Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg

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

TV Line: Bosch Vet Madison Lintz to Star in TV Adaptation of Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin Crime Novels

 TV Line: Bosch Vet Madison Lintz to Star in TV Adaptation of Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin Crime Novels

Review: Movieland (Eve Ronin Book Four) by Lee Goldberg

While my review previously appeared here in late April thanks to an ARC via NetGalley, today is publication day for this fourth book in a great series, so I am reminding you of it. Make sure you check out Lesa Holstine's review. 

 

It is April as Movieland begins and Sheriff’s Department Detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan “Donuts” Pavone are dispatched to Malibu Creek State Park on a homicide call. A scenic location used by both movies and television programs over the decades, it is now the scene of at least one murder with a second victim in critical condition.

 

The survivor is Zena Faust, a well-known local writer and activist blogger who is a harsh critic of the Sheriff’s Department, developers, and politicians of all types, as well as others who deserve her attention. She has been hit by a shotgun blast and very seriously wounded. Somehow, she managed to crawl out of the nearby pond and get herself to where a couple found her and called for help. Zena’s girlfriend, Kim, took the brunt of a shotgun blast and is very much dead. Zena’s anguish over the death will turn to rage when she realizes that they were not the first targets of a maniac.

 

Somebody has been shooting at things as well as people. This is the sixth shooting that Duncan knows about as he was working the case months ago before Eve Ronin moved to the Lost Hills Station. Political issues with those running the Park as well as elected officials have kept most of the cases quiet because of fears of scaring away tourists. Duncan tried to pursue things internally, but got stonewalled by the upper brass.

 

Now what Duncan suspected and long feared has happened. They have a dead woman and one gravely injured thanks to the shotgun sniper back at work after a long hiatus. Unfortunately, those running the park and those at the top levels of the Sheriff’s Department are far more concerned with politics and keeping things quiet, than actually solving the case.

 

They forgot to factor in a blogger who is not going to let the death of her friend go off the front pages and vanish from the media cycle. They also never considered what Detective Eve Ronin will do, with and without the steadying guidance of her partner who has decades on the job.  

 

Movieland is the fourth book in this very good series that began with Lost Hills and is another fine installment. Politics, inside and outside the department, continues to play a significant role as does the ongoing hatred of Eve by some in her own department. Those two issues, which are almost main characters in their own right, is part of an intense mix that features a complicated murder case that has links to many other cases and situations. A complex and engrossing read, Movieland, is highly recommended as are the previous books in the series. Best to read in order. 

 

The books in the series and my reviews are:

Lost Hills (February 2020)

Bone Canyon (March 2021)

Gated Prey (December 2021)

  

My reading copy was an ARC via NetGalley. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022

Lesa's Book Critiques: MOVIELAND BY LEE GOLDBERG

 Lesa's Book Critiques: MOVIELAND BY LEE GOLDBERG

Review: Movieland (Eve Ronin in Book Four) by Lee Goldberg

It is April as Movieland begins and Sheriff’s Department Detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan “Donuts” Pavone are dispatched to Malibu Creek State Park on a homicide call. A scenic location used by both movies and television programs over the decades, it is now the scene of at least one murder with a second victim in critical condition.

 

The survivor is Zena Faust, a well-known local writer and activist blogger who is a harsh critic of the Sheriff’s Department, developers, and politicians of all types, as well as others who deserve her attention. She has been hit by a shotgun blast and very seriously wounded. Somehow, she managed to crawl out of the nearby pond and get herself to where a couple found her and called for help. Zena’s girlfriend, Kim, took the brunt of a shotgun blast and is very much dead. Zena’s anguish over the death will turn to rage when she realizes that they were not the first targets of a maniac.

 

Somebody has been shooting at things as well as people. This is the sixth shooting that Duncan knows about as he was working the case months ago before Eve Ronin moved to the Lost Hills Station. Political issues with those running the Park as well as elected officials have kept most of the cases quiet because of fears of scaring away tourists. Duncan tried to pursue things internally, but got stonewalled by the upper brass.

 

Now what Duncan suspected and long feared has happened. They have a dead woman and one gravely injured thanks to the shotgun sniper back at work after a long hiatus. Unfortunately, those running the park and those at the top levels of the Sheriff’s Department are far more concerned with politics and keeping things quiet, than actually solving the case.

 

They forgot to factor in a blogger who is not going to let the death of her friend go off the front pages and vanish from the media cycle. They also never considered what Detective Eve Ronin will do, with and without the steadying guidance of her partner who has decades on the job.  

 

Movieland is the fourth book in this very good series and is another fine installment. Politics, inside and outside the department, continues to play a significant role as does the ongoing hatred of Eve by some in her own department. Those two issues, which are almost main characters in their own right, is part of an intense mix that features a complicated murder case that has links to many other cases and situations. A complex and engrossing read, Movieland, is highly recommended as are the previous books in the series. Best to read in order.

 

Movieland is currently scheduled to be released on June 21, 2022. My reading copy was an ARC via NetGalley. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022

Review: Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg

As the third book in the series, Gated Prey, begins, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are working undercover out of a house in Calabasas. The house is a McMansion type of deal to fit their roles of beautiful trophy wife/girlfriend and rich old man. There have been numerous attacks on homeowners behind the gates of their exclusive communities so the undercover operation is important. Duncan, who is weeks away from retiring, plays his part to the hilt thanks to his do clothing and the walker he uses to shuffle around in public as he flashes cash. The plan is to get the take down the three-armed home invasion robbers who have been conducting their own increasingly violent redistribution of wealth campaign.

 

The plan works…and almost gets Eve and Duncan killed in the line of duty.

 

When the carnage stops and the smoke clears, Eve and Duncan soon realize that the failure of backup officers to arrive on time could have been far more than accidental. Being the youngest detective as well as how Eve goes about things could have had deadly consequences. That ongoing resentment and internal threat has not gone away either.

 

Then there is the case itself. Dead suspects tell no tales and Eve and Duncan are left still looking for answers regarding how the armed robbers came and went from gated communities, what they did with stuff they stole, and many other questions.  It also becomes clear that these guys were working at the behest of at least one person who has yet to be identified.

 

Completely ignored on the book jacket copy is the second case which involves a fetal abduction. Called out on what appears to be a still birth due to a late term miscarriage, it soon becomes clear that something far more horrible is going on. Little can be said about this case without creating spoilers, but readers should be are aware of the topic as this will be triggering for some readers. Parts of this case was tough to read.

 

Overall, Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg is an enjoyable police procedural that continues to build on the foundation laid by Lost Hills and Bone Canyon. This remains a series that should be read in order. The complicated backstory to the Eve Ronin character as well as her previous actions in earlier cases are repeatedly referenced as this read moves forward. Not quite at the same level of the previous book as this one reads differently in an unexplainable way, Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg is still very much worth your time as is the series.

 

Make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s more descriptive review.

 

My reading copy in print format came from the Lochwood Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2021

Lesa's Book Critiques: GATED PREY BY LEE GOLDBERG

 Lesa's Book Critiques: GATED PREY BY LEE GOLDBERG

Lesa's Book Critiques: KEVIN’S CORNER ANNEX – BONE CANYON

 Lesa's Book Critiques: KEVIN’S CORNER ANNEX – BONE CANYON

Review: Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg

Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg opens a few weeks after Lost Hills and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Detective Eve Ronin is continuing to be back at work and recovering from injuries sustained during that case. She finally has the cast off her wrist and is grudgingly doing the physical therapy needed to gain strength and mobility in the wrist. She has also been finally released from desk duty. That means she can finally get back on the streets doing her job and she is thrilled with that fact.

 

It is a hot, muggy morning in the middle of January and her and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are responding to a scene on Hueso Canyon Road in the Santa Monica Mountains. A few weeks earlier, Santa Anna winds created an epic firestorm that roared through the area burning one hundred thousand acres as well as sixteen hundred structures. It also killed.

 

It also revealed bodies of people who were not killed by the fire. Dumped bodies of the dead that were in the brush before the fire blasted through. Bodies that nobody, other than a killer or killers, knew were there.

 

Now they have another one. A skull fragment is in the backyard of a home that was spared the worst of the fire. Owned by Sherwood Mintner who states that the backyard has been relandscaped several times over the years and that the piece -- “part of a forehead, the left eye socket, part of the nasal cavity, and the cheek bone (page six)” -- was absolutely not there before the fire. Homicide Detectives Duncan Pavone and Eve Ronin verify the piece is human in appearance and bring in forensics as his yard is now a crime scene.

 

It is also not the only piece of bone on the seared and scarred hillside.

 

It is not the only body out there either. 

Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg is a fast moving and intense police procedural that builds very well on the first book. The ongoing theme for Eve Ronin, who some know as “Deathfist,” continues here in its ongoing secondary story line. It continues to directly and indirectly affect her personal life, her professional life in the Sheriff’s Department and is used by others when it suits them and their agenda.

 

It also works to humanize her in her interactions with others as she works cases and overcomes obstacles of a personal as well as a political nature.  Plenty of action powers this police procedural as it did with the first book. The tendency by the author to over explain the simplest things that readers of police procedural already know continues here as well.

 

A highly entertaining book, Bone Canyon is a fun and fast read that builds well on Lost Hills. While it could be read by those readers new to the series, there are many spoilers in the book thereby making it strongly preferable to having read the first before reading Bone Canyon.

 

For another take on the book, be sure to read Lesa Holstine’s review for Library Journal last October. Lesa also sent me her hardback copy to read as she continues to have more books than closet space. Big time thank you, Lesa!

 

Bone Canyon

Lee Goldberg

http://leegoldberg.com/portfolio/bone-canyon/

Thomas & Mercer

https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/thomas-mercer.html

January 2021

ISBN# 978-1542042710

Hardback (also available in audio and eBook formats)

288 Pages

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Review: Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Eve Ronin did not make working homicide by putting her years in and working her way up the ranks. She did it the old fashioned way by taking advantage of her sudden celebrity status. That happened at a very good time for her as the Sheriff needed to exploit her for some good press for the department.

Despised by many, Eve Ronin is now the youngest homicide detective in the department’s history. She is acutely aware of how other sees her as well as her own lack of knowledge. She is determined to learn as fast as possible and not fail. Easier said than done, because the odds are stacked against her.

The slights come in many ways and that may include the fact that she has been paired with the soon to be retired Duncan Pavone. Detective Pavone is literally counting the days--163 when the book begins--to his retirement though it is clear to her that he cared at one time about doing the job. He has a lot to teach her and the first lessons of her crash course soon arrive by way of a crime scene straight out of a horror movie nightmare.

While the outside ranch home deep in Topanga Canyon just looks old and neglected, the inside is splattered with blood on nearly every surface. Tanya Kenworth is not to be found in the house, nor are her two kids, Caitlin and Troy. The kids are ten and eleven. From the scene inside the home, Detective Pavone and Ronin are pretty sure they are dead and dismembered. Where they are and who is responsible is the focus of Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg.

This is a fast moving read that reminds one of the Ballard series by Michael Connelly. It is therefore not surprising that he provides a blurb that is splashed across the bottom of the front jacket of the book. For those well versed in police procedurals or crime fiction in general, there are times that the book comes across a bit simplistic, such as explaining the construction and use of “flash bangs.” There is a certain made for television style to the read and one can easily see how it could be done for Amazon streaming at some point in the coming months.

At the same time, despite the obvious clichés and what not, Lost Hills, is a fun and fast moving read that keeps the reader fully engaged. It spins a complex tale rapidly and throws enough misdirection at the reader that some of the clichés do not bother as much as they would in the hands of a less talented writer. The result is that Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg is worth your time.

The next book in the series, Bone Canyon, is currently scheduled to be released January 5, 2021.

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

My reading copy came from my childhood haunt, the Audelia Road Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020