Review: Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg

  
This comes out Tuesday...

Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg is the sixth novel in the Eve Ronin series that began in January 2020 with Lost Hills. As the author points out in his note at the beginning of the book, there are major spoilers in the read for two of his books. He does not mention the fact that there are also other spoilers for previous books, though they are not as significant as the ones he cites.

 

He also mentions in his note that reading about Duncan eating all the time in this series makes some folks hungry. He suggests that one should have some carrots or celery on hand for those moments. How eating rabbit food is going to work when Duncan is eating a breakfast sandwich and hashbrowns, a burger and fries, and other great meals is never explained. Maybe that is being saved for the next book. It could also be an unsolvable case.

 

It also comes to mind that a book that featured crime locations mentioned in the series as well as food locations that Duncan has eaten at and thereby endorsed, would also make a great book for those in the Los Angeles area. Maybe something the author and publisher should consider. Just a thought.

 

Homicide Detective Eve Ronin of the Los Angeles County Sherrif’s Department is looking forward to a quiet evening at home with her boyfriend, Daniel Brooks. That is once they get through the grocery shopping. A chore he seems to enjoy and one that she ready to have finished on this drizzly Sunday evening in early November. Pay for the stuff, get out, and get the heck home. At least that was the plan until, as they were working their way through checkout, she noticed a numerous cars swarming the parking lot.

 

There has been a string of flash-mob smash-and-grabs across the area and the beauty store next to the grocery store where they are has been hit before. Homicide Detective Ronin thinks it is about to happen again. As the hooded and masked occupants step out of the many cars and start heading for the store carrying trash bags for their planned loot, she knows she can’t stop them easily as she is far outnumbered. After getting backup started her way, she does the next best thing.

 

She proceeds to move from car to car, shooting tires along the way, making the numerous vehicles undriveable for the moment. With no way of leaving as they exited the store, short of their own two feet, a number of the thieves surrender immediately, while others attempt to flee and are soon caught.

 

Of course, in the aftermath, Eve Ronin is in trouble yet again as her actions violated numerous policies. It is not the first time her actions have violated policies. She also didn’t see any other way to stop the thefts from happening and it got the job done.

 

(It also caused this reader to laugh out loud like crazy.)

 

Suspended, and probably facing a quick termination and the end of her career, she is quickly returned to duty by Sheriff Richard Lansing. A political animal and a mayoral candidate, the optics of what she did can’t be ignored. Videos of her actions went viral and the people of Los Angeles are expressing how thrilled they are with what she did. For a department that has been through some things, Eve Ronin is again generating good publicity, and they need it.

 

That means she is back at work that Monday morning when a fifty-five-gallon plastic drum was pulled onshore at the Malibu Lagoon. Once he got it on shore and out of the way, the lifeguard went and opened the drum. What he found means that Homicide Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, Duncan “Donuts” Pavone have a murder case. This is the first of several deaths and other cases they will handle in Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg.

 

The latest installment in this series is another very good read. It contains numerous references to previous books in this series as well as events in the Sharpe and Walker series and both the arson investigators are well involved here. As a result, if you are like me and have read all the material, you are ready for this one. If you have not, make sure you read this series, at the very least, before embarking here.

 

A great book in a great series, Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg, is definitely worth your time.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ltUWlm

 

 

 

My digital ARC reading copy came from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025