Publication Date October 14, 2025
In the past few years, Lee Goldberg has made his way onto my list of reliable/favorite authors…you know, the ones that when you see they have a new book, you think, “YES! Definitely gotta get THAT one!” In 2022, there was Movieland, in 2023, Malibu Burning and Calico, in 2024 Dream Town and Ashes Never Lie, and in 2025 we have Hidden In Smoke and now the latest, Fallen Star.
Having grown up in Southern California, I particularly enjoy the way Goldberg evokes the look, feel, and (dare I say?) the Southern California vibe. Other authors who do this well include T. Jefferson Parker, Robert Crais (I LOVE Elvis Cole and Joe Pike), and Michael Connelly. So while there is no shortage of authors who do a fine job with stories set in and around Southern California, Lee Goldberg has recently established himself as one of the best.
This is the latest in a series that features the youngest homicide detective in the history of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Eve Ronin, along with her partner, Duncan Pavone. It fits in with the Sharpe and Walker series, although S & W focus on fire-related crimes more than on murders (although there is often overlap). While this is definitely the latest in a series, and there are character developments as the series goes along, there is plenty of information on the main characters revealed to make it all comprehensible. I do recommend reading them in order, but it isn’t necessary and I suspect anyone who reads it will want to grab more of Goldberg’s books. If you are just getting to know Eve, this might help… Anne at Books Of My Heart describes Eve as “a new homicide detective in a misogynistic, political department in Los Angeles California. She became famous in the first book for arresting a tv star behaving badly, which helped her get the promotion.”
In this latest installment, a fifty-five-gallon drum has washed up in Malibu, stuffed with the corpse of Gene Dent, who has been involved in a bribery scandal involving several local politicians. Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone know the case—and all the likely suspects—very well. They are just starting to investigate Dent’s death when the sheriff publicly drops a bombshell revealing evidence that (allegedly) links the crime to LA’s mayor. Both Eve and Duncan were involved in the coverup of corruption in the Sheriff’s Office in their past, and they know if the sheriff goes down, he will take them along.
The story unrolls from there, and as usual, Goldberg has created a complex plot to go along with his strong characters. Like some of Goldberg’s other books, this one kept me up all night (in a good way) and also evoked several nights of dreams about the place I lived for the first 20+ years of my life. With HUGE thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley (and Lee Goldberg!) for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review, it’s highly recommended. Five stars.