Malibu Burning

Sharpe & Walker, Book 1

By: Lee Goldberg

Narrated by: Eric Conger

For listeners who loved the Eve Ronin series, don’t miss this new incendiary thriller series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.

As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspect that someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.

While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.

©2023 Adventures in Television, Inc. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Goldberg is a master of his craft, creating vibrant characters brought to life through Eric Conger’s voice-acting talents. Perfect for audiences who enjoy a good action-adventure story and lovers of heist films like Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job. A nail-biting thriller that will have listeners on the edge of their seat.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Goldberg returns to the wildfire he memorably chronicled in Lost Hills (2020) from a strikingly new angle….A businesslike thriller that shows how rewarding it can be to revisit the same story from a new point of view.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Goldberg’s well-drawn characters will keep readers rooting for both crooks and cops, and he hangs everyone’s fates on a clever, complicated con. The result is as explosive as a wildfire.”—Publishers Weekly

Enjoyable

Would recommend. Interesting concept. Nice cross over between man hunt detective and arcén detective work. And a satisfying ending.

Fantastic!

A storytelling master at work. Great characters and a truly absorbing story. Buy it! You’ll like it

Pretty Good Nool

The good guys and the bad guys both win. The narrative was also very good

Interesting take on a mystery

I liked Walker and Sharp’s parts best.
I didn’t like having to read about the fires.

A Lot of Fun

It is rare that you find a book that has you cheering for the good guys and bad guys but Goldberg has pulled it off masterly here.

Completely Average

Meh! Wish I’d gotten this from the library vs cash. Likable characters and interesting locations (middle of a fire storm), yet not as interesting as it should have been.

What a story

Loved this story and the narration. It was interesting to hear this story knowing that Malibu did burn down in February 2025. What a coincidence that it really happened, wonder if the rest of the story happened too with the burglary🤔. It was a great story. And I will look into other books he has written, he's a good story teller.

Incredible story!!

Great story and incredibly well done by Eric Conger! Highly recommend this book to any thriller fan.

Always a winner from Lee Goldberg.

I have loved all of his books. Grew up in California, and his books bring me home again.

Fun Thrill Ride with Great Characters

This is my first book by this author and had borrowed it via Kindle Unlimited. I am so glad I did. The story of a con man pulling a heist during a wildfire it was fantastic. We meet Danny Cole pulling off a con in Ventura California! That was a wonderful touch, reading about local attractions in this novel and hearing more about familiar in the novel. The characters were likeable, villains awful and this book had great dialog. I laughed throughout much of it. I love the nuances of Danny Cole, a con man with humanity. I was rooting for both the arson investigators (who were a fantastic mismatch) and for Danny since his con was partially to wright two awful wrongs done to two families. I can't wait for the next book in the series due out in September. Meanwhile, I've selected a few more of the author's books to enjoy. Narration on the audiobook was great. The author was a producer and writer on a number of well known television shows and this would make a great series or movie. I bought the book I enjoyed it so much to read again later.