What do you think?
Rate this book
CSI Reilly Steel #6
Pretty Guilty Secrets
Everyone knows the victim. Guess who did the crime...
When a celebrity icon is attacked in his home during an apparent robbery-in-progress, the authorities are tasked with tracking down the perpetrator.
Such a national treasure and his equally famous wife means the investigation takes top priority, but not everyone on the task force is convinced. Was it a random attack? Or a carefully choreographed diversion.
Could the famous family's tightly-managed media persona blind everyone to the fact that their charmed life is not quite what it seems? And that there's a LOT more to celebrity than meets the eye...
When a celebrity icon is attacked in his home during an apparent robbery-in-progress, the authorities are tasked with tracking down the perpetrator.
Such a national treasure and his equally famous wife means the investigation takes top priority, but not everyone on the task force is convinced. Was it a random attack? Or a carefully choreographed diversion.
Could the famous family's tightly-managed media persona blind everyone to the fact that their charmed life is not quite what it seems? And that there's a LOT more to celebrity than meets the eye...
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2015
2274 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
About the author
Casey Hill
31 books292 followersCasey Hill is the pseudonym of USA Today bestselling husband and wife writing team, Kevin and Melissa Hill. They live in Ireland.
CSI Reilly Steel series:
#1 SERIAL (aka TABOO)
#2 INFERNO
#3 HIDDEN
#4 THE WATCHED
#5 CRIME SCENE
#6 TRACE
#7 AFTERMATH
#8 ENDGAME
#9 FALLOUT (coming 2021)
Subscribe to the mailing list. Enter the following link into your browser to be notified of new Casey Hill releases: http://eepurl.com/FFE2D
www.facebook.com/caseyhillbooks
www.twitter.com/caseyhillbooks
CSI Reilly Steel series:
#1 SERIAL (aka TABOO)
#2 INFERNO
#3 HIDDEN
#4 THE WATCHED
#5 CRIME SCENE
#6 TRACE
#7 AFTERMATH
#8 ENDGAME
#9 FALLOUT (coming 2021)
Subscribe to the mailing list. Enter the following link into your browser to be notified of new Casey Hill releases: http://eepurl.com/FFE2D
www.facebook.com/caseyhillbooks
www.twitter.com/caseyhillbooks
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
September 8, 2020
The book was not unputdownable, but it was a fair murder mystery. This was my first Casey Hill book, and this husband/wife team probably has a better book in them. Their mechanics were good except errors that interrupted the flow of the book. There was very little vulgar language or overt sex scenes, thank you very much!
Thank you, Casey Hill, for a good read.
Thank you, Casey Hill, for a good read.
October 27, 2016
I really enjoy these forensic novels, and while this one was still enjoyable, it was bogged down by Steele's personal relationships and felt dragged out. I am still a huge fan, and anxiously look forward to the next book, but hope it is more like the first books and that the mystery is the main focus, with the relationships as a delicious side.
Want to read
September 2, 2020🎁FREE on Amazon today (9/1/2020)! 🎁
December 14, 2020
4 Stars
Aftermath (CSI Reilly Steel Book #6) by Casey Hill...
I am really enjoying this series.
Full review to come...
Aftermath (CSI Reilly Steel Book #6) by Casey Hill...
I am really enjoying this series.
Full review to come...
November 28, 2020
315 pages
3 stars
A very high profile attack takes place in a posh home. The victim was an international rugby star named Josh Morrison and now owns a series of high rent coffee bars. The wife, Annabelle, is a presenter on the morning show called Good Morning Ireland and much beloved by her multitude of fans.
Forensic investigator Reilly Steel attends the scene with other investigators. She is being cranky and she blames it on her pregnancy. She and her team go through the house and grounds and Reilly seems to be the only one who is not starstruck by its inhabitants.
The husband is taken to the hospital and is in critical condition with multiple stab wounds. He remains unconscious and cannot assist with the investigation.
This book takes many twists and turns. The killer was a surprise and the conspiracy part of the story was interesting and basically rescued this mystery.
I found Reilly's behavior to be especially irritating throughout the story. She was cranky, snarky, short-tempered and basically a pain in the behind. I became really tired of it. I also didn't appreciate the cutaways to the television interviews. They were a distinct detraction from the story.
This is not nearly as good as Ms. Hill's previous Reilly Steel novels.
3 stars
A very high profile attack takes place in a posh home. The victim was an international rugby star named Josh Morrison and now owns a series of high rent coffee bars. The wife, Annabelle, is a presenter on the morning show called Good Morning Ireland and much beloved by her multitude of fans.
Forensic investigator Reilly Steel attends the scene with other investigators. She is being cranky and she blames it on her pregnancy. She and her team go through the house and grounds and Reilly seems to be the only one who is not starstruck by its inhabitants.
The husband is taken to the hospital and is in critical condition with multiple stab wounds. He remains unconscious and cannot assist with the investigation.
This book takes many twists and turns. The killer was a surprise and the conspiracy part of the story was interesting and basically rescued this mystery.
I found Reilly's behavior to be especially irritating throughout the story. She was cranky, snarky, short-tempered and basically a pain in the behind. I became really tired of it. I also didn't appreciate the cutaways to the television interviews. They were a distinct detraction from the story.
This is not nearly as good as Ms. Hill's previous Reilly Steel novels.
February 22, 2016
Reilly Steel is back and is struggling to get her feet back under her after the last case and the unexpected surprise she received after returning to Dublin from her trip to Florida. She is on shaky ground with her friend Detective Chris Delaney and knows that she is not at the top of her game for this delicate high profile case.
Her instinct and her gut tell her one thing but the science isn't there to back it up and everyone is watching.
Working to keep her head in the science and her personal feelings out of the case Reilly realizes that it's time to face her own issues.
I really want to see how this story plays out and can't wait for the next book.
Her instinct and her gut tell her one thing but the science isn't there to back it up and everyone is watching.
Working to keep her head in the science and her personal feelings out of the case Reilly realizes that it's time to face her own issues.
I really want to see how this story plays out and can't wait for the next book.
November 12, 2015
The sixth book in the series and a small departure from murder to attempted murder. This book more than the others focuses on the personal relationships between the characters and the situation that Reilly finds herself in. Overall I have enjoyed this series, and this one was thankfully less bloody than some of the more recent. My biggest disappointment was the horrible editing in the kindle edition that I had purchased. It was similar to the self published book I had read recently. In terms of characters and plot, I'm waiting to see what happens with Reilly, but the personal side story makes her feel a bit young/ immature.
July 18, 2021
As with the previous book the personal problems & relationship drama are unnecessary and massively annoying. I don’t care about the never ending pregnancy or the will they won’t they with Chris. Does anyone care? Do the writers care? Reilly is so unlikeable she will no doubt remain alone for life. The ending was rushed again and the conclusion again was made from no evidence. If the writers focused on the crime instead of the stupid silly teenage drama they would be able to write a better ending
January 17, 2018
I usually really like these, but this one was way too slow and the (only!) case it focused on was not nearly as interesting as the ones in the preceding books. I’ll always give the next one a shot though.
May 10, 2018
CSI Reilly Steel and the Garda Forensics Unit are thrust into the spotlight when Ireland’s most revered sportsman is attacked in his Dublin home and his TV-presenter wife comes upon the attack. Reilly is worried that celebrity is blinding everyone involved, including her team, to the fact that that nothing is what it seems, including the victim’s famous wife.
Reilly is still an American fish in Irish waters in Book 6 of this well-written, tightly plotted Irish police procedural. She doesn’t quite get the national obsession with rugby, or the deference people are displaying toward her famous victim. She’s also struggling with how she will be able to do her job once her baby is born. She has trouble taking care of herself, let alone a tiny, vulnerable being. She’s on the outs with her police officer partner, she’s irritated with her team for viewing every move she makes through a pregnancy hormone filter, and she’s trying to decide how much or whether the baby’s father will be involved in her life, and her child’s life.
Reilly is a fascinating character for me. She’s headstrong, almost always right, driven by perfectionism, and yet still vulnerable and human. Her struggles with anxiety and insomnia ring true to me. “Still, Reilly’s heart was racing. In episodes like this, it felt like the damned thing was going to break out of her chest like some rabid weasel breaking through a shoebox.” I love that image. I admire her consistent professionalism, even when things are going to hell in a handbasket.
The plots in this series are always engaging, but it’s the characters that keep me coming back for more. I like how Reilly’s team supports each other, and how she and Detective Chris Delaney still manage to work together even when they are on the outs. These characters are like real people to me, people I‘d like to have over for dinner, or hang out with. If you like police procedurals, or you are a fan of Joy Ellis, Celina Grace, Faith Martin, or Charlie Gallagher, I’d give this one a go. As usual, I do think series are best read in order, particularly if you like to watch the characters and relationships develop. I notice there are only two more books in the series. It will be a sad occasion when I finish them – I made a real connection with these characters, and I will miss my “friends.”
Reilly is still an American fish in Irish waters in Book 6 of this well-written, tightly plotted Irish police procedural. She doesn’t quite get the national obsession with rugby, or the deference people are displaying toward her famous victim. She’s also struggling with how she will be able to do her job once her baby is born. She has trouble taking care of herself, let alone a tiny, vulnerable being. She’s on the outs with her police officer partner, she’s irritated with her team for viewing every move she makes through a pregnancy hormone filter, and she’s trying to decide how much or whether the baby’s father will be involved in her life, and her child’s life.
Reilly is a fascinating character for me. She’s headstrong, almost always right, driven by perfectionism, and yet still vulnerable and human. Her struggles with anxiety and insomnia ring true to me. “Still, Reilly’s heart was racing. In episodes like this, it felt like the damned thing was going to break out of her chest like some rabid weasel breaking through a shoebox.” I love that image. I admire her consistent professionalism, even when things are going to hell in a handbasket.
The plots in this series are always engaging, but it’s the characters that keep me coming back for more. I like how Reilly’s team supports each other, and how she and Detective Chris Delaney still manage to work together even when they are on the outs. These characters are like real people to me, people I‘d like to have over for dinner, or hang out with. If you like police procedurals, or you are a fan of Joy Ellis, Celina Grace, Faith Martin, or Charlie Gallagher, I’d give this one a go. As usual, I do think series are best read in order, particularly if you like to watch the characters and relationships develop. I notice there are only two more books in the series. It will be a sad occasion when I finish them – I made a real connection with these characters, and I will miss my “friends.”
October 23, 2020
Perfect relationship.?
This book in the series I just couldn't get into it. This may be that I've read all the previous books over the last couple of weeks and just got to my limit with this series for a while.
But I just couldn't get excited about it, I wasn't desperate to find out the next bit in the story. Even at some points I got fed up with it and nearly didn't finish it.
Story very focused on Reilly and her struggles with changes around her making her struggle in every aspect of her life.
A crime that was hard to get a handle on and the newspapers wanting a suspect for the crime committed. So tensions high and lots on the line.
Nice that this was not like the previous crimes something different for the reader.
Characters remain interesting and evolving with their own stories and relationships just adds to the web of every day challenges in their job.
I will read the next one in the series but will read a couple of other books so when I come back I will be refreshed and enjoy it more.
This book in the series I just couldn't get into it. This may be that I've read all the previous books over the last couple of weeks and just got to my limit with this series for a while.
But I just couldn't get excited about it, I wasn't desperate to find out the next bit in the story. Even at some points I got fed up with it and nearly didn't finish it.
Story very focused on Reilly and her struggles with changes around her making her struggle in every aspect of her life.
A crime that was hard to get a handle on and the newspapers wanting a suspect for the crime committed. So tensions high and lots on the line.
Nice that this was not like the previous crimes something different for the reader.
Characters remain interesting and evolving with their own stories and relationships just adds to the web of every day challenges in their job.
I will read the next one in the series but will read a couple of other books so when I come back I will be refreshed and enjoy it more.
November 13, 2020
Chilling to the spine climax!
Annabel and Josh Morrison are the famous celebrity couple that the entire Ireland admires. Mrs. Annabel is a famous TV Show Presenter and Mr. Josh is a legendary Rugby player (former) and a successful businessman. Tragedy strikes the Morrison's home as Josh is severely injured and as per Mrs. Annabel's statement, it was an attempted burglary. Detectives along with the Garda Forensic Unit (GFU) start investigating the case amidst high pressure. To add to their misery, Mr. Josh is in a coma and only he can tell what's the truth. GFU leader Ms. Reilly Steel has a hunch regarding the culprit and to her this case is more than a burglary.
Whey the investigative team thinks that they have found the culprit, there's a twist in the tale that puts the careers of them in jeopardy.
What happened at the home of Morrison's? Is this really a case of burglary?
Read this thriller to find out.
Annabel and Josh Morrison are the famous celebrity couple that the entire Ireland admires. Mrs. Annabel is a famous TV Show Presenter and Mr. Josh is a legendary Rugby player (former) and a successful businessman. Tragedy strikes the Morrison's home as Josh is severely injured and as per Mrs. Annabel's statement, it was an attempted burglary. Detectives along with the Garda Forensic Unit (GFU) start investigating the case amidst high pressure. To add to their misery, Mr. Josh is in a coma and only he can tell what's the truth. GFU leader Ms. Reilly Steel has a hunch regarding the culprit and to her this case is more than a burglary.
Whey the investigative team thinks that they have found the culprit, there's a twist in the tale that puts the careers of them in jeopardy.
What happened at the home of Morrison's? Is this really a case of burglary?
Read this thriller to find out.
June 4, 2020
In this outing, Reilly and her team are faced with what seems like a robbery gone-wrong. An Irish rugby superstar is attacked and in a coma. His television-personality wife says all the right things but Reilly doesn't trust her. The couple are celebrities in Ireland and everybody wants the case solved yesterday. Reilly is off her game and the tension between she and Chris is thick in this one. They can't even seem to communicate. By the end of the book, you find out the reason why, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I am definitely on Team Chris! This book features more of Reilly's personal life, but the mystery is still top notch.
July 18, 2021
Everyone knows the victim. Guess who did the crime...
When a celebrity icon is attacked in his home during an apparent robbery-in-progress, the authorities are tasked with tracking down the perpetrator.
Such a national treasure and his equally famous wife means the investigation takes top priority, but not everyone on the task force is convinced. Was it a random attack? Or a carefully choreographed diversion.
Could the famous family's tightly-managed media persona blind everyone to the fact that their charmed life is not quite what it seems? And that there's a LOT more to celebrity than meets the eye...
Enjoyed this book. Will need to read more of this series
When a celebrity icon is attacked in his home during an apparent robbery-in-progress, the authorities are tasked with tracking down the perpetrator.
Such a national treasure and his equally famous wife means the investigation takes top priority, but not everyone on the task force is convinced. Was it a random attack? Or a carefully choreographed diversion.
Could the famous family's tightly-managed media persona blind everyone to the fact that their charmed life is not quite what it seems? And that there's a LOT more to celebrity than meets the eye...
Enjoyed this book. Will need to read more of this series
June 11, 2019
I can't get enough of Casey Hill's forensic books. I just finished number 6 and all the previous ones.
I can rank the husband-wife team of authors up there with Kathy Reichs. The team uses more forensic procedures than some of the similar authors. The setting of Dublin is a pleasant change from the USA platforms. Following Reilly Steel from the USA to Dublin, Ireland, and her life there is a learning experience for the weather, food, customs, and family ties. I'm on to number 7 and looking forward to more. The books are all an enjoyable read.
I can rank the husband-wife team of authors up there with Kathy Reichs. The team uses more forensic procedures than some of the similar authors. The setting of Dublin is a pleasant change from the USA platforms. Following Reilly Steel from the USA to Dublin, Ireland, and her life there is a learning experience for the weather, food, customs, and family ties. I'm on to number 7 and looking forward to more. The books are all an enjoyable read.
June 19, 2020
Finally Back on Track
At last the writing team must have spent some time researching before writing. This is supposed to be a CSI based novel. The book still does not truely go indepth as CSI should or could....but they made the story line believable and enjoyable for the most part. While trying to humanize Reilly there is rather plodding of personal issues that bogged down a great story. Really fleshing out the entire crime plot could have filled the word count. Congratulation on the great improvement. I recommend reading.
At last the writing team must have spent some time researching before writing. This is supposed to be a CSI based novel. The book still does not truely go indepth as CSI should or could....but they made the story line believable and enjoyable for the most part. While trying to humanize Reilly there is rather plodding of personal issues that bogged down a great story. Really fleshing out the entire crime plot could have filled the word count. Congratulation on the great improvement. I recommend reading.
October 15, 2020
Slightly different story line in that Reilly Steel is not solving a murder. Instead she is puzzling over the near fatal assault in his kitchen of a beloved Irish rugby player, but is it a robbery gone bad or a more sinister event?
Josh Morrison and his wife are the golden couple of Dublin...they have it all, success, looks, money, prestige...but is all well in paradise?
With false starts, Reilly again puzzled out another mystery and once again, an unexpected ending.
Josh Morrison and his wife are the golden couple of Dublin...they have it all, success, looks, money, prestige...but is all well in paradise?
With false starts, Reilly again puzzled out another mystery and once again, an unexpected ending.
June 12, 2021
Great Details Support Exciting Plot
“Aftermath” follows forensic-evidence investigator Reilly Steel as she returns to her office in Ireland to wrestle with the police’s highest-profile case. Distracted by her pregnancy and PTSD from a duel with a psychopathic killer, Reilly fears that she is losing her edge as mistakes plague a celebrity case. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of the emotional turmoil that Reilly must confront, deepening her self-understanding.
“Aftermath” follows forensic-evidence investigator Reilly Steel as she returns to her office in Ireland to wrestle with the police’s highest-profile case. Distracted by her pregnancy and PTSD from a duel with a psychopathic killer, Reilly fears that she is losing her edge as mistakes plague a celebrity case. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of the emotional turmoil that Reilly must confront, deepening her self-understanding.
October 5, 2021
Couldn't put it down!
Wow! M This book is so good I'm sad I have almost finished this series. The writing style is different than any series I have read in a while. Their are no parts of this books series that will make you want to skip to the end just to see if you were right. Thank you Casey Hill for sharing your work with us.
If you are looking for a quick read, you have found an entire series.
Wow! M This book is so good I'm sad I have almost finished this series. The writing style is different than any series I have read in a while. Their are no parts of this books series that will make you want to skip to the end just to see if you were right. Thank you Casey Hill for sharing your work with us.
If you are looking for a quick read, you have found an entire series.
January 21, 2024
Who attacked rugby superstar Josh Morrison and put him in ICU? That is what forensic expert Riley Steel and her team need to figure out. Everyone says it was a robbery gone wrong, but Riley thinks his distraught famous tv presenter Annabelle knows more than what she is letting on.
I enjoyed this. Nice quick easy read . Ending was a surprise. My only complaint is it could have done without all the pregnancy stuff and relationship issues with Chris.
I enjoyed this. Nice quick easy read . Ending was a surprise. My only complaint is it could have done without all the pregnancy stuff and relationship issues with Chris.
September 12, 2018
Another great read!I
Casey Bill has taken science, romance, crime and it's solving and turned it all into a dessert well worth savoring. I'm looking forward to reading the next episode. This is something I rarely do immediately. I tend to anticipate what I think will happen, thus spoiling the story. With Ms. Hill's books, I anticipate enjoyment. Thank you Ms. Hill!
Casey Bill has taken science, romance, crime and it's solving and turned it all into a dessert well worth savoring. I'm looking forward to reading the next episode. This is something I rarely do immediately. I tend to anticipate what I think will happen, thus spoiling the story. With Ms. Hill's books, I anticipate enjoyment. Thank you Ms. Hill!
September 5, 2020
Aftermath is a good title.
Aftermath, another CSI Reilly Steel novel is a good read. It has the usual errors in grammar, spelling, etc. but most people probably don't even notice. It's a curse of mine. This Steel novel has a new twist that you will see at the beginning. I won't ruin the surprise.
Aftermath, another CSI Reilly Steel novel is a good read. It has the usual errors in grammar, spelling, etc. but most people probably don't even notice. It's a curse of mine. This Steel novel has a new twist that you will see at the beginning. I won't ruin the surprise.
January 21, 2021
Typical Reilly, but not predictable.
Reilly Steel is the pushy American in a Dublin forensics lab. She is confident and knows her stuff, until one day she isn't. The challenges she faces are nothing she ever prepared for and have thrown her off her game. Now her career and future are in the balance.
Reilly Steel is the pushy American in a Dublin forensics lab. She is confident and knows her stuff, until one day she isn't. The challenges she faces are nothing she ever prepared for and have thrown her off her game. Now her career and future are in the balance.
March 6, 2023
Celebrity Circus
The vicious attack of a retired rugby star throws the team into the shallow world of celebrity. But under the surface are deadly secrets and ugly lies.
This was an okay read. The celebrity stuff was a yawn and the plot was convoluted. Still the ending was good and it was worth a read.
The vicious attack of a retired rugby star throws the team into the shallow world of celebrity. But under the surface are deadly secrets and ugly lies.
This was an okay read. The celebrity stuff was a yawn and the plot was convoluted. Still the ending was good and it was worth a read.
May 5, 2023
3.5 - book two of a series
This didn't resonate with me. The case dragged. It was headed by the forensic tech which isn't how that works at all. I found myself uninterested in her personal drama and the bits featuring the journalists and radio hosts I skipped entirely. The ending stretched credulity. I would accept this from a cozy but nothing else.
This didn't resonate with me. The case dragged. It was headed by the forensic tech which isn't how that works at all. I found myself uninterested in her personal drama and the bits featuring the journalists and radio hosts I skipped entirely. The ending stretched credulity. I would accept this from a cozy but nothing else.
November 20, 2024
Celebrities With Secrets
Definitely a good story. I sometimes avoid books with female protagonists, because there is usually some romantic drama, which isn't my thing. While this book had some of that, it was only a minor storyline. Once again, the old adage that all that glitters isn't gold, is proven to be true.
Definitely a good story. I sometimes avoid books with female protagonists, because there is usually some romantic drama, which isn't my thing. While this book had some of that, it was only a minor storyline. Once again, the old adage that all that glitters isn't gold, is proven to be true.
November 27, 2024
This was my first Casey Hill book. I enjoyed the storyline, but found the female forensic investigator to be annoying in her constant banter about her burgeoning pregnancy. There was a twist at the end which saved the book. I have just read other reviews that said her first 5 books in this series were better, so I may go back and start the series.
January 21, 2025
Why was Josh Morison stabbed?
High profile couple, wealthy, and now the husband is in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Reilly Steel is having a hard time with the evidence presented. She feels like she is missing a vital fact. After many mistakes the perpetrator is apprehended.
High profile couple, wealthy, and now the husband is in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Reilly Steel is having a hard time with the evidence presented. She feels like she is missing a vital fact. After many mistakes the perpetrator is apprehended.
April 20, 2025
Good solid story
Start at the beginning of this series, but each book stands alone. A terrible crime with lots of evidence but where is it leading. I didn't realise that forensic experts have so much power in the Gardia. I suspect that in real life the detectives run the cases. Oh I understand now it's written by Americans.
Start at the beginning of this series, but each book stands alone. A terrible crime with lots of evidence but where is it leading. I didn't realise that forensic experts have so much power in the Gardia. I suspect that in real life the detectives run the cases. Oh I understand now it's written by Americans.
April 19, 2018
I love this series, but found this book to be extremely disappointing. It felt too slow at times and didn't have the same gripping suspense found in the previous books. The lack of editing was also incredibly frustrating. Hopefully the next book will be more impressive.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews