Portfolio Category: My Books

Malibu Creek State Park is a beautiful locale for campers, tourists, hikers, and Hollywood. For Detective Eve Ronin, it’s a backdrop for murder in a riveting thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

For decades Malibu Creek State Park was the spectacular natural setting where Hollywood fantasies were made. But when a female camper is gunned down, it becomes a real-life killing ground. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are assigned the case…which Duncan fears is the latest in a series of sniper attacks that began long before Eve came to Lost Hills.

Seven victims over fourteen months…and top officials still refuse to see a connection. Eve and Duncan are stonewalled, threatened, and ordered to keep quiet. But Eve won’t back down. She’s no stranger to intimidation or corruption—she’s had a target on her back from day one at Lost Hills station.

Despite finding no evidentiary links between the shootings, Eve and Duncan follow their instincts into the shadows of Malibu Creek, where it’s not enough to expose the secrets and break the conspiracy of silence. They also have to make it out alive.

“Finished this on the plane home. Typically classy police procedural from Lee Goldberg—giving Michael Connelly a run for his money…” Ian Rankin

“The fourth book in Lee Goldberg’s series is his most ambitious and best realized yet…Movieland is crime-writing of the highest order. Goldberg’s style touches on both Michael Connelly and Robert Crais, in whose company he now squarely belongs.” Providence Journal

“Movieland, Lee Goldberg’s fourth novel featuring Ronin, is every bit as good as the first three. The characters, including victims, suspects, and an assortment of lazy, hardworking, honest and corrupt cops, are quirky and well developed. The depiction of police procedures feels authentic. The writing is vivid and precise. And with startling twists around every corner, the suspenseful tale unfolds at a furious pace.” Associated Press

“Bestseller Goldberg’s strong, fourth Eve Ronin mystery… assured prose matches the tight plot.” Publishers Weekly

“Goldberg’s compelling follow-up to Gated Prey is a fast-paced, riveting police procedural influenced by actual events in California. A character-driven series entry that skillfully depicts Hollywood corruption.” Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Murder, politics and deception in the heart of Hollywood…oh my! Movieland brings the heat and packs a punch like a shotgun blast to the face.” Best Thriller Books

“Splendidly compelling.” Mystery Scene Magazine

“Lee is fantastic at combining clever plotting, humor, and thrills in his stories.” Boyd Morrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“[An] intelligently written series [with] memorable characters and intriguing plots. Lee Goldberg is one of those authors with natural-born story-telling gifts.” Deadly Pleasures

“Totally loved Lee Goldberg’s new Eve Ronin book, Movieland. This series just keeps getting better.” Nick Petrie, Thriller Award–winning author of the Peter Ash series

“A tense, gritty, and engaging novel with wit, suspense, action, and some great twists.” Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“LA noir is real, so is Malibu noir, and no one does it better than Lee Goldberg.” Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

“Goldberg’s work conjures up the same authenticity and mood as Michael Connelly’s Bosch novels…Movieland is a must-read for anyone who enjoys compelling crime fiction with a strong sense of place.” Crime Fiction Lover

“Movieland is a fast-paced mystery with interesting and well-developed characters and plenty of twists and turns. If this book, and this series, aren’t on your radar yet, they should be!” Kings River Life Magazine

A simple sting operation takes a violent and unexpected turn for Detective Eve Ronin in a gripping thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detective Eve Ronin and her soon-to-retire partner, Duncan Pavone, are running a 24-7 sting in a guard-gated enclave of palatial homes in Calabasas. Their luxury McMansion is a honey trap, set to lure in the violent home invaders terrorizing the community. The trap works, leaving three intruders dead, a body count that nearly includes Eve and Duncan.

Eve’s bosses are eager to declare the case closed, but there are too many unanswered questions for her to let go. Was the trap actually for her, bloody payback for Eve’s very public takedown of a clique of corrupt deputies? Or is there an even deadlier secret lurking behind those opulent gates? Eve’s refusal to back down and her relentless quest for the truth make her both the hunter…and the prey.

“I whipped my head back and forth reading Gated Prey. So twisty, so funny, and so LA—a few of my favorite things. After zooming through these pages, I’ll ride shotgun with Lee any day!” —Rachel Howzell Hall, bestselling author of And Now She’s Gone

“Against all odds, Goldberg not only ties up most of the loose ends, leaving just a few deliberately dangling, but links some of Eve’s investigations in ways as disturbing as they are surprising. The seamy side of California dreaming.” Kirkus Reviews

“Hollywood decadence and duplicity are at the heart of bestseller Goldberg’s entertaining third outing for Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Eve Ronin. Lively descriptive prose enhances the tight plot of this episodic crime novel. Columbo fans will have fun.” Publishers Weekly

“Another suspenseful, fast-paced yarn with engaging characters.” Associated Press 

“Goldberg is every bit the equal of Michael Connelly.” Providence Journal

“LA County Sheriff’s deputy Eve Ronin is kick-ass. No doubt there. Also controversial and consistently butting heads with the brass.This fast-paced and well-written story will grab you and drag you to an explosive—literally—climax. Once you begin, you will not be able to put this book down. Loved it. Love Eve Ronin. Love this entire series.” D.P. Lyle, award-winning author of Sunshine State

“A beautifully cinematic novelist who strikes a precise balance between darkness and humor.” Bookmarks Magazine

“Goldberg has a wonderful way of developing his characters so that they seem quite relatable to the reader.” Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“Gated Prey is another stellar installment in the wildly entertaining Eve Ronin series and a further testament to Lee Goldberg’s strength as a creative, innovative storyteller. Highly recommended.” Paperback Warrior

A cold-case heats up, revealing a deadly conspiracy in a twisty thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

A catastrophic wildfire scorches the Santa Monica mountains, exposing the charred remains of a woman who disappeared years ago. The investigation is assigned to Eve Ronin, the youngest female homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a position that forces her to prove herself again and again. This time, though, she has much more to prove.Bones don’t lie and these have a horrific story to tell. Eve tirelessly digs into the past, unearthing dark secrets that reveal that nothing about the case is as it seems. With almost no one she can trust, her relentless pursuit of justice for the forgotten dead could put Eve’s own life in peril.

“Bone Canyon is a propulsive procedural that provides high thrills in difficult terrain, grappling thoughtfully with sexual violence and police corruption, as well as the minefield of politics and media in Hollywood and suburban Los Angeles. Eve Ronin is a fantastic series lead—stubborn and driven, working twice as hard as her colleagues both to prove her worth and to deliver justice for the dead.”
—Steph Cha, Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for Your House Will Pay

“Wow—what a novel! It is wonderful in so many ways. I could not put it down. Bone Canyon is wrenching and harrowing, full of wicked twists. Lee Goldberg captures the magic and danger of the Santa Monica mountains and the predators who prowl them. Detective Eve Ronin takes on forgotten victims, fights for them, and nearly loses everything in the process. She’s a riveting character, and I can’t wait for her next case.”
—Luanne Rice, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Lee Goldberg puts the pro in police procedural. Bone Canyon is fresh, sharp, and absorbing. Give me more Eve Ronin, ASAP.”
—Meg Gardiner, author of The Dark Corners of the Night

“The tension ratchets up in this fast-paced police procedural, which addresses sexism, cronyism, and corrupt officers, while also dealing with the investigative process. Goldberg follows Lost Hills with a riveting, intense story. Readers of Karin Slaughter or Michael Connelly will want to try this.”
—Library Journal STARRED Review

“Goldberg delivers three of my favorite things: a fast-paced police procedural, a strong female character, and just a touch of snarky humor. Crime fiction can often be very dark, and this one stands out not just for the mystery, but for the whip-smart delivery.”  
—Melinda Leigh, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“The discovery of a homicide victim’s scattered bones in the aftermath of a wildfire plunges Eve Ronin, the ‘youngest homicide detective in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,’ into a politically tense, risky murder investigation in bestseller Goldberg’s fast-paced sequel to 2020’s Lost Hills. Readers will cheer the determined Eve every step of the way as she strives for justice. Goldberg knows how to keep the pages turning.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Goldberg’s characters are engaging and well-drawn…the tale is fast-paced, and the author accurately depicts investigative practices, making for another first-rate police procedural.”
—Associated Press

“Goldberg’s pacing and plotting are both pitch perfect, and his command of the story places him at the top of modern-day California crime writers staking a claim to the mantle of Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammett. Bone Canyon is destined to be the first great mystery of 2021.”
—Providence Journal

“Goldberg is clearly a fantastic storyteller.”
—The Nerd Daily

“Mark this one down as a page-turning thriller that is not to be missed.”
—The Real Book Spy

“Goldberg’s dialog crackles with realism, humor, and biting emotion.”
—Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

A detective’s brutal first case could make or break her career in an exhilarating thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

A video of Deputy Eve Ronin’s off-duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a popular hero at a time when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal. The sheriff, desperate for more positive press, makes Eve the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history.

Now Eve, with a lot to learn and resented by her colleagues, has to justify her new badge. Her chance comes when she and her burned-out, soon-to-retire partner are called to the blood-splattered home of a missing single mother and her two kids. The horrific carnage screams multiple murder—but there are no corpses.

Eve has to rely on her instincts and tenacity to find the bodies and capture the vicious killer, all while battling her own insecurities and mounting pressure from the media, her bosses, and the bereaved family. It’s a deadly ordeal that will either prove her skills…or totally destroy her.

Praise for LOST HILLS

“Lost Hills is Lee Goldberg at his best. Inspired by the real world grit and glitz of L.A. County crime, this book takes no prisoners. And neither does Eve Ronin. Take a ride with her and you’ll find yourself with a heroine for the ages. And you’ll be left hoping for more.” Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Harry Bosch novels.

“A cop novel so good it makes much of the old guard read like they’re going through the motions until they can retire… the real appeal here is Goldberg’s lean prose, which imbues just-the-facts procedure with remarkable tension and cranks up to a stunning description of a fire that was like ‘Christmas in hell.’” —Booklist

“An energetic, resourceful procedural starring a heroine who deserves a series of her own.” Kirkus Reviews

“Lost Hills is what you get when you polish the police procedural to a shine: a gripping premise, a great twist, fresh spins and knowing winks to the genre conventions, and all the smart, snappy ease of an expert at work.” Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar, Anthony, Barry and Macavity award-winning Into The Woods and a winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

“Lost Hills is a tense, pacy read from one of America’s greatest crime and thriller writers. We have a sense of real characters doing real police work, not snatching answers out of the air, as tyro detective Eve Ronin and her world-weary partner, Duncan Pavone, investigate a sickening multiple homicide against a Californian backdrop of snarling brushfires and blue-collar struggle, not Hollywood glitz.” Garry Disher, the Ned Kelly Award-winning, international bestselling author of the Inspector Challis series

“Thrills and chills! Lost Hills is the perfect combination of action and suspense, not to mention Eve Ronin is one of the best new female characters in ages. You will race through the pages!” Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author

“Lost Hills is a top-notch procedural that shines like a true gem.” Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mysteries, the basis of Netflix’s Longmire

“A winner. Packed with procedure, forensics, vivid descriptions, and the right amount of humor. Fervent fans of Connelly and Crais, this is your next read.” Kendra Elliot, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of A Merciful Secret

“Brilliant!  Eve Ronin rocks!  With a baffling and brutal case, tight plotting, and a fascinating look at police procedure, Lost Hills is a stunning start to a new detective series. A must-read for crime fiction fans.  Melinda Leigh, Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts Bestselling Author

“Lean, clean, and mean – highly recommended! Great start to a new series.” Nick Petrie, author of The Wild One

“[A] nimble, sure-footed series launch….The action builds to a thrilling, visually striking climax. Readers will cheer Ronin every step of the way.” Publishers Weekly

“Lee Goldberg’s Lost Hills is not only the first book in what promises to be a superb series — it’s also that rare novel in which the formulaic elements of mainstream police procedurals (blood, violence and forensic science) share narrative space with a unique female protagonist. All that, and it’s also a love letter to the chaos and diversity of California.” National Public Radio

“What a police procedural should be: a clever and likable lead detective, a supporting cast of both hardworking and lazy cops, wisecracking (and occasionally ribald) station house banter, a smattering of quirky characters, a fast pace, a faithful depiction of investigative techniques, and a writing style as precise as a sniper’s rifle.” New York Journal of Books

“Goldberg shines a light on the lesser-known SoCal crime-fighting agency. He excels at employing realistic forensics, ratcheting up the department’s political tensions and using the region’s real-life wildfires in climatic scenes while leavening the proceedings with just the right amount of cop humor.”
Los Angeles Times

“Michael Connelly meets Joseph Wambaugh. That’s my take on the tale that introduces wet-behind-the-ears homicide detective Eve Ronin. Like Connelly, Goldberg creates deeply layered characters, and the police procedures ring 100% true. Like Wambaugh, Goldberg brings sly humor to the proceedings.  The start of what promises to be a crackerjack series.” Paul Levine, bestselling author of the “Jake Lassiter” thrillers.

“[A] police procedural that shrugs off the norm in favour of rocking its own path. More notable is a genuinely original female protagonist, Eve Ronin. An intriguing story, snappy dialogue and clever use of language give the narrative a fizz. Add to that a dark tense atmosphere that builds to a nervy denouement and you have a winner.” NB Magazine UK

“[The] suspense and drama are guaranteed to keep a reader spellbound. Those elements, coupled with Goldbergs’s extensive research, adds up to a real thriller.”Authorlink

“Fans of police procedurals in the vein of Michael Connelly will appreciate the Hollywood backdrop and timely details. Can a “Bosch”-style TV series be far behind?” Variety

“A cut above the rest.” —Philadelphia Inquirer (Spring 2020 Best Book selection)

“An energetic, resourceful procedural starring a heroine who deserves a series of her own” Kirkus Reviews

“Eve Ronin is a great character and her debut story does not disappoint. The police procedure appears to be as authentic as Goldberg can make it without being in law enforcement himself. I’ll be watching for more stories about [her] with eager anticipation.” The Oklahoman

“This is so great. It’s a modern-day detective novel written in a way that’s even appealing to people who don’t typically like detective novels.” Yahoo Style UK

“Lee Goldberg has introduced a remarkable, tenacious female detective in Eve Ronin. She’s flawed, but determined. Inexperienced, but courageous. Outmanned, but defiant. Goldberg places this unlikely hero in a problematic, fast-paced pursuit to find a killer, effectively establishing her as the reliant hero we’ve always wanted…and deserved.” Paperback Warrior

“Goldberg’s storytelling is vivid and powerful, and his characters well-drawn and believable.” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

“Goldberg’s smooth way with a yarn is in evidence here, as his ability to mix mayhem with mirth, but the particularly well-crafted plot with its hardboiled action, forensic detail and, especially, its fully dimensional heroine, move it a step up and away from his previous fiction.” Mystery Scene Magazine