So, I’ll be honest. It’s been a few weeks since I read Lost Hills. But I think I still remember enough of it to give a solid review. There are certain things that have stuck in my mind, because apparently that’s how my mind works. So, now that this short and sweet introduction is done, let me share my review of Lost Hills.
Lost Hills Summary
Lost Hills is the first book in the Eve Ronin series. The series is written by Lee Goldberg and follows new homicide detective Eve Ronin of the Las Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Eve got promoted to homicide in a very unconventional way and now feels like she has to constantly prove that she belongs there. After her partner and her get called to a scene that LAPD is trying to say is their jurisdiction, Eve quickly finds evidence that they moved the vehicle and it was in fact LAPD’s case. Not believing how lazy the LAPD detectives were, Eve then drives to the scene that is in their jurisdiction. What starts as a wellness check leaves her and her partner shaken as they walk into a house with blood splatter everywhere.
Eve’s First Homicide
The case immediately gets a bunch of attention and Eve’s partner decides to put her as the lead detective on the case. He’s up for retirement soon and doesn’t want to deal with a case this massive, but he’ll support her. Eve dives in head first and even though she makes some small mistakes, she tackles the case with sheer determination to bring justice to the family. At the same time she keeps fighting with her mother, who thinks Eve should have been an actress. Others also comment on how she is seen in TV reports and Eve gets frustrated. She just wants to solve the case and doesn’t care about her fame.
Lots of Twists
There are lots of twists and turns in this case. You go along with Eve and try to find evidence, see her pay for some of her mistakes. On top of everything, there are forest fires nearby that could cause a problem for our detectives. And let me tell you – when Eve finds out a crucial piece of information, it will leave your jaw on the floor.
What I Liked
I loved Eve’s character. Sure, there were some things that made me roll my eyes or groan with frustration. However, if a character isn’t making stupid decisions they need to grow from, are they even a good character? The way the police investigation is explained, and the little nuggets dropped to make you think, were well written. And like I said, the crucial piece of information that Eve finds left me reading with my mouth hanging open. And the intensity of the last few chapters had my heart racing.
What I Didn’t Like
I think the thing I struggled with the most is how “quickly” it was solved. Don’t get me wrong, the whole book was a big mystery, and well written. However, the majority of the book was finding evidence because they were holding the killer in a cell already. They, in a sense, caught him quite quickly. In my opinion anyway. I was kind of hoping for more cloak and dagger and “who is the killer” vibes. Instead I got “how do we prove he’s the killer” for a huge portion of the book. Considering this was supposed to be Eve’s first homicide, I kind of expected a bit more. Like arresting the wrong person first, or something. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Lost Hills Rating
I gave Lost Hills a 4 star rating. I immensely enjoyed reading this book. That was huge because I was reading it while only wanting to read fan fiction. So, any book that got me to read more than a chapter at a time was considered a good book. It held my attention and had me wanting to pick it back up to see how it would end. And the end was quite the roller coaster. Basically the thing I didn’t like, which I just went through, is what kept this from being a 5 star. However, I am invested in this series now and can’t wait to read the next one.
What’s Next
Unfortunately, for my reading goal, I’m still highly interested in reading fan fiction over actual books. In fact, I started forcing myself to read a chapter or two of an actual book in between fan fictions. I have DNF’d another book. I’m not quite ready to say which one, as I’m sure a lot of you will scream at me for it. But I’m just not in the mood for it. And I am slowly making my way through a fantasy book. I’m about half way through, I think. Honestly, I’m not enjoying it that much, but I can’t DNF a book that I’m halfway through. Especially because I did that with another already. But, I’m still confident I can reach my goal. I just need to buckle down. Anything can happen, if I try.
