Steel City Confidential (Steel City Series #1) by Anne Hagan

Steel City Confidential (Steel City Series #1) Reviews

• 
  Jude in the Stars

  When I opened this book, I had no idea what I was going to read. I’d seen
  Anne Hagan’s call for ARC readers and as I’d meant to read her books for a while, I answered the call.
  
  The first two pages had me reading with a big grin on my face. First because the story begins on July 2nd, which is one of my favorite days, as it’s the day I first kissed the love of my life and the day we got married twenty years later. I took that as a sign this book was meant for me. Then I read on and one of the first characters we meet is Thelma Dickinson, who supposedly died in 1991 when the car she and her best friend were in fell into the Grand Canyon. It was like meeting with a long-lost friend again. I was twenty in 1991, Thelma & Louise was such an important movie in my life.
  
  The grin didn’t stay on my lips much longer, not because this book is bad, quite the opposite. It’s a legal thriller, a really good one at that, and you can’t keep grinning when reading such stories. I love legal mysteries and thrillers (which is why I enjoy
  Carsen Taite’s books so much) when they are well thought and well written, such as this one. I also liked that it was quite a bit longer than most lesfic books I read these days, and it had good reasons to be.
  
  I don’t want to spoil more than I already have so all I’ll say is this: if you’re looking for an intricate story, with no loose ends, interesting and detailed characters and plot twists that will make you feel your brain working, look no further. And enjoy. As for me, I’m going to watch Thelma & Louise again.
  
  I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Sandra

  This legal thriller series is very promising. The first book has me convinced, Hagan can write this kind of stories as well as she can write mysteries and romances.
  
  I think most people have seen the movie Thelma & Louise years ago. I was one of them too and fell in love with the two women. BUT what if they would have survived when they dropped in the Grand Canyon?
  
  Rochelle “Ro” Rabinovitz and her associate Dominique Loya take on the case of Pamela Wilson, who is charged with the murder of a college professor. Pam and her wife Charlotte are on the run from law many years, will now their life fall apart? Pam’s daughter Maddie is pregnant and her wife is terminally ill, so there is no way they can run again. Will Ro and Dominique with some help from others be able to keep Pam out of jail and prove her innocence?
  
  I loved everything in this story, the very interesting, exciting and tricky case, the scenes in court, the twist and turns in the story and all the secrets that will be revealed. It keeps you on your toes. The characters are well developed and likable. Ro and Dominique are caring lawyer and with Pam and Charlotte, I fell in love immediately. The secondary characters are well chosen and add a lot of complexity to the case. For me, the legal talk is sometimes a little bit exhausting, but that’s just because I’m not native English speaking.
  
  There is no romance and no sex, but that’s totally OK with me. Even though I’m a hopeless romantic and can’t get enough of it.
  
  My rating 4.5 stars
  An ARC was given to me by the author.
  
• 
  Annette Mori

  This was such a clever story. Props to Anne Hagan for weaving in the continuation of Thelma and Louise so beautifully. This was a masterful creation of mystery, with interesting characters and an engaging plot. I was so eager to get to the end, turning the page as quick as I possibly could to find out what would happen next. Although there were a lot of characters, this gave the story all the twists turns and depth needed to make the plot more interesting than a typical mystery. I highly recommend this book and I am so happy to see this will become a series. Although, I don't know how Ms. Hagan can possibly top this book.
• 
  Loek Krancher

  A fascinating thriller!
  
  A cold case, a deadly obsession, lies, hold your breath moments, complicated investigations, fascinating revelations, several twists and turns, remarkable characters and so much more. It all kept me glued to the pages until the very end. What an overwhelming start of a new series! I can't wait for the next one. Two thumbs up for the author.
• 
  Angel

  Well, well... I’m going to tip my hat and coffee cup to this author because I started to read this story last evening and I didn’t put my kindle down until the wee hours of this morning! I have no regrets or apologies about arriving at work mid-morning with bleary eyes because I can guarantee that it was worth it. This is definitely an enthralling read because this author took me through the lives of Pam, Charlotte and Maddie and she had me anxious to find out “who done it”. I’m so glad that this is the beginning of a wonderful series because this story is high on my list of favorite mysteries!
  
• 
  Kitty McIntosh

  ‘Steel City Confidential’ by Anne Hagan is a triumph. It’s a fascinating story, well-told and with characters readers will warm to immediately. Ro Rabinowitz, a Pittsburgh lawyer takes on the case of Pamela Wilson, a woman in her sixties charged with the murder of a college professor who got her daughter pregnant. She’s confident that the case can be won, but there are complications - and a story from the past that Pam’s not telling. It’s not going to be that simple. I was drawn in from the start with a revelation of something I’ve known and loved for many years. Characters from the past . It was a brilliant set up. There are plenty of surprises that will have readers jumping for joy - but that’s all I’ll say. I won’t divulge any spoilers. But they are stunning. Now, I know that Anne Hagan writes great mysteries, but she has really found her forte with this legal thriller. I am so glad that this is book one in a new series for her. I was intrigued from the start and it just kept getting better and better. She skilfully weaves a complex tale of secrets and revelations and her characters are likeable and I want to find out more about them. Ro is a great mentor, a principled and caring lawyer. I liked her associate Dominique too. I can see her developing well in the future. Oh, and for aficionados of Ms Hagan’s Morelville Mysteries Series, a certain name pops up that will have you smiling. The book is brilliantly done and if Hollywood has any sense then this would be made into a movie - because I can guarantee there will be a huge audience for this particular story. Highly recommended.
  
  I was given this Arc for review.
• 
  Karen

  Overall, I enjoyed the book. I felt it really picked up steam in the courtroom part, the second half of the book basically. It was fast-paced and moved along so well that I couldn’t stop reading. Also, I was trying to guess who-dun-it in the first half. There’s some good misdirection; I considered a wrong person or two for a while, and discounted the actual killer up until there were more clues and then there was the next shooting.
  
  The first half I found to be somewhat slow reading and I lost attention a few times. That could have been me because I was sick when I started this book. The pace made me aware of some punctuation issues that I would have completely overlooked otherwise. More importantly, I had a problem with the professor returning to work and up to his despicable tricks only two weeks after the first incident. I’m trying not to give anything away, but I’d be in too much pain. How did he plan to do what he planned in his office before his death? That nagged me all through the rest of the book.
  
  The characters and their dynamics and behavior with one another were often intriguing. I like how Ms. Hagan developed the links between each character, from the inmates/clients and the investigators to the potential perpetrators and the attorneys. There are hints dropped throughout that can help the reader determine who fired the shots, but alas, not me until very close to the end.
  
  Again, overall, this was a good book. The trial events in and out of the courtroom engrossed me and left me wanting more.
  
  I received an ARC for a review.
  
• 
  Mari Stark

  Anne Hagan is well known for her mystery books. This is different; it’s a thriller/murder/legal drama. I didn’t expected what I read here. But didn’t disappoint, on the contrary, it amazed me in the best of ways.
  
  Pam and Charlotte have been on the run for several years. They changed their names and tried to leave the past behind, to give their daughter options and education for her to have good opportunities in life. Charlotte becomes ill and while studying in the university their daughter got pregnant with the child of her professor, who is killed and happens that evidence points to Pam. Rochelle ‘Ro’ Rabinowitz and her associate Dominique take them as clients, but soon enough they learn the case goes deeper and it’s a lot more complicated than expected.
  
  The book is great; the plot is perfectly developed, as well as the characters. Hagan navigated through the complexity of the story masterfully. This was a really interesting story with so many twists and turns that I couldn’t put it down.
  
  The story is thrilling, exciting, interesting, captivating. If you want an enthralling, intriguing book with great characters, a very well-developed storyline that will keep you totally involved. This one is for you.
  
  This is the first book of the Steel City Series and is a stellar beginning; I am absolutely looking forward for the next.
  
  Loved the book and I’d like to recommend it.
  
  
  I received an ARC copy of the book and voluntarily leaving my review.
  
• 
  DR

  Okay. First know that when I read the first paragraph I kept reading until the end of the book. I enjoy tight written stories especially when they're murders/mysteries and this book had that in spades. I've read Anne Hagan's books before and she can weave a story, so I wasn't disappointed. Starting with the day in court and then going back in the timeline was a "What!?" for me (in an exciting way). I felt the tiredness of the aged cops and Pam & Charlotte. The wordsmithing in creating the DA & ADA through their dialogue made me not like them (or the judge for that matter). Concise storytelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. Read this book and I guarantee you also will experience an "Oh my goodness! I always wondered what would have happened if..." moment. I started the afternoon of the 26th and didn't stop until I'd finished the book at 430a the 27th.
• 
  Maria Siopis

  A legal thriller worth the time
  
  Unexpectedly, this novel has all the ingredients to make a reader happy. It’s very intense and full of surprises. It’s a story within a story within another story. There are a lot of plots, and a lot of imperfect characters that though create the perfect story. The dialogue moves the plot forward, and the interaction between the characters, which by the way is exceptional, brings understanding and knowledge of the past. I must confess this novel is different, but in this case different is good. Well done.
• 
  Lisa B

  I was initially a little taken aback when I started to recognise the story of Thelma and Louise, and I must say as much as I like the idea of ‘what if?’, I am really not sure I like the story idea taken up by another author. Having said that, I throughly enjoyed the book and would say it was a real page-turner. I loved the characters, especially Ro, and hope she returns in future books in the series.
  I was given an advance review copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Gail

  The first in a series, this book is a step away from the norm for the author. A legal thriller with drama, mystery, some romance and bits of "Thelma and Louise" too. Ms. Hagen's writing is crisp and captivating. I read through the night to a satisfying conclusion and look forward to more in the series. Kudos....I recommend enthusiastically with 5 stars.
  I rec'd an ARC from the author for my unbiased review.
• 
  CK529

  Really interesting legal mystery with twists, turns and some great court room scenes. Really liked the characters, especially the defense team. Fascinating to continue a story from a long ago movie, Thelma and Louise. That movie stirred up a lot at the time; I like that this book emphasized women defending themselves. While sexual assault is part of the storyline, and I normally avoid all books with sexual assault, this had parts that were hard to read but did not trigger me.
• 
  Mx Phoebe

  A lawyer defends a woman she knows is innocent from one murder and then the woman is charged with another murder she is innocent of.
  
  Rochelle “Ro” Rabinowitz, attorney-at-law, gets assigned a pro bono case for the defense of a woman who is charged with murdering a professor of her pregnant daughter. Pam Wilson, a 62-year-old woman, claims she is innocent and she has an alibi. Pam is a hard-working cashier during the day and she cleans bathrooms at a bar under the table at night to help pay for her dying wife’s, Charlotte, chemo treatments, and her daughter’s medical bills while Maddie goes to graduate school. Ro and her team quickly find out that not everything is as simple as it seems as another murder occurs which is linked to Pam. A secret comes out about the professor and his activities with Maddie and other students. He had more than one visitor the night he was killed. Maddie finds her biological father and opens up yet another box of buried secrets and yet another murdered body. As the charges pile up and Pam stops talking other than to say she is innocent, Ro and her team race against time as Charlotte’s time is running out, Maddie is about to go into labor, and Pam is facing the death sentence.
  
  Attention: spoilers ahead!!!!
  
  I do not usually write reviews with spoilers in them, but in this case it is a little hard not to as this book asks you to suspend an important belief if you are a movie fan. Anne Hagan was challenged to write this book and someone suggested that she take a famous movie and change the ending and she did. She took one of my all time favorite movies of which I have had many discussions about and even had a class on where we debated the movie and the themes in it. Needless to say in Steel City Confidential (2019), Hagan’s first book in the “Steel City Series” it is pretty obvious from the get-go which movie and if you are a huge fan you might shake your head through those parts and have to really suspend your belief and ideas to accept her story-line.
  
  How did I do? Did I give too much away? The mix of mysteries, legalese, and drama is handled with finesse by Hagan. I do find the relationship between Ro and her wife to be a complete mystery because so far they seem to have nothing in common nor do they spend any time doing anything that Ro wants to do. It does not seem as if there is even any chemistry between them. Ro’s relationship with her team is explained better than with her wife and one can feel the dynamics between all of them. There are some open story-lines which I assume will either be in Steel City 2 or 3 and I hope to see the mysteries solved as this is where Hagan excelled. The lesbian relationships were paper relationships. As for the ending, once again, I really do not want to give anything away, but it contradicts what Hagan has set up in the book by going back to the movie. I want to read the next book because the legal thriller was really good and that is what I would concentrate on in this series. See you at the next bang of the gavel….
  
• 
  Ali B

  Really interesting concept
  
  I will try and write this without giving anything away, you have been warned! Take a well known and iconic movie that they haven’t done a sequel to, then build the storey around the ‘what happens if they survived?’ Jump 30years to today and you have murder mystery and a court room drama rolled into one. Good enjoyable storey, bit too far fetched in places for me, but the central characters are well developed and I look forward to the next exciting episode.
• 
  JWG1973UK

  This was a great read once I got my head around the amount of characters mentioned within the first couple of chapters. I was hooked to this book. Ro, Pamela (aka Thelma), Charlotte (aka Louise), Dominique etc were a great bunch of characters. Every time I thought I had worked out what was happening then there was another turn in events, definitely a page turner. I loved the story line and I already look forward to reading the next book in the series.
• 
  wendy smith

  I absolutely loved this book! It was hard to put it down. I have always been in love with Thelma and Louise and wondered what would happen if they made it out alive. Anne Hagan is an amazing writer and had me on the edge of my seat. I enjoy losing myself reading these twenty to thirty year old hot lesbians. It is nice to have one around my age. Thank you Anne for another great read.
• 
  Elizabeth Tanner

  I enjoyed reading this great book by Anne Hagan. It combined the mysterious "what ifs" and the courtroom drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I look forward to additional books in this series to see how Ro progresses.
• 
  Rolande Vien

  Good story looking forward to reading other books by this author
• 
  Fran Sappharc

  Wow. Straight in interested. Lots of characters and slight insights into their lives. Goes at pace. Great job.
• 
  Maria Suarez

  Really enjoyed the “what if” premise of this book and it is what originally got me to pick it up. But beyond that the story is engaging, well paced and satisfying.