Eve Ronin is a novice homicide investigator. Much to the consternation of many in the LA County Sheriff Department, she was promoted to her position when a video of her taking down and arresting a movie star for abusing a woman went viral. She is partnered with Duncan “Donuts” Pavone who is counting the days until his retirement. While investigating a missing mother and her two children, they find the victims’ blood splattered home to be the scene of a horrific crime, but the bodies are not there. Although her quick thinking, ability to read clues, and dogged determination indicate she is well deserved of her promotion, Eve still has a lot to learn.

This is the first in the Eve Ronin series and has been on my TBR for a long time as I have read all the subsequent ones, having somehow missed this one. I have enjoyed all of the books. They are well written, fast moving, with good character development. Eve’s heroics at the end of this story had me on the edge of my seat.

I would recommend this series to fans of mysteries/thrillers/police procedurals, especially those featuring personable main characters. All of the books do work as stand alones.

"Lost Hills", the first book in the Eve Ronin series by Lee Goldberg, is a thrilling and engaging mystery novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot revolves around the disappearance of a young woman and the subsequent investigation led by Eve Ronin, a private detective with a troubled past.

"Lost Hills" is well-constructed, with a steady pace that keeps the reader engaged and invested in the story. The mystery is complex and intriguing, with plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Goldberg does a great job of building tension and creating a sense of urgency, making it impossible to put the book down.

The characters are well-developed, with Eve Ronin being a standout. She is a strong, complex, and relatable protagonist who is easy to root for. The supporting cast of characters are equally well-drawn, each with their own unique personalities and motivations that add depth to the story.

The writing style is fast-paced and engaging, with vivid descriptions that bring the setting and characters to life. Goldberg's storytelling skills are on full display in "Lost Hills", making it a thrilling and engaging read from start to finish.

The first entry in this exciting new series is a must-read for fans of mystery and crime fiction. With its well-constructed plot, engaging characters, and excellent writing, this book is sure to be a hit with both fans of the genre and those new to it.

Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

Swift, interesting noir with tough-as-nails cop heroine (who is also surprisingy sensitive), this is a nice start of a new series of interest! The catchability and reading entertainment factor is high; the case/s are interesting (and so realistic and possible I have to check the safety of my neighbourhood once again) and the characters might be a bit clichey, but they definitely have more domensions than one.
Good summer read!

This one has been sitting on my @netgalley #tbr for far too long! Clocking in at a little under 300 pages, this book reminds me of why size or length doesn't always matter. This book was short, but SO WELL WRITTEN. I loved the graphic nature of this one a lot and Eve is a bad ass cop. I am thrilled to have physical copies of book 2 and 3 in this series waiting for me. Read this in one day - great for police procedural fanatics!

A good start to a new series. Eve might be a bit over her head after being promoted but that doesn't stop her from pursing a villain. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good atmospherics, dialogue, and storytelling made this a good read.

I loved this book! I love Lee Goldberg's Monk books too, but I do think this is the best thing he has written. Homicide detective Eve Ronin is a brilliant. The supporting characters are very well portrayed, the pace is fast, The Calabasas area in the throes of Santa Ana winds and wildfire is vividly depicted, and the ending totally surprised me. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next Eve Ronin book.

Ok, I absolutely LOVED this debut of a new series from Lee Goldberg. I have been completely and totally sucked into the world of Eve Ronin and I cannot wait to dive deeper into this universe. It always thrills me to find a new series and new character to root for and I believe I have found exactly that in this book.

The characters were great, especially Eve, the story was gripping, and I couldn't figure it out until the very end. I will absolutely be reading everything I can get my hands on from Lee Goldberg.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Lost Hills
Eve Ronin, Book 1
by Lee Goldberg


Thomas & Mercer
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thriller
Pub Date 01 Jan 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Lost Hills through Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley:



Eve Ronin’s off duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a hero at a time that the the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal. The Sheriff who is desperate for positive press, to combat all the negative press, makes Eve the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history.






Eve left with a lot to learn finds herself resented by her colleagues, and finds herself having to justify her new badge. She has the chance to prove herself 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 scene screams of murder, but there are no bodies.






Eve must rely on her instincts as well as her tenacity to catch the brutal killer. She has to do this while battling her own insecurities and mounting pressure from the media, her bosses, and the bereaved family. She finds herself dealing with a deadly ordeal that will either prove that she is able to, and worthy of the badge, or it will destroy her.





I give Lost Hills five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

Lee Goldberg has written another compelling lead character a story that kept me turning the pages late into the night.A new series I will be following. #netgalley#thomasmercer

I dont typically read these types of books- ones with an underdog heroine of a detective, plentiful police language, etc- and I requested this one on a whim. In the end, I am glad I did so. This book was really a lot of fun (you know, murders/dismemberment aside) and I had a hard time putting it down. Highly recommend this one.

This book was exactly what I needed at the time I read and listened to it - fast-paced, excellent and exciting police procedural with high stakes. It was a bit more gory and gruesome than I might prefer, but I adored Eve Ronin and I will probably pick up the next in the series sometime. The ending was also very exciting and nerve-wracking and my interest was held throughout. This short book is worth a try for sure if you enjoy this genre!!

I loved this book. I've read the Ian Ludlow books by Mr. Goldberg which are good but this was better.
Eve Ronin was promoted because of a viral video that made her a star. She is resented by her co-workers and her partner just wants to retire in peace. They get sent out to a case where they decide they don't have jurisdiction, it should go to LA. They then get another call out to a possible murder scene of a mother and her two children. The mystery is excellent and the turmoil that Eve goes through while trying to prove herself is real.

Anxiously waiting for the next one.

I’m already impatiently waiting for the second Eve Ronin book. Eve is one tough LA detective in the LA Sheriff’s Department. Her partner, Duncan, overweight, close to retirement and worthy of his nickname “Dunkin Donuts” is quiet, experienced sidekick and Eve takes on her first major murder, a gruesome murder of three people. She’s short on experience but is able to handle the hostility of other experienced detectives who think they should have the lead role. Her mother who keeps giving Eve directions on how to improve her image with makeup and clothes so Eve can leave policework and become a famous actress, probably had a heart attack when the viral picture of her daughter, racing away from a LA wildfire with an injured child in her arms. Its clear that Eve cares nothing about what her mom wants her to do.

Maybe too many endorsements for Coca Cola, but I'm a fan anyway. On a cold snowy day this was the perfect escape and I loved "driving the curvy roads" of the Lost Hills, Calabasas, Topanga canyon area. Have been a grateful passenger navigating those roads and I loved this ride.
Goldberg came up with a great protagonist in Eve Ronin and supplies all the formula characters and crimes. The mystery keeps even the most experienced readers guessing and I look forward to the next case of Eve's.

*** 4 Stars ***
Available NOW!!!

This is a the first book in a new series Eve Ronin by Lee Goldberg. Eve Ronin is a badass homicide detective for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office and the youngest ever to do the job. Just an all around great cop mystery read. Fast paced, great writing style that makes this a hard to put down book. Eve is super likable and her character was developed well for being the first book of a series to continue. I really enjoyed this and can't wait for more from this series to be released. Highly recommend if you're into cop/detective crime novels.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.

I'm just going to jump right in without a repeat of the blurb info. This is a good, very readable book. It keeps a steady pace, not a thrill a minute but also no dead spots, no skimming over boring sections because there really aren't any to speak of.

Author Lee Goldberg has put together a plot that allows the more insightful reader (really, aren't we all in our own minds?) to pick up on a few missed clues and get ahead of the detectives while still cheering them on without any loss of urgency or excitement as the story unfolds and the ending comes barreling into sight. It gets a bit frenzied towards the end but it all makes sense within the larger story.

He's also managed to create a cast of characters that border on cliche or caricature yet somehow brings a freshness to the tried and true. The young inexperienced detective partnered with the older detective on the verge of retirement has a more nuanced feel than we're 'used to seeing... The old guy isn't some slouch running out the clock for a sweet pension he's a good detective who has put in his time and is ready to move on - worn down but not worn out. Supportive of his partner but realistic. I like him a lot. I could easily see him becoming the star of his own book series as a private investigator.

There's also some sharp, subdued commentary on the "look at me, I should be famous" culture that seems to be everywhere these days along with the way that most everyone has become much more media savvy.

Unless your tastes in mystery run strictly to the extremes - dark psychological thrillers like Silence of the Lambs or cozy like The Cat Who... I think most readers would probably enjoy Lost Hills. I'll definitely be watching for the next one in the series.

There is some use of 4-letter words but it's not excessive. The same goes with the violence, it's described in a more clinical than graphic style (technical rather than voyeuristic).

***Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and author Lee Goldberg for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Eve Ronin comes to her job as detective have used a new found celebrity for career gain. She's not accepted by the other detectives as having paid her dues, so she's got a hard road to hoe to gain their support and respect. She assigned to a murder and missing child case where her rookie instincts and need to prove herself are almost her undoing. Unlike other Lee Goldberg series, this one is dark and gritty, missing the humor and sarcasm that is familiar to his readers. Ronin makes for a compelling character as the sole female detective in a den of political foxes and wolfish fellow detectives. This first book holds great promise for volumes that will follow.

After a Youtube video goes viral, Deputy Eve Ronin’s career takes off when she gets a promotion to the Robbery-Homicide Division and becomes the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history. Eve has to prove herself and gets her chance when she and her veteran partner Duncan are called to the blood-splattered home of a missing single mother Tanya Kenworth and her two kids. The horrific blood carnage screams multiple murder but there are no bodies.

Stubborn, feisty Eve pushes herself to find the man responsible for these crimes. Plumber Lionel Coyle is the prime suspect who visited Tanya's home but Eve and her team need solid proof to link him to the murders. With mounting pressure from the media, her bosses, and the bereaved family, Eve is determined to succeed or watch her career go down in flames.

This was a strong debut novel with a great female protagonist.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.