In this 6th book in the 'Eve Ronin' series, the Los Angeles Sheriff Department (LASD) homicide detective gets embroiled in a shooting and a helicopter crash. The book works fine as a standalone, but it contains spoilers for previous Eve Ronin novels.
Background: Eve Ronin was a young deputy in Lancaster when she subdued and arrested action movie star Blake Largo for assaulting a woman.
A video of the incident went viral, and Eve leveraged the moment of fame to leap over dozens of more qualified deputies to become a homicide detective in the LASD.
Since then, needing to pay legal bills, Eve agreed to a fictional TV series based on her exploits. The Eve Ronin television character performs incredible feats of derring-do, and the public tends to confuse the real Eve and the fictional Eve.
Nevertheless, the television show provides a hefty income, and Eve has a beautiful house on a hill in Calabasas.....but she hasn't bothered to buy much furniture.
Eve is a loose cannon who causes trouble for her Captain, and most other LASD detectives consider her unqualified and undeserving of her position. Thus Eve is constantly trying to prove herself.
Luckily, Eve's partner Duncan "Donuts" Pavone, who's on the cusp of retirement, likes Eve and recognizes her abilities.
Duncan adds fun to the story because he can't pass up a fast food restaurant (or any other affordable eatery) without getting some grub: hamburgers, french fries, tacos, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cookies, etc. And at a buffet Duncan will load up two plates just for himself.
*****
Ronin and Pavone's investigation begins when the body of Gene Dent is found in a 55-gallon-barrel in Malibu Lagoon.
Dent was a bagman who bribed officials on behalf of city councilman Ricardo Villegas and real estate developer Paul Bannerman. Ricardo and Paul needed political support ("yes votes") to build a new residential and retail development in Los Angeles, and they were willing to pay big bucks to get it.
The FBI caught up with Dent, and he was negotiating for immunity in exchange for testifying about the bribes. Thus Villegas, Bannerman, and the bribed officials are all suspects for Dent's homicide.
Other possible perpetrators emerge as well because Dent - a creepy lothario who couldn't keep his hands off women - was shot in the scrotum and the head.
While Eve is embroiled in the Dent investigation, a helicopter crashes right below her house in Calabasas - so Eve literally slides down the hill to the scene. It's not immediately known if the crash resulted from foul play, and the medical examiner, crime scene unit, National Transportation and Safety Board, FBI, etc. descend on the site.
The burning helicopter ignites brush fires as well, and Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are also called to Calabasas. (Note: Lee Goldberg writes a separate series about Sharpe and Walker, so this is a crossover novel.)
It turns out the helicopter was owned and operated by disgraced actor Blake Largo, who was ferrying five passengers, including persons-of-interest for Dent's murder. Everyone on the helicopter was killed in the crash, leading to a murder inquiry when a bullet hole is found in Largo's skull.
As if Eve doesn't have enough on her plate, she sticks her two cents into the upcoming Los Angeles mayoral election. County Sheriff Richard Lansing is running against the incumbent mayor, Ward Keegan.
Lansing thinks Keegan is corrupt, and has hired Ted Nakamura - a dishonest detective who was fired - to investigate the mayor. Eve thinks Nakamura should be in prison, and blames herself that he's not - and the whole business infuriates her.
All this complicates Eve and Duncan's investigation, and Eve is almost killed at one point. Still, the partners carry on to learn the truth about Dent's death and the helicopter crash.
I enjoyed the story, which is a well-written police procedural. My major criticism is that the story has unlikely occurrences, like a helicopter crashing right below Eve's house, and Eve stumbling on a criminal accomplice. That said, I'd read more books in the Eve Ronin series.
Thanks to Netgalley, Lee Goldberg, and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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