Lost Hills

• Author: Lee Golberg
• Series: Eve Ronin #1
• Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
• Release Date: January 1, 2020
• Rating: 4.5 Stars

A slow build to a solid story and a lead character that has so much more to offer than just one book, I can’t wait to see where Eve Ronin takes us next!

After a video surfaces of Deputy Eve Ronin taking down an abusive movie star, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department promotes her to detective and uses her positive press to help overshadow the scandal the department has been trying to outrun. Eve is the youngest female homicide detective and no one in the department is about to let her forget it. When she and her partner get a call to check a house that a neighbor says has blood splatter and a single mom and her two kids are missing, Eve knows this is her chance to prove she is more than just a positive press moment for the department. She has worked hard and now is the time to prove she has what it takes to be a detective. By pushing beyond what anyone else wants to, she is able to see more than the others working the case and find clues that lead her to help them find the bodies, hopefully before it is too late.

Lost Hills had a slow start; the story was good but didn’t pull me in right away. I stuck with it and am so glad I did. I have fallen in love with Eve Ronin, she reminds me of Tracy Crosswhite from Robert Dugoni, one of my very favorite female protagonists in any series. I really got to know Eve and follow along as she worked to get past the hardships placed in her way by being female and the way she rose through the ranks. Nothing that was put in front of her was enough to hold her back, she used it as a stepping stone to show that she was just as capable as any of the men she worked with. Even when those highest above her were only willing to use her as a T.V spot, she refused to let that be her only use in the department. Eve is a clever character that readers will have no choice but to like and cheer for her to find success. The secondary characters, the other men in the department and her family, bring just the right amount of humor, tension and drama to keep readers engaged throughout. It wasn’t until about the last two-thirds of the book that I really feel in love with the story and characters; from that moment on I was hooked and couldn’t wait to see how it played out. As the first in a new series I can’t wait to see what happens next. I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a great police procedural with plenty of suspense and a fabulous ending but don’t mind a little bit of harsh language. I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.