LASD Detective Eve Ronin, still fighting to out the corruption within her own department, is on the hunt for a possible serial shooter in the vast expanses of Malibu Creek State Park. Personally, she is dealing with the development of a TV series on her life and fighting a multi-million-dollar lawsuit that her department has declined to cover. The story has become a bit formulaic but is still a good read. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

I’m huge big fan of this series and this book doesn’t disappoint. The ongoing character development and progression of Duncan and Eve’s partnership are top-notch. As a veteran tv writer, Goldberg knows how to write a fast paced police procedural that keeps you on your toes from the page one. Additionally, the humor is very well done and adds just the right amount of levity. This is the fourth entry in the Eve Ronin series and I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series, Lost Hills.

Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are my new favorite duo! This is the third novel in the Eve Ronin series (I missed one! Definitely going back to read it!) that I have read, and I am looking forward to the next book already. The setting for the storyline is perfect, and this action-packed mystery flows throughout very well. Eve is gritty and head strong, determine to do things her way no matter what while Duncan is the seasoned and experienced soon-to-be retiree who is trying to school her in the time he has left. There are twists and turns and ups and downs, quite the roller coaster ride. One thing is for sure, though, Eve and Duncan will do whatever it takes to make sure that justice is served. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I love the relationship between the two officers, their back and forths made me chuckle at times. Eve's sister is a good character too and their mother a hoot. The mystery, when finally solved, is also excellent. You get a great feel for LA and Hollywood too. Eve is tenacious and not liked by the other officers...she is young and tenacious and has risen through the ranks at a rapid pace, plus Hollywood is making a tv series of her life, which causes jealousy amongst the troops. Brilliant writing and more importantly, riveting reading.This was a brilliant read.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Part of a series and I have not read the previous books: this stands alone but I think I would have a better understanding of the characters if I had read the others. A retiring detective and a young, newer woman with a target on her back.
Responding to a nasty shooting in Malibu, the investigation uncovers more than only the first shooting.
The story moves along and is easy to follow, very enjoyable to read.

Movieland by Lee Goldberg is the fourth book in the Eve Ronin police procedural and crime thriller series and is set in and near Calabasas, California. It’s full of action and amazing characters, as well as some humor, and this reader couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Dispatched to a break-in, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Robbery-Homicide Detective Eve Ronin and her soon to retire partner Duncan (Donuts) Pavone get an urgent call that hikers have found a woman shot in nearby Malibu Creek State Park, once the setting of many Hollywood movies and TV series. Duncan fears this is just the latest in a series of sniper attacks that began before Eve came to the Lost Hills police station. However, officials refuse to see a connection and tell them to focus only on the current case.

Eve is an energetic, ambitious, and compelling main character and definitely someone you can root for. She works tirelessly, makes a few rookie mistakes while learning her job, but has clear goals and good instincts that influence the plot. Her motivations seemed believable, with well-drawn and appropriate emotions. Many of her co-workers feel she didn’t earn the promotion to detective. Additionally, the way she challenges things sets others on edge and affects them and her. Reading the first three novels in the series provides the reasons for this added drama. Duncan’s character has more depth in this novel. While the case is not straightforward, Eve and Duncan move forward with seeking the truth and justice for victims. Several secondary characters from previous novels show up in various supporting or antagonistic capacities, along with several new ones to lend a freshness to the story.

The writing is terrific and well written. Readers easily become mentally and emotionally involved with the characters as well as the story. Visual and auditory imagery comes through vividly. The plot is absorbing and intriguing with a storyline that definitely packed a punch. Themes include justice, rules, corruption, egos, assault, murder, and integrity, coupled with forensics, good instincts, and solid, basic police work.

Overall, this is a tense, gritty, and engaging novel with wit, suspense, action, and some great twists as well as some violence. It is fast-paced and action-packed. If you enjoy excellent crime thrillers and police procedurals, then I recommend that you check out this one. This series should be read in order since Eve’s background and prior cases are important. I am looking forward to finding out what happens on Eve’s next case.

Thomas & Mercer and Lee Goldberg provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 21, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Movieland by Lee Goldberg
Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Two young women with influence are shot in a Malibu Park while camping. Detective Eve Ronin and old timer Duncan Dounuts is dispatched to the park to find the killer. Through a through investigation they determine there is a serial shooter on the loose. Who is it?

Comments: Based on a true story this is a fun page turner for the crime lover in you.

This is the 4th book in this series. So far, we have seen Eve end up in the hospital in each of the previous books. This book is no different. We have also found out that the people trying to kill or hurt her have been from within her own police department. This series is as much about a female trying to break through the status quo as it is about the actual police cases. But, with that being said, there are valid reasons for the resentment towards Eve. I'll talk about that in a minute.

All the books in this series have taken place in a very short timeline. This book starts very shortly after the events of the last book. (Eve is just now able to get back into her condo after having to live in a hotel while it was being fixed after the events in the last book). When this series starts (in book one) Detective Duncan Pavone - Eve's Partner - has about 6 months before retiring. We are now down to about 2 weeks until retirement at the beginning of this 4th book.

This series has been consistent in several ways. Each book is always full of action. Each of the cases that Eve and Duncan have been involved in have somehow developed into HUGE cases that tend to get massive press attention. Unfortunately, that ends up doing two things. One: it gives Eve more and more press attention, and Two: It increases the resentment within the police department with the Officers who already think that Eve is a "press whore" (their words) and that she does not deserve to be in her position. It is extremely frustrating to Eve and surprisingly more and more to Duncan as well.

Duncan is wonderful for Eve. Eve is becoming a great detective, but she really is brand new in her position. She is tenacious, hard working and intelligent. Unfortunately, she lacks experience, and her people skills are her weakness. Those are areas that Duncan can and does help with. He has those skills in spades - earned through years and years of experience. Together they make a great team - though Eve really does try his patience. In this latest book, we get to see how Duncan's pending departure is starting to become real - to both Eve and to Duncan himself.

I enjoyed this latest book and the case held my attention throughout the entire book. Without going into spoilers, let's just say that Eve made some strides forward, but just as many backwards. I mentioned that I would give my thoughts earlier. Okay....I like Eve. As I said before, she has the makings of a great detective. But, she is also her worst enemy.

I understand that she is a female in a male dominated world, and not only that, but she got to her position by blackmailing the Sheriff - or should I say negotiating and taking advantage of a situation that she found herself in. It was a win - win for Eve and the PR of the LASD at the time. Unfortunately though, it was the WORST way to get her job. She jumped over many many officers who had put in the time and sweat. With that being said, that happens every day in every industry. Truly, it is the way of the world and someone should tell the naysayers to "GET OVER IT". And therein lies the problem. There is no backing for Eve from the top. The Brass, who should have her back, have ended up being the corrupt officers so far who she has ended up uncovering. See...it just gets worse and worse for her.

I think, though, that in this book, we might finally see some changes. Or, at least the potential for change. The number of people who are seeing Eve for who she is is growing. We might actually see some support from the top now - the jury is still out on that though. So, if only Duncan wouldn't retire, things could possibly get MUCH MUCH better.

Anyway, this is way too long. The bottom line is that this is another great installment in a series that has wonderful potential. I can see this series continuing for quite a while.

Would I continue to read it for many more books? Absolutely.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Lee Goldberg and I have a long history together. OK not really, I’ve never met him but I’ve read much of what he’s written and ha is a very versatile writer. He wrote a lot of the novelizations of the “Monk” series and they were very well written and most enjoyable and added a depth that was able to go beyond the constraints of the TV series and branch out.
He also wrote some 50’s noir style novels that were most well done.
He collaborated with Janet Evanovich on a series of whimsical novels.
With Movieland, Mr. Goldberg returns to his roots with a very well written gritty mystery and is also like a Russian Matryoshka Doll. When you think the mystery has been solved suddenly up pops another clue that changes the direction or the plot or there is more news that shakes up the narrative and pushes it (and the reader) in a new direction.
Lee Goldberg is excellent at making the story move and morph.
The characters are excellent and another issue is the one of trust. Supposedly they are all on the same side but evidently it would seem not or are they.
I read this book very quickly I quite literally could not put it down I read far into the night until with drooping eyes I had to close the book and succumb to the Arms of Morpheus.
Lee Goldberg’s characters ae very relatable and after going through multiple scenarios, both on the page and in your head, the ending is very satisfying.

*4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a very interesting read. The characters were great and I felt that Eve and Duncan made good partners and were great at chasing down leads to make sure they were getting things right. The ending was also good. I enjoyed this and would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I enjoyed the fourth book in the Eve Ronin series 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.

Eve and Duncan are great partners. Eve continues to be a bit impetuous but has excellent instincts. Great addition to the series and I look forward to reading more about Eve and Duncan.

I love this series. Eve was promoted to Detective when she stopped a movie star from beating up his girlfriend. As the youngest detective in the LA Sheriff's department, most of the people she works with don't think she's earned it. Over the past 3 books she has earned the respect of her partner, Duncan, who's opinion matters most.

In this book, a woman is shot and her partner is killed at a large park in LA county. Duncan thinks it's a serial sniper because there have been other instances. The woman who runs the park board is covering up the incidents he believes. The shootings appear to be random, but are they. Like in most of the other books, Eve takes physical abuse while solving the crime. What a tough woman.

When the cover up continues, Duncan weeks away from retirement, speaks out and says what he believes. He's forced out immediately, Eve is on medical leave but that doesn't stop them from staying on the case.

This series is a page turner and just fun to read. Highly recommended.

Author Lee Goldberg is in top form with Movieland, the fourth installment of the Eve Ronin series. This novel is based on a true life crime story, a series of seemingly random shootings that occurred near Calabasas, California, several years ago. Twenty-six-year-old Detective Eve Ronin battles not only the killer, or killers, but also several members of her own department who are literally gunning for her. Even worse, she has to deal with aggressive Hollywood producers, because her life story is being made into a TV series. Fortunately, Ronin has an ally: her partner Duncan, a sarcastic but bighearted thirty-year veteran of the department who’s the one guy she can truly count on. Movieland balances Goldberg’s trademark wit with page-turning excitement. The first three novels in this series are also excellent, but it would be no problem to start right in with Movieland.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. This is a book of mystery and intrigue. The setting is magnificent...beautiful...gorgeous...yet mysterious and forbidding...the characters are likable...for the most part...the story moves quickly...this author is ingenious at weaving a story that keeps the reader engrossed. Enjoy this book.

Lee Goldberg has done it again. I love the way he's developed these characters and the way he builds their stories around the settings Goldberg has become so familiar with, both in the TV world and the LA Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction where he lives. The recurring characters develop from book to book in ways that feel natural and make me appreciate and remember them. The Eve Ronin series has become a significant feather in Lee Goldberg's cap that I believe is likely to become more popular and widely read as the years (and hopefully entries in the series!) go on.

With a shot gun wielding sniper taking shots at people around Malibu Creek State Park, nobody is willing to believe they are connected. Tensions are high as it escalates when a young woman is murdered. Eve and Duncan are once again out to find justice.
Eve once again proves she is hard to kill, when a shot gun wielding crooked cop tries to take her out.
Her partner Duncan, days away from retirement fears Eve's laser focus, and relentless determination will lead to burn out, or worse be the death of her.
Another exciting read in the series ,and I am looking forward to the next adventure.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the ARC on NetGalley
#Movieland #NetGalley

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Movieland by Lee Goldberg is the fourth book in the Eve Ronin series. Malibu Creek State Park becomes a crime scene and detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are assigned to investigate a series of sniper attacks that have now resulted in murder. There is no obvious evidence linking these shooting, but Eve and Duncan follow their instincts to find the common thread. Can they expose the game of secrets and conspiracy before the sniper kills again?⠀
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This novel is packed with action, but it is the characters that make this piece throb with vigor and vitality. Eve is young, ambitious and idealistic, but is an expert at making the wrong decisions for all the right reasons. Duncan, on the other hand, is the seasoned veteran who attempts to keep her within the bounds of procedure while the clock ticks down to his retirement. Together they make the ideal detective duo. The beautifully crafted plot is like an intricate puzzle with pieces that never quite fit perfectly. And it is only through sheer determination and skill that they finally get them to all align. This book was sent to me as an ARC, so it has been my introduction to this series, but I am eager to devour the three previous novels. Lee Goldberg has gained himself a new fan. ⠀

In Movieland Eve and Duncan are back with another intriguing case or two. This takes them to a state park where they find a local activist with gunshot injuries who points them to her girlfriend. Her injuries were devastating. Eve and Duncan are requesting the park be closed off which bring down a load of push back.
As they work this case and question people associated with them and other campers their finding little to do on. But that won't stop them nor does the fact that Duncan's retirement is nearing.
This is yet another great read featuring these detectives with another engrossing plot.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Thomas&Mercer, #Movieland

This is book 4 in the series and it opens with a literal bang. Two female campers have been injured in Malibu Creek State Park in what looks like a shotgun attack and Eve and Duncan are called into investigate.
But the shotgun attack isn’t anything new to Duncan. For over 14 months there have been reports of shotgun incidents all around the Malibu Creek State Park, which Duncan believes are the work of a sniper, but he is stonewalled by his bosses in taking this theory any further.
But this time around, Duncan isn’t on his own. He has Eve to help him investigate and she isn’t one to be told what to do and where to investigate. Eve is always after the truth, no matter where it takes or how much danger it puts her in.
“Movieland” was probably my least favourite book in the series. I thought the sniper storyline wasn’t as exciting as other storyline’s in previous books. The best part of “Movieland” was the friendship between Duncan and Eve. I was worried going into this book about Duncan’s retirement edging closer and Eve losing her wingman at the station. But I liked the solution that eventuated.
Will definitely keep reading the series. 3.5 stars from me.

Excellent read! I've read the first, and now, the latest in the Eve Ronin series and will certainly read more as time permits. Lee Goldberg has done a great job of constructing lifelike and realistic characters. Eve and her partner, Duncan, are good examples of just what I believe Goldberg was trying to create.

In Movieland Eve and Duncan are deeply involved in a serial murder case, which the LASD, Parks Police and elected officials are trying to deny is happening. Alongside that investigation, they are still suffering through the remnants of an internal investigation into corrupt cops and their assault on Eve, who had previously uncovered and investigated those crimes.

Eve and Duncan run with an investigation into the murder cases uncovering a wealth of suspects. They have a tendency to go rogue, outside protocol and in violation of orders, but they are successful in solving this and other cases.

In this work Goldberg has revealed some of the reality of law enforcement agencies, one of which is the political machinations that are at play even at the highest levels. Eve also demonstrated a "work is life" attitude.. both of these traits are seen in many police departments and its officers.

Great work, Lee Goldberg! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.