Fallen Star

Eve Ronin, Book 6

By: Lee Goldberg

Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella, Eric Conger

A spiraling case of betrayal, corruption, and murder could destroy Eve Ronin if she exposes it in a gripping thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

A fifty-five-gallon drum washes up in the Malibu Lagoon stuffed with the corpse of Gene Dent, the key player in a bribery scandal that ensnared several local politicians. LASD detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone know the case—and all the likely suspects—well. Just as they begin their investigation, the sheriff publicly reveals evidence linking the crime to LA’s mayor.

But Eve and Duncan realize the bombshell allegation, true or not, arises from corruption within the sheriff’s own office…because they helped cover it up years ago. If the sheriff goes down, so will they.

Eve is agonizing over her moral dilemma when a helicopter crashes in the hillside below her Calabasas home. It’s not a coincidence. Eve soon discovers among the twisted wreckage and dead passengers shocking connections to her own past…and they lead straight to a fight for her life.

©2025 by Adventures in Television, Inc. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Goldberg’s latest roller-coaster installment of modern Los Angeles noir ratchets the action up to 11 and the sinuous plot twists and twists. The symbiotic relationship between reality and image give Goldberg’s series an added depth not often seen in the genre.”—Library Journal

“Lee Goldberg delivers once again, crafting an unputdownable police procedural containing wonderfully constructed characters engaged in deception and political maneuverings within a pulse-racing plot. Fallen Star is the most fun you can have while being immersed in a murder investigation.”—Best Thriller Books

“I enjoyed this latest visit to Goldberg’s ‘Ronin-verse,’ treasuring the appearances of familiar faces. The settings are wonderfully described and the plots are quite Michael Connelly-esque.”—Deadly Pleasures

Another Entertaining Listen

Eve and Duncan are together again, working to solve a helicopter crash. As usual, the main case has a number of additional incidents that somehow tie into the main case. This book can be read as a stand-alone but my suggestion would be for you to start with book one for a more complete picture of Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone.

I love Duncan's food addicted character and his dry humor. As much as I enjoy Duncan, I am really happiest when Sharpe and Walker join the team. Walker is game for any wild scheme Eve comes up with and Eve is the same with Walker's schemes. Walker and Sharpe definitely add to the humor in the book. Sharpe and Duncan are the more seasoned professionals and are supposed to add a bit more stability for Eve and Walker.

I felt bad for Daniel. He didn't really serve a purpose in the book. Once again, I felt like he was much more into Eve than she was into him.

I have to admit that even with Eve being the main character, she is my least favorite of them all. I find her to be reckless, selfish, and slightly arrogant. Eve is very focused on her way being the right way or only way. She often seems to only give thought to the consequences while in the middle of an action or after she has made a spontaneous decision.

Even feeling the way I do about Eve, this was still an entertaining listen. I thought the narration was well done. There was a good amount of action an the twists and turns of the story were intriguing.

Awwww. The ending.

Great story all the way through. Moves right along right to the tear jerker ending. Can’t wait for the next one.

At A Crossroads for Eve & Duncan

I love how this series builds upon what happened before. A helicopter crash near her house leads Eve to a case with many twists and turns. Politics rears its ugly head and Eve must contend with decisions previously made. You just have to read and listen for yourself. Several favorites from other books make appearances that just thrilled me. What shines through this book is relationship between Eve and her partner Duncan. A number of funny and touching moments with them both. I can't wait for the next book. Narration by Nicol Zanzarella and Eric Conger was fantastic as usual. Now I can watch the videos the author made showing locations mentioned in the book on his Facebook page.

I love Eric Conger’s Narrations

His voice always makes me smile. Good plot, good ending. I hope this isn’t the last we hear from Duncan.

A good listen

Always entertaining! I like the characters, the story, and the plot twist at the end. Looking forward to the next one.