Lost Hills (Eve Ronin, #1)

by Lee Goldberg

“Lost Hills is Lee Goldberg at his best. Inspired by the real-world grit and glitz of LA 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

“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, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.

• ISBN10: 1542091896
• ISBN13: 9781542091893
• Publish Date: 1 January 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Thomas & Mercer
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

This was fantastic. I loved every minute. This was a great solid police procedural with an engaging cast of characters, an interesting plot and lots of action. I really liked Eve. She was dedicated, caring and ambitious - she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted or to use every advantage in order to get it. And I really liked that she was unapologetic about it too. She did still have insecurities but for the most part she was confident and unwavering.

The mystery itself was riveting. I didn't see the end coming and it had me chuckling. She ends up going viral again with new footage - this time of her escaping the wildfire with a broken wrist and child. Between that and the first video - awesome! The film industry aspect of the town was really interesting. Her mother, Jen is hilarious. “I really don’t have time for this, Mom. You saw the news. I’m in the middle of a homicide investigation.” “I’m well aware of what you’re doing. I was on the FBI’s Criminal Behavior Task Force.” “You wore an FBI windbreaker and stood in the background on a Criminal Minds episode. It’s not the same thing.” “It still haunts me,” she said.

Goldberg, Lee. Lost Hills (Eve Ronin Book 1) (p. 53). Kindle Edition. I liked Lisa (the sister) and Duncan (her partner).

I loved when Eve stood up for herself against Biddle and Garvey. I think it was my favourite scene. “When did we become a task force? And when did it become mine?”
“After Sheriff Lansing saw you on the news last night,” Duncan said.
“Translation,” Biddle said. “You get to run the task force because you’re young, you have nice tits, and were in a viral video that got great PR for the department in the middle of the county jail shitstorm.” Garvey added, “As opposed to one of the detectives who’ve actually spent years grinding away and solving homicides and know what the fuck they’re doing.”
“Stop whining. This isn’t new,” she said, getting in his face. “That’s the way you’ve felt since I walked in the door three months ago.”
Garvey wasn’t intimidated. “What did you expect? A standing ovation from the guys who actually earned their promotions?”
“No, Tubbs, this is exactly what I expected.” Eve stepped away from him and shifted her gaze between the three men. “Because it’s the same sexist attitude that would have shut me out of Robbery-Homicide for another ten years . . . and that I still would have faced if I ever got in. So I used the leverage that video gave me to get myself here overnight. Did I leapfrog over people who’ve been struggling to get into Robbery-Homicide for years and haven’t made it? Yes, I did. Do I care? Nope. Do I deserve to be here? It doesn’t matter because here I am, boys. You don’t like it? Too bad. Suck it up or get out. I’m sure the sheriff will give me two other detectives to replace you. They might even stay.”

The whole book wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn good. A fantastic police procedural and start to a new series. 4 stars.