Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg is a fabulous fast-paced mystery filled with secrets, lies, and cover-ups. You never know what is coming at Eve next.

Will Eve find the answers to the cold case that she is working on before her fellow officers take her out?

Eve Ronin
Detective Eve Ronin is assigned another high profile case. Well, it becomes high profile after Eve and Duncan start digging into the victim's connections with the sheriff's department. You can count on Eve to get to the bottom of it and look for the truth no matter the consequences to her personally, professionally, physically, or to her possessions.

We get to see more into Eve's family and how she fits with them. Then there is her relationship with her parents that forms her opinions and affects her reasoning at times. So, when she is continually asked about a television series on her life, she completely shuts it down, not just because it would interfere with her job but because she doesn't want her parents to be rewarded or make any money off her story.

The Case
After a fire in the canyon, bones are found in a back yard. Eve and Duncan are assigned to figure out if the bones are human, who the victim is, and how they get there. The bones turn out to be a young woman who was reported missing a few years back. The victim was also raped and given a run around by a sheriff's deputy who has been promoted since then. Eve and Duncan pursue justice for the young lady who turns to their own department and colleagues.

Five Stars
I absolutely love this series. Eve is such a powerful character. She is flawed yet righteous and has loads of courage. Lee Goldberg really knows how to spin a tale. I love the little bits where he adds things from his other series. There is just enough Hollywood to make the area and people realistic. Bone Canyon is completely fantastic in every way. My rating is five stars, and I can't wait for the next Eve Ronin book to come out.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg is the 2nd book in the Eve Ronin series, and my first book in the series. I enjoyed this book so much, I plan on read book one, Lost Hills soon. After a wildfire in California bones are found in the burnt ground. Eve, the youngest homicide detective, is assigned the case. I found this book to be very interesting, and a wild ride, which kept me turning page after page. If you enjoy fast paced police procedural, give this book a try, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Loved this book! But then, I’ve never read anything from Lee Goldberg that I didn’t like. Love the main character, can’t wait to read number 3!

Eve Ronin is a detective who loves her job. Unfortunately her current case may mean she has to step beyond the thin blue line.. A wildfire reveals the bones of a woman who had disappeared after reporting a sexual attack. As Eve follows the clues, she is led to believe that her fellow police officers may be involved.

Eve is determined to solve the case, despite her superiors and fellow officers trying to get her to back off. This just makes her try harder to get to the bottom of why this woman died.

Bone Canyon is the second book in the Eve Ronin series, though it can be read as a standalone. I like this because I loathe cliffhanger endings! If you like well written police procedurals, I highly recommend this book.

Bone Canyon is the second book in Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin series. This time, after a wildfire races through the Santa Monica Mountains, the charred remains of a woman are discovered. Eve, a rookie detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and her partner, Duncan, are assigned the case. When it turns out to be a murder investigation, Eve vows to bring the killer to justice.

This series is a well-written police procedural, with interesting characters and plot, and enough twists to keep the reader engaged. Eve is a rookie and she can be a bit abrasive and single-minded. After a while, her behavior can be quite irritating. My favorite character is her partner, Duncan. He’s the kind of partner I’d want to watch my back and his personality definitely added to my enjoyment of this book. I hope he decides to stick around.

Overall, I would give Bone Canyon 3.5 stars, but will bump it up to 4. Bring on the next Eve Ronin book, Mr Goldberg!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I read Lost Hills, the first installment in the Eve Ronin series; it was an Amazon First Reads choice in December 2019. Bone Canyon is the second installment, publish date January 5, 2021. I liked it even more than the first!

This is a fast-paced, twisty, well-written story. There are, as should be expected, lots of bad things happening in this story. Eve is a strong character and I love her relationship with her partner Duncan (Donuts). I like that the author, Lee Goldberg, who has written and/or produced TV shows (most well-known for Monk), added some humor in this story with the element of a possible TV show about Eve, which of course, she doesn't want to happen.

This is the kind of book that keeps you up late reading "just one more chapter" and it is so worth it.

Unearthing a sense of justice

Scattered bones discovered in the aftermath of a California wildfire spark an investigation by top cop Eve Ronin in Lee Goldberg's new novel, but what really gets too hot for “the youngest homicide detective in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department” are the departmental politics that lead her to a secret fraternity of fellow officers who may be involved in covering up murder.

“Bone Canyon” (Thomas & Mercer), the sophomore story in Goldberg’s developing Eve Ronin series, is just as fast-paced and politically charged as 2020’s “Lost Hills.” Here, Ronin soon identifies the remains in the fire as those from a young woman who went missing six years earlier after reporting being sexually abused by a group of men on a local beach. When an identifying tattoo points to a police conspiracy, Ronin is singled out by both fellow deputies and superiors for threatening the unspoken rule of silence that protects the brotherhood of officers.

Threatened also is Ronin’s integrity as she battles to follow her own True North following a threat on her life: “She wasn’t a traitor to the badge, she thought. The deputies who did this were. They forgot that their sworn duty was to protect the public, not the rapists and murderers within their own ranks. If the deputies thought this warning would scare her off, or shut her down, they didn’t understand her at all. It had the opposite effect. It motivated her. It reinforced that what she was doing wasn’t just the right thing, it was her responsibility.”

It’s that sense of responsibility that leads Ronin to continually strive for justice even as she begins, under the mentorship of retiring partner Duncan Pavone, to understand that such striving can’t be a solo act.

“You can’t be a loner on this job. You have to rely on others. It’s not you against the world. That means making friends and establishing trust,” Pavone tells her.

But trust comes hard to Ronin, whose broken childhood, fraught parental relationships and unceasing Hollywood offers to exploit her celebrity from the Lost Hills case teach her that she is indeed very much alone.

Battling that inner dictum leads Ronin to question her work, her relationships and her life: “One of the reasons Eve feared a TV series about herself was that she’d be held to a fictional standard in her real life. But wasn’t that happening to her now anyway?”

The answer to that question is two-fold, but central to solving the murder discovered in L.A.’s Bone Canyon. Goldberg, a gifted storyteller with cinematic timing, keeps the question aloft until the final pages, simultaneously resolving the mystery and setting up a third installment in a series that readers will eagerly await.

Nice addition to a new series.
I enjoyed the suspense of this story. I also enjoyed the fact that Eve isn't perfect. There were a lot of twists and turns. As police procedural go it is worth the read. I will continue to follow Eve's journey.

This is the second book in the Eve Ronin series and it’s just as good as the first one! It’s got the right mix of police procedural with Hollywood flair and a minor love interest. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the second Eve Ronin book by Lee Goldberg. Eve is the youngest homicide detective in the LA Sheriff’s department, a position she got after an arrest she made went viral.

I like Eve and her soon to be retired partner Duncan as they work hard to solve murders. A quick and enjoyable read, I am looking forward to more in the series.

Smart and cunning homicide detective Eve Ronin is back to solve another case and this one puts her up against the most dangerous odds she has faced!

Dealing with the aftermath of wildfires in the Santa Monica Mountains, homicide detective Eve Ronin and her partner are called when the remains of a woman are found. Eve is the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles county Sheriff’s Department and not many are happy with the way she got her position. Eve doesn’t let anyone’s opinion deter her from doing her job and solving the crimes in front of her. The remains turn out to be from a missing person case from over six years ago and each turn in the new case exposes more horrors and more bodies. Eve is now up against the most dangerous odds she has faced and isn’t sure who she can trust.

This is the second installment in the Eve Ronin series and am finding myself more and more in love with this character. She reminds me of Tracy Crosswhite by Robert Dugoni, and that’s a big comparison since that is my favorite series by one of my very favorite authors. More and more male authors are writing lead female detectives and doing a bang-up job of it. Eve is a tough, gritty and determined detective that isn’t afraid to do the hard things to solve a case. Even though she is up against a department that isn’t for her, she knows she is where she belongs and is willing to do what it takes to prove herself. I loved the way she took whatever is thrown at her and get right back up, but also doesn’t pretend to be superhuman and show no pain. The times when she is with her partner and they banter back and forth were perfect, along with the investigation moments with the anthropologist, Daniel. Something about the way those two relationships were written really made the story flow well. I am still not a fan of Eve’s mom, she just annoys me, which I think that is the way she is supposed to be written so in that sense it is a job well done. There is a fair amount of language and sex throughout, none of it graphic, but enough to make me say it is for a mature audience only. I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a fun suspense thriller that will take no time to breeze through.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

This is book two of the Eve Ronin series. Young, eager and dedicated, Eve can't wait to get back to work after a medical respite. Her latest murder investigation is the discovery of a cold case. Missing 6 years ago an alleged rape victim is identified.
Fast paced and well written this page turner kept me up well into the night. eve wonders if this is the work of a serial killer. The ending truly surprised me and I can't wait for the next installment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story started off a little slow but I know it was laying the groundwork. Once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. I was completely surprised by who the culprit was in the end. The only plot point I didn’t care for was the TV show. It just seemed unrealistic and far fetched and it was a major part of this story. Overall though, it was an enjoyable story.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series – I have not yet read book one, but I intend to catch up, as Eve Ronin is a compelling character and this series is now on my must-read list.

A rookie, Eve has a lot to learn, but also the passion and tenacity which comes with someone fresh in the role. Her soon to retire partner is an excellent foil to her passion and impetuosity. Their relationship is both fun and serious, and certainly effective, even when under significant pressure.

This mystery starts with bones uncovered in a canyon due to a recent wildfire. It sets off a really engaging plot which has plenty of clever twists and takes some concerning paths. It was not one of those stories which is obvious to the reader, rather we travelled along with Eve and Duncan as they uncover the murky truth.

I won't say more, so as not to spoil anything. but I can assure you that it is a very engaging read with a satisfying level of tension and a clever outcome. Highly recommended.

Really love the new series! Eve Ronin has parlayed her moment of internet stardom into the department and job she wanted...homicide investigator with the LASD. Now she needs to prove that she can cut it. So when heavy rains unearth bones, she's ready. But departmental conflicts, celebrity run ins, and the thin blue line itself could derail her investigation...and possibly her job, before she solves the case.

Fresh new characters, a great plot, and Lee Goldberg's attention to detail made this a unputdownable read.

Bone Canyon is the second instalment in the Eve Ronin series, featuring Eve as the youngest Homicide Detective in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, based out of Lost Hills, Calabasas. Eve is raring to go having been on office duty for weeks after breaking her wrist in her very first murder investigation for the department. She and mentor Duncan Pavone, who is only four months away from retirement, are assigned to a case when Sherwood Mintner, a resident of Hueso Canyon in the San Fernando Valley, calls after discovering a piece of human skull in his backyard which he claims wasn't there before the raging, widespread wildfires that have now turned the Santa Monica Mountains charcoal black and suggests it may have been buried. They call in forensic anthropologist Dr Daniel Brooks who rapidly unearths more remains; they turn out to be those of Sabrina Morton who disappeared six years ago after filing a complaint, along with a friend, claiming they had been brutally gang-raped on a local beach that at the time was seemingly investigated by Detective, now Assistant Sheriff, Ted Nakamura. Visiting Sabrina’s parents, Albert and Claire, they inform Eve that their daughter had told them that a distinguishing feature of each of the guys that took turns with her was that they all had the exact same tattoo on their lower leg.

Perhaps as part of some secret group or ritual, but Eve is baffled when the reports of the incident mention nothing about tattoos at all. Beginning to think there's a police cover-up happening she vows to get to the bottom of the case once and for all. When the body of another older woman is discovered Eve believes the cases to be related. Learning the tattoos are shared by the majority of the male police force at Lost Hills she realises she's in mortal danger and must tread carefully. This is a compulsive, scintillating and multilayered thriller with enough action, emotion, intensity and drama to keep you totally enthralled and at Goldberg's mercy throughout. Eve is growing into herself as a protagonist, and although she is resented by colleagues for her achievements she tries to ignore the jealousy all around her. On top of her caseload she is being chased by Hollywood screenwriters who want to option her story for the big screen so that must get rather irritating after a while; this is another source of their bitter envy. You can also add the fact that she's now viewed with suspicion by male officers due to her relentlessly digging up the past in an attempt to gain justice for Sabrina, the other women and their loved ones to the list of problems. A tense, pacy and sinister read and a twisted trail involving murder, rape, sexism, sycophantic behaviour, corruption and dark secrets. A riveting, page-turner I highly recommended.

BONE CANYON, Book Two in the Eve Ronin Series, is the first book that I have read by Lee Goldberg, and I can’t wait to read Book One, LOST HILLS.

I love reading books centered around strong women protagonists, the likes of Eve Ronin, who aren’t afraid to stand up and do what’s right, but who are also not infallible. This well-placed flaw had this reader donning a tweed jacket, cloth cap, and puffing on an old briar-root pipe by the end of Act One, whilst quoting Jessica Fletcher, ‘I may be wrong, but frankly, I doubt it.’

About:

Eve Ronin is the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, paired with the seasoned detective and soon-to-be-retired Duncan (aka Donuts) Pavone.

A catastrophic wildfire sear through the Santa Monica Mountains, exposing the charred remains of a woman who disappeared years ago, and Ronin is assigned to investigate. What else she discovers, well, no spoilers!

I can’t wait to read more about Eve Ronin in LOST HILLS and what I hope will be published shortly, Book Three in this series.

Side Note: How did I not know that Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich co-wrote not one but several books in the Mystery/Romance Series, Fox and O’Hare?

Oh, If I could live in a Library, I would! #BookLoverProblems *sigh*

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for loaning me an eGalley of BONE CANYON in exchange for an honest review.

Scheduled to release January 5, 2021, though subject to change.

Detective Eve Ronin didn’t become a homicide detective in the normal manner. Two prior cases highlighted in the media catapulted her to detective, but she has shown that she is ready for the job. Younger and eager to make a difference she is learning from her soon to retire partner, Duncan “Donuts” Pavone. After fires ravaged the land, bodies are turning up in Hueso “aka Bone” Canyon. Many are criminals who have been eliminated, but when bones are found belonging to a young woman, Eve is determined to find justice for her. As more bones are found, Eve doesn’t know if each case is separate or the work of a serial killer. Mr. Goldberg writes a fascinating story, one that I don’t want to miss even one word, as Eve risks her job and her life as she goes up against even members of law enforcement. Amusing and sarcastic dialog between Eve and her partner add to the total enjoyment of this complex mystery up until the surprising end. I can’t wait for Eve’s next adventure. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

“Sleep with one eye open.” Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg

This is the 2nd Eve Duncan book. And hmm, not that big a fan of Eve now. I don’t know. She seems more abrasive that usual here. And heedless. She is just a novice, a rookie detective in her department, as was pointed out to her. And something she realized too, eventually. Gaaah.

Love Duncan though, how he watches over her, guides her. He keeps her focused and a bit more organized. I do hope nothing happens to him. I think I got a bit scarred when Lars Kepler killed a character I wasn’t ready for, who was one of the good guys. 😂 So I’m hoping for Duncan’s happy retirement.

Eve did solve the case though. And I like how unexpected it was. Though it really highlighted how Eve has a long way to go before being a seasoned detective.

Have high hopes for the next book.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the arc! It was a nice read. This book will be our January 19, 2021

Bones previously hidden by vegetation are discovered after a deadly wildfire. A hiker disappears. A hippie yoga lover feuds with her TV star neighbor. And a six year old cold case. Weave these together and you have Bone Canyon, a superb police procedural that’s impossible to put down!

Eve Ronin is the youngest police detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a fact resented by some of her fellow officers. Past cases involving celebrities, viral videos and media attention led to her promotion. She’s concentrating on her work and turning down offers to consult on a TV series. Now she and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are investigating the bones found scattered after the fire. They belonged to Sabrina Morton who was reported missing six years earlier, soon after she reported her rape. She had been murdered. Eve has just reopened the rape case when another body is found…

Lee Goldberg, an Edgar Award winner and TV show writer/producer, has delivered a must read series with an easy to like character. The tedious details of a slow police investigation pair nicely with Hollywood glamour. I can’t wait for the next in this series. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lee Goldberg for this ARC.