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DI Geraldine Steel #2
Road Closed
When a man dies in a gas explosion, the police suspect arson. The Murder Investigation Team is called in to examine the evidence, but the case takes on a new and terrible twist when a local villain is viciously attacked.
As the police inquiries lead from an expensive Harchester Hill estate to the local brothel, a witness dies in a hit-and-run. Was it coincidence … or cold-blooded murder? The Murder Investigation Team has problems of its own—and so does Geraldine Steel. A shocking revelation threatens her peace of mind as the investigation races toward its dramatic climax.
As the police inquiries lead from an expensive Harchester Hill estate to the local brothel, a witness dies in a hit-and-run. Was it coincidence … or cold-blooded murder? The Murder Investigation Team has problems of its own—and so does Geraldine Steel. A shocking revelation threatens her peace of mind as the investigation races toward its dramatic climax.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published January 7, 2014
119 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
About the author
Leigh Russell
68 books333 followersLeigh Russell has sold over a million books in her Geraldine Steel series of crime novels. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe and in China, the Geraldine Steel titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, including #1 on kindle. Leigh's work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library.
Leigh has also written a trilogy featuring Lucy Hall, set in the Seychelles, Paris and Rome, and two standalone psychological thrillers.
Leigh serves on the board of the Crime Writers Association and chairs the judges for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award.
She is represented by Bill Goodall.
Leigh has also written a trilogy featuring Lucy Hall, set in the Seychelles, Paris and Rome, and two standalone psychological thrillers.
Leigh serves on the board of the Crime Writers Association and chairs the judges for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award.
She is represented by Bill Goodall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 8, 2013
A slow moving crime novel that does however contain a number of killings. The author's portrayal of DI Geraldine Steel lacks character and the plot is poorly executed.
February 27, 2011
The book is at first interesting because each chapter introduces you to a different character that will play a part in the total mystery. I don't know why I kept reading it though. I never liked any of the characters. The main character, Geraldine is a workaholic detective in England that feels sorry for herself because she doesn't have any important people in her personal life. I can see why, I couldn't stand her either! It seems that all the policemen and women spend a great deal of time in the local pub after work. That doesn't make for a very stimulating read. Geraldine also spends way too much time sitting home alone drinking wine and doing paperwork. I had most of the mystery figured out so it wasn't as intellectually challenging as some.
November 26, 2011
I'm baffled by the mostly positive reviews that this book has generated. Second in the series, I liked it even less than the first, and I didn't care for that one either. You know from the get go who the perpetrators are. Where's the fun or challenge in that? The subsequent investigation to identify and arrest the guilty is boring. Mediocre plot, mediocre writing and unlikeable characters. I have the next in the series on my Kindle, but I doubt that I'll bother to read it. Not much to recommend here.
January 14, 2019
This felt like a very slapdash story. The reader knew everything that was going on, so reading about the police slowly trying to figure it out felt very longwinded and tedious. Then there was the random insights into the detectives’ personal lives which felt like it was thrown in there in an attempt to flesh out the story a bit (but unfortunately the characters have no personality so I didn’t care). Then the ending didn’t really conclude anything... It did keep me relatively intrigued, ultimately it was very disappointing. No surprises or twists whatsoever...
September 25, 2017
This book starts out well with DI Steel rushing to join a team forming to investigate a series of burglaries and a body found in one house. This quickly escalates with a fire and another body. Unfortunately we then have the book seemingly padded out with her private life and the wine drinking which places her in the alcoholic bracket and more often than not above the drink driving limit. The story then becomes somewhat predictable with a split and inconclusive ending.
July 20, 2019
I started this series with book 8 and decided to acquire the rest of the series and read them in order. Book 1 was not very good and this is even worse.
The author continually forgets what she has written two pages previously. An example: on page 109 Steel and Peterson visit Alfie's Antiques looking for stolen goods. On page 111 Alfie's Antiques has turned into Archie's Antiques! A few pages later Steel decides against a glass of wine and makes a pot of coffee. In the next sentence she's having a phone conversation whilst drinking wine. It's extremely sloppy writing with a very, very weak plot and unbelievable characters.
Hopefully book 3 will start to show signs of improvement in the quality of writing and in the plotlines.
The author continually forgets what she has written two pages previously. An example: on page 109 Steel and Peterson visit Alfie's Antiques looking for stolen goods. On page 111 Alfie's Antiques has turned into Archie's Antiques! A few pages later Steel decides against a glass of wine and makes a pot of coffee. In the next sentence she's having a phone conversation whilst drinking wine. It's extremely sloppy writing with a very, very weak plot and unbelievable characters.
Hopefully book 3 will start to show signs of improvement in the quality of writing and in the plotlines.
May 22, 2015
Didn't like this one at all, just plodded along and as there weren't many characters it was pretty obvious who dunnit all the way through. It was a struggle to finish so I don't think I will be reading any more of this series.
April 23, 2020
Silly plot, clumsy writing and boring characters.
December 28, 2013
Road Closed by Leigh Russell is a William Morrow/ Witness Impulse publication. This book has been re-issued in digital format. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Geraldine is dealing with the death of her mother and the guilt she feels at not having been as close to her as she could have and for not feeling the same level of grief as her sister. She is also seeing a guy, but things aren't going so well, her job of course being the issue.
Geraldine does have her hands full right now. A string of burglaries have resulted in the death of an elderly woman who surprised the thieves. In short order another person dies as a result of a break in, leaving behind a wife that is taking the death really hard. A few other attacks lead the team to a couple of real losers with little or no conscience. The problem is all the suspects seem to have the most convenient alibis.
This British police procedural is the second in the series. Geraldine will learn some shocking truths about her past, deal with several relationship issues, one involving a co-worker and one involving her best friend, Hannah. She is also dealing with her sister, and with her own issues of trying to balance work and a personal life.
Geraldine is complex character. Her work is in first place in her life. This is a problem many face in this occupation. Everyone close to her, or who wish to be closer, have complained about her job. Geraldine also finds she is turning to the company of red wine in the evenings. One wonders if this is going to become a bigger problem for her in the future.
The story gives us the third person perspective of Geraldine, and we see the point of view of the criminals as well. We also get insight into the victims thoughts and the thoughts of other characters with whom Geraldine has a relationship, whether personal or professional. So, the story is well rounded. The plot is a basic crime drama, but we see the results of these crimes on the victims and on those responsible for catching them.
I loved the darker atmosphere in this book. The story was gritty and real without being overly dependent on graphic violence. The novel is very absorbing and well plotted. I have a few other Leigh Russell novels in my TBR and I am really looking forward to digging into them. Overall this one gets an A.
Geraldine is dealing with the death of her mother and the guilt she feels at not having been as close to her as she could have and for not feeling the same level of grief as her sister. She is also seeing a guy, but things aren't going so well, her job of course being the issue.
Geraldine does have her hands full right now. A string of burglaries have resulted in the death of an elderly woman who surprised the thieves. In short order another person dies as a result of a break in, leaving behind a wife that is taking the death really hard. A few other attacks lead the team to a couple of real losers with little or no conscience. The problem is all the suspects seem to have the most convenient alibis.
This British police procedural is the second in the series. Geraldine will learn some shocking truths about her past, deal with several relationship issues, one involving a co-worker and one involving her best friend, Hannah. She is also dealing with her sister, and with her own issues of trying to balance work and a personal life.
Geraldine is complex character. Her work is in first place in her life. This is a problem many face in this occupation. Everyone close to her, or who wish to be closer, have complained about her job. Geraldine also finds she is turning to the company of red wine in the evenings. One wonders if this is going to become a bigger problem for her in the future.
The story gives us the third person perspective of Geraldine, and we see the point of view of the criminals as well. We also get insight into the victims thoughts and the thoughts of other characters with whom Geraldine has a relationship, whether personal or professional. So, the story is well rounded. The plot is a basic crime drama, but we see the results of these crimes on the victims and on those responsible for catching them.
I loved the darker atmosphere in this book. The story was gritty and real without being overly dependent on graphic violence. The novel is very absorbing and well plotted. I have a few other Leigh Russell novels in my TBR and I am really looking forward to digging into them. Overall this one gets an A.
Read
August 11, 2013Very quickly became a DON'T want to read. not got beyond the first ten pages, even speed-reading.
August 22, 2016
The second DI Geraldine Steel in the series. As ever, brilliantly written. I love this author.
March 28, 2018
Several of the comments on the cover/inlay of this book made reference to this being a solid and quick read, and I don’t disagree with that. However for me this police procedural was heavy on the procedural, even heavier on the meaningless personal circumstances of the characters, and somewhat light on aspects which might’ve made it more memorable. It ended up feeling like it had been written in a slightly formulaic fashion - all of the necessary constituents of a crime thriller but none of the things that engaged me. Heroes and villains I couldn’t get excited about or stay that interested in, a slightly thin plot plumped up with ‘he said, she said’ fluff not completely hiding some implausible factors, and a plain writing style that did relatively little to elevate this author in a crowded field.
October 31, 2022
Leigh Russell does it again with this brilliant second instalment of the Geraldine steel series.
A man dies in his home due to a gas explosion was this a pure accident or something more sinister?
As Geraldine and her team dig deep to investigate what happened and the nearer I get to a suspect the more accidents appear to keep happening.
In this second book we see Geraldine in a more human way, so to speak. When I say that I mean that in the way that she connects with her colleagues friends and the people around her and her own personal emotional state. She is not just the police officer that gets her killer she is also a human being with human emotions and has to deal with these emotions while a killer walks the streets.
There are a number of twists and turns in this book which I do not want to spoil your enjoyment by giving them away.
What I will say is that this is fast-paced full of incident and the ending had my pulse racing, my heart pounding and I was pretty much on my knees with the jaw dropping tension at the end.
I personally cannot wait to listen to the next audio book in this series.
Massive shout out to Lucy Price Lewis for her stunningly brilliant narration of this book bringing the characters to life as only she can!!
A man dies in his home due to a gas explosion was this a pure accident or something more sinister?
As Geraldine and her team dig deep to investigate what happened and the nearer I get to a suspect the more accidents appear to keep happening.
In this second book we see Geraldine in a more human way, so to speak. When I say that I mean that in the way that she connects with her colleagues friends and the people around her and her own personal emotional state. She is not just the police officer that gets her killer she is also a human being with human emotions and has to deal with these emotions while a killer walks the streets.
There are a number of twists and turns in this book which I do not want to spoil your enjoyment by giving them away.
What I will say is that this is fast-paced full of incident and the ending had my pulse racing, my heart pounding and I was pretty much on my knees with the jaw dropping tension at the end.
I personally cannot wait to listen to the next audio book in this series.
Massive shout out to Lucy Price Lewis for her stunningly brilliant narration of this book bringing the characters to life as only she can!!
May 23, 2020
The second in the Geraldine steel series and it definitely takes the series to a whole new level. I enjoyed the plot but thought the ending could have had a little more explanation. It builds well on the backstory of Geraldine and leads you wondering what she will do next? A 4 Star read for me
June 19, 2012
When I read Leigh Russell's first book Cut Short, I enjoyed it but felt like the reader didn't get to know enough about the characters. This was my main gripe with an otherwise really enjoyable debut novel. I had high hopes for the second instalment and thankfully I wasn't disappointed. Having said that I think we have yet to see Leigh Russell's finest work and next year I think book 3 will show that. It almost feels like with each book you read you are building up to the bigger picture of Geraldine's life.
Initially I felt like again we weren't seeing the real Geraldine and I was getting frustrated. However, by the time I finished this book I realised that this is perfect character building. She is a far from perfect person but is dedicated to her job. We see a lot more of her personal life in this book and it has given Leigh Russell a great platform for book three with a shock twist from Geraldine's past. I realised by the end that this type of writing just made me want to pick up another book and read more about her, perfect tactics Ms Russell!
The story itself is paced well and we get to see the people committing the burglaries from the very beginning. Although we know who is committing certain crimes, as the story progresses there are other threads that begin to intertwine and as a reader you end up coming to different conclusions with each thread brought in. It is cleverly written and I liked the fact that although we see the criminals, you also get to see what I consider `real' police work being done. We don't see the lead character break all the rules and go it alone, only to solve the case miraculously with no help whatsoever...refreshing!
We again see her colleague Ian Peterson from the first book as they work together on the case in hand. We do get to see a bit more of him which I liked, but I can't help but feel there is so much more to him than meets the eye and I would love to see him a lot more in book 3.
In addition to Geraldine, Ian and the criminals we also get to see some of the victims of the crime brought into the story. This added another element to the story and enabled the plots to cross over ending in a very good story overall.
I read this book in no time at all and although maybe not the perfect 10, I really do feel that Leigh Russell is well on her way to creating a very successful series of books featuring DI Steel. I can't wait for the next one and would recommend that you read both books in succession.
Initially I felt like again we weren't seeing the real Geraldine and I was getting frustrated. However, by the time I finished this book I realised that this is perfect character building. She is a far from perfect person but is dedicated to her job. We see a lot more of her personal life in this book and it has given Leigh Russell a great platform for book three with a shock twist from Geraldine's past. I realised by the end that this type of writing just made me want to pick up another book and read more about her, perfect tactics Ms Russell!
The story itself is paced well and we get to see the people committing the burglaries from the very beginning. Although we know who is committing certain crimes, as the story progresses there are other threads that begin to intertwine and as a reader you end up coming to different conclusions with each thread brought in. It is cleverly written and I liked the fact that although we see the criminals, you also get to see what I consider `real' police work being done. We don't see the lead character break all the rules and go it alone, only to solve the case miraculously with no help whatsoever...refreshing!
We again see her colleague Ian Peterson from the first book as they work together on the case in hand. We do get to see a bit more of him which I liked, but I can't help but feel there is so much more to him than meets the eye and I would love to see him a lot more in book 3.
In addition to Geraldine, Ian and the criminals we also get to see some of the victims of the crime brought into the story. This added another element to the story and enabled the plots to cross over ending in a very good story overall.
I read this book in no time at all and although maybe not the perfect 10, I really do feel that Leigh Russell is well on her way to creating a very successful series of books featuring DI Steel. I can't wait for the next one and would recommend that you read both books in succession.
January 21, 2021
Absolutely no mystery to this at all, as the main villain is identified at the start, and the other is blatantly obvious. Although it's fairly well written, there are a few glaring continuity mistakes that should have been picked up editing / proof-reading ( Archie's Antiques changes to Alfie's Antiques with 2 pages at one point.) I'd suggest to people reading these in order they could skip this one entirely, but there is a bit of Steel's background revealed that will presumably be important in future books. Thankfully, it seems as if Russell changes style to mystery novels from the next book.
September 19, 2015
Knowing the killer right from the start is a little odd, but I enjoyed the "procedural" element. Sophie was not a credible character and her storyline was the reason for the 3 star rating not 4 as the previous book.
March 22, 2017
The second book is better
I'm glad to see a more human side to Geraldine, she was too much of an automotan. I liked how she showed emotion and started getting more personal with colleagues.
I'm glad to see a more human side to Geraldine, she was too much of an automotan. I liked how she showed emotion and started getting more personal with colleagues.
April 21, 2020
I've started the Geraldine Steel books and they're fantastic! I love them all and Geraldine is great character to follow. I'm so curious to find out more about her and what cases she cracks in the future. I'd highly recommend this book series to anyone who loves crime.
March 24, 2017
contrary to some reviews on Russell and Geraldine as a heroine/central character, this is a well written and well thought out series. Very enjoyable :)
August 22, 2025
3.5 Stars
Road Closed is the second book in the DI Geraldine Steel series by Leigh Russell. This series is a gripping collection of crime fiction novels that masterfully blends crime & investigation, detective/police procedure, suspense, and thought-provoking themes. With dynamic storytelling and intriguing characters, I was hooked from the get-go.
We follow Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel, who is a fiercely intelligent and deeply empathetic investigator. She is a cleverly crafted and fully realised individual with her own unique quirks and flaws. Ms. Russell beautifully balances Geraldine’s professional brilliance with some vulnerability and personal struggles, making her entirely ‘real’ and ‘relatable’. As the series progresses, we are further drawn into her world, where she pursues justice with unwavering determination, even as she grapples with her own burdens.
Each book in the series could be read as a standalone if you wanted, as each instalment presents a new, chilling case, often delving into the darker corners of human nature. But, having said that, I highly recommend reading the entire series from the beginning, as each instalment helps build a bigger picture of Geraldine Steel’s character, development, backstories, etc. And knowing all of that will definitely enhance your overall reading experience.
f you love stories with the perfect blend of psychological depth, thrilling mysteries, and emotional resonance, then this is definitely a series you will want to dive into.
Happy Reading…
Road Closed is the second book in the DI Geraldine Steel series by Leigh Russell. This series is a gripping collection of crime fiction novels that masterfully blends crime & investigation, detective/police procedure, suspense, and thought-provoking themes. With dynamic storytelling and intriguing characters, I was hooked from the get-go.
We follow Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel, who is a fiercely intelligent and deeply empathetic investigator. She is a cleverly crafted and fully realised individual with her own unique quirks and flaws. Ms. Russell beautifully balances Geraldine’s professional brilliance with some vulnerability and personal struggles, making her entirely ‘real’ and ‘relatable’. As the series progresses, we are further drawn into her world, where she pursues justice with unwavering determination, even as she grapples with her own burdens.
Each book in the series could be read as a standalone if you wanted, as each instalment presents a new, chilling case, often delving into the darker corners of human nature. But, having said that, I highly recommend reading the entire series from the beginning, as each instalment helps build a bigger picture of Geraldine Steel’s character, development, backstories, etc. And knowing all of that will definitely enhance your overall reading experience.
f you love stories with the perfect blend of psychological depth, thrilling mysteries, and emotional resonance, then this is definitely a series you will want to dive into.
Happy Reading…
January 24, 2023
The second in the Geraldine Steele series sees her and her team investigating a death after a gas explosion at a house on a high end estate, which may or may not be linked to a spate of recent burglaries. However as more bodies pile up, Steele is also trying to juggle a personal life with plenty of twists and turns.
This is a decent crime thriller, albeit fairly slow paced which has enough twists and red herrings to keep the reader engaged. Steele is a character whose work takes priority over everything and everyone and you really feel for her when she seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders and I'll be interested to see how certain sub-plots progress in the series.
A decent, uncomplicated read.
This is a decent crime thriller, albeit fairly slow paced which has enough twists and red herrings to keep the reader engaged. Steele is a character whose work takes priority over everything and everyone and you really feel for her when she seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders and I'll be interested to see how certain sub-plots progress in the series.
A decent, uncomplicated read.
May 11, 2018
Brilliant read
Really enjoying this series, can not wait for the next book, downloading now, Loved the character of Geraldine there is more going on in her life which I think Will be revealed in this series 10/10 Leigh Russell , and great narration with this book, can not recommend this series enough 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 ☺
Really enjoying this series, can not wait for the next book, downloading now, Loved the character of Geraldine there is more going on in her life which I think Will be revealed in this series 10/10 Leigh Russell , and great narration with this book, can not recommend this series enough 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 ☺
October 29, 2017
Excellent story again.
Finally got to read this book after reading the rest of the series. Fills in the gaps. Struggled with it at first, seemed to be just plodding. But soon picked up and developed into an excellent story.
Finally got to read this book after reading the rest of the series. Fills in the gaps. Struggled with it at first, seemed to be just plodding. But soon picked up and developed into an excellent story.
April 19, 2018
I enjoyed it but it took me longer than usual to read it as I was only reading it on the bus and when I had a week not riding the bus I didn't read it so I found it harder to follow but I do enjoy this author as she makes it more realistic in how the police capture the suspect
May 16, 2018
In my opinion the book started with quite a tame storyline/crime but I was soon gripped. The characters were all very believable. I wouldn't call it chilling or thrilling but realistic which is just as good. Very well written & certainly a very good read. Will be reading more by this author.
June 28, 2018
Ok police procedural - quite good at showing hoe cases are solved by hard slog and at stressing the hard life of a police detective. The plot is reasonable, but the characters are at not wooden. Probably will give up on this series now.
December 2, 2019
Another brilliant read from Leigh..it had me hooked from the start and the plot kept on building the tension steadily as the story progressed. I love Geraldine, she’s becoming one of my favourite DI’s. Looking forward to reading the next 2 in the series very soon!
July 18, 2020
2 days after finishing, I've already forgotten most of the book. Hard to believe that the central character has made it as far as Det. Insp. as she seems clueless (as well as acting like a teenager over her love life).
August 17, 2020
Enjoyed this second book in the series very much. DI Steel is an interesting woman and it is enthralling how she deals with the obstacles in her personal life. This makes her a relatable character. I'm very intrigued if DCI Ryder returns and the developments of DS Peterson.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews