or maybe not), she decides to go ahead with the interview, where she is hired on the spot. They loved her sample columns, and want her to start right away.
After months of having no advice columnist, the letters have piled up, and Alex is looking through all of them, trying to find the perfect story for her first column. She finds many letters signed by “Lost Girl”, asking for advice about how to leave her abusive relationship, but she decides to go with a different person - and her first column of advice was a hit. “Dear Constance” is back, and Alex is loving her new job, despite it putting her in the spotlight. Soon, she has made a couple of work friends, and she also met a man at the coffee shop by her office. Tom just happens to be a banker with an office directly across the street from Howard’s, and has seen some interesting sights when working late. Howard is married to Regina, whose father owns the building and the newspaper. Is he risking it all by having an affair?
This was a great mystery, with an ending I definitely did not see coming! This also makes me nostalgic for the job I had in college, writing news briefs and obituaries for the local paper. I, too, had a boss who had liquid lunches. I, too, had to occasionally go to the old part of the building, where everything felt scary yet amazing. And I, too, loved everything about it - the smells, the sounds, the grueling hours and how delicate the pages from over a century ago are. This book took me back there, while also giving me a page-turner of a story. I absolutely loved it! 4.5 stars, rounded up.
(Thank you to Atria Books, Jessa Maxwell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 13, 2024.)
August 1, 2024
After enjoying The Golden Spoon I was curious about Jessa Maxwells’ next book. It is completely different but a nice light read.
Main character Alex gets her dream job as the new ‘Dear Constance’ and of course she’s rather nervous because ‘Constance’ played a big role in Alex’ life before. How big, is a secret that slowly unfolds. There are more things slowly unfolding, because working as ‘Dear Constance’ is not as easy as it may seem. The mail delivers hundreds of printed letters every day and the mailbox on Alex’ computer is filled with cries for help from desperate people.
In between reading how Alex grew up, what happened to her and why Dear Constance is so important to her, we get a glimpse of some of the letters Constance received in the past. Soon it is clear what happened and what is about to happen – which is not very pleasant.
Alex is a bit too nervous for me, although I can understand why, but I would have loved to see her taking more responsibility for her own life. She’s just too much a victim here.
The book starts slow and stays slow until almost at the end – I would have liked it to be a bit more balanced.
Thanks to Atria Books and Edelweiss for this review copy.
Main character Alex gets her dream job as the new ‘Dear Constance’ and of course she’s rather nervous because ‘Constance’ played a big role in Alex’ life before. How big, is a secret that slowly unfolds. There are more things slowly unfolding, because working as ‘Dear Constance’ is not as easy as it may seem. The mail delivers hundreds of printed letters every day and the mailbox on Alex’ computer is filled with cries for help from desperate people.
In between reading how Alex grew up, what happened to her and why Dear Constance is so important to her, we get a glimpse of some of the letters Constance received in the past. Soon it is clear what happened and what is about to happen – which is not very pleasant.
Alex is a bit too nervous for me, although I can understand why, but I would have loved to see her taking more responsibility for her own life. She’s just too much a victim here.
The book starts slow and stays slow until almost at the end – I would have liked it to be a bit more balanced.
Thanks to Atria Books and Edelweiss for this review copy.
May 11, 2024
***Review to come. Really enjoyed andcouldn't put it down.***
December 8, 2024
in love with the characters
from chapter one with their
new yorker banter - and then
a bold plot twist towards the
ending made it even better. ♡
from chapter one with their
new yorker banter - and then
a bold plot twist towards the
ending made it even better. ♡
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