Except for the abject and utter horror of the scenario, this is a fun adventure crime book. It has all the requisite characters, the criminal with a heart of gold and strong Robin Hood-type moral compass, the badass girl who kicks anyone's ass, the amazing hacker who can get into anything, the innocent victim of the system, terribly wronged, trying to make right, the wisecracking cop and the oh so smart detective. There is opulence, drugs, goons, guns, excess, narcisisim, and destruction. What more could anyone want?

The only problem is that what this guy is prepared to do to seek revenge is so disgusting and vile, it is hard to enjoy the story. Robbery and burglary to the bad guys, ok; burning a wilderness and all the innocents hurt by such a cataclysm made it very difficult to cheer for the Lambourghini outcome.

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

3.5 stars

Lee Goldberg always delivers an entertaining and fast paced book.

Master thief and con man Danny Cole spends years as prisoner fire fighter. After he is released he plans a new heist for the money and revenge.

I enjoyed the book but had a hard time reconciling that while Danny is a con man he’s a good guy with a heart with the fact he helped cause a huge wildfire for his con.

Lee Goldberg, author of the Eve Ronin novels, takes us back to the same area of California for Malibu Burning, a fast-paced, sometimes humorous story of a con man on a collision course with an arson investigator and his new partner.

October is fire season in southern California when the Santa Ana winds whip up any stray embers, enlarging fires, and threatening homes. That’s just what master thief Danny Cole is hoping will happen. He spent his recent prison time working in the state’s volunteer convict firefighting program. Now, he’s going to combine his skill as a thief with his anger and intent to avenge the death of a friend, a fellow convict in the firefighting program who didn’t need to die. He gathers together a team to take advantage of a massive fire in Malibu. And, if he has to make that fire larger, he will.

Walter Sharpe is a brilliant arson investigator. He’s determined to find the source of every arson, but he’s not popular with fire departments who often ruin the crime scene, or don’t want to call a scene arson. Sharpe doesn’t care. He’ll dig in until he finds the truth. When his new partner walks in wearing a cowboy hat, Sharpe doesn’t know what to make of former U.S. Marshal Andrew Walker. With a few lessons, though, Walker could become useful. And, when fires build, Walker goes looking for someone who might have a reason to want those fires to accelerate. Maybe a former con named Danny Cole.

I love a good con novel. And, Danny Cole has one fatal flaw. He doesn’t want to see innocent people get hurt. His attempt to save someone is what landed him in prison the first time. Sharpe, Walker and Cole could be heading to a final showdown in the middle of a fire.

I also love Lee Goldberg’s sly humor. I probably miss some of it when I’m reading his books. I didn’t miss the names that Cole uses when he wants to meet with someone. Templar is one. He uses Murrow when he pretends to be a reporter. They feel like inside jokes.

If you can appreciate a story of a caper, a fire, and law enforcement, and see the humor in it, you might enjoy Malibu Burning.

This has an unbelievable plot, but who cares when it is this entertaining.
The setting is familiar for anyone who has read other books by Lee Goldberg (and he has written so many. His bibliography runs into pages). In the author's note he has mentioned that he has already written about the massive wildfire on Santa Monica mountains in Malibu in the book "Lost Hills" and this book is also about the same fire from a different perspective.
Excellent characters, super-fast pacing and the humorous writing are Goldberg's top strengths. Add to it, his ability to describe the locales like we are watching a movie - his experience as a script writer for TV shows and movies comes handy.

Danny Cole as the Robin Hood - like thief is much likeable. True to the saying <i>No good deed goes unpunished </I>, Danny's kind heart leads him to his arrest after the heist in the beginning of the book.
Switching to the present day, we have ex-US Marshal Andrew Walker joining the LASD arson investigation to team up with the Veteran Walter Sharpe. The duo is exactly opposite, while Walker is a man of action (he takes pride in the number of criminals he shot), Sharpe is a Sherlock-kind of detective. There is easy banter between the two and I was LOL-ing most of the time.
I am also now reading 'Mr. Monk goes to Germany' (published in 2008) Lt. Andrew Walker makes a cameo. Don't know if Goldberg had already planned to make him a major character in his future books.

The narration alternates between the present-day investigation and Danny's preparation for the big heist in the past. They merge together seamlessly towards a satisfactory end.

Lee Goldberg has become my default go-to author during a book slump, and I am glad he is such a prolific writer with so many different book series.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the Author for the ARC</i>

I am relatively new to Lee Goldberg, having only read Movieland. But I’m going to be looking for more after reading this book. The story encompassed me as I read it. I felt the heat for the fires. And I cheered for both the protagonist and the antagonist. I wanted both to win. The book has good characters and I want more with Sharpe and Walker. I think this could be a good series.

The below review will run on my blog on 2/23 and then addional sites such as Goodreads, Library thing, etc., a few days later. Thank you for the read.


If you have read Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg, you know that a part of that book involves a wildfire on the rampage through the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu. That book, part of the Eve Ronin series, is from the perspective of law enforcement. Malibu Burning is that same fire from the perspective of arson investigator, Walter Sharpe, and his new partner, Andrew Walker.

Walker is a former United States Marshal who has taken what he thinks will be a quieter job as an arson investigator tied into the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Mentally he is having a hard time with it as he left the service and changed jobs to ally his wife’s fears as she is pregnant and had a lot of concern over his safety and the way he did the job. Bad knees and other issues means he can’t be as physical as he would like and has to slow it down a little bit. He prefers to work alone, as does his new partner, Walter Sharpe.

The fact that both are loners by nature means nothing to the powers that be who have chosen to put them together. From the start, they do not exactly mesh well, but Walker needs Sharpe to teach him what he does not know about fire investigation. And Walker can teach him a few things about man hunting as they have arsonists to chase.

One of which is somebody known to Walker. A former prisoner by the name of Danny Cole. He is a superb con man and a very good thief. He should have gotten away on the last job, but made a choice to help someone. That choice cost him his freedom. Now he is out and looking for a big payday and to settle a score. He is planning to do it with a team pf highly motivated folks, some of whom he has worked with before, and a wildfire.

Not that Walker and Sharpe knows this from the start. The reader knows far more than the investigators do as numerous flashbacks are sprinkled liberally through the read all the way up to present day. That is intermixed with Sharpe teaching Walker, and by extension the reader, basics surrounding fire and the dynamics of a wildfire through a couple of other cases and the early stages of this fire.

The first of what clearly is intended to be a series, Malibu Burning, is an enjoyable read. While it comes across as a vehicle for a tv series more than anything, there is enough complexity and action to hold the reader’s interest. This reader much prefers the Eve Ronin series. However, this was a good book in its own right and I will be looking for the next one.

My reading copy was an ARC by way of NetGalley. The book is currently scheduled to be released on June 20th.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023

Goldberg is so prolific and consistent, I don't think I need to say much about this book. I'll just recommend it to mystery thriller fans.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

What's not to love about Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg? Action, intelligence, humor and the inclination to be decent (when it isn't always advantageous) propel this story about revenge, arson and various criminal elements. Veteran arson investigator Walter Sharpe and newcomer Andrew Walker combine forces to determine if and how fires in their area are arson-related. Ex-con and former convict firefighter Danny Cole and his crew are planning a heist under the cover of a massive fire. This job not only will set them for life but also will serve as revenge for callous treatment and death of people from their past. I don't often find books where I'm pulling for the good guys and the bad guys, but I was doing exactly that. The author has more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and the ending does not disappoint. I will be recommending this book. Excellent purchase for libraries for readers of suspense/action novels. Thank to Thomas & Mercer, Lee Goldberg and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this book, fast paced with wonderful banter, Goldberg has once again forced me to like a con man, as he did with his series with Evanovich. My father was a con man, so I usually do not have an appreciation of the genre, but Danny Cole won my heart.
The pattern of this book is a set up that I also enjoy.
We meet US Marshall Andrew Walker ( yes Chuck Norris is mentioned), as he chases Danny, and as he says, he always gets his man.
Some years later, Walker is a married man whose wife wants him to have a less fraught life, so he transfers to the L A arson division and is partnered with a Walter Sharpe, a very good investigator.
The descriptions of the characters are simply elegant, especially Sharpe. The banter between Walker and Sharpe remind me of Lee and his brother Tod, who I have watched in several book discussions. I lived in LA and I enjoy all the geographic references, and as we Californians are always worried about wildfires, I found the premise fascinating. The structure of the book, 2 stories marching towards a meeting held me in suspense because I liked the investigators as well as the criminals and I could not figure out how Lee was going to give me a satisfactory ending, but boy did he surprise me. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know. Thanks to Netgalley for the EARC.

This series is getting better and better with each new book. I was captivated by the previous one and was so excited to see there’s a new book coming out soon. 

Malibu Burning is a story full of interesting characters, a fast-paced action and a very character driven plot. 

A former police officer is the investigator of arson cases that have been happening lately and many of these cases haven’t been solved until now. There are so many unlikable characters in here. From the movie producer, a vengeful wife, the Mexican mafia and the rich oligarchs. They all have a say and their place, and I think they portrait a great big picture after reading the book and going back thinking at all the scenes from the book. 

I liked the interactions and how the dialogue just flows between the main characters. 

I actually liked the con guy, Danny Cole. He is smart and while his actions speak for himself; I found him an intriguing character altogether.

The fires and the burning scenes and the firefighters’ rescue teams and attempts to tame those fires are so vividly described. You can easily see that the author is a screenplay writer and I hope these books will make their debut on the big screen because they really deserve it. 

A thrilling must read story. 

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

This book has an excellent plot and great characters with authentic and funny dialogue. The pace is fast, as I like it, but I don't like all the jumping back and forth in time.

Author Lee Goldberg seems to surpass himself at each release, and in Malibu Burning, he truly has. Lee Cole is a master at heists, and following a selfless choice at the beginning of the story he finds himself in prison. There he shaves time off his sentence by serving as part of the convict firefighting unit. A needless death through a selfish act provide him an idea of the ultimate heist.
The plot moves from there with two distinct storylines. The second surrounds two members of LA County Sheriff arson unit; a veteran, newly teamed with a former Ranger. What I found remarkable is how the author could have me rooting for all the protagonists despite the fact that they were on opposite sides of the law.
Malibu Burning is excellent. Just like the flames that scorch the earth from different directions as they head to a the same area, Lee Goldberg does masterful work of bringing various types of adventure together to delight any enthusiast. If you like heist novels, there is plenty of that genre here. If buddy cop stories are your favorite, there is that. Classic mystery elements, non stop, surprise you when you least expect it,action? It is all here, cleverly woven into one novel that I simultaneously did not want to put down or let it end.
As of this writing the novel is a stand alone, but I will not be surprised or disappointed if these characters make an appearance in another. I recommend Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg
Provided a free review copy of the novel, I was encouraged to provide my honest review of the work, which I have done here.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Malibu Burning', the latest from Lee Goldberg, who writes the very entertaining Eve Ronin series.
This is - at this point - a standalone novel that lives in the same universe as Eve Ronin, but features arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal who are tasked with investigating whether the current spate of wildfires (egged on by the Santa Ana winds - or Hell, as the locals term them).
Danny Cole was arrested years ago by Walker, after he scammed a local drug lord with a phony bank scheme, and then spent years in prison working as an inmate fire fighter. Whilst doing that, he witness the insanity of those wealthy enough to obtain special treatment when the fires threaten their multi-million dollar mansions - and also their heartlessness when one firefighter becomes a victim.
While biding his time in the inmate firefighting brigade, Danny Cole comes up with his most daring heist idea - and plans to use the ferocity of the fires as a willing accomplice.
What ensues is a high-octane thriller of a heist caper!
Excellent writing and plot; highly recommended.

I just love Lee Goldberg! Malibu Burning takes place in the same area as his previous story, Lost Hills.
While the obvious would be to say this book is about fires and firefighters, it’s also about greed and loyalty.
It’s true that Los Angeles County has a fire season and some of the most expensive real estate is lost on a regular
basis because firefighters cannot get to the remote locations. To help professional firefighters, we use inmate firefighters, men in the custody of the CDCR who are trained to work alongside the firefighters. They live and work together saving lives and property for days, weeks, months.
Danny was part of a crew fighting a fire that was not cooperating, and took the life of a friend. He felt his friend was not given the care he would have gotten had he been a regular firefighter. Allison is a destitute widow, having lost her firefighter husband after a long and expensive struggle that, for obscure regulations was not considered a covered death. Back at the Sheriff’s Department, Arson Investigator Sharpe finally gets a new
partner, and Walker might be a seasoned Cop, but he has no Arson experience.
Danny has a plan borne out of his desire to make folks who hire private firefighters provided by their
Insurance company, to simply protect a single home at the expense of the neighborhood learn a lesson.
This story is simply fascinating as the various characters and situations outdo the last.
One thing about Lee Goldberg is his sense of humor that he weaves through his books,
I highly recommend this book.
I received this book for free from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Very grateful to have had the chance to read Malibu Burning!

I was drawn in by the title & premise, and the stakes did not disappoint.

I will admit, starting eight years in the past made it slightly difficult for me to get hooked, but after a few chapters, I was into the story!

After the first few chapters, the pace picked up, and at the end, I enjoyed where we landed. And the vivid setting details really made the story dimensional—I could picture everything very clearly. AND bonus—Malibu while on fire is a genius setting for criminal activity.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer & NetGalley!

A fabulous addition to Lee Goldberg's massive collection of novels.
The time jumps took shook me a bit, as well as the POV's, but coming together in a way that brought the story tight to a great close.
Thanks for the chance to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg. It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, maybe because it was eight years in the past and was just set up for Danny’s character. Once the timeline changed to the present, the book got more compelling. I really liked learning more about convict firefighters and the arson investigation details were interesting. This is a clever, fast-paced read and I really liked Danny and Walker, but Danny was really the stand out! I loved how he cared about people and tried to get justice for his friend. I have read 18 books so far this year, and this is my first 5 star book!

I loved Goldberg’s Eve Ronin series so was excited to read Malibu Burning. However, I wasn’t particularly enamored of Walker or Sharpe, and the first two thirds of the book dragged for me. There were also a lot of characters, most of whom felt more like sketches than fully realized characters, and their interchangeability made them hard to keep track of. That said, the last few chapters were exciting and the ending was what I wanted it to be. Overall, I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.

The concept of this book immediately piqued my interest as I have enjoyed many of this author’s previous stories. It lived up to my expectations with a plot involving arson investigators and a convict firefighter program. The ongoing fire dangers in CA made the story setting authentic. I have a personal pet peeve with timelines in some books I’ve read, the back and forth can confuse and annoy me. This story has a perfectly executed timeline connecting the characters and events. It builds bringing explosive events and participants seamlessly together in an unpredictable finale.
Seasoned arson investigator Walter Sharpe has a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal. Danny Cole is a con man, brilliant mind, meticulous planner, yet got caught and went to prison. He also crossed a cartel on a heist. Danny opted to serve in the convict firefighter program where he witnessed the injustice of wealthy powerful people and sacrifice of a fellow firefighter prisoner. Danny’s out to even the score. He’s a goodhearted soul, it was hard not to root for his success despite his being a criminal.
This story would adapt perfectly on the big screen. It’s high stakes, higher reward, success of the plot is life changing, failure is certain death or back to prison. The conclusion was perfectly executed. I loved everything about this story!
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Malibu Burning” by Lee Goldberg, published by Thomas & Mercer. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Con man Danny Cole plans the ultimate heist using an out of control wildfire as a diversion in Malibu Burning, the latest gem from author Lee Goldberg. Walter Sharpe and his new partner, former US Marshal Andrew Walker, have their hands full as they investigate a series of seemingly unrelated simultaneous wildfires, ultimately crossing paths with Cole. This is a highly entertaining story, with an easy flow to it, featuring Goldberg’s sharp wit in the sarcastic and funny dialogue. You’ll feel like you’re watching an action movie, with an elaborately planned robbery, over the top action scenes, all with a disastrous wildfire as the lead. Some of the technical arson education was tedious, but overall it’s a fun read, as usual from Lee Goldberg. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.