Quick Synopsis – Years ago Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Her carefully cultivated world is upended when her childhood hero, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered. Francis was the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance, and her words helped Alex through some of her darkest times. When Alex applies for the Dear Constance job, she never expects that she’ll actually get the job. As Alex is drawn into the details surrounding her predecessor’s murder, her own dark secrets begin to rise to the surface and Alex suddenly finds herself trapped in a dangerous and potentially deadly game of cat and mouse.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Colors by Halsey

Publication Date – Aug. 13, 2024

Content Notes – There is domestic violence (both physical and emotional) throughout the book. This is a murder mystery and contains blood, violence, and death.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐.5 out of 5

Review – If you’ve been following me awhile then you’ll know that mysteries/thrillers aren’t usually my jam. This book surprised me though. While some of the plot was obvious, I thought the red herrings and apex of the book were really good. I liked Alex’s growth as a character, and I honestly couldn’t put the book down. I read it in almost one sitting.

Alex starts the book as kind of meek, stuck in a copy writing job and with very little social life. When the author of Alex’s favorite column, Dear Constance, is brutally murdered, Alex feels even more unmoored. After a night of drinking, Alex decides to apply for the Dear Constance job. Much to her surprise, she gets the job. After she gets the job Alex spirals, she’s sucked into solving the murder of her predecessor and conquering her own personal demons.

This is really a story about survival and how violence can shape a person. Alex is a survivor and as she dives deeper into the mystery of the Dear Constance murder, she also unravels more of her past. This book really surprised me, and not in like a Game of Thrones twist surprise, but like a good surprise. I thought the plot made sense and when you get to the climax, you gasp and clutch your pearls. The reason this wasn’t a 5-star read is I thought the supporting cast was flimsy. Her friend Raymond had a backstory, but her other friend Janice doesn’t. Alex seems so fully fleshed out that it’s a shame the other characters are so dull. Also, there’s a few times when Alex is mentioning how long she has been in NYC and it changes from 10 to 8 years. I think it’s just a typo, but still it made me lose the thread of the story.

Overall, this was a good mystery and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.