Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg, whom was a new author for me. Overall this was a decent read for me, if not a great one. I did enjoy the investigation side of it, although for me the story line was a little off the wall. Having said that I would still recommend this book to others, because not everyone enjoys the same styles of writing.

I received and ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I doubt very much when Lee wrote this book he expected there to be a massive LA fire, that would take out such a huge swatch of the LA area, rather he was writing based on what everyone feared could happen, and what has happened in the past. So that is something to keep in mind when reading this book, though the visuals from the recent news, will play in you head as you read it. But it's more than just a fire story- its a mystery of how a fire got so big and why so many fires were set in one night- basic fire investigation (Sharpe and Walker's forte), but when they realize there may be a homicide link involved, it's time to call in their favorite LASO deputy, Eve Ronin. It's a great crossover- giving the reader both fire investigation and an off traditional homicide mystery. Like a fire, it builds small and then takes off, so be prepared to stay up late trying to finish this page turner! Great for fans of the 2 series, but also for new readers alike, as enough background is given on the main leads.

Excellent book. Best of the series so far. Love the crossover of Eve Ronin. The characters keep getting better and better

Clear your schedule because Goldberg has written another addictive mystery you won’t be able to put down.
His dialogue crackles like the Duraflame logs being used as an accelerant by an L.A. arsonist, and Goldberg juggles dual plots like a master, keeping readers equally engaged in both. A great read.

First of all, if you haven't read the first two books in the series do it now! This is a great new entry in the Walker & Sharpe series in which our hero arson investigators work a case in LA when several apartment garages are set on fire in the same night. While assigned to this case, the guys are hit with investigating a huge fire in downtown LA at the busiest freeway overpass, I-10. Are the fires related? As an added bonus, Eve Ronin and Duncan (Donuts) Pavone are on hand to assist with chasing after the arsonist. A great cast of well developed characters who, at this point, feel like old friends.

The reason you should read the other books first is that a couple of characters from the first book return in another plot in this book. It would be a spoiler to reveal what's going on, but let's say you'll get a thrill ride through a very odd and amusing Gallery of Curiosities in which an old adversary of Walker's plots revenge on a rich guy holding the cards on prices of certain pharmaceuticals. A truly audacious plot line and heist!

I love Lee Goldberg's books. Every one is a guaranteed escape for a weekend or a few days into the world of crime in LA. I have especially liked this series because I've learned so much about arson and arson investigations. And in this book, I learned that there are also numerous legitimate businesses located below freeway underpasses in LA. Who knew?

Goldberg has a long and storied career in Hollywood, and his books are always a a pleasure to read.

Another enjoyable book from the Eve Ronin universe. I'm thankful to say that she and Duncan cameo in this book as well.

There are two stories taking place in Hidden In Smoke and I actually found the secondary story more interesting. This book does spoil the ending of book one (it's still on my TBR but even knowing the whodunnit I'm still planning on reading it).

I really hope there are more books in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer!

I enjoyed a lot of this book. The secondary plot starts off a bit slow and hard to work out how the crimes fit in with the storyline but you get there at the end. I do wish that Walker had faced some consequences though. Maybe in the next book. But Ronin and Sharpe both know he had some involvement and basically shrugged it off when they are supposed to really care about law and order.

You do get to see some character growth in their partnership as a result. Sadly none in Sharpe's views on homeless people and anything else progressive. Mr. I Know Everything About Arson misses a glaring clue early in the book but he at least admits he missed it later. They get the right people for the crimes in the end though, sadly not all of them getting the consequences they deserve but life is like that.

There is some humour mixed in to take away from it being too dark/serious. It is pretty fast paced and sets up the future of the series (and maybe a spinoff for "Brian"). This one would make a great movie/tv show but like Ronin says, it would be tough to reign in the ridiculousness.

3.5 stars
This series seems to be getting better with each installment. I enjoyed the plot of this one, we got to see a lot more of Sharpe's personality, and the ending was both fulfilling and set up a way for the series to continue. Perfectly satisfying for me. I love books like this so much.
I will recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

I read the ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is an extremely well written fast paced thrilling arson investigation.

Sharpe and Walker are two arson investors who are called to solve it. They race against time to solve it. I finished reading it in record time.

Walker and Sharpe are back investigating fires and solving crimes. In this book they are tracking a serial arsonists, who sets up several car fires two nights in a row. Third night escalates the situation, when a major freeway is set on fire.

This book is Goldberg's trademark police procedural mixed with a healthy dose of humor. My other favorite pair, Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone also make an appearance in the story. Likable characters and tight situations top off the reading experience.

Another thrilling chapter in the Sharpe & Walker series! This time they’re investigating a series of fires set under cars in apartment building and under the freeway. But it’s not so simple as Arson. This story keeps your attention the whole way through with twists and turns and a few surprises from the past.

Hidden in Smoke is part of a series but I read it without reading all the other books in the series. With that being said, the story begins with references to past events from a former book. Someone is burning cars and buildings with them. Arson investigators Sharpe and Walker quickly close in on a suspect. Before making an arrest, the duo are pulled off the case and assigned a mess of case involving a freeway fire. Calling in homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone, Sharpe and Walker have to find the link between cases and catch a serial arsonists. In the background, master thief is working behind the scenes to bring a pharmaceutical company owner to his knees. The story is suspenseful and the characters are memorable for an interesting whodunnit that I want to read more of. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Because I received an Advance Readers Copy of Hidden in Smoke from NetGalley, I felt obligated to finish the book, but it was dreadful from beginning to end. I honestly cannot find a single positive thing to say about it. The plot was far-fetched and cartoony, all of the characters were one-dimentional caricatures, and the book read like an 80's cop show, lacking any semblance or adherence to reality. Added to this, the author's blatant treatment of women as sex objects, the stereotyping of minorities, LGBTQ, and homeless persons, and the author's decision to have at least one main character willfully abuse the power of his law enforcement position purely for personal gain (and without any remorse or legal repercussions), made this an unpleasant journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, as well as the publisher, for providing me with the ARC. I'm sorry it wasn't more enjoyable.

This book is the 3rd in Goldbergs Sharpe and Walker Series. This story made me happy to give it a chance over all this book and the 2nd in the series to me were better then book 1 by a lot.
The book begins with Walker dealing with some personal stuff due to his sons Epilepsy and going to Japan to meet a familiar face to get help for his own personal vendetta. We then jump a little to the present where Walker and his partner Sharpe Need to investigate carfires that burn Apartment buildings. Sharpe of course continues to not make friends with how he treats people weather they be the LAFD firefighters or investigators or some of the people he interviews as a gruff old school investigator.

Eventually a freeway overpass goes on fire causing more drama in the city and leading to a death which then causes none other then Eve Ronin to join the task force with her partner. However this death investigation is a tough one and requires some muscle from the team to try to get to the boot of things. Evenutally the team solves all the fires and the homicide however not without some action and twists to things.

This story had a clear narrative and great plot points. The character development and surprises that this story brought made for an amazing read and I loved how we get to involve Eve Ronin again in another cross over with Sharpe and Walker.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy that allowed me to read this in exchange for my honest review. I hope Mr. Goldberg is working on a 4th story in the series.

Another great book in the Sharpe and Walker series!!

Wow, did this book fly by for me! It was so good, the plot(s) kept me engaged and I enjoyed the interactions between the characters. There are 2 plotlines in this story, the larger one where Sharpe and Walker are tasked with solving the string of arsons that are happening in the area, seemingly tied to the death of a tagger/mural designer. The other plot brings back a character from a previous book. We also see Eve and Duncan back from previous books.

If you enjoy action-packed detective-type stories, this book is for you!! You'll thank me later.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

4 stars for a thriller mystery set in Los Angeles County, California. I have read the previous 2 books in the series and you should also, before reading this book. The author even has a warning at the start of
the book, advising the reader that the first chapter contains major spoilers for book 2. Sharpe and Walker are arson investigators who work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
This book has two plots: One plot is about a serial arsonist who is starting fires in cars under homes on stilts. Sharpe and Walker realize that the fires are not random and start investigating. They do solve the mystery.
The second plot is a carryover from book 2 and I cannot say more without spoiling book 2. I enjoy the humor and camaraderie between Walker and Sharpe. Sharpe is the expert at unraveling the source of the arson, but has an abrasive personality, causing anger and resentment from firefighters. Walker is more of a people person and is usually able to smooth hurt feelings. He is also good at tracking suspects down.
One quote on two characters reuniting to do a robbery. The woman tells the guy that "I got new boobs. " she said.
He'd noticed. "That's different."
"Not if you're a woman," she said. "More men talk to my boobs than to my face."
Thank You Thomas & Mercer for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#HiddeninSmoke #NetGalley

Pub Date Apr 22 2025

I’ve become a big fan of Lee Goldberg’s novels, particularly his twin series featuring cops (Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone) and arson investigators (Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker), all based in the Los Angeles area. Their stories often cross over, and though this is ostensibly a tale about an arsonist (or arsonists) causing havoc across the city, there’s still room for Eve and Duncan to appear in cameo roles.

Walker, who is the ‘man hunter’ of pair, gets a call one night to advise him that someone is setting fires across the city, burning up cars and apartments. He’s immediately on it and ensures that Sharpe, the true investigator, is alerted, too. Though there are few clues as to the identity of the perpetrator, they manage to pick up a couple of common themes that might help them identify who’s creating this chaos. But that’s just the start of their problems. A separate incident – a huge blaze at a major freeway – quickly becomes their priority.

There is a sub-plot here, too, involving expensive drugs that Walker and his wife have to fund in order to help their young son who suffers from seizures. The cost of the drugs is causing them severe financial stress, but they’re essential for their son’s wellbeing. However, Walker has a plan – unknown to his wife – and it involves a character Goldberg introduced in the first book in this series (Malibu Burning), an adventurous thief called Danny Cole.

It’s true escapism, but also grounded in solid research. It’s really well done. Another exciting, amusing, and surprising tale, which I found all the more interesting, having avidly followed the intense media coverage given to the terrible fires in Los Angeles recently. I can’t wait for the next episode

This was another great book in Goldberg's Sharpe/Walker series. I love the arson investigation aspects of these books and also the way Sharpe and Walker interact with each other. I also love it when Eve Ronin/Duncan Pavon from one of Goldberg's other series make an appearance in this series because you never know what will happen when the four of them work together but you are guaranteed to have some suspense, thrills and witty banter added in. I love this series and can't wait for the next books.

I read this just before the horrific wildfires in the LA area happened. It certainly put a new perspective on the area so prone to those Santa Anna winds and destructive fires and then flooding landslides. This is an author I really enjoy for his knowledge of the setting and characters that stick with me. It’s another fast-paced story in the series with multiple plots playing out concurrently. I love the contrast between old school and rookie arson investigators. I was ecstatic to have appearances from previous characters in an outlandish revenge plot. There’s an arsonist reeking havoc and lots of territory disputes between agencies from the LAFD, CA Dept. Forestry and Fire, the State Marshals service and so on. The two plots will keep you guessing and certainly had me racing through the pages. Everything about the story was exciting to read and I look forward to more in the series.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of “Hidden in Smoke” Sharp and Walker #3, by Lee Goldberg, Publication expected 04/22/2025. These are my own personal honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

5/5 stars: This is the third entry in Goldberg's Sharpe & Walker series which is a Police Procedural Mystery Thriller that features a dogged Los Angeles arson investigator and his ex-US marshal partner as they investigate two cases; A dozen Hollywood apartment buildings set ablaze by a serial torcher and team up with two sheriff's detectives for a catastrophic fire that destroys a major freeway and includes a murder. Together the four must quickly figure out whether the disaster was a tragic accident or the work of a mastermind with a horrific plan. Meanwhile, an old foe and thief with a revenge scheme enters the fray, igniting a race against time to stop a conspiracy of deception, corruption and murder. As always Goldberg's written a fast-faced action-packed procedural exploring arson and criminal investigations with plenty of twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I really appreciate how Goldberg's plot unfolds and the deft way the investigations weave together. This is a very cinematic read, which isn’t surprising since Goldberg's a veteran TV writer. With a sharp and biting wit, Goldberg's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex. The story's main POV are the arson investigators but it also has chapters that follow the thief and their crew. Sharpe and Walker are a great team and I really love catching up with the two of them. Plus I love getting to see Sharpe & Walker working with homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone. I'm always a fan of a good crossover and this one's excellent. (To start the Eve Ronin series, check out Lost Hills, book one.) Be aware that the resolution to book one, Malibu Burning, is spoiled in this novel. So while you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by starting this series at the beginning.

I received this eARC thanks to Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.