Hi Reader,

This month I'm awash in gratitude for you. I am also BLOWN AWAY by the response to the new book, Havana Girls, and how it wraps up the trilogy. Thank you for all the reviews and messages and, yes, even some of the fun GIFs you've sent! The book+bottle launch was fantastic and I'm beyond grateful for readers like you. If you haven't grabbed your copy yet and want to see how the trilogy wraps up, 👉 start reading here!

With Havana Girls out in the world, I’ve been catching my breath—watched The Bear (back to excellent!), The Studio (yes yes yes!), read (and also didn't finish) many novels. I made a blog post featuring all my recs, including cozy mystery, women's fiction, and suspense (this one will surprise you...)

🕵🏽‍♀️ What’s next?

After wrapping a trilogy this intense, you’d think I’d write something chill. A beach read. A romcom, maybe. In fact, this book began life that way. Back in November 2023, while I was waiting for my editor to get back to me with final edits on Florida Girls, I thought I'd try Nanowrimo, National Novel Writing Month, where you try to write a book in a month. I figured if I had any shot at all, it would be with a romance. WRONG. Romance is hard to write! Before I knew it, my book was a full-on psychological suspense.

Okay, the cat's out of the bag. You saw the cover, in fact, you picked it! Here's the big winner (not the final final, thanks, Chrystyna, for pointing out the errant ticket fragment making the I in Critic look like an L! plus a few more minor tweaks), but your resounding pick!

​Here I am announcing it on Instagram. Doing that post made me realize I hadn't actually mentioned what the book is about... ahem! So, without further delay:

When the local theater critic is poisoned, the woman he replaced—Jessica Greer—becomes the prime suspect. To clear her name she launches a desperate investigation, but can she untangle the artistic rivalries, false personas and buried secrets before she’s next?

Steel City Critic combines the media manipulation of Gone Girl with the complex relationships of Big Little Lies, set against the authentic 1990s backdrop of Reality Bites. Perfect for readers who enjoy psychological suspense that explores how ordinary people navigate extraordinary accusations.

Coming 2026. (Expect a teaser this fall.)

You know, something light!

Until then, stay sharp. Stay dangerous.
And if you loved The Queenpins—tell a friend.

XO,
​L.L. Kirchner​
Author, The Queenpin Chronicles

PS: Hungry for something new to read right now? Check out these historical fiction titles, all in KU! ​

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