by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Movieland is book 4 in Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin series. I have been a fan of Lee’s writing for many years, but this series is my favorite of his and these books always end up on my “Best Books of the Year” list. Eve is the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a position many think that she hasn’t earned since she got the job after a video of her went viral. Because of this, she isn’t very popular among her coworkers (which is putting it mildly in some cases), except for her soon-to-retire partner Duncan Pavone.

In Movieland, Lee uses his knowledge of working in Hollywood as a TV writer to bring to life the setting of not only the main plot of the book, but also the secondary story of Eve’s life being turned into a TV show. Malibu Creek Park has been the spectacular natural setting where many Hollywood fantasies were made, but unfortunately, it becomes the location of a real-life murder when a female camper is gunned down. Eve and Duncan are assigned to the case and Duncan believes that it is just the latest in a series of sniper attacks that began long before Eve came to the department. However, top officials don’t agree and the pair are stonewalled, threatened, and ordered to ignore the connection. But Eve isn’t one to be intimidated and Duncan is determined to solve this case before he retires. Can Eve and Duncan solve the shootings and the murders before one of them becomes a victim too?

On top of all that, Eve is dealing with the TV show that she reluctantly agreed to simply because she knew it was happening with her or without her, and this way she hoped to have some control. Plus, she desperately needs the money to fight a lawsuit against her—one where the department really should have had her back.

Movieland is a fast-paced mystery with interesting and well-developed characters and plenty of twists and turns. Lee is a very skilled writer who always manages to throw in some witty dialogue to lighten things up; in this series, it comes in the form of the banter between Eve and Duncan. One of my favorite things about this series is their relationship. While the plot can stand on its own, I highly recommend going back to the beginning and reading the previous books as there is a lot of back-story and character growth you miss out on otherwise! If this book, and this series, aren’t on your radar yet they should be!

To enter to win a copy of Movieland, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “movieland,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 3, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novel, One of Us, is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.