Pittsburgh, 1995. A poison plot. A woman with the perfect motive — and a past that makes her doubt herself.

PR account exec Jessica Greer has been writing theater reviews for City News on the side — until she's replaced. When the critic who took her spot eats a poisoned brownie sent by U.S. mail, she becomes the prime suspect.

The FBI has questions. So does the press, which is already calling her The Mail Murderess.

Jessica has motive, opportunity, and — thanks to her true crime obsession — enough knowledge about ricin poisoning to look very, very guilty. What's worse is that she can't say for sure if she's innocent. Thanks to family trauma, a psych history, and her sometimes crippling self-doubt, she doesn't have the best alibi.

Tropes:

• wrongly accused
• unreliable narrator
• 1990s nostalgia
• women vs. institutions
• twists you won't see coming,
• dark humor,
• morally complex women,
• amateur sleuth

Perfect for fans of: Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, Kellye Garrett

Steel City Mysteries, Book 1 | Pub Date: June 18, 2026

ARC provided via Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

NOTE: This story includes mentions of suicide, mental health hospitalization, child abuse and parental neglect as well as references to domestic terrorism and bioweapons. These elements have been carefully considered and handled with sensitivity to serve important character development purposes.