Malibu Burning

Named one of the Best Thrillers of 2023 by Deadly Pleasures Magazine

For a professional criminal and a relentless arson investigator, fear and revenge spread like wildfire in an incendiary thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds blasting at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.

Soon the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles history scorch the earth, setting Malibu aflame. Veteran arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his new, wild-card partner Andy Walker, a former US Marshal, suspect that the massive blazes were intentionally set, a terrifying means to an unknown end.

As the blazes rage out-of-control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they meet in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them all against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.

Read the first chapter!

“Malibu Burning is a blistering thrill ride full of Southern California thieves, cops, and firefighters, all facing high stakes and imminent danger. Superbly researched and told, fast-paced, and downright fun, this is Lee Goldberg at his best!”
—Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Gray Man series

“Goldberg’s well-drawn characters will keep readers rooting for both crooks and cops, and he hangs everyone’s fates on a clever, complicated con. The result is as explosive as a wildfire.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The plotting is perfect, the characters are fully drawn, and the dialogue is leavened with his wicked sense of humor.”
-Brendan DuBois, #1 New York Times bestselling author 

“The heist mystery — when the theft is the most overriding plot point — is having a resurgence, and among the leaders of this venerable subgenre is Lee Goldberg. The prolific Goldberg melds the heist with the procedural into a solid plot with fully realized characters in the highly entertaining Malibu Burning.”
—The Sun-Sentinel

“By turns, tense and rambunctious, wildly entertaining and breakneck-paced, Lee Goldberg’s splendid Malibu Burning is pure storytelling pleasure from beginning to end.”
—Megan Abbott, Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Thriller Award, & Los Angeles Times Book Prize winning author of The Turnout

“A fast-paced, over-the-top caper that entertains while keeping readers guessing.”
—Library Journal, STARRED review

“Goldberg is a master of his craft, creating vibrant characters brought to life through Eric Conger’s voice-acting talents. A nail-biting thriller that will have listeners on the edge of their seat.”
Library Journal STARRED review (audiobook)

“Lee Goldberg writes a scorching hot thriller that delivers on all the heat. Fast paced, the plot moves relentlessly to an unexpected climax.”
Montecito Journal

“Hilarious and touching, exciting and endearing.  Highly recommended. Rating: A”
—Deadly Pleasures

“An inventive, twisty, and funny caper from one of crime writing’s true pros. Elmore Leonard and Donald Westlake would’ve loved this wild heist.”  
—Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author of Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby and The Heathens 

“Goldberg returns to the wildfire he memorably chronicled in Lost Hills (2020) from a strikingly new angle….A businesslike thriller that shows how rewarding it can be to revisit the same story from a new point of view.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Malibu Burning is classic Lee Goldberg at the top of his game: a fast-paced, funny, and deeply satisfying page-turner.”
—Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Quarry Girls

“Both fans and newcomers to Goldberg’s work will enjoy the fast-moving, at times terrifying, tale and its close look at firefighting and arson-investigation techniques. A bonus is the companion buddy story featuring likable new police-procedural partners and their unusual focus.”
—FirstCLUE

“This is a book I couldn’t put down. Lee Goldberg is a master when it comes to building tension and writing heart-pounding action scenes. Malibu Burning is a roundhouse kick of a thriller, a true nail-biting race against time.”
—Simon Gervais, author of Robert Ludlum’s The Blackbriar Genesis

“If Malibu Burning was a wine, we’d describe it as rich and full-bodied, with tasty top notes of humor and light-heartedness, a robust blend of experience infused with enormous heart.” 
—The Thriller Zone

“Superb characterizations & pacing, a tight-as-a-drum plot, and bold pops of humor make this cinematic tale a scorching (can’t resist) page-turner.”
—Amazon Editors’ Picks

“Lee Goldberg knows how to write entertaining novels. His latest thriller, Malibu Burning, is a prime example. He creates a diversity of characters, throws them into some impossibly dangerous situations, and ratchets up the tension and suspense. Like a wildfire storming through the woods, I was racing to get to the novel’s ending.”
The Gumshoe Review

A master thief with a conscience? Only from the pen of Lee Goldberg, a virtuoso of crime fiction who knows how to keep the pages turning. This fiery tale of revenge against powerful Malibu homeowners is the background of what, if it’s successful, will be the biggest heist in U.S. history.”
The  News-Courier (Athens, Alabama)

“This splendidly entertaining tale unfolds at a cinematic pace with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a great crime movie. Goldberg blazes new ground in his already storied career, treading on the territory of the great Don Winslow, especially an early book of his, California Fire and Life. Not to be missed for crime-thriller aficionados.” –Booktrib