Book Review: Malibu Burning, by Lee Goldberg

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Three Weeks Ago

The blue Ferrari 488 Spider was the perfect car for taking the hairpin turns on Latigo Canyon Road, heading south into the Santa Monica Mountains toward the sea. But the Beverly Hills rental car company wouldn’t have been pleased knowing how fast and dangerously Danny Cole was driving on the two-late, ridge-line road, where one tiny miscalculation could send him plunging off a cliff.

Then again, Danny thought, they could hardly be surprised. Who rented a Ferrari with any intention of driving slowly? Nobody. The point of a Ferrari was to drive fast and be seen doing it, to express your daring, your virility and your wealth, which was exactly why he chose the car for the character he was playing today.

Danny Cole really found his calling in life as a con man. The good guys and the bad guys alike respect his plans and know he has much higher likelihood of success than most conmen or officers pursuing them.

Official synopsis:

Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.

As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspect that someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.

While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.

The way the pieces came together and the investigation used the strengths of veteran investigator Sharpe and experienced detective Walker was fascinating. Neither of them would have solved it single-handedly, and they both grudgingly came around to accepting that and becoming better partners for each other.

While Sharpe and Walker were the central characters who will keep this new series evolving, the other characters were also well-developed and engaging. Cole and his crew of bad guys were also interesting and unique. As a character-driven story with an intricate but thoroughly explained plot, this book earned 4 out of 5 stars. As an author, Lee Goldberg does not disappoint. The book could be enthusiastically recommended to those who enjoy thrillers, police procedurals, and California stories. 

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Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading and writing. Although it’s been a while, she also remembers a fondness for stitching and crafting. Check out what she’s up to with and without her family on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.