Hidden in smoke

Well, it was bound to happen: arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker, Goldberg's newish series leads, team up with homicide detective Eve Ronin, who's a bit more established (her series runs to five books; this is the third Sharpe and Walker). Sometimes, when an author brings characters from one series over into another, it can be a bit clunky; here, the transition is as smooth as can be. Sharpe and Walker call on Eve, and her partner Duncan Pavone, when an arson investigation turns into something that requires an assist from Homicide. As the teams follow their investigations, the trails begin pointing in the same direction. Goldberg avoids the expected jockeying-for-position between the arson investigators and the murder cops: Eve and Duncan are clearly here in supporting roles, and they don't seem to mind. Fans of the Ronin series who haven't yet sampled the Sharpe and Walker books will want to give this one a look, and with any luck they'll seek out the previous books as well.

In Goldberg's lumbering latest (after Malibu Burning), a string of West Hollywood apartment fires prompt investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker to hunt for a serial arsonist. The pair initially pursues Toniel Novar, a grieving artist they believe is seeking revenge on property owners who painted over his dead lover's street art. When fire-damaged freeways threaten an upcoming awards show, city officials call in George Petroni, a contractor specializing in emergency overpass repairs. Petroni's involvement causes Sharpe and Walker's suspicions to shift after they learn he's rebuilt other cities' infrastructures following similar disasters. To help with the increasingly complicated investigation, the pair consults homicide detective Eve Ronin, who anchors her own Goldberg series. Meanwhile, Sharpe strikes up communication with Danny Cole, a "retired" thief who's eager to settle an old score with wealthy businessman Roland Slezak. Slezak made his fortune by acquiring pharmaceutical companies and dramatically increasing drug prices, and Sharpe's son needs an expensive seizure medication--pushing the investigator to consider potentially drastic measures. While Goldberg devotees might enjoy the multiple series crossovers, the plot is clunkily assembled and heavy on exposition. This is far from Goldberg's best. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Apr.)

An alarming string of auto fires marks only the beginning of the latest caseload for LA County arson investigators Andrew Walker and Walter Sharpe. During a single night, someone sets fire to a number of cars in Hollywood and West Hollywood, some of which spread from the carports to the buildings above them. The discovery of the remains of several artificial fireplace logs under the ruined vehicles makes the method clear enough, but what's the motive? Pulling jurisdictional rank over LAFD investigators Al Scruggs and Pete Caffrey, Walker and Sharpe quickly identify a promising suspect. Just as they're about to close the case, though, they're pulled off it to look into an even bigger one, a massive fire along the Santa Monica Freeway that's already displaced hundreds of squatters and dozens of small businesses. Worse still, contractor George Petroni, who's signed on to restore the area, has already cleared the scene of any forensic evidence. As they reach out to Det. Eve Ronin and her partner, Det. Duncan Pavone, for help, Walker and Sharpe have no idea that still another challenge awaits them: the return of Danny Cole, the con man who, inMalibu Burning (2023), used the cover of an earlier blaze to loot a number of upscale homes. Not only did Danny survive that fire; after several rounds of plastic surgery and a long rest abroad, he's back with a plan to steal "the world's most valuable watch from the world's most impregnable museum." Though the different plots never come together as neatly as you might like, each one is as pleasurable as surfing another wave off Malibu. An expansive procedural given uncomfortable new weight by the recent real-life LA fires. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.