She Treads Softly: I Need You to Read This

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

I Need You to Read This

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
8/13/24; 304 pages
Atria Books

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell is a highly recommended mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.

Alex Marks is a copywriter in NYC who applies to be the new writer for the advice column, Dear Constance that was originally penned by her hero Francis Keen. Francis was murdered and the paper is now looking for someone to step into her shoes according to Raymond, the retired police detective Alex has breakfast along with Janice, the owner of the diner. Alex applies and is thrilled, but trepidatious, when she is chosen to be the new advice columnist by the editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri.

Once she starts Alex faces mountains of letters and email that she must sort through and read to find the letter she is going to reply to for her first column. She also learns she has an assistant, Lucy. As she reads through the missives asking for her advice she notices that there are threatening notes among those asking for help. As more clues seem to surface regarding who may have murdered Francis, it seems Alex could be in danger too.

Included along with Alex's narrative are excerpts from letters people have written, asking for advice. As readers follow Alex, it also becomes obvious that Alex is running from someone or something and her adoration of Francis Keen is based on Alex's past. Alex's current, quiet, reticent life is clearly based on something in her past, something she fears.

I Need You to Read This has the feel of a cozy mystery, in part because of the letters written by people asking for advice, something which seems dated. It also has a creepy atmospheric element. You also have to set some disbelief aside while reading but that was easily done. Clues are gradually revealed along the way creating tension right up to the quickly occurring ending. Overall, this is an entertaining novel. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.