cover image Hidden in Smoke (Sharpe & Walker #3)

Hidden in Smoke (Sharpe & Walker #3)

Lee Goldberg. Thomas & Mercer, $28.99 (300p) ISBN 978-1-66252-646-6

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.)