{"product_id":"the-critic-a-steel-city-mystery-9798992250732","title":"The Critic: A Steel City Mystery","description":"\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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Lila Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/18\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798992250732\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 346\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.79lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.77d","brand":"L. L. Kirchner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52679606796469,"sku":"9798992250732","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-critic-a-steel-city-mystery-9798992250732","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}