This is the second installment of the Eve "Deathfist" Ronin series and a book I was looking forward to after Lost Hills took me by surprise earlier in the year. I wanted to see how Eve's character development would continue after she saved the day the first time around.
Bone Canyon picks up 6 weeks after Lost Hills concludes. Eve is recovering from injuries she sustained during her first murder investigation as a detective in the Robbery-Homicide Division of the Lost Hills Sheriff's station, which culminated in a daring escape and rescue from a raging wildfire. She's supposed to be taking it easy, working from a desk and focusing on her physical therapy. But when bones show up in the ashes of the wildfire, she refuses to sit it out. Then, a case that starts out as one potential homicide turns into a whole lot more with multiple victims. As Eve and her partner, Duncan "Donuts" Pavone, dig deeper and deeper, the cases become significantly more complicated as it implicates dirty cops who will stop at nothing to protect themselves from humiliation and lengthy prison sentences. As the heat turns up on the case, Eve must decide how far she wants to push it while coming under near constant attack by people who have sworn an oath to serve and protect.
Lee Goldberg does a nice job of crafting an action packed story into a 300-page novel that, at it's core, is a solid police procedural. There are multiple twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. And when you think it's al wrapped up he hits you with a final twist that I didn't see coming, but in retrospect there are enough breadcrumbs throughout the story that it doesn't come out of nowhere. He also brings in a solid perspective on how law enforcement officers would react, act out against and even protect one of their own who is passionately working a case that could bring significant embarrassment to the department and fellow cops.
The author also attempts to develop Eve and the surrounding cast through their actions and decisions, but unfortunately I found the character development lacking. Eve's naïve, scorched earth lone wolf approach is over the top and wears thin pretty quickly. I like that she's a rookie and that she has a chip on her shoulder based on how she leveraged her celebrity to accelerate her appointment to homicide detective. I also like that she makes mistakes and shows some vulnerability. That adds a solid level of realism. And I'm generally a fan of strong female characters. However, it takes away from the story when she ignores everyone except her partner and won't listen to reason, continuously putting herself in difficult situations she should know better to avoid.
The other part of the story that doesn't work for me is Eve's family, namely her incredibly overbearing mother, constantly insisting that Eve cash in her fame and sign a Hollywood development deal for the rights to tell her story on the screen. It becomes a detractor from the plot with how often it comes up, including all the times her mother and other relatives hound her about wearing makeup when she talks to the press. Eve's mom is not likeable and, while I'm sure that's the intent, it's a bit much with how overly annoying she can be throughout the book.
All that being said, Bone Canyon is still a book I enjoyed and Eve Ronin a hard-nosed character with great potential. It's worth reading for the action and the plot twists alone. Just know what you're getting into. This isn't a Bosch-level police procedural, but to be fair that's a high bar to achieve and most books don't get there. Take it for what it is, a good story about corrupt cops with a strong female lead who's trying to do right to clean up the department while finding justice for the victims. If the author dials back Eve's tunnel vision, this is a series to watch going forward that can play with the big boys.
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