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McGrave
Hold on tight for a wild, rollicking, action-adventure novella that captures all of the fun, excitement and pure escapist pleasure of the Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon and the Die Hard movies...with the humor, sharp dialogue and inventiveness that you've come to expect from Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author of True Fiction.
Los Angeles cop John "Tidal Wave" McGrave is an unstoppable force of nature who always gets his man...even if it means laying waste to everything around him, including his own career...which is exactly what happens in his pursuit of Sebastian Richter, the ruthless leader of an international gang of violent thieves. When Richter flees to Berlin, McGrave chases after him...even though the cop doesn't know the language, the laws, or the culture. But McGrave doesn't care...he speaks the universal language of knee in the groin and fist in the face...and he won't let anything get in his way.
"McGrave" is guaranteed to leave you breathless...and with a big smile on your face.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR McGRAVE:
"Sitting down to read McGrave is like getting hit in the face with a double-fistload of two-by-four. For those of you who thrill to the throaty roar of a V-8 engine and long for the days when policework came from Bruce Willis University, Lee Goldberg has got a read for you. Strap in and hold tight," Mel Odom, author of the Left Behind Apocalypse series
"Lee Goldberg has answered one of my prayers. A new lawman-in-new-territory series. McGrave is everything I've been waiting for. This a first-rate, one-night read. For me it's a five-star implementation of a five-star idea," Mugshots Blog
""The fastest-paced book I read this year and maybe the most purely entertaining. It's a fish-out-of-water cop thriller that's great fun from start to finish. Goldberg pulls off a very neat trick, producing a yarn that's part serious, part satire, and all action. It seems like I had a grin on my face the whole time I was reading it. I loved it," James Reasoner, author of Texas Wind
"This book is the literary equivalent of buffalo wings and boilermakers. " Post Modern Pulps
"It's terrific. Non-stop action and a lot of laughs. Reading it was like watching a great action movie." Bill Crider, author of Outrage at Blanco.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEE
"Can books be better than TV? You bet they can -- when Lee Goldberg's writing them. Get aboard now for a thrill ride," Lee Child
"Approaching the level of Lawrence Block is no mean feat, but Goldberg succeeds..." Publishers Weekly
"You'd be hard-pressed to find another recent work that provides so many hip and humorous moments," Bookgasm
"A wonderfully fresh voice in the mystery genre, Goldberg will delight fans of Janet Evanovich and Robert Crais," - Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians
"Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce competition--Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben--and comes out virtually unscathed." The Chicago Tribune
"Lee Goldberg is known for his cleverness and sense of humor. He shows how a masterful plotter can take a character in a comic situation and lead him into unexpected danger in an eye-blink," - Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author
"You'll finish this book breathless!" Janet Evanovich
"Leaves you guessing right up until the heart-stopping ending," Lisa Gardner
"Lee Goldberg can plot and write with the best of them," Mystery Scene Magazine
Los Angeles cop John "Tidal Wave" McGrave is an unstoppable force of nature who always gets his man...even if it means laying waste to everything around him, including his own career...which is exactly what happens in his pursuit of Sebastian Richter, the ruthless leader of an international gang of violent thieves. When Richter flees to Berlin, McGrave chases after him...even though the cop doesn't know the language, the laws, or the culture. But McGrave doesn't care...he speaks the universal language of knee in the groin and fist in the face...and he won't let anything get in his way.
"McGrave" is guaranteed to leave you breathless...and with a big smile on your face.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR McGRAVE:
"Sitting down to read McGrave is like getting hit in the face with a double-fistload of two-by-four. For those of you who thrill to the throaty roar of a V-8 engine and long for the days when policework came from Bruce Willis University, Lee Goldberg has got a read for you. Strap in and hold tight," Mel Odom, author of the Left Behind Apocalypse series
"Lee Goldberg has answered one of my prayers. A new lawman-in-new-territory series. McGrave is everything I've been waiting for. This a first-rate, one-night read. For me it's a five-star implementation of a five-star idea," Mugshots Blog
""The fastest-paced book I read this year and maybe the most purely entertaining. It's a fish-out-of-water cop thriller that's great fun from start to finish. Goldberg pulls off a very neat trick, producing a yarn that's part serious, part satire, and all action. It seems like I had a grin on my face the whole time I was reading it. I loved it," James Reasoner, author of Texas Wind
"This book is the literary equivalent of buffalo wings and boilermakers. " Post Modern Pulps
"It's terrific. Non-stop action and a lot of laughs. Reading it was like watching a great action movie." Bill Crider, author of Outrage at Blanco.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEE
"Can books be better than TV? You bet they can -- when Lee Goldberg's writing them. Get aboard now for a thrill ride," Lee Child
"Approaching the level of Lawrence Block is no mean feat, but Goldberg succeeds..." Publishers Weekly
"You'd be hard-pressed to find another recent work that provides so many hip and humorous moments," Bookgasm
"A wonderfully fresh voice in the mystery genre, Goldberg will delight fans of Janet Evanovich and Robert Crais," - Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians
"Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce competition--Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben--and comes out virtually unscathed." The Chicago Tribune
"Lee Goldberg is known for his cleverness and sense of humor. He shows how a masterful plotter can take a character in a comic situation and lead him into unexpected danger in an eye-blink," - Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author
"You'll finish this book breathless!" Janet Evanovich
"Leaves you guessing right up until the heart-stopping ending," Lisa Gardner
"Lee Goldberg can plot and write with the best of them," Mystery Scene Magazine
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Lee Goldberg
166 books2,285 followersLee Goldberg is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over forty novels, including Malibu Burning, Calico, Lost Hills (the first novel in his acclaimed "Eve Ronin" series), 15 "Monk" mysteries, five "Fox & O'Hare" adventures (co-written with Janet Evanovich), and the new thriller Ashes Never Lie, the second in his "Sharpe & Walker" series.. He's written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk and he co-created the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 28, 2018
An episode of the old Sledge Hammer! TV show in print.
A tough cop goes to Germany, after a criminal kills his partner. He pretty much wrecks the entire city of Berlin to get his man.
It's hard to be funny in print, but Goldberg manages to do it.
A tough cop goes to Germany, after a criminal kills his partner. He pretty much wrecks the entire city of Berlin to get his man.
It's hard to be funny in print, but Goldberg manages to do it.
February 1, 2012
John McGrave had earned his nickname, Tidal Wave McGrave, by being a cop who let nothing get in his way in pursuit of criminals. It usually cost Los Angeles a lot of money.
And his latest cost him his job.
While leaving a rich man's house where he'd turned down a security job from his ex-partner, he spots something wrong. A robbery is going down at the house. He blasts in, gun blazing, shoots his ex-partner, who's sleeping with McGrave's ex-wife, to shake out the head bad guy, shoots a couple of the gang, chases in the head man and his girl friend in a Mercedes belonging to the house, sideswipes two cars, a bus full of tourists, and runs the car he's pursuing, also from the house, off a hill, killing the girl friend in the crash.
But the head man escapes.
After being fired, McGrave gets a call at the office, seeing the caller ID is his home. It's the head man, promising to return and kill his ex-wife and daughter.
When the IDs of the dead and wounded gang members show they entered the country together from Germany, McGrave heads there to find his man and bring him back, taking his brand of crime solving with him.
Author Lee Goldberg said he wanted to write this novella specifically for Kindle readers, something that's action-filled and can be read quickly, say when riding the subway headed for work, a cab ride into town.
He succeeds admirably.
And his latest cost him his job.
While leaving a rich man's house where he'd turned down a security job from his ex-partner, he spots something wrong. A robbery is going down at the house. He blasts in, gun blazing, shoots his ex-partner, who's sleeping with McGrave's ex-wife, to shake out the head bad guy, shoots a couple of the gang, chases in the head man and his girl friend in a Mercedes belonging to the house, sideswipes two cars, a bus full of tourists, and runs the car he's pursuing, also from the house, off a hill, killing the girl friend in the crash.
But the head man escapes.
After being fired, McGrave gets a call at the office, seeing the caller ID is his home. It's the head man, promising to return and kill his ex-wife and daughter.
When the IDs of the dead and wounded gang members show they entered the country together from Germany, McGrave heads there to find his man and bring him back, taking his brand of crime solving with him.
Author Lee Goldberg said he wanted to write this novella specifically for Kindle readers, something that's action-filled and can be read quickly, say when riding the subway headed for work, a cab ride into town.
He succeeds admirably.
March 23, 2018
John "Tidal Wave" McGrave is a 21st Century "Wild West" throwback in the mold of Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry". Fired from the LAPD, McGrave takes his politically incorrect wit, guts and determination to Berlin in hot pursuit of an escaped international thief using himself as bait. His attitude is like a cold Corona with lime on a hot day. All I can really suggest about this totally entertaining short story is that author Lee Goldberg seriously consider a full length sequel (and series) featuring "Tidal Wave" McGrave. He's much too rich a character to be relegated to a one-off novella.
February 8, 2018
I wanted a short break from romance and erotica reading.
I found it and this fast-paced action novella with quick-witty comebacks and a hero that many love to hate. It was a fabulous time and I'll check out more from this author.
I found it and this fast-paced action novella with quick-witty comebacks and a hero that many love to hate. It was a fabulous time and I'll check out more from this author.
November 10, 2022
I assume this is addressed at the guys whose regular-sized testicles still outweigh their brains, the folks who equate belly laughs with a fart to the face. Well, bon appetit, people, bon appetit.
June 5, 2017
McGrave is a stylish, action-packed, and downright fun novella written by Lee Goldberg. The Afterword explains it “began as a television pilot” and the plotting, pacing and vivid cinematic prose give it an episodic television feel. A good thing in this case.
John McGrave is an LAPD detective whose knack for destruction has yielded the nifty nickname, “Tidal Wave.” After foiling the attempted robbery of a 3,000 year-old chamber pot, McGrave is fired from the force. His termination is for a culmination of events, but the final straw is a soon to be filed $20-million lawsuit by one of L.A.’s wealthiest residents. Without a job, or even any prospects for a job, McGrave takes the first flight to Berlin trailing the only would-be toilet robber to escape L.A.
McGrave is a sterling action yarn, at a perfect length, with a nicely rendered Berlin setting. The dialogue is witty, the characters fit nicely and play well together. John McGave is something like Lethal Weapons’ Detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) searching for, and finding, his Detective Murtaugh (Danny Glover) in a very unexpected locale mixed with a classic 1980s Stephen J. Cannell television series.
John McGrave is an LAPD detective whose knack for destruction has yielded the nifty nickname, “Tidal Wave.” After foiling the attempted robbery of a 3,000 year-old chamber pot, McGrave is fired from the force. His termination is for a culmination of events, but the final straw is a soon to be filed $20-million lawsuit by one of L.A.’s wealthiest residents. Without a job, or even any prospects for a job, McGrave takes the first flight to Berlin trailing the only would-be toilet robber to escape L.A.
McGrave is a sterling action yarn, at a perfect length, with a nicely rendered Berlin setting. The dialogue is witty, the characters fit nicely and play well together. John McGave is something like Lethal Weapons’ Detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) searching for, and finding, his Detective Murtaugh (Danny Glover) in a very unexpected locale mixed with a classic 1980s Stephen J. Cannell television series.
April 13, 2018
"A Fast Action and Explosive Novella"
This is a short story created by often humorous author Lee Goldberg. In Los Angeles, Officer John McGrave is dedicated to solving a case involving Sebastian Richter, the ruthless leader of an international gang of violent thieves. McGrave tracks him to Germany, even though he doesn't speak the language, know the laws, or culture. There is much humor inserted in this story which is also action packed. Oh, often I think Lee Goldberg is a crazy creator! But I love his stories because they are totally entertaining! Highly recommend.
This is a short story created by often humorous author Lee Goldberg. In Los Angeles, Officer John McGrave is dedicated to solving a case involving Sebastian Richter, the ruthless leader of an international gang of violent thieves. McGrave tracks him to Germany, even though he doesn't speak the language, know the laws, or culture. There is much humor inserted in this story which is also action packed. Oh, often I think Lee Goldberg is a crazy creator! But I love his stories because they are totally entertaining! Highly recommend.
October 20, 2021
An absolutely hilarious romp. About as believable as Bill Shatner telling the pilots of Mr. Bezos’s rocket ship how to achieve warp factor 9… but more fun.
Reads as fast as that space flight, too. If you’re in the mood for pure fluff and a “TV- cop show in a book,” this is the one to scratch that itch.
Reads as fast as that space flight, too. If you’re in the mood for pure fluff and a “TV- cop show in a book,” this is the one to scratch that itch.
March 6, 2019
Action comic book
It may be an action outlandish impossible adventure but it is a fun fast read, perfect for coffee or biological breaks. Lee Goldberg is my smart phone gift to myself to escape a mundane day
It may be an action outlandish impossible adventure but it is a fun fast read, perfect for coffee or biological breaks. Lee Goldberg is my smart phone gift to myself to escape a mundane day
March 25, 2021
Fun ridiculousness!
Not much to say about this one. It was a silly thrill ride with a perfect cliche tough guy cop destroying everything in his path to get the bad guys. Not as well written as the Lee Goldberg novels I've read, it was fun with nothing extra.
Not much to say about this one. It was a silly thrill ride with a perfect cliche tough guy cop destroying everything in his path to get the bad guys. Not as well written as the Lee Goldberg novels I've read, it was fun with nothing extra.
July 9, 2021
More McGrave, please?
Det. McGrave is a fun character. I liked this short but packed story that begins with a heist in L.A. and concludes overseas in Germany. This was a pilot of a proposed television series that wasn't picked up but hopefully the story isn't over.
Det. McGrave is a fun character. I liked this short but packed story that begins with a heist in L.A. and concludes overseas in Germany. This was a pilot of a proposed television series that wasn't picked up but hopefully the story isn't over.
March 9, 2015
Short story.
Clever, humorous action. Buy, stealing artifacts. McGraves goes to Berlin to capture what he wants. If you know German, you'll enjoy this story more.
Clever, humorous action. Buy, stealing artifacts. McGraves goes to Berlin to capture what he wants. If you know German, you'll enjoy this story more.
April 19, 2021
Great Read
Nonstop action from beginning to the end. Just when you think you can rest something else happens and you keep reading
Nonstop action from beginning to the end. Just when you think you can rest something else happens and you keep reading
August 15, 2021
Funny and ridiculous in the best way
This was a Sunday afternoon read for me and it was perfect. I laughed and was thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend.
This was a Sunday afternoon read for me and it was perfect. I laughed and was thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend.
March 21, 2022
Fun, quick read, McGrave is an OTT character that enjoys old fashion police work and destroying everything in site.
March 11, 2025
A would-be TV pilot turned novella about a brash, old-school American cop who tracks some Eurotrash criminals to Germany, where he's partnered with a sensitive, by-the-book female cop. So, pretty much half of all cop shows... but in Germany. (see The Good Guys, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes)
It's fun enough, but ended up striking me as milquetoast. We're told that McGrave is a sexist, chauvinist reprobate who will destroy half the city to get his man, but he never does anything that really goes beyond the bounds of network television. (He doesn't even get laid.)
But he's also not really believable as an actual person. Doing stuff like flying to Germany without bothering to pack a change of clothes or any toiletries, or going days on end without changing/washing clothes. That's not something John McClane or Martin Riggs would do, that's just random idiocy.
A parody like The Simpsons' McBain or Sledge Hammer will work by pushing what it's satirizing to the logical extreme. McGrave wants to be both satire and a for-real cop story, so it just ends up pulling its punches. It doesn't help that the "turn in your badge and gun!" cop genre is pretty much dead at the moment, aside from the occasional throwback like Beverly Hills Cop and Bad Boys, which takes a lot of the timeliness out of the storytelling.
At this point, are we even nostalgic for the actual eighties or just for eighties nostalgia? "I Love The 80s" came out in 2002, it's old enough to drink now! Maybe it's time to move on from this old-school versus new-school dynamic because we've done it with Boomers and Gen X, Boomers and Millennials, Boomers and Zoomers... what's there left to say? Old people exist and so do young people.
It's fun enough, but ended up striking me as milquetoast. We're told that McGrave is a sexist, chauvinist reprobate who will destroy half the city to get his man, but he never does anything that really goes beyond the bounds of network television. (He doesn't even get laid.)
But he's also not really believable as an actual person. Doing stuff like flying to Germany without bothering to pack a change of clothes or any toiletries, or going days on end without changing/washing clothes. That's not something John McClane or Martin Riggs would do, that's just random idiocy.
A parody like The Simpsons' McBain or Sledge Hammer will work by pushing what it's satirizing to the logical extreme. McGrave wants to be both satire and a for-real cop story, so it just ends up pulling its punches. It doesn't help that the "turn in your badge and gun!" cop genre is pretty much dead at the moment, aside from the occasional throwback like Beverly Hills Cop and Bad Boys, which takes a lot of the timeliness out of the storytelling.
At this point, are we even nostalgic for the actual eighties or just for eighties nostalgia? "I Love The 80s" came out in 2002, it's old enough to drink now! Maybe it's time to move on from this old-school versus new-school dynamic because we've done it with Boomers and Gen X, Boomers and Millennials, Boomers and Zoomers... what's there left to say? Old people exist and so do young people.
July 19, 2018
McGrave by Lee Goldberg
McGrave, former LAPD cop, finds himself in Berlin still chasing the man, Riecter, who got away from McGrave in LA. McGrave, who doesn't speak German, doesn't know the city of Berlin, stays on mission, regardless of the situation, to apprehend Riecter before he can Rob Berlin blind of precious treasures. The chase is wild, and Berlin is introduced to the "McGrave Tidal wave," as he persues Riecter, finally capturing him on a rooftop. Thanks for another great read!
McGrave, former LAPD cop, finds himself in Berlin still chasing the man, Riecter, who got away from McGrave in LA. McGrave, who doesn't speak German, doesn't know the city of Berlin, stays on mission, regardless of the situation, to apprehend Riecter before he can Rob Berlin blind of precious treasures. The chase is wild, and Berlin is introduced to the "McGrave Tidal wave," as he persues Riecter, finally capturing him on a rooftop. Thanks for another great read!
May 29, 2025
This will never be mistaken for serious literature, but it's a hoot. I laughed a lot as a typical can't-play-by-the-rules LA (movie-type) cop travels to Germany to finish a case. The cop is a menace to society in the US, never mind Europe, the supporting cast is amusing, and the banter is snappy. Rather "Lethal Weapon"-ish.
Would have made a fun TV show or movie, but the sheer amount of mayhem and destruction would be cost-prohibitive. I expect that was increased when this was turned into a book instead of a script, because why not?
I give it 4/5 stars and 6/5 car chases.
Would have made a fun TV show or movie, but the sheer amount of mayhem and destruction would be cost-prohibitive. I expect that was increased when this was turned into a book instead of a script, because why not?
I give it 4/5 stars and 6/5 car chases.
December 1, 2023
Everything you can expect from a Lee Goldberg book. This is a novella, which gets to the point right in the beginning. McGrave is a cop who destroys everything in his wake when he is after bad guys. It doesn’t matter that catching the bad guys ends up getting costlier than the actual burglary that these criminals are up to. He gets fired but he doesn't stop his pursuit of bad guys, who threatened to harm his family.
Then the action moves to Germany. Lee Goldberg comes up with some highly imaginative action scenes. Though the whole plot is unbelievable, I enjoyed it and it was a quick read, so wouldn't delve into how insane it was.
Then the action moves to Germany. Lee Goldberg comes up with some highly imaginative action scenes. Though the whole plot is unbelievable, I enjoyed it and it was a quick read, so wouldn't delve into how insane it was.
April 14, 2018
GUT (German)
This is a truly moving story -- as in action not feeling. It's a fun, tongue-in-cheek cop/thief tale that is well handled; there's no padding (side story) to this novela--just the facts, ma'am. A great 👍👍 read.
This is a truly moving story -- as in action not feeling. It's a fun, tongue-in-cheek cop/thief tale that is well handled; there's no padding (side story) to this novela--just the facts, ma'am. A great 👍👍 read.
January 9, 2024
Gosh…..this author has done it again. What a wild ride. This story is so fast paced and action packed it makes your head spin. I love the story, the action, the characters and all the craziness. I highly recommend this book.
April 23, 2025
OMG! LOL!
I think l might have wet myself. I read this entire story in one sitting. OK, l did sit on the toilet briefly. But laugh? Reacher, move over! Tidal Wave is my new alter ego, l mean hero. Enjoy! You won’t be able to help yourself.
I think l might have wet myself. I read this entire story in one sitting. OK, l did sit on the toilet briefly. But laugh? Reacher, move over! Tidal Wave is my new alter ego, l mean hero. Enjoy! You won’t be able to help yourself.
August 2, 2025
Fun Chase
Another delightful tale. Juxtaposition of LA and Berlin. Hard ass fired trying to arrest a thief. Thrilling chase catches the thief.
Ordered to return to America, he is kept as the greatest defense
Another delightful tale. Juxtaposition of LA and Berlin. Hard ass fired trying to arrest a thief. Thrilling chase catches the thief.
Ordered to return to America, he is kept as the greatest defense
May 22, 2026
light mystery
An intriguing read. Goldberg’s humorous touch makes his mysteries/police novels a pleasure to read. Whether McGrave or another main character, Goldberg is a good author!
An intriguing read. Goldberg’s humorous touch makes his mysteries/police novels a pleasure to read. Whether McGrave or another main character, Goldberg is a good author!
November 8, 2017
Great fun!
This was a fun exciting read! It was well worth it. I would love too see this character in a full length book!
This was a fun exciting read! It was well worth it. I would love too see this character in a full length book!
May 24, 2018
A fun read
Reading this book is Just like going to a good, old fashioned, action movie, something staring Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone. Fun from the get go!
Reading this book is Just like going to a good, old fashioned, action movie, something staring Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone. Fun from the get go!
August 28, 2018
Funny fast read
Quick and funny. Any longer could have been tedious. I’d love to see a collection of shorts starring McGrave. Recommend.
Quick and funny. Any longer could have been tedious. I’d love to see a collection of shorts starring McGrave. Recommend.
October 25, 2018
Quick read
Action packed novel that helps you relax and enjoy a fiction piece. A little unbelievable but takes you briefly away from the “real world”.
Action packed novel that helps you relax and enjoy a fiction piece. A little unbelievable but takes you briefly away from the “real world”.
January 1, 2020
Great start to 2020 with a fantastic novella from Lee Goldberg!! Excellent writing!!
July 2, 2020
Quick fun ride
McGrave is a great character. Hope this turns into a series. The characters a fun and fully developed. Good interesting reading
McGrave is a great character. Hope this turns into a series. The characters a fun and fully developed. Good interesting reading
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews