Usually, I hate rain, but today I didn't mind, as I spent the day inside reading this book. The storytelling is absolutely fantastic, easy to read, funny and very entertaining. The characters are so vivid you feel you really get to know them well, and that's the mark of a very talented author. A must read book.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Lee Goldberg, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I have always liked the writing of Lee Goldberg, as he gets to the heart of the matter while keeping the reader fully entertained. When a number of houses go up in flames, LA Sheriff Department arson investigators arrive to handle the scene. What they discover leads them to believe that there is more than accidental flames engulfing properties, but they will need to dig a little deeper and get some help from the homicide department. In a chilling story that takes over the reader’s full attention, Goldberg delivers and keeps things on edge throughout.

After a number of empty homes in a new housing development erupt in flames for no reason, many remain baffled. LA Sheriff Department Arson Investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are at the front of that line, unsure how to make sense out of it all. Sharpe is a veteran working arson, though his young protégé, Walker, has a few tricks up his sleeve. Still, they have no answers as they sift through the ashes.

While Sharpe and Walker try to make sense out of it, another house erupts, this time with the body of a man inside. LASD Homicide Detective Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone arrive to investigate at the scene, but are baffled. It appears similar to the other fires, with an obvious pattern in place. That body adds a new and troubling element. The four investigators take their seemingly independent cases and put them together to get some solid answers.

As Sharpe and Walker begin putting the pieces together, they discover a makeshift trigger for the fires, one that could easily explain everything. Working to find the person responsible while also bot blowing their cover, Walker and Sharpe will have to liaise with the LASD to ensure they do things by the book. A fiery tale that is as addictive as it is riveting. Goldberg does well to keep the reader on the hot seat.

It is quite apparent that Lee Goldberg has experience in the television writing business. His books have a life fo their own and provide the reader with something visual as well as entertaining the read. The narrative flow moves from scene to scene with ease, while always keeping things on edge from the start until the final page turn. A strong California setting propels the Tory forward in a variety of ways and provides the reader with something well worth their time. Momentum builds and the story finds itself getting more mysterious until a reveal allows things to finally fall into place. Characters throughout the book emerge to offer their perspectives and flavourings, while never entirely stealing the spotlight from Sharpe and Walker. Great use of crossover appearances by Ronin and Pavone bridge two of Goldberg’s recent series and permit his fans to bask in this double dipping of sorts.

Plot points prove highly important here, as they springboard the plot from one position to the next. There is an obvious development here and I cannot help but love how Goldberg does things, leaving a few questions to linger before tackling the largest issue at hand. I am eager to see where things are headed and how the series will progress.

Kudos, Mr. Goldberg, for another successful novel.

In ASHES NEVER LIE, written by Lee Goldberg, arson detectives Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are called away from the scene of a car fire to investigate a house fire at the Twin Lakes housing development. The house in question is one of the completed buildings, and the body of a man is found inside. How did the fire start? Who is the dead man, and is the fire the cause of his death? I have questions that need answers.

I enjoy reading any novel written by Lee Goldberg, and this second book in the Sharpe and Walker series is no exception. The characters are interesting, the dialogue is quick-witted, and the plot is well-constructed. I also like that Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone make a crossover from the Eve Ronin series. There are times while reading this book when the plot reminds me of season 3 of a television show I enjoyed a few years ago, 24. Excellent! I look forward to reading more books in the Sharpe and Walker series. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of ASHES NEVER LIE

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!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and Lee Goldberg for an advanced copy for review.

The red hot new mystery thriller in the second of a series by Lee Goldberg once again features veteran arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his partner, Andrew Walker, a former US Marshall, Homicide detectives Eve Ronin and her partner Duncan Pavone, both familiar to fans of another Goldberg series, also play a prominent role in the story. Eve became a celebrity, with a television show based on her exploits, after arresting a tv star. Duncan has been described as “a fat man in his late fifties” on the cusp of retirement.
Homes just built or in the process of being built in a new housing development are igniting in flames. Sharpe and Walker are assigned to investigate while Ronin and Pavone are sent to investigate a home and garage, some distance away, that has burned to the ground with a man having been killed by both the fire and a bullet. Somehow the fires are connected and the four detectives join together in an attempt to solve the seemingly unrelated cases.
As mundane as that sounds, it proves to be anything but. This is a thriller, complete with plenty of action, suspense, danger and threat. It involves arsonists, swindlers, and fugitives. Thousands of lives are in danger. Malibu Burning, the first in the series featuring Sharpe and Walker, (the third book, Hidden In Smoke, will be released on April 22, 2025), are relatively short books with print lengths of less than 300 pages, Each page is packed with great dialogue and the story evolves at a steady pace. With well-rounded characters, unique settings, and a good deal of humor, at no point does the story seem rushed. No corner of the plot is cut and all of the ingredients you like and expect in a good story are present. The plot has twists and turns, a number of surprises and is entertaining, The story line about fires and arson is given a fresh tale with unusual antagonists and the reader can even learn some facts about arson and arson investigation, With likable and relatable characters, the men are caring and brave and Eve is her usual capable self.
I look forward to reading the third book featuring Sharpe and Walker and I am certain that the villain they next they come across playing with fire will be sure to get burned.
I would like to thank Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this Ashes Never Lie in return for an honest review. It is most appreciated.

ex-US Marshal, California, working-partners, snarky, banter, investigations, detective-duo, crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, arson-investigators, physics-of-fire, fire-science, firefighters, local-law-enforcement, contagion, verbal-humor, undercover, unpleasant-suspect, unputdownable, situational-humor, procedural, friends, friendship, action, arsonists, con-artist, crossover*****

Arson, arsonists, fire in all its negative aspects are serious subjects but this series takes the unthinkable and shines a light of humor on the efforts of those who catch that particular brand of evil and make the case ready for the prosecution.
Arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his fairly new partner, Andrew Walker, a married ex–US Marshal who had enough with the being shot but is still an adrenaline junkie have a clutch of cases to investigate. Pretty soon they are joined by notorious Homicide Detective Eve Ronin and work together to make solid cases by any means they can imagine.
Laughed my sox off!
I requested and received a free temporary advance reader's copy uncorrected proof from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!
#SharpeAndWalkerBk2 #EveRonin #CrossoverSeries

Ashes Never Lie is the second in the Sharpe and Walker series and great fun. I love these two arson investigators.
Sharpe is the senior investigator and doesn’t suffer fools. I adore his acerbic personality. Walker is still in training and misses the action of being a US Marshall. Be careful what you wish for, Walker.
They’re called to a house fire with a dead body inside. As it’s a questionable death, this leads them to interact with Eve Ronin and her partner, Duncan Pavone.
Meanwhile, newly finished houses seem to be spontaneously combusting in a housing development.
This is super fun entertainment, with literally no downtime. There is plenty of humor here, mostly thanks to the two senior investigators, Sharpe and Pavone. They’ve seen it all before and are intent on passing on their wisdom. Meanwhile, Walker and Eve make a great duo, being equally willing to ignore the rules if it means getting the criminal. And both are totally action junkies.
Just because the book is fast paced doesn’t mean Goldberg stints on character development or fleshing out Walker’s personal life. Goldberg has written for tv shows and it comes across in his ability to write characters and scenes that are easy to envision.
This easily works as a stand-alone but if you enjoy this one, you’ll want to check out both series.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

Lee Goldberg's fascination with fire is timely in today's climate changing world, and especially hits home in the Southern California setting of this second entry in the Sharpe-Walker arson investigation series. For someone who grew up not too far down the road from where these scenes play out, I found myself searching Google Maps for the many references to housing developments and state parks - some real and others slightly fictionalized, as he acknowledges in the ending notes.

While this volume may not have as many of the gut-wrenching, intense moments that played out in the first book, it has the added punch of pulling in murder detective Eve Ronin from her popular book series to help bolster the story. With that said, the quirky personalities, and acerbic, witty banter between the two investigators and their colleagues can either put a smile on your face or get on your nerves after a while - you'll have to be the judge of that.

Overall, this was a solid entry in the series which hopefully will have more books down the line. The big question is - will Eve Ronin return? She may be needed to help Sharpe and Walker's next story entertain and keep the reader's interest.

Lots of fun

This was q very quick read - lots of fun and I learned some cool things about arson. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was a little worried this wouldn't live up to my expectations. But it exceeded them. The two arson investigators are joined by LAPD homicide cop Eve Ronin, the protagonist in another great series by this author. In this installment, someone is burning homes in a new development and a man is thought to have committed suicide due to being exposed to a deadly virus. I figured out the virus thing, but it was still quite enjoyable.

Highly recommended.

The second in a series featuring two arson investigators who collaborate with two detectives from another of the authors series. The writing is excellent but I could not engage with the characters.

I have read this series and each book is better than the last. While we have the return of super murder cop Eve Ronin,
I was most enthralled by the continuing talents of Walker, former US Marshall, who has been hoping for a bit more
excitement in his new job. He gets it, and more. When a new housing development has brand new, unoccupied homes
exploding into flames, ir makes no sense to the LASD. Add super cop Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone, LAPD making
the investigation a race to solve. Eve cannot stay off the spotlight, but her colleagues clearly get her talents…
During an intense investigation, things become more complicated
until an interesting approach leads Sharpe, and Ronin to each have different ideas that all come together in an
unbelievable conclusion. Walker is delighted to FINALLY get some action; Sharpe, is happy to be alive and Duncan and
Eve are on slightly better terms…. I cannot wait for the next book! My thanks to Publisher Thomas and Mercer, via Net
Galley, for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg. I loved Malibu Burning, but this installment of the Sharpe and Walker series didn’t really grab me. Sadly, it started with the lackluster title that wouldn’t have inspired me to pick this up unless I already loved the author. I liked the suspense of the mystery, and how I learned so much about arson and fires. I’m glad Eve Ronin got involved (but why was there focus on her body and how she looked in that costume?) because I didn’t find Sharpe and Walker compelling this time. I didn’t hate this book, but didn’t love it either. 3 stars

4 stars for a fun mystery set in Los Angeles County. This is book 2 in the Sharpe & Walker series. I did not read book 1 but now plan to do so, It worked as a stand alone, but there were events that happened in book 1 that are referenced in this book. Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. arson detectives. Sharpe is twenty years older than Walker, but in better physical shape, because of Walker's on duty injuries when he was a US marshal.
They go to the scene of a fire in a housing development. The fire took place in a just finished unoccupied house. Sharpe suspects arson. How they solve this case and two other cases makes for an interesting fun mystery with some humor. I recommend this book.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#AshesNeverLieSharpeWalkerBand2 #NetGalley.

*** 7/23/24 *** Enjoyable book with significant Eve Ronin involvement (LA sheriff living in Calabasas with a TV show deal based on her life). All about 2-man fire investigator team looking into questionable house fires with a few red herrings and side plots, and then a final successful conclusion. The only problem with these types of series is you know as a reader that the main characters are never really in any mortal danger and that they will almost certainly get the bad guy. I do like books written in major metro cities with reasonably authentic landmarks that connect the reader to the material a little more. 4-stars for a lighter-toned police procedural. Thank you NetGalley for the pre-release ARC to read and review.

*** 7/21/24 *** Got approved for the NetGalley ARC for this September 2024 Lee Goldberg release that is set in my community! Makes it a lot of fun to read. These series are all a step up from cozy mystery and a step below hard core thrillers. Just a good entertaining mystery with characters you get to know in a community I already know (NW corner of Los Angeles). Review coming soon......

If you like arson investigator Andrew Walker or homicide detective Eve Ronin, then you are in luck. Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg is a new book with them both together with Sharpe and Pavone we get a quartet of wondeful characters created by this author. I have yet to read a book by this author I didn't like, they are all great. In this book we start out with a fire that could be suspicious. It soon turns out that there is more going on and soon the two dynamic duos have several cases at the same time. The book is as always well written and I really like the dialogue between characters, it's witty and filled with humor. I can really recommend this. I also thank Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.

FULL. BLOWN. CROSSOVER.

I loved this book. I didn't know what to expect from a Sharpe and Walker sequel. Malibu Burning was as much about Danny Cole and his heist as it was about the arson investigators, and I loved the way Goldberg structured that book, with each storyline following its own independent timeline as we followed Sharpe and Walker's race against time while Cole's story rapidly caught up to theirs. So my question was: how could Goldberg follow that up with something similarly satisfying without repeating the same beats and making it so similar to the first that it couldn't stand on its own? I was also a little sad that his next book was going to be a Sharpe and Walker sequel instead of the sixth Eve Ronin book.

Goldberg solves both questions in chapter 3, when a dead body in a house fire prompts homicide detectives Ronin and Pavone to join arson investigators Sharpe and Walker.

Walker ends up spending a good chunk of time working with Eve, as she becomes involved with two of the three cases this book focuses on. It was really fun to see Eve from another perspective, and Goldberg does a fantastic job of keeping this organized as a Sharpe and Walker book with a prominent Eve Ronin feature. As a fan of hers, it was a relief to see she now has another friend in the department in Walker and an ally in Sharpe.

It felt so realistic how the three (three!) cases in this book intersected each other as the arson detectives worked on multiple leads at a time and discovered one case while investigating another, largely because they were so well plotted and interwoven by the author.

It's no secret I'm a huge Lee Goldberg fan, having read each of his last 16 novels now, but I can't recommend him enough. His books are consistently fun and smart, with characters you want to root for. There is action and comedy with thrills, twists, and surprises throughout. I get excited every time I see a new book of his is coming out. Can't wait for the next one.

Lee Goldberg’s smooth and alluring storytelling talent is on fill display in Ashes Never Lie, an irresistible tale of arson, murder and fraud that locks you in early and keeps you riveted to the end.

Newly constructed homes in a housing development are catching fire with no obvious cause but thankfully with no fatalities. Miles away another home burns to the ground, but this one contains a dead body and lots of questions. In the pursuit of answers to the seemingly unrelated cases, arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker team up with homicide detectives Even Ronin and Duncan “Donuts” Pavone. What follows is a series of eye-opening revelations and undercover operations to catch an arsonist, stop a long-running scam, and save thousands from unbearable pain and certain death.

This book is all-gas, no breaks. Including multiple events and dangerous situations that propel the story forward at high speeds with the heat of a five-alarm fire. And containing investigations that twist, turn, and require every bit of skill, creative thinking and unsanctioned initiative from the venerable law enforcement team of Sharpe, Walker, Ronin and Pavone. A partnership that is a brilliant combination of personalities and capabilities that effortlessly leverages the strengths of each member and is entertaining as hell to witness. Especially as they go after incredibly well-devised characters with complex criminal personas that would excite and fascinate any psychologist, let alone a thriller enthusiast. In other words, this book has everything you could want in an unputdownable action/mystery novel.

Lee Goldberg is an automatic must read and Ashes Never Lie is just the latest example of why. He yet again delivers an exhilarating plot filled with intriguing, well-developed characters contained within a smooth-flowing, well-written and enthralling story. Not to be missed by anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Book Title: Ashes Never Lie
Series: Sharpe & Walker Book #2
Author: Lee Goldberg
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller,
Pub Date: September 17, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up in appreciation of the research that Lee Goldberg did!
Pages: 288

This is second in this series with [book: Malibu Burning] the first. I am a big [author: Lee Goldberg] fan and embarrassed to said that although I had “Malibu Burning" on my want to read list I somehow missed it.
In that story Andrew Walker has just made the switch from US Marshall to arson investigator with the LA County Sheriff’s Department. He’s being trained by a senior investigator, Walter Sharpe.

In this story our Walker and Sharpe are back with another Southern California fire investigation.
They are joined by homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone as they join forces to solve a series of arsons at a new housing development. A new housing development has just had a house catch fire before the buyer moves in. In fact, other newly built vacant homes are mysteriously bursting into flames. Additionally another home miles away burns to the ground and a man is found dead sitting in his recliner.
(BTW: I was delighted Eva Ronin has a significant role in this as I totally love that series!


I have read many Lee Goldberg novels but didn’t appreciate his wit and humor before "Calico". However that story had me laughing out loud!
I wasn't laughing in this story as is all too real. I live in Southern California and trust me fires are a constant threat. Our hot dry weather and winds make it easy for a fire to spread. There was a situation a couple years ago when a young couple held a ‘gender reveal party ' with pink or blue sparklers. Sparks caused a terrible fire. So when the fires are arson it is the worst as not only so much destruction to property and our environment but lives are lost.

In Lee Goldberg’s 'Author’s Note' he tells us about his inspiration for writing this fictional story. He tells us of his extensive research. True there is some fiction because truth isn’t as much fun as fiction.

I am a serous person especially when it comes to fire so and found this difficult and not an enjoyable read. However, I truly am looking forward to my next Lee Goldberg story.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 17, 2024.

Veteran arson investigator Walker and his fairly new partner, former US Marshall Sharpe are back in action chasing down vacant homes being incinerated, a burned body that may be suicide or murder, an insurance scam, and a possible lethal scourge. Both Walker and Sharpe, nicknamed Shar Pei because of his uncanny resemblance to one, are unique characters, a bit unconventional, but full of wit and intelligence. Best of all in this book, they have some opportunities to team up with Eve Ronin, a detective from one of Goldberg’s other popular series of which I am a fan.

With a few storylines, this is a fast paced thrill ride through southern California. I really enjoy the humorous wise cracks throughout the book and the relationship between the partners. It is a bit over the top at times, but is an entertaining read. An added bonus is insight into the investigative process involved in arson. A unique take on crime fiction/mystery/thriller.   

I did read the first book in this series, but this would work as a standalone.

This book has so many plots some complete, others incomplete which I felt was a drawback. While the first instalment was a full on fun ride this one was veering off every other way. Some parts of the book were unnecessary and unbelievable. The author seems to have been concentrating more on striking a balance between Sharp Walker duo and Eve Duncan pair. The tightness of the plot has suffered because of that.