Sophia Rose is here with the fifth Eve Ronin crime thriller, Dream Town, by Lee Godberg. Come to Hidden Hills, a gated community in LA where Eve Ronin is dealing with murder in this gritty police procedural.
by Lee Goldberg
Series: Eve Ronin #5
Narrator: Nicol Zanzarella
Length: 8 hours and 47 minutes
Genres: Crime Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.2x
A gated dream town for the megarich becomes a murderous nightmare in a riveting Eve Ronin thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.
Hidden Hills is a private celebrity enclave of white picket fences and horse trails that seems to exist in a dreamworld. But when reality superstar Kitty Winslow is killed within their gates and corpses are found in the vast state park outside them, LASD detective Eve Ronin realizes there is a deadly, razor-thin line between what’s real and what’s imagined.
Eve discovers that Kitty’s surreal on- and off-camera life, a blur of fact and fantasy, shockingly mirrors her own as she struggles to investigate the killings, wade into a music industry war, and battle a vicious Chilean gang—all while her life is being turned into a fictional cop show directed by her estranged father.
Eve’s grip on reality and the case is strained to the breaking point as the slayings continue, the media frenzy reaches a fever pitch, and the only inescapable truth she can see is death…and it’s coming for her.
Sophia Rose’s Review
A gritty and colorful police procedural set in LA’s Lala Land of reality TV and traveling Chilean burglary gangs with Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin on the case.
I was familiar with Lee Goldberg’s works for a few years now, but not until last year’s sensational new release of standalone sci-fi thriller, Calico, did I try his work. I was most impressed to I reached for this year’s new release, the fifth installment in the Eve Ronin series. Granted, I took a chance that I could slip into the story without having read the earlier books. I can see where I would have perhaps enjoyed Dream Town more if I’d have gotten the book in order. Eve’s past career, her family situation, and even some ongoing personal and relationship development all point back to previous books.
That said, I had no trouble slipping into Eve Ronin’s world of police work and figuring out how to survive the work politics and lethal situations her job brings let alone navigating the odd world her parents created with a show based on her life filming presently and the crazy rarified world of a wealthy gated community where her Kardashian-like reality TV star victim was murdered. I found the addition of the field of bodies discovered in a nearby park and connected with Chilean travel gangs a scary yet fascinating additional case for Eve and her older more phlegmatic partner, Duncan. The find of the bodies brings in her would-be boyfriend, Daniel, the pathologist, is involved in. Eve’s still not sold on the relationship or Daniel living with her.
So, Eve has a lot of balls in the air, but she’s tough and smart. She gets it done. I figured some of it out and how things connected, but nothing close to the final solution.
Nicole Zanzarella was a new to me narrator. I had no trouble settling into her storytelling and I thought she made a good Eve and skillfully voiced the rest of the characters well. She caught the pace and tone of the story and made a good story even stronger.
All in all, the writing and description of setting into a celebrity and wealthy world I had little conception of was as solid and engaging as ever. I will be going back for the beginning of the series and following Eve to this point. Those who enjoy police procedural thrillers in the larger than life world of LA policing should definitely give this a go.
About Lee Goldberg
#1 New York Times Bestselling author Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee whose many TV writing and/or producing credits include "Martial Law," "SeaQuest," "Diagnosis Murder,""Hunter," "Spenser: For Hire," "Nero Wolfe," "Missing." "Monk" and "The Glades." He's also the co-author of the Fox & O'Hare series with Janet Evanovich (The Heist, The Chase, The Job, The Scam, The Pursuit etc), "The Walk," "Watch Me Die," "King City," the "Dead Man" series, as well as the "Diagnosis Murder" and "Monk" series of original mystery novels.
About Nicol Zanzarella
Nicol Zanzarella is an award-winning audiobook narrator, with titles spanning multiple genres in both fiction and nonfiction. She came to audiobook narration after (literally) growing up within the walls of a local radio station that her father ran, and brings with her a background in both classical and contemporary theater, as well as film. She also has numerous television and radio commercials to her credit. Originally from Yonkers, New York, she currently lives in California, where, when not in the booth, you can usually find her drinking coffee, cooking her grandmother's Italian recipes, or in the local boxing gym. Thank you for listening!
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About Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
While this isn’t my type of read, I can see my mom and aunt enjoying it. Great review!
Sophia Rose
Yay! Glad I could nudge you toward a book gift for the family. 🙂
Anne - Books of My Heart
I enjoy these. They are a bit over the top but I like them.
Sophia Rose
Yes, it was something else, but I got into it good. I’ll look forward to going back from the beginning.
Katherine
I have never read this author but I really want to. This looks like a good one!
Sophia Rose
Oh good! Glad to put them on your radar, Katherine. I had such a good time with is standalone sci-fi, Calico, that I had to read more of his stuff.
Carla @CarlaLovesToRead
Great review, Sophia Rose. I have read a couple of Lee Goldberg’s books and enjoyed them. I will have to see if I can find the first in this series to see if I like it. Great review, you definitely hooked me.
Sophia Rose
Yeah, I’m headed back to the beginning with this series, too, Carla. I have a feeling I missed out on some super reads.
Lorna
I love this series and liked this book. It was a quick listen as always. I definitely think you would benefit from starting from the beginning because her family is wacky-not in a good way-and the police characters are pretty horrible!
Sophia Rose
That’s what I was most interested in seeing from the beginning was her family situation. Yeah, they’re nuts! Thanks, Lorna!
Mary Kirkland
The gangs sound scary. I could see that happening in real life.
Sophia Rose
Yeah, those gangs are no joke scary. And, I suspect are as colorful and nasty in real life, too.