Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg
is the latest in the very enjoyable Sharpe & Walker series that
began in Malibu
Burning. If you have not read that book, you really need to as a
major character from that book is resurrected here. In fact, as the author note
at the start of this read explains, the ending of that book is addressed here
on page one.
Danny Cole is alive and well in Japan,
though he might be a tad bored. After several surgeries, he has a different
face and has various names to go by as he moves about. The 35-year-old thief
and grifter is retired and is, per doctor’s orders, trying to find inner peace
and tranquility as he sits in the bathhouse. Any hope of that is gone when Los
Angeles County Sheriff Department Arson Investigator Andrew Walker lumbers into
the water next to him.
Walker isn’t there to arrest him. In
fact, Walker wants Danny Cole to finish the job he started. If he does and gets
even for what happened, he will help Walker as a certain drug price will come
way down. A drug that Walker’s young son desperately needs to control his
seizures.
For Danny, it is a chance to once again,
experience the thrill of his old life. It will take months to pull off this
heist. Doing so is one of the two main storylines in the book.
The other is dealing with the aftermath
of a string of fires across Los Angeles. A number of fires has been set and
caused damage at car ports in West Hollywood. The car ports had apartment
buildings above them which provided fuel for the car port fire. Fire after fire
happened and Walker and Waller and Sharpe are working the case when a
catastrophic freeway fire pulls them onto another case.
A portion of I-10 in downtown Los Angeles
burns and the freeway is severely damaged. Various materials were stored under
the multilane overpass as the area was subleased to a business which also
leased the area out to others. That resulted in folks running their small
businesses under it. There was also a homeless encampment nearby and underneath
the bridge.
With such a mix of fuels, it isn’t
surprising a horrific multi alarm fire erupted. It burned so hot that the
freeway in that section is severely damaged and will have to be repaired to the
cost of millions and considerable time.
It has resulted in massive gridlock and
a city wide and beyond traffic nightmare for residents. LA County Sheriff
Richard Lansing reassigns Walker and Sharpe to the case as he sees a chance to
score points with the public after they are tasked with determining what
happened. He wants the fire investigated fast and, as he wants to be Mayor, is using,
Walker and Sharpe to restore his scandal filled reputation. It’s complicated
and Sharpe is sure that no matter what they find and do, they are going to get
burned.
Not to mention, they have a case already
that they have put a lot of legwork in on and have identified the suspect. Not
that it matters as Lansing wants the best on the case, and Walker and Sharpe
are the best. Seeing that other case to the finish line is not an option, so they
get to work on the freeway fire, and find far more than expected.
Hidden in Smoke is another
complicated and fast moving solidly good read. There are many moving parts here
and they slowly come together as Danny works on his heist and Walker and Sharpe
work their cases.
Not only is the book an enjoyable read,
it makes you think as you drive under the overpasses in your city what could,
potentially, happen. That fact alone is more than enough to creep you out.
For another perspective on the book, be sure to read Lesa's review at Lesa's Book Critiques.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link:
My reading copy came from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, by way of NetGalley, with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
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