If Lee Goldberg had written his new police thriller, “Dream Town,” in 1994 instead of 2024, odds are it would have been a solid procedural like Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series (which was getting started about this time). But this is 2024, and we’re in the era of reality TV, true crime podcasts, and dozens of streaming services aching for hot content. These phenomena all figure into and sometimes overwhelm the storyline of “Dream Town.” But the central mystery and a quintessentially real-life Los Angeles setting make this an entertaining read.

“Dream Town” is the latest in a series of novels featuring Eve Ronin, the youngest female detective in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The LASD polices crime in Los Angeles County outside the various city limits and in a few small municipalities. One of these is Hidden Hills, a gated community featuring huge ranch-style lots with plenty of horses and plenty more celebrities. Several Kardashians live there in real life, and Goldberg’s novel resembles real life in that regard. A famous social influencer, Kitty Winslow, is murdered in her family’s home, where they are the stars of a reality TV series about their lives. Kitty was the apparent victim of a robbery gone wrong. She had just posted many pictures online featuring her new engagement ring. Eve’s superiors suspect a band of professional thieves, but Eve isn’t so sure. Solving Kitty’s murder isn’t Eve’s only concern, however. She’s also in the middle of serving as a technical adviser for the pilot episode of a TV series about her career that’s filming around her offices.

The author is a former screenwriter for series including “Monk” and “Diagnosis Murder.” His experience in television makes the bizarre setting of “Dream Town” seem pretty authentic. Eve has the surreal experience of seeing the re-enactment of one of her early cases (and the subject of an earlier book in the series) featuring an actress playing Eve. And Eve’s superiors recognize the publicity value of the Winslow case now that Eve is the lead investigator. Soon, it seems everyone involved with the investigation has ulterior motives, and that catching the actual killer isn’t an absolute priority for anyone except Eve.

There’s a lot to like about “Dream Town.” It’s got a complex central mystery that genre fans will enjoy. And they’ll also enjoy seeing how Eve uses standard investigative techniques to solve the case. Eve is a well-rounded character, and the author goes into her life history to explain her involvement in the case. Several supporting characters are highly colorful show biz types as well. Above all, the author weaves his social media and reality TV themes into the central plot. Thus, we have a story in which both detective and victim are stars of their own TV series. (The surviving Winslow family members want to turn their series into a true crime recounting of Kitty’s murder before she’s even buried.) The book becomes about as meta a story as I can recall reading.

At times, the subplots overwhelm the main storyline. Eve’s pursuit of the killers seems to vanish for chapters at a time, and, instead, we get too much philosophizing and unfunny attempts at humor. I was especially annoyed by a running gag centered around Eve’s obese partner and his constant food cravings that landed him in the film crew’s buffet line several times throughout the book. Like trips to the buffet table, once or twice would have been enough for that joke.

Overall, “Dream Town” is an entertaining read for fans of Michael Connelly and similar authors. Beneath a bizarre overlay of a world of social media and reality TV is a solid, old-fashioned procedural with a dogged investigator at its core. As a bonus, readers get an introduction to Hidden Hills, a Los Angeles suburb that’s a world of its own. Lee Goldberg isn’t in Michael Connelly’s territory yet, and Eve Ronin isn’t Harry Bosch, but she can more than hold her own. Readers will enjoy going to town with “Dream Town.”

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

The famous (or infamous) Lost Hill's detective, Eve Ronin, is at it again. Along with her partner, Duncan Pavone, the two are out to solve the murder of Kitty Winslow, a budding social media mogul with a Hollywood family fighting for the spotlight. Most of the action in this novel takes place in Hidden Hills, a gated off community for the very rich which tends to live by their own rules as suppose to any that the LAPD might impose.

In this fifth Eve Ronin novel, it is clear Lee Goldberg has hit his stride and is writing entertaining stories filled with a ton of action and great dialogue. Goldberg clearly knows what he is doing and I would pretty much read anything that he puts on the bookshelf at this point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read and review this novel. Dream Town will be published on January 16, 2024.

LASD Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, Detective Duncan Pavone, are called to a gated community, Hidden Hills. Reality TV star Kitty Winslow, (think Kardashians), Life with the Winslows, has been killed in an apparent robbery. Eve is also dispatched to investigate the human bones found in a nearby park by a dog walker. If that isn't enough for Eve to deal with, her estranged father is shooting his TV show about Eve's cases. Her fellow officers aren't her biggest fans considering all the positive media attention she has gotten.

This is a solid addition to the Eve Ronin series. Eve is tough, dedicated, and tenacious. There some twists and turns until we get to the "whodunit." Although this is the fifth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I would recommend reading the previous installments to get a better sense of Eve and how she has developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer for an ARC. The review is my own.

Dream Town by Lee Goldberg is a police procedural featuring Eve Ronin as a detective for the Los Angles County Police Department. She is both clever and fearless, so much so that they are making a television show featuring her name and supposed exploits, directed by her estranged father. He had ditched her and her mother years ago and she had no time or sympathy for him. Especially as he was using her to make a “comeback.” Her partner was Duncan, a man twice her age whose favorite thing was eating so he enjoyed hanging around where they were shooting because there was a caterer. One morning at 4 am she was called to an exclusive enclave nearby only to find a young woman shot in the face in a supposed burglary gone wrong. There she discovered another deputy who lived on the property full time and considered it his domain. The dead woman was a reality TV star along with her father and stepmother and half-brother and half-sister. She had just gotten engaged and had flashed a huge ring around on Instagram and TikTok. It took a bit for Eve to put the pieces together, but she did in a clever attempt to solve this and several other crimes that turned out to be related.

Eve was a good detective. She had a boyfriend but he was beginning to get on her nerves. She had never been good with relationships. But, when he left to stay at his own apartment, she missed him. They had to talk. The people who lived behind these gated walls each had their own reasons for needing such security. One such was a famous rapper and his wife, also a rapper. They proved to be an interesting bunch. Her boss was interim and so avoided her when he could. The sheriff was considering a run for governor so he was always looking for an angle to further his career. The eventual murders had only self-centered reasons for the killing. It was all very convoluted, very Hollywood, and very (bad) human. Good characters, good crime, good investigation. Eve is coming around to relationships and not only romantic ones.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #Netgalley #ThomasAndMercer #LeeGoldberg #DreamTown

Goldberg writes a lot of books and I find him a little hit or miss, but his books are so readable I still enjoy the ones I don't like as much. This mystery wasn't as good as normal, the dialogue seemed forced and the situations were too stereotypical. I loved the idea behind the plot, I just didn't think it worked.
I'll read the next one probably. Anyone who enjoys modern mysteries that are kind of mindless will probably enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Prolific American author and scriptwriter, Lee Goldberg’s Dream Town (2024) is the fifth book in his Eve Ronin detective series. Eve and her detective partner Duncan Pavone work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Initially, they are sent to a discovered bones site, in a nature preserve behind the wealthy gated Hidden Hills community. Whilst awaiting a forensic anthropologist’s assessment of the bones, the detective team is called to a home invasion of a celebrity influencer family. The robbery murder is believed to be that of a fly-in gang, but more remains are recovered from the preserve, complicating the cases. The investigation occurs against the backdrop of Hollywood productions and stars, as well as Eve’s blossoming romance. An enjoyable police procedural that is a fine standalone tale with a three stars read rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Welcome back to the Eve Ronin show, episode 5, where she will find herself stretched thin as she investigates a murder in the ritzy Hidden Hills gated community and a mass grave found in the immediate community outside the gates. As she tries to ignore the film crew that is developing a television series based on her life, she must face the stilted interactions with her father and mother. If you have not read the first 4 books, you will not understand some of the attitudes Eve faces from her coworkers. Plus, they are really good books.

Lee Goldberg is well known in the literary and movie industries, winning awards and fans in both written and visual media. DREAM TOWN is an excellent example of his ability to mix both to give his readers the best stories with all of the excitement of the movies. He is a must read on my TBR list and a top ten contender on my followed list. I'd recommend his books to everyone who loves mystery/ thriller/ police procedural/ family drama.......the list is long.

Dream Town by Lee Goldberg is an entertaining police procedural featuring veteran LA County sheriff Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, homicide Detective David Pavone. Their Lost Hills station is adjacent to tony Calabasas and its wealthy enclaves.
Reality star Kitty Winslow is found murdered in the pseudo-Mayberry equestrian development of Hidden Hills, known for its white pasture fencing and its own eccentric over-protective sheriff’s deputy.
There are several threads to this action-packed story, involving not only the celebrity murder, but also a plot involving Chilean burglary tourists, which I found eye-opening and interesting.
This is a fast-paced hunt and chase story, with exciting police action scenes, atmospheric descriptive prose, and a few pointedly laser looks at fantasy life styles of the famous and wealthy, and how the lines between reality and make-believe can be blurred in the entertainment industry of Hollywood.

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

A Celeb Investigating A Celeb’s Murder

The novel opens with Detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone at an on-location set for the first episode of the TV series based on her career. She receives a call notifying her that some human bones were discovered in a nearby three-and-a-half thousand-acre open space preserve. They go to the location in the preserve and talk to a man who, the day before, was walking his dogs off-leash. He let his dogs run off into the preserve. When Dr. Daniel Brooks, a forensic anthropologist, examines the two femur bones. He said they were male, in the ground for about two years, and both come from a left leg, so there are two to be found. From this start, a fast-paced police procedural starts.

There are three main storyline threads. The first is the murder and robbery of a reality show star, Kitty Winslow. The second starts with the discovery of two leg bones in Space Preserve. The last thread is the continuation of a multi-novel thread about Eve Ronin’s involvement with the TV show based on her cases. Besides juggling two investigations, she still faces the disdain of her following deputies and detectives who do not believe she should be a detective. The reader will learn what the Los Angeles County Sheriff himself thinks about her promotion. The Kitty Winslow investigation is complicated as the other family members in the reality show do not seem to be telling the whole truth. Also, their residence is in a gated community with its resident Deputy Sheriff, who already solved the murder and wanted to shut down the investigation. The TV show takes much of her time as her estranged father directs the first episode, her mother has a small role, and her partner is a consultant, although he seems to spend most of his time in the set’s canteen for the free food. Lastly, Ronin is moving into a new house and will have a housewarming party at the end of the week. The complexity of these threads and how they interact with each other not only captured my interest, but the novel is a quick and easy read. Ronin is the narrator throughout the entire novel.

Much of the background is provided in two B-storyline threads. The first is the maturing relationship between Ronin and Dr. Brooks. This thread has a C-storyline flavor also. Over the course of the novel, Ronin starts to open herself up to another person. The second thread is the relationship between Duncan and food. These are multi-novel threads. The rest is provided in how Ronin handles all the problems described in the previous chapter. This background information allowed me to see the Ronin character in stereo. One is an aggressive police officer trying to prove she deserves to be a detective, and the second is a woman in love. The Eve Ronin Show is a drain because it takes up her time on her real job, and as a woman, she is trying to control her privacy.

Some aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading are present in this novel. While there are no intimate scenes, there are some before, after, and innuendo. This aspect is less than seen in late evening TV series except for one scene. Vulgar, rude, and impious language is present but excessive and context-appropriate. Violence is described in the less edgy after the fact and some in the more edgy as it occurs. These three novel aspects should be fine for most readers. Lastly, readers can read this novel as the first in the series, and there is adequate backfill. The TV episode being filmed occurred in the first novel of the series. The highlights from that novel were being filmed. Ronin's actions with the actress playing her seemed more like an after-show interview about the episode.

I did not find any aspects with which I had issues. As this is a fast-paced novel, some readers may find police procedures or other aspects are an issue. If there are, I see them as needed to keep the novel’s quick flow. The aspect I liked the most was the comic duo nature of Ronin’s and Pavone’s relationship, which brings a lightness to the novel. This novel is the seventh over two series and a stand-alone I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The author is high on my Must-Read list. This novel only solidified that ranking. I do recommend reading this novel. I am looking forward to reading any future novel of his. I rate it with five stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

I’ve enjoyed following Eve Ronin on her journey as a cop and as she tries to actively avoid her very unwanted fame. Being a hero isn’t easy, especially when you don’t like being in the limelight. In Dream Town, we see just how that fame can go to someone’s head, and the destruction it can cause. This case opens up a lot of feelings for Ronin as she navigates new, or continuing relationships, deceit and so much more.

Another outstanding Eve Ronin installment. I have read and enjoyed the previous books and this book was no different. I love the dynamic between Duncan’s common-sense approach and Eve’s “gotta be the best.” Watching Eve try to navigate her TV series, her job, and not fall into the Hollywood trap is hysterical, especially since she refuses to realize she’s fully ensnared in the trap. The mystery was a good whodunit and keeps you guessing with all the players involved. I look forward to Eve’s next adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Lee Goldberg for the eARC.

The murder of a reality star brings Eve Ronin and her partner to the exclusive community of Hidden Hills. While investigating that murder several dead bodies are discovered behind the gated community in the Preserve. Connected? Clues seem to connect several crimes including one in New York City and one in Las Vegas both from several years past. And a second one, also in the same gated community, in the short few days the detectives have been on the original murder.

Eve Ronin and her partner Duncan Pavone are called to investigate a murder in the exclusive gated community of Hidden Hills. She’s grateful to escape the hoopla around a television series based on her exploits as a homicide detective for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, but the new case is also linked to the entertainment industry. Retired cowboy star Caleb Winslow and his family have a successful reality show. Daughter Kitty is the breakout star, thanks in part to a sex tape she made with two famous rappers. She was murdered in an apparent robbery gone wrong.
Their investigation is hindered by Amos Tatum, a horse riding, Stetson wearing deputy who is quite protective of his role as the law of Hidden Hills, a modern Mayberry. Tatum is confident that Kitty was the victim of a gang of Chilean burglars who’ve been targeting homes in wealthy neighborhoods around Los Angeles County, but Eve and Duncan have their doubts.
As they search for the truth, they encounter several bodies, some buried for years, others quite recently deceased. They find that several people of interest are not who they say they are, hiding dangerous secrets.
As always, Mr. Goldberg has written another satisfying police procedural with engaging characters, plenty of twists and turns, and lots of Hollywood and L.A. color

I have been incredibly eager to read Lee Goldberg’s Dream Town (#5 in the Eve Ronin series). I have read and enjoyed 1-4 (Lost Hills, Bone Canyon, Gated Prey, and Movieland), and after seeing and hearing Lee at Bouchercon in San Diego, I am solidly a fan!

Regarding the series, credit to Anne at Books Of My Heart who summed it up perfectly: “ 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.” She also noted that “…focus is on the police procedural, with a small background of personal life but the Hollywood scene is almost a character itself.”

Dream Town is set in LA, specifically the area around Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Malibu. Hidden Hills is filled with uber-rich and entitled people, who are shocked the murder of Kitty Winslow, whose family has a reality show featuring the entire family, shot in a fabulous home -- not where they actually live. (Think Kardashians). I’m in awe of how Goldberg deals with characters, and I particularly love how Goldberg describes people. Through each novel and in the entire series, he reveals more and more about Eve and her struggle to be acknowledged by her colleagues as someone qualified to hold the job. “It had taken her months to heal from her last big homicide case, and now she finally felt whole again. She was determined to stay that way by changing the way she approached the job. Otherwise, she might be dead before she reached thirty.” The matriarch of the reality show family is Brandy (shades of Kris K), a classic LA woman described PERFECTLY: “…the angles of her face unnaturally squared by a scalpel held by an inarticulate hand.”

Kitty is murdered inside the gates of the community where the rich (mostly white) folks used to feel safe. Then more bodies are found in the open land just outside the safety of Hidden Hills, and Eve and her partner Duncan (“Donuts”) are hard at work on the case. Similar to the faux reality of the show starring the Winslow clan, Eve is the subject of a new TV show. This is unsettling for Eve, as it features a female detective, is being shot in the area where she lives and works, and is directed by the father she abhors and even has a bit part for her pathetic mother, who would seemingly sell her soul for a speaking role in a hit show.

The plot is complicated yet easy to follow and includes Chilean drug gangs, entertainment industry feuds, a music industry war, and more. Impossible to say more without spoilers, and trust me, you want to go into the ending without knowing what is going to happen, I loved it. Five stars.

Fans of Michael Connelly and Lee Child will gobble up DREAM TOWN by Lee Goldberg. After reading MALIBU BURNING I was anxious to dive into Dream Town and believe me I was not disappointed.

Detective Eve Ronin along with her partner Duncan “Donuts” Pavone are once again on the job - - - this time investigating the home invasion murder of the daughter of a former Western star named Caleb Wilson whose reality TV series is filmed in a gated dream town (Hidden Hills, CA.) inhabited by the rich and famous.

Further complicating Eve’s situation is the fact that there are TWO television “reality” shows involved……one (RONIN) featuring some of Eve’s on the job exploits and the other focusing on Life with the Winslows (think the Kardashians.) Eve is also tasked with investigating the recent discovery of a set of human remains found on property adjacent to the Hidden Hills community. There’s plenty of family drama involved as Eve’s estranged father and mother do their best to get the “upper hand” in their own versions “who’s the top dog” and Eve’s television fame soars turning her into a pariah of sorts around the station house.

This book is sure to keep the reader involved as well as raising some questions. The first question for this reader was to ask “exactly what is the advantage of living within the supposed safety of a gated community”.

Although I haven’t read previous Eve Ronin books, I had no trouble getting into this one and didn’t feel like I was missing information. Eve is a detective with the LA Sheriff’s department, somewhat famous in the community for some of her previous actions, which has led to a TV series about her career but disdain from many of her colleagues. Eve and her partner, Duncan, get the call when a reality tv starlet is shot dead in her home, the apparent victim of a home invasion by Chilean tourist thieves after she was showing off her enormous diamond engagement ring on social media. Of course, the investigation turns up other suspects too, and the road to the solution is action-packed and entertaining. The characters are likable and interesting, and the twists kept me on my toes.

Dream Town by Lee Goldberg is a highly recommended procedural and the fifth book in the Eve Ronin series.

Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and her partner Duncan "Donuts" Pavone are sent to investigate human remains discovered by a dog walker in the Ahmanson Preserve. While there they are called to the Winslow resident in the nearby gated community of Hidden Hills where reality superstar Kitty Winslow is found murdered and robbed of her huge engagement ring, which she was just showing off on social media. Kitty and her family star in the reality series Life with the Winslows. At the Winslow's longtime Hidden Hills marshal Deputy Amos Tatum inserts himself into the investigation.

While this is going on, Eve's estranged father, Director Vince Nyby, is filming a TV show based on her cases. Her mother wants Eve to play nice so her role will increase. The other officers in the Lost Hills office of the LASD are hating the disruption to their routines and the whole show leaves Eve with an odd feeling of disassociation while watching an actor play out her life.

The writing is very good and witty, the pace is quick, and the narrative flows so smoothly that you'll find yourself immediately pulled in until you are totally absorbed in the novel. Several of the plot elements are very much based on reality and effortlessly written into the story. The setting of Hidden Hills, a real gated community, plays a major role in the story and the mix of different characters is intriguing.

There are some mysteries that readers will deduce and other twists that are surprising. At about the half way point, the novel became much more interesting as some of the new developments and twists in the case begin to enter the plot. Additionally, there is a great deal of humor in the writing. This is an entertaining, very good procedural. Goldberg's background in the entertainment industry clearly shines through.

There is no doubt that Eve is a character worthy of a TV show. She is determined, intelligent, and intuitive as she tirelessly works the case. The relationship and interplay between Eve and Duncan is believable. Hopefully there will be more interaction professionally with Eve's boyfriend, forensic anthropologist Dr. Daniel Brooks - unless I missed previous interaction. This is my first Eve Ronin novel and I felt it worked well as a stand-alone novel but I'm also sure there was more backstory and character development provided in the four previous novels leading up to Dream Town. This is a series that might be best read through from the start
Disclosure: My complimentary review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble. Edelweiss, X, and Amazon.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Eve Ronin 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 is recovering from an injury from her last big case. Her partner Duncan has decided against retiring; between the tv show and Eve's work on big cases, it's too exciting to retire now. During her recovery time, she spent some time with Daniel, who she met when he worked on a case as a forensic archaeologist. He has been helping her set up her furniture as she moved into her new home.

Eve and Duncan get a new case when a reality star is murdered. It has similarities to foreign gang killings and Eve spends some time learning about those from their task force. The reality tv family live in a gated community with their own security deputy. The deputy is annoying because he seems to think he is in charge.

There's also a case where bones are found in the desert nearby and Daniel is brought in to work on those deaths. They look like gang executions and the bones look like South American males.

The tv show of Ronin is being shot and Eve is annoyed by her father and her mother. Her father is directing; her mother has a one line speaking part. Eve doesn't like seeing the actors in places where she lives and works as they shoot the show.

So Eve has personal issues with disliking the tv show and feeling crowded by them in her life and the notoriety of the show. She is also not sure about what she wants with Daniel and he seems to have installed himself in her home. Reality stars and tv stars are very difficult to investigate their murders because they are not always tied to reality. They are a vicious bunch when it comes to their fame too. Then there are the bodies in the desert. Not to mention the paparazzi which seem to be everywhere.

Sometimes I feel like these books are not very realistic but that is the Hollywood pieces which aren't meant to be realistic. They're sensational. Eve is competent. She berates herself for not figuring out some things faster, but others don't get it at all. She's smart and grounded in spite of the messed up world where she lives.

I get so excited when I hear that Lee Goldberg is coming out with a new book. I don't have to read anything about it, I just know I'm going to love it, whether he's writing on his own, or collaborating with another author, I look forward to reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the DRC. I am thankful for the opportunity to read Dream Town in advance of publication date (Jan. 16, 2024), in exchange for my honest review.

I am a fan of the Eve Ronin series, and this one did NOT disappoint in any way.

I laughed out loud, and couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened next.

If you love the gossipiness of following Hollywood celebrities, and you love Eve Ronin and how no matter how hard she tries to avoid conflict, it always seems to find her, you will LOVE this book! I can't say enough other than it ended too soon! I'm ready for the next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Dream Town is a captivating entry in the Eve Ronin series, Lee Goldberg's books are the refreshing mental equivalent to consuming an ice cold beer and a hot slice of pizza, when you have been without both for far too long, pure enjoyment!