{"product_id":"the-critic-a-steel-city-mystery-paperback","title":"The Critic: A Steel City Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eL. L. Kirchner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor fans of \u003cem\u003eSharp Objects\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Last Thing He Told Me\u003c\/em\u003e-a darkly funny psychological suspense novel set in 1990s Pittsburgh.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEveryone thinks Jessica Greer poisoned her rival. Including, in her worst moments, Jessica Greer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePittsburgh, 1995.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe has a psychiatric history. A sharp mouth. A memory she can't entirely trust. The press has already dubbed her the \"Mail Murderess.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Critic\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDISCOVER YOUR NEXT OBSESSION: \u003c\/strong\u003e- \u003cstrong\u003eTimeline: \u003c\/strong\u003e 1995 grunge-era, beepers, and dial-up.- \u003cstrong\u003eSetting: \u003c\/strong\u003e Atmospheric, post-industrial Pittsburgh.- \u003cstrong\u003eTropes: \u003c\/strong\u003e Framed for a crime, unreliable narrator, media manipulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR THE CRITIC: \u003c\/strong\u003e\"A great whodunit - I haven't read one this good in quite a while.\" - \u003cem\u003eEarly Reader Review\u003c\/em\u003e\"I loved this book from start to finish.\" - \u003cem\u003eEarly Reader Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Critic\u003c\/em\u003e is Book 1 of the \u003cem\u003eSteel City Mysteries\u003c\/em\u003e-a series of standalone psychological suspense novels set in 1990s Pittsburgh. If you miss Megan Abbott between releases, start reading today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 346\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.77 x 8 x 5.25 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 18, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53595020165485,"sku":"9798992250732","price":28.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1001\/0823\/9213\/files\/ZjGgNkRH89798992250732.webp?v=1784884531","url":"https:\/\/cleanfreaklab.myshopify.com\/products\/the-critic-a-steel-city-mystery-paperback","provider":"Clean Freak Lab","version":"1.0","type":"link"}