# The Critic: A Steel City Mystery - Paperback

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by **L. L. Kirchner** (Author)

**For fans of _Sharp Objects_ and _The Last Thing He Told Me_\-a darkly funny psychological suspense novel set in 1990s Pittsburgh.**

Everyone thinks Jessica Greer poisoned her rival. Including, in her worst moments, Jessica Greer.

**Pittsburgh, 1995.** The Steel City's most notorious theater critic collapses at his new desk. Ricin. Hidden in a brownie. Delivered by mail. Jessica-the columnist he replaced-has motive, means, and an unsettling working knowledge of crime TV plots she really should have kept to herself.

She has a psychiatric history. A sharp mouth. A memory she can't entirely trust. The press has already dubbed her the "Mail Murderess."

Meanwhile, the case against her keeps unraveling. Artistic rivalries. Buried family histories. Clues hiding in library card catalogs and microfiche reels. And a city that knows how to keep a secret. Jessica isn't sure whether she's investigating the crime or building one against herself.

_The Critic_ is a gripping newsroom thriller wrapped in a 1990s workplace conspiracy. It explores a pre-internet world of fax machines, retro media landscapes, and the small handful of writers who decided how a city saw itself.

**DISCOVER YOUR NEXT OBSESSION:** \- **Timeline:** 1995 grunge-era, beepers, and dial-up.- **Setting:** Atmospheric, post-industrial Pittsburgh.- **Tropes:** Framed for a crime, unreliable narrator, media manipulation.

**CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR THE CRITIC:** "A great whodunit - I haven't read one this good in quite a while." - _Early Reader Review_"I loved this book from start to finish." - _Early Reader Review_

_The Critic_ is Book 1 of the _Steel City Mysteries_\-a series of standalone psychological suspense novels set in 1990s Pittsburgh. If you miss Megan Abbott between releases, start reading today.

**Number of Pages:** 346

**Dimensions:** 0.77 x 8 x 5.25 IN

**Publication Date:** June 18, 2026

## Details

- **Price:** 28.58 GBP
- **Vendor:** BooksCloud
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Psychological, Thrillers, Women Sleuths

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.58 GBP | In stock |

## Images

- The Critic: A Steel City Mystery

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> Source: [Somiibooks](https://somiibooks.com/products/the-critic-a-steel-city-mystery-paperback-1)
> Updated: 2026-08-22