In the past couple of years, Lee Goldberg has become one of my top five writers. His police procedural novels rival the best writers in the biz.
Eve Ronin is a detective with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Ronin is young, brash and female – not the qualities that gain trust and respect in the LASD. Oh, and she used an opportunity to barter a promotion by the previous sheriff, leaping over many angry deputies wanting that promotion. She’s literally got a target on her back, but thankfully her soon-to-be-retired partner has her back. She might have used a controversial method to gain her detective shield, but she keeps her job by doing her job well. And, there’s a TV series about her, based on her brief, but newsworthy career. Ronin hates the series, but took the money, something she often regrets.
Ronin’s life is about to become more complicated. The new sheriff is determined to bend her into a helpful PR asset. Her father guilts her into helping a half-sister who now works in a very dangerous world. The bodies are piling up and there are some strange linkages. The actress playing her in the TV series finagles a ride-along that ends in a shooting. Ronin’s boyfriend breaks up with her. Complications abound.
“I don’t want to undermine your command,” Ronin said.
“What you want is to do things your way without interference,” said Capt. Beatie. “As long as you keep closing cases at a fast clip, that’s fine. It makes me look good and gets me closer to what I want. Fighting you is a career killer, so I’ll just use you the same way that the sheriff and Hollywood do.”
Goldberg’s books don’t have your typical dry and off-the-shelf characters. Ronin is no two-dimensional detective nor does she possess supernatural powers of detection. Ronin is flawed and those flaws surface here. She’s a disaster at personal relationships. She outworks everyone around her and won’t let go of a clue. Her partner, Duncan has the sense of humor of the two and never loses sight of a drive-thru or catering truck. Together, their personality types balance each other.
The world of Eve Ronin is an entertaining and unpredictable one. Work and private lives frequently intersect, often to her annoyance. It’s all part of what makes this another enjoyable read.
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