Movieland

At the start of bestseller Goldberg’s strong fourth Eve Ronin mystery (after 2021’s Gated Prey), Eve, a young Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, and her soon-to-retire partner, Duncan Pavone, are called to Malibu Creek State Park, where they find one woman dead from a shotgun blast and another seriously injured. Eve recognizes the wounded woman as Zena Faust, “a harsh critic of... local politicians, developers, and celebrities” who promptly decides that a serial shooter must be menacing park visitors. Duncan has suspected as much for some time, but he has been ordered to stifle his hunch because the powers-that-be don’t want to scare off the public. Now, the furor won’t subside, especially after a city councilman is shot dead just outside the park. As Eve and Duncan pursue the investigation despite official resistance, she also must worry about the men in her department who resent her fast promotion. Eve boldly and sometimes foolishly charges forward while Duncan tries to keep her alive. Assured prose matches the tight plot. The tale of the brave, rule-breaking rookie and the weary, good-hearted mentor has been done almost to death, but Goldberg manages to make his version fresh. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (June)