Hikers have found a woman shot in Malibu Creek State Park, once the setting of many Hollywood movies and TV series. Detective Eve Ronin and her soon-to-retire partner Duncan are dispatched to the scene where they find a seriously wounded woman who directs them to a nearby pond where her friend has died from her wounds. Duncan fears this is the latest in a series of sniper attacks that began long before Eve came to Lost Hills and that the powers-that-be refuse to acknowledge as being related.

This is Book 4 in the Eve Ronin series. Although I really enjoyed Book 1 in this series, I didn't like this one quite as much. The writing is just as enjoyable as the first book as are the characters but I didn't like the story nearly as well. There are quite a few new characters and I had a hard time keeping track of them all. I was a little surprised that Duncan was still on the scene because he was soon to retire in Book 1 but since I haven't read Books 2 and 3 yet, maybe not that much time has passed! He's a great support for Eve and a steadying influence. Poor Eve takes some spectacular punishments which I imagine would translate well to the small screen if that's where this series is headed. Coincidentally, in the book, Eve's experiences are being made into a tv series which gets her mom and dad involved and they're very entertaining characters. 3.5 stars rounded up!

I still hope to read the 2nd and 3rd books in the series at some point but I think this could be read as a standalone. If a person were familiar with this area of California I would imagine their enjoyment would be heightened and I must say, I love that cover!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this installment. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: June 21, 2022

Movieland by Lee Goldberg
Eve Ronin #4

Eve Ronin doesn’t seem to get a break…unless perhaps a bone is broken. That said, she can outmaneuver and outpolitic a few of the high muckety-mucks…at least as long as she has Duncan at her side…though that might not be much longer as he readies for retirement. This time Eve is still dealing with colleagues who wish her ill will as well as tackling a murder case that could involve a serial killer while juggling her job, her family, a series being developed based on her life and…a few other things.

What I liked:
* Eve: young, intrepid, strong, intelligent, brash, outspoken, magnet for pain, has a lot to learn as well as a lot of growing up to do. I want to know more about her and wonder how she will look a decade from now.
* Duncan: wise, seasoned, smart, decades on the job, great detective, has always gone by the book, is challenged by Eve, up for retirement soon, loving husband and father, perfect job partner for Eve
* The way Eve and Duncan worked together as a team
* The view into the political aspects of the police world
* Seeing Eve’s family again
* The few colleagues that have Eve’s back
* The romance that might be developing between Eve’s sister and someone Eve works with
* The setting – used to live in Southern California so names are familiar
* The writing, plot, and that all the loose ends were tied up at the end
* The police procedural aspect of the story with the threads followed and where they led
* Knowing that there will be another book to look forward to in this series
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like
* The people and events I was meant not to like
* Not a dislike but the thought that Eve might want/need to have a book or two where she is not injured and put into the hospital

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I rad more in this series? Definitely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

3.5 stars

The fourth installment of the Eve Ronin series, Movieland feels like it should be the culmination of the many personal and professional plotlines introduced in the first three books. Between solving murders, dealing with the imminent retirement of her partner, and working on a TV show based on her life, there is a lot that she (and by extension, Goldberg as the author) is attempting to juggle.

Having read all of the previous installments of this series, this was probably the least successful of the four in maintaining the balance between all of the sub-plots. I was a bit disappointed by how little the actual case mattered throughout the novel and there was really only one major twist. All of the sub-plots are given just enough time to remind us that they exist, but not necessarily enough to really develop them well. The characters and the aesthetic of the novel are still immensely enjoyable, but I wanted a little something more from this novel than what we got.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Eve is back for her fourth detective installment. This time it looks like there is a serial shooter in a state park. Eve is her usually brash and hard-nosed self that we have seen over the last books and we are starting to see some growth out of her. Duncan her, soon to retire, partner is a great counterpart to try and keep her in check. The story is fast paced and a entertaining read. I suggest reading the books in order as it helps understand some of the other side plots but Goldberg does a good job of giving backstory so you can read as a standalone if you wish.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Eve Ronin series and it does not disappoint. It continues the action packed story of a young detective in the Sheriff's department who tenaciously follows her leads to the conclusion of her cases. Eve and her partner Duncan Pavone are called to a homicide in the state park. A women has been shot with a shotgun blast and is injured. After they arrive the find her partner also shot and killed by the blast. This opens a rabbit hole of possibly related incidents that must be carefully solved.
While it is possible to read this as a standalone, there is a lot of important things going on in the background of their movements which would have been learned in the previous two books. Importantly, Eve is in a development deal with a studio to create a television series based on her career; she is being sued for wrongful death by the family of another officer who committed suicide; and a lot of her fellow officers in her department are unhappy with the way she got her promotion to detective.
The action is non-stop, the story is thrilling and a lot of fun to read.

Another entertaining addition to the series but it could still be read as a standalone. Eve is just as wild as ever but she gets the job done even if it is to her physical detriment. It is easy to tell that the author is a screenwriter but sometimes this kind of story is just what I want. It was a quick action filled romp.

Possibly my favorite of thriller master Lee Goldberg's Eve Ronin oeuvre, MOVIELAND — the fourth book in the series — a true and recent ongoing investigation that concerns a shooter whose stalking ground is a national park in and around Malibu Canyon. As always, Goldberg peppers the plot with several possible suspects, dirty politics, investigative shenanigans, and plenty of great detective work by Sherrif Detective Eve Ronin and her soon-to-be retiring partner, Duncan Pavone.

And, as always, you’ll be at the edge of your seat until the very last plot twist.

Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are back solving crimes in this forth installment of the series. A serial sniper is shooting birdshot seemingly at random towards cars and windows in their jurisdiction, not gaining much attention until it turns deadly. Duncan is days from retirement and Eve is again caught in the sniper’s scope, so how will they get out of it this time?

Movie land is funny. Laugh out loud funny - so much that I received weird looks from my husband sitting next to me. Definitely my favorite so far due to the development of Duncan’s character as more than just Eve’s partner, creating new depth to his relationship with Eve, and her individual growth as a character. Highly entertaining read!

Metro law eforcement agencies across the country all have unique policing problems. The Los Angeles area might have the most diverse challenges. There is almost every geographical area and their features, well, maybe not icebergs or active volcanoes. Natural disasters strike often and long term. There are the fault lines of corruption brought by the movie business and other big money. There are huge recreational areas within urban areas. Many cities and towns are without their own police departments. The biggest problem for policing is who the heck has jurisdiction where?
All of these problems go to make up the outstanding Movieland (Eve Ronin # 4) Jurisdictional issues seem to be the largest problem when LA County Sherriff’s detectives Eve Ronin and her partner Duncan Pavone are sent to investigate a shooting inside the Malibu Creek State Park where the park supervisor and the State Park police all think they are the top guns. This shooting turns out to be a severe shotgun injury and a dead woman; both well known eco activists.
Pavone confesses to Eve this is the seventh shotgun shooting situation in or from within the park in the prior fourteen months, although no one was injured in those other shootings. Everyone with any rank forced Pavone to bury the investigation, insisting they were not connected. Nope, no, nein, non, no connection. What could possibly go wrong with that attitude? Come on in folks! Safest place in California. This is the one thing all of the jurisdictional bosses agreed on from the Sheriff up to Sacramento.
So, there is no Malibu Creek State Park Sniper, there are no other past shooting victims, there won’t be more shotgun victims. Come on in, to the usual Carnival of Lies, once again led by the Sheriff’s Department.
While dealing with the shootings, Eve is also having to deal with the TV show based on her life and short career ( both possibly growing shorter every day) in the Robbery /Homicide division. Then there are also her very aggravating parents, a wrongful death lawsuit and the too-soon- retirement of Pavone, probably one of the few members of the Lost Hill’s division of the SO who doesn’t want to see Eve dead. Pavone is her partner, friend and mentor.
Lee Goldberg is a longtime TV and movie script writer, along with several crime novels. He definitely knows his way around writing crime fiction, although I had a bit of trouble here and there with his forensics, especially with his shotgun evidence.
Eve Ronin is truly the detective most of her co-workers hate, she is abrasive, stubborn and will ignore the ‘thin blue line’ in order to see justice done. She is also not above using blackmail to get what she wants from the Sheriff’s Dept, also earning the brass’s dislike. Not for personal gain but for doing what is best for the department. Huh, imagine that. However, Eve is beginning to tone down her attack dog style, trying to play well with others. Maybe its all those trips to the hospital.
The descriptions of Malibu Creek State Park left no doubt about how stunning the area remains, even though fires have damaged large areas of the park and surrounding areas.
There are small shocks-when characters are turned on their heads-and larger shocking acts from those whom you expect to cause trouble.
One of the arrest scenes is one of the funniest I’ve read. Some people just aren’t too bright. Pavone and his proclaimed love of hospital food is just too funny. This book is a fast moving, grim look at how it can be “to live and die in LA” so a bit of humor is welcome. Have I mentioned how much I like dark, well written crime stories? My five stars should show it. You know what, this would make a great TV series produced by Shondraland…..oh wait, that would be too weird.
Oh, the most shocking part of the book? Read the acknowledgements.
Thanks to NetGalley sending me an ARC for review purposes.

Read this if you like: Strong female leads, crime series, short chapters

For decades Malibu Creek State Park was the spectacular natural setting where Hollywood fantasies were made. A female camper is gunned down and suddenly it becomes a real-life killing ground.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are assigned the case. Duncan fears it's involved 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.

I really love this series. I am a sucker for procedural cop novels. I love the way Lee writes. There hasn't been a single one in this series that I haven't loved. Eve takes no shit from anybody and Duncan is hilarious. I love them as partners. I hope he is in the rest of the books. Highly recommend these!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copy! ❤️

Movieland by Lee Goldberg
(Eve Ronin #4)

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan (Donuts) Pavone have their work cut out for them in the last two weeks before Duncan retires. When investigating a murder at Malibu Creek State Park, they find that park officials have hidden a slew of shooting incidents that took place on park grounds. The park officials didn't want to squelch park attendance with visitors being afraid to visit the park because there might be a park sniper. Of course not, no need to warn people that they are in danger of injury or death. Nothing going on here, folks, have a nice visit at the park!

There have been seven victims over fourteen months, maybe more, since reports have been buried and it's impossible to know what officials aren't revealing. Duncan is sure there is a sniper, Eve's pretty sure, and they know more people are going to be hurt. Of course, I'm afraid Eve will be hurt, this fourth entry in the Eve Ronin series wouldn't be complete without Eve landing in the hospital. Can she manage to keep her body parts intact this time?

Duncan is funny as usual and he is looking forward to working at a consultant on the TV series with Eve and about Eve and her illustrious career so far. Food is catered on the studio lots, so much to look forward to for Duncan, who is always thinking about and/or eating food. Even though Duncan is Eve's mentor, he is also learning from her and he's going to make waves in his last weeks of work, if authorities don't stop hiding that there is probably a park sniper. He learned about making waves from Eve.

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

Goldberg is back and he’s going to put you into submission. No, not Bill Goldberg, but his younger and not as strong little brother, Lee Goldberg. Okay that’s a lie too, they are in no way related. But Lee can certainly write. After I found Eve Ronin, his young cheeseburger-eating hot-shot detective, she was hunting down criminals in the gated communities of Los Angeles in what was her third adventure. She’s still slugging away at her day job though, and at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station there is no guessing what the next emergency is that will come up in the 4th book, Movieland.

Ronin is a unique character, she comes from a father that was non-existent, a mother who thought she was something far grander than she really was, and with a law enforcement career that has rocketed off to a start. She is not a very likable amongst other precincts as she helped tackle the crooked cop issues plaguing the greater Los Angeles area. They also don’t like that she has shot to unreachable heights in no time at all and even has her own television show in the works.

Eve is about to be on her own soon. Duncan Pavone, her husky buffet loving sidekick, is only two weeks away from retirement from the sheriff’s department. As for their sunset case, it is as wild and crazy as one could ever guess. A random shooting in Malibu Creek State Park turns deadly and it starts to unravel a long deceptive story of hate, corruption, and crime. The political landscape in California is no stranger to drama and Ronin’s job is to sift through the garbage to get to the truth. The truth involves sex, money, and lies along with a dead local political figure, crooked cops, and one of the largest cover ups known to the area. The insanity follows from LA to Las Vegas and back, through hilltop mansions, to trailer park hideaways.

Ronin is a no-nonsense dedicated detective that must fight for her own life again as she attempts to expose the betrayal surrounding her. Eve has been dependent on her donut loving partner for years and with his retirement right around the corner she has some decisions to make. Can she handle the near-death experience that Goldberg throws her way? Eve has become a far better detective due to the trials she has faced, and this is just another trip that will test the perseverance and tenacity in one of LA most fierce detectives.

Goldberg crafts another story of hard-nosed resolve while showing just how vulnerable Eve Ronin can be. She is a mighty strong independent character with a whirlwind past of emotions. Goldberg continues to write easy, fun, fast-paced thrillers that have you cheering from the sidelines the whole way.

Movieland reunites us with Los Angeles Sheriff's Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, about to retire, Detective Duncan " Donuts" Pavone. The pair get a call of a woman's body at Malibu State Park. The victim had been shot another woman injured, sniper. Duncan knows that there have been other instances of sniper fire, vehicles being hit, but this is the first death. The higher ups tell the pair to work this case as being unrelated to the other instances. After all, no one wants to scare people away from the park. Soon there is another death and Eve is injured.

Eve is a great character, she is young and tenacious. She sometimes goes " outside the lines" but she is dedicated to finding the culprit. Duncan is counting down to his 30 years and hello retirement. Although this is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. The author does an excellent job of providing some of the background. I personally recommend reading the previous novels in order, not only for a more developed history but also because the novels are so well written.

Movieland keeps the reader engaged, I didn't want to put it down. Lee Goldberg has given us well developed characters and an excellent plot. I hope we get to see more of Eve.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/06/19/%f0%9f%8e%a7-movieland-by-lee-goldberg/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

The <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/249851-eve-ronin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Eve Ronin</strong></em></a> series is one I would read in order as the personal and career developments build through the series.  The focus is on the police procedural with a small background of personal life but the Hollywood scene is almost a character itself.    Eve is 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.

Eve has a strong connection with her partner and a few others in the department.  She has great instincts but she does have a bit of TSTL.  Even her very experienced, retiring partner called her on it this time.  If she doesn't work with others, she is going to kill herself.  She gets hurt in pretty much every book.

Eve and Duncan are of the same mind on the current case. There have been several shootings by the park, but since no one got hurt they were covered up so people would keep coming to the park.  Now someone has died.  People come forward and there are more cases than even Duncan knew.   It's snowballing now with what they realize may be some copycat crimes also.

I was glad to see some personal growth for Eve and working a bit more with her partner and co-workers by the end.  Her situation is still over the top but hopefully it will improve a bit now.  The starstruck continue to be ridiculous though.

I'm really enjoying this series by Lee Goldberg. I read the first 3 books in the series and am glad to say this 4th book lived up to my expectations. Goldberg's writing style is fast and easy - no surprise that it sometimes feels like a tv show since he has a background in tv and movies.

Great characters, some quirky situations (who knew there were urine experts?) and bits of humor sprinkled throughout. Eve is far from perfect but she's a delightful character and Duncan is her perfect partner..

This story sparked memories of some real-life instances that were recently in the news and that lends credence to the story. The dialogue is realistic without resorting to constant swearing and off color jokes that many police procedurals resort to "for authenticity". It goes to prove it can be authentic without excessive profanity

It probably helps to read the books in order, but they stand on their own and can be enjoyed individually too.

Eve Ronin is back in Movieland by Lee goldberg. This is Book 4 in the series.

"Malibu Creek State Park has long been a place where Hollywood fantasies are made. When a camper is gunned down, Eve and her partner, Duncan, are assigned the case. Duncan believes it's part of a series of sniper attacks. But top officials refuse to see a connection. They are told to keep quiet. But Eve won't back down. She'll do what it takes to find a killer - even if it means getting shot."

This is crime fiction, sort of a police procedural, but filled with hilarious characters and situations. There's even a crime-scene tech that's a urine expert.
Eve fights against a toxic culture, with just a few colleagues on her side - and against a bureaucracy more concerned with optics than solving crime.

Goldberg has a fast-paced, easy to read style. A good pick if you're looking for a strong female character and humor with your crime fiction.

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series. While probably a good idea to read the previous books, I wasn’t lost by reading it as a stand alone.
Someone is targeting law enforcement officers as prey in the hills above Los Angeles. The terrain gets prime movie industry usage.
Eva amd Duncan work together to solve the case before someone else gets offed.
The action was good. Anyone with an addiction to cop shoes or crime tv will definitely want to find out who is behind the killing in the land of make believe.

This reminded me so much of something that Michael Connolly would write that I kept confusing the main character, Eve Ronin, a sheriff deputy who has been ostracized by her co-workers, with the similarly afflicted Renee Ballard.

The setting is an LA-area state park. Eve has to try to find out who has been shooting random people with a shotgun.

I liked it. It was a quick read. The characters were well-written and the plot pretty good. But it was forget-able. I finished it a couple of days ago and have to think hard to remember who did it.

I recommend this to readers who are fans of Connolly. It really feels like it was written by him.

Detective Eve Ronin and his (almost-retired) partner Duncan Pavone returns to this fourth book in Goldberg's Eve Ronin series.

A female camper is gunned down in Malibu Creek State Park - and apparently over the years, there are some shootings in the park as well, but people in charge dusts it all down under the bed (because it will be bad for the Park). So of course, this will be the case that Eve and Duncan are handling because it WILL aggravate a lot of people 😃

By this fourth book, I didn't really find it strange that Eve found herself - again - at odds with her fellow detectives. I mean, she kept saying that she wanted to be seen for her investigating ability, that she needed to prove herself. BUT, Eve was still a new detective (she had bad interpersonal skills!), there were things she needed to learn. Oh, she gets the bad guys in the end - because Eve never gave up - but she will always steps on other people's toes. I guess I also wasn't surprised when Eve - AGAIN - got hurt.

Although I wish the author made some new development on that part. But I guess it won't be an Eve's book, will it?

On a different note, the whole case was compelling (apparently, the author takes some real-life shootings as inspiration)! It has some twists and turns for sure. And I was happy with Duncan situation by the end of this book.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in this series, I was of course delighted to get my hands on a review copy of this one. I love Eve Ronin, the youngest-ever detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who has a take-no prisoners attitude, and her more seasoned partner, Duncan Pavone, who does a great job tempering her forays into left field (while acknowledging that she's almost always right).

But there are issues, the first of which is that Duncan is on the cusp of retirement; even Eve is reluctant to think about what she'll do without him. That's especially because she's got little support from her co-workers and supervisors, most of whom resent her lightning boost to the top following a high-profile case that also resulted in the making of a TV series based on her professional life.

But for the moment, she's got more to worry about; in Malibu Creek State Park, the former setting for countless Hollywood movies, two women were shot. One ended up with extensive injuries, but the other one was killed. The murder was up close and personal, but it soon becomes clear that it could be connected to a string of shootings over more than a year - almost all of which have been swept under the park police department's rug in an effort to keep tourism alive and well. Duncan knew of some of the prior incidents, and he now blames himself for not speaking up.

Now, both he and Eve want to go public with the potential threat to park visitors and residents who live nearby, but once again, their pleas go nowhere. Eve, of course, has never worried about stepping on toes - she's mashed quite a few along the way - so while she doesn't blame Duncan for his reticence, she takes advantage of it by enlisting his help in finding what now appears to be a serial sniper. When another murder happens with a similar M.O. and they manage to convince a higher-up to let them continue their investigation, though, they put a target on their backs that even Eve's special Kevlar vest may not adequately protect.

All in all, it's another action-packed adventure that's sprinkled with humor and interesting descriptions of the composition and history of the area (clearly, the author is familiar with the setting, and he says the story itself is based on a real-life case). It's entertaining, engrossing and just plain fun, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.