Bone Canyon Read online

  PRAISE FOR LEE GOLDBERG

  PRAISE FOR BONE CANYON

  “Lee Goldberg puts the pro in police procedural. Bone Canyon is fresh, sharp, and absorbing. Give me more Eve Ronin, ASAP.”

  —Meg Gardiner, international bestselling author

  “Wow—what a novel! It is wonderful in so many ways. I could not put it down. Bone Canyon is wrenching and harrowing, full of wicked twists. Lee Goldberg captures the magic and danger of the Santa Monica Mountains and the predators who prowl them. Detective Eve Ronin takes on forgotten victims, fights for them, and nearly loses everything in the process. She’s a riveting character, and I can’t wait for her next case.”

  —Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

  “Bone Canyon is a propulsive procedural that provides high thrills in difficult terrain, grappling thoughtfully with sexual violence and police corruption, as well as the minefield of politics and media in Hollywood and suburban Los Angeles. Eve Ronin is a fantastic series lead—stubborn and driven, working twice as hard as her colleagues both to prove her worth and to deliver justice for the dead.”

  —Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay

  “I didn’t think Lee Goldberg could improve on the first Eve Ronin book, Lost Hills, but Bone Canyon is even better. The writing is lean and mean; the dialogue is pitch perfect; and the characters jump off the page with intensity, emotion, and wit. My only complaint is that I’ll have to wait a year to read the next one!”

  —Nick Petrie, author of the bestselling Peter Ash series

  PRAISE FOR LOST HILLS

  “A cop novel so good it makes much of the old guard read like they’re going through the motions until they can retire . . . The real appeal here is Goldberg’s lean prose, which imbues just-the-facts procedure with remarkable tension and cranks up to a stunning description of a fire that was like ‘Christmas in hell.’”

  —Booklist

  “[The] suspense and drama are guaranteed to keep a reader spellbound . . .”

  —Authorlink

  “An energetic, resourceful procedural starring a heroine who deserves a series of her own.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “This nimble, sure-footed series launch from bestseller Goldberg . . . builds to a thrilling, visually striking climax. Readers will cheer Ronin every step of the way.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “The first book in what promises to be a superb series—it’s also that rare novel in which the formulaic elements of mainstream police procedurals share narrative space with a unique female protagonist. All that, and it’s also a love letter to the chaos and diversity of California. There are a lot of series out there, but Eve Ronin and Goldberg’s fast-paced prose should put this one on the radar of every crime fiction fan.”

  —National Public Radio

  “This sterling thriller is carved straight out of the world of Harlan Coben and Lisa Gardner . . . Lost Hills is a book to be found and savored.”

  —BookTrib

  “Lost Hills is Lee Goldberg at his best. Inspired by the real-world grit and glitz of LA County crime, this book takes no prisoners. And neither does Eve Ronin. Take a ride with her and you’ll find yourself with a heroine for the ages. And you’ll be left hoping for more.”

  —Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “Lost Hills is what you get when you polish the police procedural to a shine: a gripping premise, a great twist, fresh spins and knowing winks to the genre conventions, and all the smart, snappy ease of an expert at work.”

  —Tana French, New York Times bestselling author

  “Thrills and chills! Lost Hills is the perfect combination of action and suspense, not to mention Eve Ronin is one of the best new female characters in ages. You will race through the pages!”

  —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “Twenty-four-karat Goldberg—a top-notch procedural that shines like a true gem.”

  —Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire series

  “A winner. Packed with procedure, forensics, vivid descriptions, and the right amount of humor. Fervent fans of Connelly and Crais, this is your next read.”

  —Kendra Elliot, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author

  “Brilliant! Eve Ronin rocks! With a baffling and brutal case, tight plotting, and a fascinating look at police procedure, Lost Hills is a stunning start to a new detective series. A must-read for crime fiction fans.”

  —Melinda Leigh, Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author

  “A tense, pacy read from one of America’s greatest crime and thriller writers.”

  —Garry Disher, international bestselling author and Ned Kelly Award winner

  PRAISE FOR FAKE TRUTH

  “A winner from first page to last. Lee Goldberg has single-handedly invented a new genre of thriller. At once nail-bitingly suspenseful and gut-bustingly hilarious . . . but never less than a pedal-to-the-metal, full-on page-turner. Fake Truth is clever, edge-of-your-seat entertainment that I read in one glorious sitting. And that’s no lie!”

  —Christopher Reich, New York Times bestselling author

  “Timely, satirical, and funny. Lee Goldberg’s Fake Truth is deftly ironic and painfully observant.”

  —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author

  “Hilariously surprising. The author’s juggling of truth and fiction is almost as dexterous as his hero’s.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  PRAISE FOR KILLER THRILLER

  “Killer Thriller grabs you from page one with brilliant wit, sharply honed suspense, and a huge helping of pure originality.”

  —Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author

  “A delight from start to finish, a round-the-world, thrill-a-minute, laser-guided missile of a book.”

  —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author

  “Killer Thriller is an action-packed treasure filled with intrigue, engaging characters, and exciting, well-rendered locales. With Goldberg’s hyper-clever plotting, dialogue, and wit on every page, readers are in for a blast with this one!”

  —Mark Greaney, New York Times bestselling author

  PRAISE FOR TRUE FICTION

  “Thriller fiction at its absolute finest—and it could happen for real. But not to me, I hope.”

  —Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “This may be the most fun you’ll ever have reading a thriller. It’s a breathtaking rush of suspense, intrigue, and laughter that only Lee Goldberg could pull off. I loved it.”

  —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “This is my life . . . in a thriller! True Fiction is great fun.”

  —Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “Fans of parodic thrillers will enjoy the exhilarating ride . . . [in] this Elmore Leonard mashed with Get Smart romp.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A conspiracy thriller of the first order, a magical blend of fact and it-could-happen scary fiction. Nail-biting, page-turning, and laced with Goldberg’s wry humor, True Fiction is a true delight, reminiscent of Six Days of the Condor and the best of Hitchcock’s innocent-man-in-peril films.”

  —Paul Levine, bestselling author of Bum Rap

  “Ian Ludlow is one of the coolest heroes to emerge in post-9/11 thrillers. A wonderful, classic yet modern, breakneck suspense novel. Lee Goldberg delivers a great story with a literary metafiction wink that makes its thrills resonate.”

  —James Grady, New York Times bestselling author of Six Days of the Condor

  “Great fun that moves as fast as a jet. Goldberg walks a tightrope between suspense and humor and never slips.”<
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  —Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch

  “I haven’t read anything this much fun since Donald E. Westlake’s comic-caper novels. Immensely entertaining, clever, and timely.”

  —David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of First Blood

  OTHER TITLES BY LEE GOLDBERG

  King City

  The Walk

  Watch Me Die

  McGrave

  Three Ways to Die

  Fast Track

  The Ian Ludlow Thrillers

  True Fiction

  Killer Thriller

  Fake Truth

  The Eve Ronin Series

  Lost Hills

  The Fox & O’Hare Series (coauthored with Janet Evanovich)

  Pros & Cons (novella)

  The Shell Game (novella)

  The Heist

  The Chase

  The Job

  The Scam

  The Pursuit

  The Diagnosis Murder Series

  The Silent Partner

  The Death Merchant

  The Shooting Script

  The Waking Nightmare

  The Past Tense

  The Dead Letter

  The Double Life

  The Last Word

  The Monk Series

  Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse

  Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii

  Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu

  Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants

  Mr. Monk in Outer Space

  Mr. Monk Goes to Germany

  Mr. Monk Is Miserable

  Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop

  Mr. Monk in Trouble

  Mr. Monk Is Cleaned Out

  Mr. Monk on the Road

  Mr. Monk on the Couch

  Mr. Monk on Patrol

  Mr. Monk Is a Mess

  Mr. Monk Gets Even

  The Charlie Willis Series

  My Gun Has Bullets

  Dead Space

  The Dead Man Series (coauthored with William Rabkin)

  Face of Evil

  Ring of Knives (with James Daniels)

  Hell in Heaven

  The Dead Woman (with David McAfee)

  The Blood Mesa (with James Reasoner)

  Kill Them All (with Harry Shannon)

  The Beast Within (with James Daniels)

  Fire & Ice (with Jude Hardin)

  Carnival of Death (with Bill Crider)

  Freaks Must Die (with Joel Goldman)

  Slaves to Evil (with Lisa Klink)

  The Midnight Special (with Phoef Sutton)

  The Death March (with Christa Faust)

  The Black Death (with Aric Davis)

  The Killing Floor (with David Tully)

  Colder Than Hell (with Anthony Neil Smith)

  Evil to Burn (with Lisa Klink)

  Streets of Blood (with Barry Napier)

  Crucible of Fire (with Mel Odom)

  The Dark Need (with Stant Litore)

  The Rising Dead (with Stella Green)

  Reborn (with Kate Danley, Phoef Sutton, and Lisa Klink)

  The Jury Series

  Judgment

  Adjourned

  Payback

  Guilty

  Nonfiction

  The Best TV Shows You Never Saw

  Unsold Television Pilots 1955–1989

  Television Fast Forward

  Science Fiction Filmmaking in the 1980s (cowritten with William Rabkin, Randy Lofficier, and Jean-Marc Lofficier)

  The Dreamweavers: Interviews with Fantasy Filmmakers of the 1980s (cowritten with William Rabkin, Randy Lofficier, and Jean-Marc Lofficier)

  Successful Television Writing (cowritten with William Rabkin)

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2021 by Adventures in Television, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Thomas & Mercer, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Thomas & Mercer are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781542042710 (hardcover)

  ISBN-10: 1542042712 (hardcover)

  ISBN-13: 9781542042772 (paperback)

  ISBN-10: 1542042771 (paperback)

  Cover design by Shasti O’Leary Soudant

  First edition

  For Valerie and Maddie, who always have my back.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Author’s Note and Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  The dead were rising in the fire-blackened Santa Monica Mountains and Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective in the history of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was on her way to examine one of them.

  “Are you sure you ought to be driving?” asked her partner, Duncan Pavone, who took a bite out of his morning donut and rested it on a napkin that was spread out on his considerable belly. He was more than twice her age, three times as heavy, and four months away from retirement. “You just got the cast off your wrist yesterday. What if you have to make a sudden move?”

  She’d been stuck at a desk for weeks, pushing paper while waiting for her wrist to heal. It was broken during the course of her first murder investigation as a member of the Robbery-Homicide Division at the Lost Hills sheriff’s station in Calabasas, a small city on the northwest edge of the San Fernando Valley. Eve was eager to get out and do some real detective work again. So she was excited when they were dispatched to investigate a call from a homeowner in the Santa Monica Mountains who’d found bones in his backyard.

  “My wrist is fine,” Eve said, “and even if it wasn’t, it’s still safer than you driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding your donut.”

  “What if a frightened deer leaps out in front of us?”

  “From where?” Eve gestured to the desolate mountains all around them as they headed south on Kanan Dume Road in their plain-wrap Ford Explorer on a hot, muggy Monday morning in mid-January. “There’s no place for a deer to hide.”

  Six weeks earlier, a raging wildfire in Valencia, thirty-three miles north of Los Angeles, was pushed southwest by scorching Santa Ana winds. The flames converged in the Santa Monica Mountains with another blaze in Topanga Canyon to create a cataclysmic firestorm that roared through one hundred thousand acres of dry mustard weed and chaparral, devouring sixteen hundred structures before it was finally put down.

  Five residents and one firefighter were killed in the inferno. But in the days and weeks that followed, the burned remains of four other people were found, corpses that had been hidden in the brush and ravines before the flames revealed them.

  “What about a death-crazed raccoon?” Duncan said.
/>   “A what?”

  “A raccoon driven mad after the fire by pain, hunger, and thirst.”

  “I’ll run it over,” she said. “We probably won’t even feel a bump.”

  “That’s heartless. I can’t believe you’d do that.”

  “I’ll be putting him out of his misery and protecting others from the danger he poses. What if he attacks a puppy or a newborn baby?”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Because he’s death crazed.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would a puppy or a newborn baby be out here?”

  “It’s as likely as a raccoon hurling himself at a speeding SUV.”

  “I feel like the last man on earth in one of those Twilight Zone episodes,” Duncan said, ignoring her comment and looking out the window at the desolation. “Like the guy who finally has eternity to indulge his love of reading books and then sits on his last pair of glasses.”

  Eve also thought there was an eerie, postapocalyptic feel to the naked mountains. There was virtually no traffic on the road. The only people in sight were utility workers installing new poles for the downed power and telephone lines.

  “Then you better be careful you don’t sit on your last donut,” she said.

  Duncan took her advice, ate the remainder of his glazed old-fashioned, then balled up his napkin and tossed it in the back seat. His nickname at the station was “Dunkin’ Donuts” and this was how he’d earned it.

  She made a left onto Hueso Canyon Road. The narrow strip of cracked asphalt was bordered on three sides by steep blackened slopes and above by a winding, perilous stretch of Latigo Canyon Road that ran just below the ragged ridgeline.

  They passed a small winery that had been spared by the flames, but the homes on either side of the vineyard hadn’t been so lucky. All that remained of them were twisted pipes, freestanding brick chimneys, toppled water heaters, and the hulks of a few burned-out cars. As Eve drove farther along, the random nature of the destruction became more evident. Four houses in a row, on the south side of the road, backed up to the mountain. The first two homes and the fourth were gone, but the third was untouched. That house was their destination.

  It was two stories with a four-car garage, a red-tiled roof, and lots of stone cladding. There was something unnatural about how pristine the home and landscaping were, as if the property had been under a protective dome when the blaze swept through. The lawn and flowers, contrasted against the black ash everywhere else, struck Eve as outrageously colorful, like something out of The Wizard of Oz. The only thing on the property that had burned was the fence. A few scorched posts remained, marking the property’s boundary with a ghostly dotted line.