Author: Jessa Maxwell

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publication Date: August 13, 2023

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Alex Marks is living in New York City and working from home as a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company. She lives her life very much under the radar, with her only regular interaction being at the diner across the street. She goes there every morning for breakfast, where she is waited on by Janice and sits at the counter next to Ray, a former detective.

When the writer of the incredibly popular Dear Constance column in the New York Herald is murdered, the crime goes unsolved. The column also goes unwritten until many months later when an open call is held for a replacement. Even though Alex prefers to live a life of quiet solitude, she was an avid reader of the advice column, and a big fan of Francis Keene, the former writer. She applies on a whim, gets the job, and quickly discovers all is not as it should be at the Herald.

I really enjoyed the descriptive writing of the building that the Herald is housed in. It is a central part of the story, and Jesse Maxwell adds just the right amount of detail and mystery to the skyscraper to turn it into a creepy character that takes a big role in the story. Alex is a relatable character both in her uncertainty about her abilities to take on such a big job, and in her issues with trusting those around her.

Alex finds threatening notes left behind in Francis’ old office, and starts receiving threatening notes of her own. Many of Alex’s co-workers are not who they seem to be, in ways both bad and good, and solving the mystery of what really happened to Francis means she has to trust at least some of them to help her get to the bottom of things before it’s too late. Overall, I thought this was a really enjoyable read, and definitely worth picking up a copy of when it comes out in August.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.