Enjoyed this one very much, another great action suspense procedural from author Lee Goldberg. Never disappoints, highly recommend!

Vacant homes in a new housing development are erupting into flames in broad daylight with no apparent cause. It’s a perplexing mystery for dogged arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his restless new partner, Andrew Walker, an ex–US marshal who craves action.

But as they puzzle over the blazes, another home miles away burns to the ground, leaving a man’s corpse in the ashes and homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone demanding answers. The burn patterns and charred body tell Sharpe a bizarre story that only creates more questions for Eve. So the four detectives team up to find the answers. Their investigation into the two unrelated cases leads to one shocking discovery after another.

Now they must gamble their lives to unmask a brilliant arsonist, crack open a massive swindle, track down a desperate fugitive with a terrifying secret, and race against time to save thousands of people from an agonizing death.

Very intriguing story. Will recommend to others. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

Fast paced, suspenseful read. Lots of action and different things happening all at once. Are they all related, or are they all separate incidents that have nothing to do with each other?

The dynamic/banter with the characters was really great and really entertaining, keeps you really interested.

You do not need to read book 1 of the series to read this one (I didn't, I didn't even realize it was a series).

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for my DRC.

Fast paced, suspenseful and action packed with some twists and humour, all things I've come to expect from this author. This was an entertaining page turner.
Arson Detectives Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are interesting characters and work well together. I also liked that they teamed up with Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone. It made for some interesting dynamics.
I look forward to reading more of this series.

Another great read from Lee Goldberg. Great characters, great story, great pacing. The book manages to merge two different series together easily. Can't wait for the next book from Lee Goldberg. #AshesNeverLieSharpeWalkerBand2 #NetGalley

This action-packed mystery sees the detective team of Ronin and Duncan teaming up with arson investigation team Walker and Sharpe.

New houses in a development are mysteriously bursting into flames, which frustrates the arson investigators and puts them at odds with the firefighters, whose job of fighting the flames can disturb evidence the arson investigators need intact. But, when a body is found in a burned out house, the homicide detective team joins the investigation. Their investigations lead them to some shocking discoveries, which could put the entire population of the area in danger.

This is a good solid entry in the Eve Ronin and Walker and Sharpe series, in which all the characters team up to solve the crimes. I've read other books in this series and each is a stand-alone, but references previous tales. I liked how both teams came at this investigation in their own way, and shared their information to come up with the suspect. It was just enough tension to keep the reader's interest all the way through the entire story. There were some good details given about the procedures the detectives used, which made the story believable and realistic. I liked learning about the arson investigators' job. It was interesting to see how they were able to trace the origins of the fires. The science behind it was fascinating.

A very suspenseful novel and great police procedural too. This entry in the series brings some of our favorite characters together to solve the mystery. I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my opinion.

Ahhhh the combo book we've all been waiting for - Eve and Duncan meet Sharpe and Walker. And it absolutely did not disappoint. This was a fast-paced thrill ride with the beautiful pairing of Lee Goldberg's two dynamic duos when the four team up to solve a rash of arsons. I would absolutely recommend this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

An arson mystery that moves at a quick pace as tension mounts to a satisfying conclusion. I especially liked learning more about fires and arson investigations.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ASHES NEVER LIE is a novel by author Lee Goldberg, and the 2nd novel in the “Sharpe & Walker” series that the unlikely pair of arson investigators that is made up of a former U.S. marshal who had changed his career path to hopefully have a peaceful life devoid of the perils he’s experienced as a marshal, and a cantankerous veteran investigator who is an expert at investigation involving arson who begrudgingly teaches his partner investigative skills but not without criticism and sarcasm.

Walter is the aged veteran and Andrew is the ex-marshal who become interested in not only the first apparent arson, but a string of similar house fires that seem to follow a pattern and possibly involving a serial arsonist, but it might not be as simple as that and they dig deeper into the houses that have burned and who could benefit financially as a result.

Great story that balances the slow developing investigation with the action of the chase and subsequent criminal behavior of those being investigated.

5 stars.

Ashes Never Lie: A Sharpe & Walker Mystery
By Lee Goldberg
Thomas & Mercer
October 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

After getting called to an arson scene that will be a jurisdictional nightmare, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department arson detectives Andrew Walker and Walker Sharpe are more than happy to leave and instead investigate an ongoing fire in a new housing development. It’s but one of a series of arsons set in the million-dollar new homes, with one eventually revealing the body of a crispy corpse. Also called to the scene are homicide detectives Duncan “Donuts” Pavone and Eve Ronin, the latter of whom came to fame – and early promotion – after her videoed arrest of a famous actor. As the younger halves of their respective investigative partnerships, Walker and Eve find an unexpected bond as they enthusiastically embark on a case that leads them to a terrifying toxin, incels, and a new use for coffee makers.

This was the crossover readers have been waiting for, as Walker, Sharpe, Duncan, and Eve are a hilarious and amazingly effective investigative combination. Jaded but extremely intelligent, Sharpe and Duncan tend to be the more calculated halves of their partnerships, sprinkling in cynical barbs with their insightful observations. A former U.S. Marshall sidelined by injuries, Walker still dons the cowboy hat that has Eve teasing him with references to Walker Texas Ranger (the Chuck Norris version, not the remake). She herself carries the baggage of having a streaming series based on her, as well as having busted corrupt deputies and crossing the Blue Line. The focus remains mostly on the team of Sharpe and Walker, the latter of whom struggles between his love of action and his psychologist wife’s concerns for his safety now that they are new parents. The novels by Lee Goldberg always excel at weaving in witty dialogue and wry humor, using the author’s experience in the entertainment business to satirize its inherent absurdity. Here the detectives find themselves at a California Sci-Fi Convention, where their attempts to blend in will delight fans of superhero and a certain television series. The humor and fantastic characters are matched by an investigation that depicts the details of arson investigations, weaving in clues of fire ignition points, sparking, and traces of accelerants. Readers will learn as much about arson and the motivations behind it as they will be entertained by the characters’ interactions in this action-packed, extremely entertaining thriller.

The riproarious adventures of two Southern California Arson Investigators and one kkicking take-no-nonsense-nor-disrespect female Homicide Detective continue intertwined in this second installment of the engrossingly entertaining Sharpe and Walker Series. ASHES NEVER LIE will keep readers on edge and sniffing the atmosphere for signs of incipient danger! Lee Goldberg is an extraordinarily talented writer who always grips the reader by the throat, never turning loose.

A crossover with Walker & Sharpe and their arson investigation & Eve Ronin! Lots of crimes, lots of characters, but I didn't struggle to keep everything organized in my head. I love how Goldberg captures non-Hollywood-LA--- the real people and places of Los Angeles. And pyromaniacs.
It was fun to see Walker and Ronin work together. I'd recommend if you're already into either of the series- if not, I'd start at the beginning and get to know Goldberg's universe first so you can appreciate this book more.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Ashes Never Lie is a fun and exciting book that continues to follow Sharpe and Walker. I enjoy the wit and humour that comes through every page while the mystery keeps me guessing. Eve Ronin and Duncan make an appearance and work closely with the arson inspectors. There was a great dynamic between the four characters and I’m excited to see more in future books.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I was so invested in this book from the beginning. It was interesting, suspenseful and had me glued to it for a short period. I'm not sure where it started going downhill but I finally finished after struggling for almost a month. The story became disjointed and moved in odd directions leading to my losing interest so I won't be recommending it. Hopefully the next Sharpe & Walker adventure will be better. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg
Sharpe & Walker #2

Fires, fraud, and the FBI cause issues for Sharpe and Walker as they work on cases that see their team working with the Eve and Duncan of the Eve Ronin series ~ Enjoyed this one!

What I liked:
* The setting that took me back to places I remember from the first two decades of my life in Southern California
* The intersection of the two Goldberg series and catching up with the main characters of both
* The way Walker and Eve worked together with their senior partners to solve more than one murder and arson case
* Learning more about fires, how fires are started, how arson investigators do their jobs, and what motivates a few types of criminal behavior
* The dynamics between the characters – the respect they have for one another, their communication, and their jokes
* That the married main characters are well grounded and love their spouses
* That the story made me think, I cared about the outcome, and was invested in the story
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That I smiled from time to time
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* That the bad guys were revealed and dealt with by the end of the book
* Knowing that there will be more books in the series to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how different some people’s minds be to do the things that some of the characters in this book thought were okay to do

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author/in this series? Yes

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

4-5 Stars

Ashes Never Lie is only the second book I have read by this author. The other, Calico was very different but still with the same easy, fast paced style with characters to warm to. This is the second in the series with Sharpe and Walker, fire investigators, but is absolutely fine as a stand alone book. When brand new unoccupied houses suddenly catch fire Sharpe and Walker are suspicious despite being told it was bad wiring. Their investigation leads them on an unexpected trail and with a dangerous fugitive also at large who could potentially wipe out humanity their task is difficult to say the least. Homicide detective Eve Ronin joins them to assist with their race against time to prevent deaths on a large scale. With interesting insight into fire investigation this well woven gripping story has tension, fear and humour too. Great, believable characters who I’m looking forward to meeting again in the third in this series. Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks to Lee Goldberg, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I read quite a few mysteries and this is the first where the mystery was associated with arson. I liked the characters throughout the book and the banter between Walker and the other characters especially.

I appreciated what I view as realism within the story – most everything seemed real and appropriate to what arson investigators would do, although there is some dramatic license taken where needed.

This is the second in the Sharpe & Walker series and can be read independently of the previous book.

Recommended.

This is my first novel by this author and I thought it was very well written. I had seen so many positive reviews on his books and I thought this would be a good start since this is only the second in a new series!

I really enjoyed the interaction of the characters and the relationships that they are continuing to forge.

Walter Sharpe is a seasoned arson investigator and he now has a new partner - Andrew Walker. Andrew was previously a U.S.Marshall but came to this new job because his wife was hoping this new post would be “safer” for Andrew”.

The case in this novel involves a vacant home in a new housing development that erupted into flames with no obvious cause. While they are just beginning to investigate this case, another home quite a distance away is burned to the ground. However in this case they find a corpse!!

As this is now a murder investigation, Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone - homicide detectives, are called in to help solve these crimes.

There is constant action in the novel and it takes all four characters working together to untangle what is going on here.

This was a puzzling mystery and it kept me turning the pages. I finished it in two sittings.
This book checked all the boxes for me, a great mystery, a plot and investigation that made sense and great characters.
I will definitely be reading the first from this series and look forward to whatever comes next from this author.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

How come I've never read a Lee Goldberg book? I can't believe I've been missing out on all the fun all these years!

This was a fast-paced, nonstop police chase with quick one-liners and spirited dialogue. Although there's definitely a "male" feel, there are strong female leads who are right there in the thick of the action. It was a nice break from all the female-centered fiction and drama I usually read.

Even though in some ways it's the typical cop book, it has some expanded elements because Sharpe and Walker aren't ordinary cops, they're arson investigators. They keep us on our toes as they analyze how a fire breaks out and spreads, which leads to incredible information gathering that helps them find the crooks. It's fascinating to listen to them explain all of the details, things everyday readers would never notice.

There are a few investigations going on at once, and nothing is what it seems to be. I enjoyed following the cops around the greater Los Angeles area as they zero in on the bad guys.

There are some deeper elements, too, although they're side points. Should we feel bad for a thief who stole to pay his wife's medical bills? Or a young man who didn't have what it takes to make the firefighter cut and is desperate to show that he's made of something? Or a socially awkward person who has had enough of not getting what he wants out of life?

Walker's wife is a psychologist, and she's constantly giving us the emotional side of things.

Apparently, Golberg wrote a whole series based on the Eve Ronin character, and fans will be happy to see that she plays a major role in this book.

4 stars for this great ride. Can't wait to read the next installment!

Thought this was a simple story about arson investigators? Think again! This was quite a wild ride, and such an enjoyable read. The banter is always so good, and literally made me laugh out loud! If you’re a Lee Goldberg fan, then you’ll see some cameos from some beloved characters from another series. I can’t wait for the next book!