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Calico
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg, comes an explosive, page-turning investigative thriller - with a mind-blowing twist.
There's a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert . . .
The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away.
But it's the only place where ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade, after a staggering fall from grace, could get another badge . . . and a shot at redemption.
Over a century ago, and just a few miles further into the bleak landscape, a desperate stranger ended up in Calico, a struggling mining town, also hoping for a second chance.
His fate, all those years ago, and hers today are linked when Beth investigates an old skeleton dug up in a shallow, sandy grave . . . and also tries to identity a vagrant run-over by a distracted motorhome driver during a lightning storm.
Every disturbing clue she finds, every shocking discovery she makes, force Beth to confront her own troubled past—and a past that's not her own—until it all smashes together in a revelation that could change the world.
There's a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert . . .
The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away.
But it's the only place where ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade, after a staggering fall from grace, could get another badge . . . and a shot at redemption.
Over a century ago, and just a few miles further into the bleak landscape, a desperate stranger ended up in Calico, a struggling mining town, also hoping for a second chance.
His fate, all those years ago, and hers today are linked when Beth investigates an old skeleton dug up in a shallow, sandy grave . . . and also tries to identity a vagrant run-over by a distracted motorhome driver during a lightning storm.
Every disturbing clue she finds, every shocking discovery she makes, force Beth to confront her own troubled past—and a past that's not her own—until it all smashes together in a revelation that could change the world.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2023
364 people are currently reading
2593 people want to read
About the author
Lee Goldberg
158 books2,108 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 476 reviews
September 16, 2023
Lee Goldberg has chosen an excellent location for this genre crossover novel. Homicide detective Beth McDade works in Barstow (San Bernardino Co) located on the banks of the Mojave river with the Calico mountains behind where the ghost town of Calico lies, an old mining area. Beth is sent to investigate a fatal accident outside a roadside diner, the victim killed during a lightning storm. Who is the victim? Why do aspects of the autopsy make no sense? This is just the start as a man from LA disappears in very odd circumstances, there’s a robbery and also explosions on military bases. It’s all happening in Calico, how are these seemingly random events connected, if at all? Beth is on the case.
First of all, a big shout out for that location which I especially enjoy. The author creates a terrific atmosphere as it is very well described, it’s bleak, desolate and dry and hence a perfect spot for what transpires. At times, you do feel as if you are a fly on the wall looking down on all the characters in the various locations. It’s very clear that some extensive research has been done into the old mining town of the 1880s, it’s so authentic you could almost smell it!!
Lee Goldberg is a very visual writer and that’s what makes his books such fun and highly entertaining. Do I buy into this mash up of genres? Nooooo, but do I enjoy it? Oh yes, and that for me is the main thing. I like the inclusion of movies and TV shows which are used creatively and wittily and I suspect are probably the inspiration behind some of what occurs. The plot thickens, the mystery deepens, it’s told at a good pace and there’s rarely a dull moment and it’s a definite page turner. Somehow or other, the author manages to weave the timelines together cohesively and I applaud him for that!
The characterisation is good, Beth reminds me of an indomitable frontiers woman as she definitely has that spirit. She is flawed, but feels very authentic and likeable. I also like Amanda, the medical examiner, she is a hoot! It’s always colourful when she’s on the pages.
Overall, this is a quirky fun novel with plenty of smiles, so just rein in your disbelief and go with the flow for a very entertaining ride.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Severn House for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
First of all, a big shout out for that location which I especially enjoy. The author creates a terrific atmosphere as it is very well described, it’s bleak, desolate and dry and hence a perfect spot for what transpires. At times, you do feel as if you are a fly on the wall looking down on all the characters in the various locations. It’s very clear that some extensive research has been done into the old mining town of the 1880s, it’s so authentic you could almost smell it!!
Lee Goldberg is a very visual writer and that’s what makes his books such fun and highly entertaining. Do I buy into this mash up of genres? Nooooo, but do I enjoy it? Oh yes, and that for me is the main thing. I like the inclusion of movies and TV shows which are used creatively and wittily and I suspect are probably the inspiration behind some of what occurs. The plot thickens, the mystery deepens, it’s told at a good pace and there’s rarely a dull moment and it’s a definite page turner. Somehow or other, the author manages to weave the timelines together cohesively and I applaud him for that!
The characterisation is good, Beth reminds me of an indomitable frontiers woman as she definitely has that spirit. She is flawed, but feels very authentic and likeable. I also like Amanda, the medical examiner, she is a hoot! It’s always colourful when she’s on the pages.
Overall, this is a quirky fun novel with plenty of smiles, so just rein in your disbelief and go with the flow for a very entertaining ride.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Severn House for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 31, 2025
Detective Beth McDade worked for the Los Angeles Police Department until she lost her badge for having sex with a junior officer. Beth is now with the sheriff's department in Barstow, California, a desert town where 'nobody wants to be.'
In the 1800s, Barstow was a busy railroad hub for silver mining operations, but is now just a hot desert burg near a military base and a tourist attraction called the 'Calico Ghost Town' - a re-creation of the original town of Calico, with 'residents' and 'shopkeepers' dressed in period costumes.
As the story opens Beth is called to the scene of a late night accident near Peggy Sue's diner, a 50s-style eatery that looks like a giant jukebox surrounded by dinosaurs.
Beth is told that an old man was killed by a motor home.
When Beth looks at CCTV footage of the incident, she observes the sky crackling with electricity, a loud blast, and a bright flash from the nearby Marine base. Then a terrified, disheveled old coot runs out of the darkness into the road, where he's mowed down by a trailer home that has no chance to avoid him.
When coroner Amanda Selby examines the old man's body, she tells Beth that the victim, who has no identification, is filthy; has only a few, badly decayed teeth; is infested with lice; is suffering from advanced syphilis; is wearing clothes manufactured in the 1880s; and has old coins in his pocket. Beth is bewildered, but thinks the victim was probably a kind of eccentric mountain man living off the earth.
A few days later, a Los Angeles police officer consults Beth about a missing person. It seems a Los Angeles chef named Owen Slader, who was driving back to LA from Las Vegas, vanished in the desert. The last ping from Slader's Mercedes SUV occurred around Barstow, and Beth determines that Slader went missing on the same day, at the same time, and in the same area that the dirty old mountain man ran into the road.
Shortly afterwards, a construction crew that's just starting work in the desert near Barstow comes across a buried old coffin containing a dry yellow skeleton that's over a hundred years old. And -WAIT FOR IT - the skeleton is identified as Owen Slader, who disappeared just a few days ago.
From here the story alternates back and forth between the old mining town of Calico in the 1880s.....
.....and current times in Barstow, where Beth is investigating the disappearance of Owen Slader.
Beth's inquiries put her on the radar of Bill Knox, the Security Chief at the nearby Marine base, who warns her off. Nevertheless, Beth plows on with her investigation, aided by the coroner Amanda.
In 1880s Calico, we see that the town is in the midst of a silver rush. It has one newspaper man and one judge, and harbors saloons, restaurants, prostitutes, bath houses, etc. that cater to the miners.
Calico is dirty and stinks to high heaven, with red dust everywhere, and human waste and garbage covering the streets and swept into open ravines. The descriptions of old Barstow/Calico are very vivid and I could picture the filth; the overpowering stench; the exhausted miners with bad breath and unwashed clothes; the meals of steak, beans, biscuits, and boiled potatoes (25 cents); the bath houses where the same water is used again and again; the cramped caves where miners sleep; and so on.
There's a side plot about Beth's investigation of the robbery of a house on the outskirts of Barstow, that the out-of-town owner sees on CCTV from his home in La Jolla. Beth shows up as the culprits are getting away, after one robber flips a middle finger at the security camera and pees on a sofa. Beth gets on the trail of these perps, who've hit several homes in the area.
There are plenty of twists and surprises in the book, which is a mixed-genre thriller.
I was a little put off by Beth's obsession with sex (she picks up men and has sex with them to deal with her boredom and anxiety), a plot device I call 'male fantasy writing.' That aside, this is an excellent story, highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, Lee Goldberg, and Severn House for a copy of the manuscript.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
February 26, 2024
This was one weird story! I had never read anything from Lee Goldberg before but have seen several episodes of a few of his tv shows. I hope he has plans on writing a series around Beth McDade and/or Calico. Beth is just likeable and interesting enough to be a good MC and Calico is just weird and creepy enough to be a good setting for a series. What do I know though, I’m neither a writer nor a publisher. I’m just an avid reader who would read a sequel or second installment on either Beth McDade or Calico.
The story starts out in Feb2019 and the book summary pretty much introduces a few of the storylines. One being Beth’s banishment to the only CA law enforcement agency (Barstow Sheriff Dept) that would hire her after the scandal back at the LAPD over her affair with a subordinate. The other one being the disappearance of a well-known LA chef/influencer/podcaster, named Owen, last seen at the local gas station, at 2am a couple of nights ago, coming home from Vegas.
As a former Angeleno, I can confirm that Barstow is nothing more than a pitstop on the Mohave Desert highway from LA to Vegas. It’s claim to fame being the famed Route 66 museum. It’s a town whose residents are pretty evenly split between a horde of tweakers, gangbangers, sex workers and the first responder personnel (police dept, sheriffs dept, EMT’s, and CHP) that covers the area. There’s also a Marine base there in Barstow, where even most of the first responders and service members who work in Barstow would rather commute from Victorville than live in Barstow.
Anyway, Beth’s former LAPD subordinate/lover, Trent, alerts Beth to the disappearance of Owen and asks for her help in finding him. At the same time, it’s revealed that the homeless man, as well as the clothes that he was wearing, were more than 100yrs old. Then Owen’s skeleton was found by a crew on a local construction site. It was determined that he had been dead for more than a 100yrs. Ok, that’s when the bizarre and creepy takes over. The story flips back between present-day and the past. None of this is a spoiler since it takes place in the first 15-20% of the story. Without getting into any big spoiler alerts, I will say that this is a time-travel story, and a pretty good one in my opinion.
This was one that was hard to put down and a very late night finishing it because I simply could not go to sleep until I knew how it ended. Not sure if anyone else felt this, but did it seem like the ending was a lead-in to a sequel or a second installment? Please, please, please, Mr Goldberg, let there be more Beth McDade and Calico. PLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!! I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #SevernHouse #Calico
The story starts out in Feb2019 and the book summary pretty much introduces a few of the storylines. One being Beth’s banishment to the only CA law enforcement agency (Barstow Sheriff Dept) that would hire her after the scandal back at the LAPD over her affair with a subordinate. The other one being the disappearance of a well-known LA chef/influencer/podcaster, named Owen, last seen at the local gas station, at 2am a couple of nights ago, coming home from Vegas.
As a former Angeleno, I can confirm that Barstow is nothing more than a pitstop on the Mohave Desert highway from LA to Vegas. It’s claim to fame being the famed Route 66 museum. It’s a town whose residents are pretty evenly split between a horde of tweakers, gangbangers, sex workers and the first responder personnel (police dept, sheriffs dept, EMT’s, and CHP) that covers the area. There’s also a Marine base there in Barstow, where even most of the first responders and service members who work in Barstow would rather commute from Victorville than live in Barstow.
Anyway, Beth’s former LAPD subordinate/lover, Trent, alerts Beth to the disappearance of Owen and asks for her help in finding him. At the same time, it’s revealed that the homeless man, as well as the clothes that he was wearing, were more than 100yrs old. Then Owen’s skeleton was found by a crew on a local construction site. It was determined that he had been dead for more than a 100yrs. Ok, that’s when the bizarre and creepy takes over. The story flips back between present-day and the past. None of this is a spoiler since it takes place in the first 15-20% of the story. Without getting into any big spoiler alerts, I will say that this is a time-travel story, and a pretty good one in my opinion.
This was one that was hard to put down and a very late night finishing it because I simply could not go to sleep until I knew how it ended. Not sure if anyone else felt this, but did it seem like the ending was a lead-in to a sequel or a second installment? Please, please, please, Mr Goldberg, let there be more Beth McDade and Calico. PLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!! I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #SevernHouse #Calico
September 15, 2023
Calico by Lee Goldberg (release date, Nov. 7, 2023) at first glance seems to be a reboot of his Eve Ronin police procedural novels, but set in the desert town of Barstow and featuring ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade as the lead, who is in many ways harder, tougher, and more world-weary than Ronin. She has come to work Barstow for the Sheriff’s Department because, after being found to have acted inappropriately with a subordinate (meaning hot sex), she doesn’t have a lot of choices left. We are told: “There’s a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert. . . The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away.” And, that, if you have traveled through the desert from Southern California to Las Vegas, is probably the nicest thing you could say about Barstow where the 40 and the 15 meet and the claim to fame is a giant McDonald’s. There are two giant military bases here and then the desert slides off into strange mirages and people who want to be left alone in their trailers and hovels, thinking about UFO’s and mind control and the like. McDade frequents a watering hole known as “Pour Decisions,” a place where law enforcement and other first responders liked to hang out and, like the name implies, it was a place known for poor decisions (like who you chose to go home with for the night). She worked homicide here in a station that had only 2 1/2 detectives so she was always on call.
SPOILERS AHEAD! WATCH OUT!
But, it is not just McDade’s hard edge that separates here from Goldberg’s Ronin and not just the lack of high-fashion high-money Calabasas and the incidence of movie and television contracts. What makes this novel kind of unique is that it is a mash-up between a police procedural novel and a science fiction entry. She gets involved with two odd cases, a man who wandered out of the desert and in front of a motor home, but the catch is he has filthy clothes and hundred-year-old bones, but modern dental work. There is simultaneously a man on his way home from Las Vegas who disappears. Both situations are odd.
Of course, with all the correct nods to H.G. Wells and to Michael J. Fox and the magic DeLorean, we realize that the lost guy on the highway traveled back to the 1880’s and it’s the start of the Calico Gold Rush. But, what he finds is not the sleek, sexy futuristic time travel, but an era where nothing is clean and the streets are open sewers and the barbers are in charge of amputations.
Although McDade is quite an exciting character, you almost forget about her for awhile while you follow the adventures back in time in a world so different than our modern world. Of course, McDade ties it altogether in an exciting finish.
This one is a bit different from what you might expect in a police procedural, but ends up being quite a compelling story.
Thanks to the publishing house for the advance copy!
SPOILERS AHEAD! WATCH OUT!
But, it is not just McDade’s hard edge that separates here from Goldberg’s Ronin and not just the lack of high-fashion high-money Calabasas and the incidence of movie and television contracts. What makes this novel kind of unique is that it is a mash-up between a police procedural novel and a science fiction entry. She gets involved with two odd cases, a man who wandered out of the desert and in front of a motor home, but the catch is he has filthy clothes and hundred-year-old bones, but modern dental work. There is simultaneously a man on his way home from Las Vegas who disappears. Both situations are odd.
Of course, with all the correct nods to H.G. Wells and to Michael J. Fox and the magic DeLorean, we realize that the lost guy on the highway traveled back to the 1880’s and it’s the start of the Calico Gold Rush. But, what he finds is not the sleek, sexy futuristic time travel, but an era where nothing is clean and the streets are open sewers and the barbers are in charge of amputations.
Although McDade is quite an exciting character, you almost forget about her for awhile while you follow the adventures back in time in a world so different than our modern world. Of course, McDade ties it altogether in an exciting finish.
This one is a bit different from what you might expect in a police procedural, but ends up being quite a compelling story.
Thanks to the publishing house for the advance copy!
December 17, 2024
I grabbed a copy of this book without reading the blurb, having grown very fond of this authors writing recently. But to my astonishment, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. What I was expecting was a crime thriller akin to the fast talking crime novels I’ve been devouring of late. What I actually got started out very much in this vein but quickly morphed into a tale involving strange events that occurred amid what appeared to be a thunderstorm but turned out to be a hole through which people suddenly travelled either forward or backward in time.
It took me a while to get over the shock, and I confess that I struggled to push on through the book once I realised that I’d unintentionally duped myself. Hang on a minute, I found myself thinking, this isn’t what I signed up for! I even stopped reading it for a few days before, rather reluctantly, picking it up for a second go. And I’m glad I did. Once I got into the flow of a tale told in both a present-day Californian desert setting and an accompanying story set in the same area in the late 1800s, I slowly warmed it.
In some ways, it’s odd that I didn’t settle into the story more quickly as I’m a bit of a time travel buff. I think the issue is that I found the time travel activity here somewhat unconvincing, even though the dual stories were interesting enough. The whole thing is a slightly odd mix of a modern day detective seeking to re-boot her career after it was derailed by wayward act and a man setting out to protect a daughter who – in this world he finds himself – has yet to be born. It didn’t quite work for me, and yet I still found myself smiling as I turned the final pages.
My thanks to Severn House for providing an ARC of this book visa NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while to get over the shock, and I confess that I struggled to push on through the book once I realised that I’d unintentionally duped myself. Hang on a minute, I found myself thinking, this isn’t what I signed up for! I even stopped reading it for a few days before, rather reluctantly, picking it up for a second go. And I’m glad I did. Once I got into the flow of a tale told in both a present-day Californian desert setting and an accompanying story set in the same area in the late 1800s, I slowly warmed it.
In some ways, it’s odd that I didn’t settle into the story more quickly as I’m a bit of a time travel buff. I think the issue is that I found the time travel activity here somewhat unconvincing, even though the dual stories were interesting enough. The whole thing is a slightly odd mix of a modern day detective seeking to re-boot her career after it was derailed by wayward act and a man setting out to protect a daughter who – in this world he finds himself – has yet to be born. It didn’t quite work for me, and yet I still found myself smiling as I turned the final pages.
My thanks to Severn House for providing an ARC of this book visa NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2023
Beth McDade is a down on her luck cop investigating a case of possible time travel. Owen Slader is traveling through town in his Mercedes and vanishes. 100 year old bones are found with aspects relating to the present.
This was an awesome read different from the other mysteries I’ve read this year. It held my attention and had me quickly flipping the pages late into the night. Thanks NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC that will be released November 7,2023!
This was an awesome read different from the other mysteries I’ve read this year. It held my attention and had me quickly flipping the pages late into the night. Thanks NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC that will be released November 7,2023!
August 12, 2024
I certainly started 2024 with a bang!! I. Loved. This. Book. It's a mystery, a police procedural, and a western ... wrapped up and combined with a wildly different and fascinating plot element! I don't want to write more than that lest I ruin it for people who haven't read Calico, yet.
It sounds cliché, but this truly was a page-turner and I couldn't BEGIN to guess how things would wrap up at the end of the book. I'm already looking forward to reading Calico again, and I RARELY read books more than once!
It sounds cliché, but this truly was a page-turner and I couldn't BEGIN to guess how things would wrap up at the end of the book. I'm already looking forward to reading Calico again, and I RARELY read books more than once!
October 26, 2023
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Lee Goldberg, and Severn House for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Everything that I have read by Lee Goldberg has kept me enthralled and this newest novel is no exception. Goldberg utilises his abilities in writing police procedurals with a career working in television to develop this piece, which adds a little mind- and time-bending to keep the reader hooked. A small California community comes to life when a man dies in a motor vehicle mishap around the time a freak weather event and explosion occur. What’s even more confusion is his state of dress and presentation. That is further exacerbated when a local man disappears into thin air around the same time, leaving Detective Beth McDade to piece things together. What follows is a mystery that no one saw coming, with ties across decades and through a rooted family tree. Goldberg does a brilliant job with this piece, keeping the reader hooked until the final page turn.
Those who have heard of Barstow, California, know that this dusty town in the Mojave desert is destination for no one, save those trying to flee its confines. Such is the truth that Detective Beth McDade has come to discover since being forced from the LAPD. With a past she chooses to shelve, Detective McDade has found this small area and calls it home.
After arriving at the scene of a man run over by a motor home, Detective McDade wonders why she is here. It is only when she examines the victim, who has no signs of being from around Barstow, that McDade sees the oddities. The man’s presentation and state of attire are from another time, which baffles those who saw what happened. Add to this, Owen Slader disappears into thin air. Something is surely amiss and all Detextive MxDade can decipher is that there was something going on at the local military base. Witnesses saw a fork of lightning, but nothing can substantiate events enough to put the mysteries to rest.
Not long thereafter, McDade finds some skeletal remains, adding to the ongoing confusion. The skeleton shows signs of modern medical advancements, but also has deteriorated.to the point that it must have been from the late 19th century. Could this skeleton and the man who died on the interstate be connected in some odd way? Detective McDade will stop at noting to connect the dots, even if there’s s no way of making sense of them.
Owen Slader has his own story here, a man who disappeared into thin air and emerged in the middle of Calico, California. A mining community is nothing like the modern community in which he was living, but it holds new and valuable assets. Slader takes on a new identity and tries to make a life for himself in the 1880s, while leaving clues that he is not from this time. He plants roots and tries to help those from his future life better understand what’s happened to him.
As the truth soon emerges and she must make a pronouncement, Detective McDade realises that she has something out of this world on her hands, with no chance of tying the mystery up in a tight bow. There are forces she could not have expected trying to silence her, with others seeking answers from a fore-bearer who appears to have straddled two points in time. Goldberg does well to pace this book and keep things going for all to enjoy until the final reveal.
There is something about Lee Goldberg and his writing that has long excited me. I love his description and how he uses his narrative to paint a picture the reader can easily see as thy keep reading. While things may appear a tad “science fiction” on the surface, there is a great mystery afoot and the reader is in the middle of it all. There are great developments, though the reader will have to keep up or risk losing it all.
Characters emerge with ease and Goldberg knows how to place them in such a way that they cannot help but impact the larger storyline. While Beth McDade remains central throughout, she pales at times in comparison to the life of Owen Slader, whose existence has also been turned upside down. Goldberg depicts all this with ease and great detail, entertaining the reader while flavoring the narrative.
It is the plot twisting that takes centre stage in this piece. Goldberg knows how to tell a story and add folds to the linear presentation to keep the reader from guessing too much. There is little time to rests on one’s laurels, though Goldberg makes the adventure something exciting that all can enjoy. The book plays out like a great television movie, which shows Goldberg’s influences. I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for readers and where things are headed with his writing.
Kudos, Mr. Goldberg, for opening my mind to something well outside my usual reading comfort zone.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/ca...
Everything that I have read by Lee Goldberg has kept me enthralled and this newest novel is no exception. Goldberg utilises his abilities in writing police procedurals with a career working in television to develop this piece, which adds a little mind- and time-bending to keep the reader hooked. A small California community comes to life when a man dies in a motor vehicle mishap around the time a freak weather event and explosion occur. What’s even more confusion is his state of dress and presentation. That is further exacerbated when a local man disappears into thin air around the same time, leaving Detective Beth McDade to piece things together. What follows is a mystery that no one saw coming, with ties across decades and through a rooted family tree. Goldberg does a brilliant job with this piece, keeping the reader hooked until the final page turn.
Those who have heard of Barstow, California, know that this dusty town in the Mojave desert is destination for no one, save those trying to flee its confines. Such is the truth that Detective Beth McDade has come to discover since being forced from the LAPD. With a past she chooses to shelve, Detective McDade has found this small area and calls it home.
After arriving at the scene of a man run over by a motor home, Detective McDade wonders why she is here. It is only when she examines the victim, who has no signs of being from around Barstow, that McDade sees the oddities. The man’s presentation and state of attire are from another time, which baffles those who saw what happened. Add to this, Owen Slader disappears into thin air. Something is surely amiss and all Detextive MxDade can decipher is that there was something going on at the local military base. Witnesses saw a fork of lightning, but nothing can substantiate events enough to put the mysteries to rest.
Not long thereafter, McDade finds some skeletal remains, adding to the ongoing confusion. The skeleton shows signs of modern medical advancements, but also has deteriorated.to the point that it must have been from the late 19th century. Could this skeleton and the man who died on the interstate be connected in some odd way? Detective McDade will stop at noting to connect the dots, even if there’s s no way of making sense of them.
Owen Slader has his own story here, a man who disappeared into thin air and emerged in the middle of Calico, California. A mining community is nothing like the modern community in which he was living, but it holds new and valuable assets. Slader takes on a new identity and tries to make a life for himself in the 1880s, while leaving clues that he is not from this time. He plants roots and tries to help those from his future life better understand what’s happened to him.
As the truth soon emerges and she must make a pronouncement, Detective McDade realises that she has something out of this world on her hands, with no chance of tying the mystery up in a tight bow. There are forces she could not have expected trying to silence her, with others seeking answers from a fore-bearer who appears to have straddled two points in time. Goldberg does well to pace this book and keep things going for all to enjoy until the final reveal.
There is something about Lee Goldberg and his writing that has long excited me. I love his description and how he uses his narrative to paint a picture the reader can easily see as thy keep reading. While things may appear a tad “science fiction” on the surface, there is a great mystery afoot and the reader is in the middle of it all. There are great developments, though the reader will have to keep up or risk losing it all.
Characters emerge with ease and Goldberg knows how to place them in such a way that they cannot help but impact the larger storyline. While Beth McDade remains central throughout, she pales at times in comparison to the life of Owen Slader, whose existence has also been turned upside down. Goldberg depicts all this with ease and great detail, entertaining the reader while flavoring the narrative.
It is the plot twisting that takes centre stage in this piece. Goldberg knows how to tell a story and add folds to the linear presentation to keep the reader from guessing too much. There is little time to rests on one’s laurels, though Goldberg makes the adventure something exciting that all can enjoy. The book plays out like a great television movie, which shows Goldberg’s influences. I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for readers and where things are headed with his writing.
Kudos, Mr. Goldberg, for opening my mind to something well outside my usual reading comfort zone.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/ca...
September 30, 2023
I do love a good genre mash-up, but to specify which genres would give away too much - to get the most impact from this book it’s essential to avoid spoilers! I’ve loved this author’s Ian Ludlow and Eve Ronin series, and this starts out looking like another book about a tough jaded but dedicated female cop - then takes an intriguing turn with a 19th century timeline and highly likeable couple of characters making the best of difficult conditions. The mystery is in how they connect.
‘I don’t have to shoot you. You’ve already shot yourself. You have zero credibility. You got thrown out of the LAPD because you’re a drunken sex addict who can’t control herself. It’s only gotten worse since you arrived in Barstow.’
Beth McDade is a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy whose career stalled due to misogyny and double standards in the LAPD, and now tries to make the best of it as part of a small team of detectives covering the isolated towns between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. When called to investigate the death of an unidentified man run over by a motor home, she is puzzled by his autopsy findings and the fact that no one recognises him. Calico is a small abandoned town which became a local tourist attraction, but in 1882 it was a bustling fast growing silver mining settlement. Then an oddly dressed stranger arrives at the local saloon with an unusual proposition…
At the start of this, I thought it seemed too similar to the Eve Ronin books, and was dubious about Beth and her grubby hobby, but once I got an inkling of what was going on loved the twist and the sections set in the past. Goldberg is a former screenwriter/TV producer, and this shows in his scene descriptions and action sequences - this would make a brilliant TV series. Past Calico is vividly described - stench and all, and I liked all the classic Western tropes even if I don’t usually like Western stories. This was heading for five stars and a nomination for one of my books of the year, but I was a bit disappointed by some of the plot elements that were left unexplained. It’s unclear whether this is the start of a series which may rectify this - I do hope so, but in the meantime I’m rounding down from 4.5.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC. I’m posting this honest review voluntarily.
Calico is published on November 7th.
‘I don’t have to shoot you. You’ve already shot yourself. You have zero credibility. You got thrown out of the LAPD because you’re a drunken sex addict who can’t control herself. It’s only gotten worse since you arrived in Barstow.’
Beth McDade is a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy whose career stalled due to misogyny and double standards in the LAPD, and now tries to make the best of it as part of a small team of detectives covering the isolated towns between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. When called to investigate the death of an unidentified man run over by a motor home, she is puzzled by his autopsy findings and the fact that no one recognises him. Calico is a small abandoned town which became a local tourist attraction, but in 1882 it was a bustling fast growing silver mining settlement. Then an oddly dressed stranger arrives at the local saloon with an unusual proposition…
At the start of this, I thought it seemed too similar to the Eve Ronin books, and was dubious about Beth and her grubby hobby, but once I got an inkling of what was going on loved the twist and the sections set in the past. Goldberg is a former screenwriter/TV producer, and this shows in his scene descriptions and action sequences - this would make a brilliant TV series. Past Calico is vividly described - stench and all, and I liked all the classic Western tropes even if I don’t usually like Western stories. This was heading for five stars and a nomination for one of my books of the year, but I was a bit disappointed by some of the plot elements that were left unexplained. It’s unclear whether this is the start of a series which may rectify this - I do hope so, but in the meantime I’m rounding down from 4.5.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC. I’m posting this honest review voluntarily.
Calico is published on November 7th.
August 12, 2023
I am a big fan of Lee Goldberg from his Eve Ronin series and hes on my list of authors to read automatically when a new book comes out. I was excited to get approved for an ARC of Calico and I thought I was going to read another great police procedural. Boy was I wrong!
In Calico, Goldberg delvers the genre mashup you never knew you wanted. It starts as a police procedural with an unexplainable accidental death and then jumps into time travel and government conspiracies in a very good way. I loved the parallel stories and how they came together in the end. The details of what it would be like to be dropped from modern day into the wild west were very well done (hint: sewage treatment and personal hygiene are severely lacking and only certain skill sets are transferrable).
The pacing was great throughout and kept me up reading late for 2 days straight. Highly recommended if you like police procedurals and/or scifi and want a great mashup story.
In Calico, Goldberg delvers the genre mashup you never knew you wanted. It starts as a police procedural with an unexplainable accidental death and then jumps into time travel and government conspiracies in a very good way. I loved the parallel stories and how they came together in the end. The details of what it would be like to be dropped from modern day into the wild west were very well done (hint: sewage treatment and personal hygiene are severely lacking and only certain skill sets are transferrable).
The pacing was great throughout and kept me up reading late for 2 days straight. Highly recommended if you like police procedurals and/or scifi and want a great mashup story.
August 14, 2023
Wow, what a wild ride this one was and in two dimensions. Calico by Lee Goldberg is as usually well written but he took me by surprise with this great story of travel. It was not what I expected and at first I was a little doubtful but it turned out to be a rivetting story that I had trouble putting down. Such a well researched story and wonderful characters and the story, the story is intruiging to put it mildly. I haven't read everything by this author but so far everything I have read is great. I highly recommend that you try this book when it's out in stores in early November. I give a big thank you to Severn House and also Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.
November 11, 2023
Happy Release Week! 📚
First read by this author even though his other books have been on my radar for awhile. I love the mystery of starting a recommended book without reading the synopsis. I do read it after finishing the book and I felt this one could have been more effective.
Wow this book was interesting and took me on quite the journey to say the least! The main character was intriguing to the point that I don’t know if I liked her or not. There was a decent number making up the remaining cast of characters to help support the telling of this story. A homestretch that was a little long but wrapped up the story with only one loose end. Excellent writing. Nice ending…..and this book left me thinking a bit.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
First read by this author even though his other books have been on my radar for awhile. I love the mystery of starting a recommended book without reading the synopsis. I do read it after finishing the book and I felt this one could have been more effective.
Wow this book was interesting and took me on quite the journey to say the least! The main character was intriguing to the point that I don’t know if I liked her or not. There was a decent number making up the remaining cast of characters to help support the telling of this story. A homestretch that was a little long but wrapped up the story with only one loose end. Excellent writing. Nice ending…..and this book left me thinking a bit.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2023
Calico by Lee Goldberg is part western, part sci-fi, and part mystery.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Severn House, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Beth McDade used to be an LAPD detective, but fell from grace.
She now is a detective in Barstow, California, a rough city in the Mojave desert. Basically, it was the only place Beth could go if she wanted to continue in police work.
On February 2, 2019, Owen Slader and his vehicle disappear, and Beth starts looking for him.
On February 2, 1882, a man arrives in the mining town of Calico, and makes a new life for himself. Beth discovers his bones in a shallow grave in 2019. His body has some strange inconsistencies for a body over 100 years old.
On February 2 2019, Beth starts investigating the death of a man who ran out of the desert and directly into the path of a motor home. The driver of the RV had been startled by the loud electrical storm. It was definitely an accident. However, the body of the dead man has some strange inconsistencies for someone that just died.
The two bodies lead Beth and the coroner (Amanda Selby) in a direction Beth never thought she'd take.....and people want to her stop looking.
My Opinions:
First, I don't generally read historical novels, time-travel novels, westerns, or conspiracy thrillers. This was all four....and it was one of the most epic and compelling novels I have read in a long time.
The dual time-lines were handled really well.
I absolutely loved the characters. Neither Beth nor Amanda refused to give up on solving the mystery. Ben and Wendy were an amazing couple who had to over-come so much to make sure their descendants survived. The people they encountered were so interesting, that it "almost" made 1882 bearable. I like how the author provided a few obnoxious characters to make things realistic (Bill Knox and for some reason Brittany Cartwright come to mind).
The writing and plot was really good, and I absolutely LOVED the last line of the book. I thought it was hilarious!
That being said....it was a long book and it occasionally dragged. Even though I was enjoying most of it, I thought I'd never get through it. Seems contradictory, but...
Anyway, overall, it was better than I expected (and a lot deeper than his Monk series).
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 2, 2023
Calico by Lee Goldberg
Publication Date November 7, 2023
Last year, I read Movieland, my first novel by Lee Goldberg. In my review, I said “I tend to enjoy stories where the setting is a character on its own, if you know what I mean (think Jane Harper’s novels set in arid Western Australia. Oh, and BTW, if you enjoy mysteries, you really should check her out — start with The Dry). In Lee Goldberg’s Movieland, while Malibu Creek State Park is both a beautiful location for campers, tourists, and hikers, it’s also a great setting for murder.”
I was totally looking forward to reading Goldberg’s next two books, both scheduled for publication in the last quarter of 2023: Malibu Burning and Calico. When I read that Calico was a combination of mystery and western, I decided to read it first. TBH, I never would have picked it had I read more carefully and seen “Sci-Fi” used to describe it. Not just Sci-Fi, but time travel. For me, that’s not something I have ever really enjoyed. (I think I’m either lacking in imagination or just too analytical or something.) I had enjoyed Movieland so much, I just decided to go for it.
Just as in Movieland, setting is truly a character on its own in Calico. This time, it’s the Southern California desert rather than the beach…and there are two distinct stories. The story opens with Owen Slader, driving on the 15 between Vegas and LA, and centers on the area around Barstow (including Calico, a ghost town tourist attraction). He encounters a man running into traffic…then he just vanishes. The story about what happened to him includes a ton of information about the California silver rush, which is fascinating. A County Sheriff’s Deputy named Beth, who has been exiled to Barstow by the Sheriff’s Office following her questionable relationship with a co-worker, begins to investigate. In another story (or is it?), a coffin from the 1800s is unearthed, revealing a skeleton…but it has modern dental implants? It looks like Owen traveled back in time. Meanwhile, the man who ran into traffic seems to have traveled forward in time…he is clearly from the past.
It’s an engrossing mystery, and despite my aversion to time travel, I decided to just go with it and enjoy the ride. (And I did). I think it could make a good movie if done right, and I actually hope there are future stories featuring Detective Beth. Willing suspension of disbelief required, but overall it’s one I’d recommend to lots of readers. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Four stars.
Publication Date November 7, 2023
Last year, I read Movieland, my first novel by Lee Goldberg. In my review, I said “I tend to enjoy stories where the setting is a character on its own, if you know what I mean (think Jane Harper’s novels set in arid Western Australia. Oh, and BTW, if you enjoy mysteries, you really should check her out — start with The Dry). In Lee Goldberg’s Movieland, while Malibu Creek State Park is both a beautiful location for campers, tourists, and hikers, it’s also a great setting for murder.”
I was totally looking forward to reading Goldberg’s next two books, both scheduled for publication in the last quarter of 2023: Malibu Burning and Calico. When I read that Calico was a combination of mystery and western, I decided to read it first. TBH, I never would have picked it had I read more carefully and seen “Sci-Fi” used to describe it. Not just Sci-Fi, but time travel. For me, that’s not something I have ever really enjoyed. (I think I’m either lacking in imagination or just too analytical or something.) I had enjoyed Movieland so much, I just decided to go for it.
Just as in Movieland, setting is truly a character on its own in Calico. This time, it’s the Southern California desert rather than the beach…and there are two distinct stories. The story opens with Owen Slader, driving on the 15 between Vegas and LA, and centers on the area around Barstow (including Calico, a ghost town tourist attraction). He encounters a man running into traffic…then he just vanishes. The story about what happened to him includes a ton of information about the California silver rush, which is fascinating. A County Sheriff’s Deputy named Beth, who has been exiled to Barstow by the Sheriff’s Office following her questionable relationship with a co-worker, begins to investigate. In another story (or is it?), a coffin from the 1800s is unearthed, revealing a skeleton…but it has modern dental implants? It looks like Owen traveled back in time. Meanwhile, the man who ran into traffic seems to have traveled forward in time…he is clearly from the past.
It’s an engrossing mystery, and despite my aversion to time travel, I decided to just go with it and enjoy the ride. (And I did). I think it could make a good movie if done right, and I actually hope there are future stories featuring Detective Beth. Willing suspension of disbelief required, but overall it’s one I’d recommend to lots of readers. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Four stars.
December 3, 2023
This was a fun, twisty story by Lee Goldberg, different from other of his other books I've read.
Beth McDade is now a homicide detective at the San Bernardino Barstow Sheriff's Dept. after being fired from the LAPD. It's not where she wants to be by far and she drinks too much, sleeps around too much, and generally is just not too happy.
Then unusual happenings start with a strangely appearing man, a disappearing man, explosions at the two nearby military bases and Beth suddenly has a lot happening in her quiet backwater part of the desert and none of it makes sense.
I highly recommend this story if you want something fun with a side of sci fi.
I received this book from Net Galley through Severn House. My opinions are my own.
Beth McDade is now a homicide detective at the San Bernardino Barstow Sheriff's Dept. after being fired from the LAPD. It's not where she wants to be by far and she drinks too much, sleeps around too much, and generally is just not too happy.
Then unusual happenings start with a strangely appearing man, a disappearing man, explosions at the two nearby military bases and Beth suddenly has a lot happening in her quiet backwater part of the desert and none of it makes sense.
I highly recommend this story if you want something fun with a side of sci fi.
I received this book from Net Galley through Severn House. My opinions are my own.
August 28, 2023
I’ve been a fan of author Lee Goldberg for close to 30 years. Between his nonfiction books about television (which all TV lovers should read) and his novels, I’ve read close to 20 of his books.
His latest, CALICO, is probably my favorite of all of them.
Goldberg combines multiple genres in CALICO. It’s partly a mystery, partly a western, and partly science fiction. It has a very unique and clever storyline. Plus, there’s a very nice mixture of drama and action, with some nice humor sprinkled in here and there.
I’ve never read anything else quite like it before and I mean that in the best possible of ways.
CALICO is one of those special kinds of books that is probably most enjoyable for readers if they don’t know too much about the plot before they begin reading it. Therefore, I’m not going to say much more about it, because I don’t want to spoil any of the many great twists and surprises in the storyline.
If you’re looking for a very entertaining read, you can’t go wrong with CALICO. I’m already looking forward to reading it again.
NOTE: I received an advanced reading copy of the novel from the publisher.
His latest, CALICO, is probably my favorite of all of them.
Goldberg combines multiple genres in CALICO. It’s partly a mystery, partly a western, and partly science fiction. It has a very unique and clever storyline. Plus, there’s a very nice mixture of drama and action, with some nice humor sprinkled in here and there.
I’ve never read anything else quite like it before and I mean that in the best possible of ways.
CALICO is one of those special kinds of books that is probably most enjoyable for readers if they don’t know too much about the plot before they begin reading it. Therefore, I’m not going to say much more about it, because I don’t want to spoil any of the many great twists and surprises in the storyline.
If you’re looking for a very entertaining read, you can’t go wrong with CALICO. I’m already looking forward to reading it again.
NOTE: I received an advanced reading copy of the novel from the publisher.
November 1, 2023
Good grief. Did not finish. I actually thought lead character had great potential but the storyline quickly went into the twilight zone territory. Time traveling? Really? Lightning storms, fires , military bases and voila! Time continuum opens and people move. No thanks. I can’t do stupid today
March 15, 2024
If you like time travel and a little bit of twilight zone craziness, this book is for you. This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be. Reading more. I liked this book a lot. He developed the characters well, and had you hooked the whole way.
November 5, 2023
"Calico" by Lee Goldberg is an intriguing blend of investigative thriller and time-travel adventure. The story unfolds through two main threads, with Sheriff Detective Beth McDade investigating a mysterious man killed by an RV and a series of perplexing events in the Mojave desert, while Owen Slader finds himself transported back in time and must navigate the challenges of living in the past.
The narrative keeps you engaged with its well-paced plot, weaving together the investigations and challenges faced by McDade and Slader. I found Slader to be a more compelling and developed character, with his struggle to adapt to a different time period and his interactions with the residents of the Calico mining camp adding depth to his story.
Goldberg's writing style draws you into the mystery, making it hard to put the book down. While there are some elements that might not be suitable for all readers, the novel provides an enjoyable reading experience with its blend of action, intrigue, and a touch of time-travel fantasy. Overall, "Calico" is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will keep you guessing until the very end.
4.5 stars
NetGalley arc
The narrative keeps you engaged with its well-paced plot, weaving together the investigations and challenges faced by McDade and Slader. I found Slader to be a more compelling and developed character, with his struggle to adapt to a different time period and his interactions with the residents of the Calico mining camp adding depth to his story.
Goldberg's writing style draws you into the mystery, making it hard to put the book down. While there are some elements that might not be suitable for all readers, the novel provides an enjoyable reading experience with its blend of action, intrigue, and a touch of time-travel fantasy. Overall, "Calico" is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will keep you guessing until the very end.
4.5 stars
NetGalley arc
October 3, 2023
What’s the significance of February 2nd 2019? There was a lightning storm, an explosion on the nearby military base, a man is hit by an RV and dies at the scene and lastly a man named Owen Slader disappears on his way back to LA from Las Vegas.
The man hit by the RV is wearing clothing common in the 1800’s and has many afflictions that would also point towards the 1800’s but he has be dead a very short time, no one knows who he is.
A detective arrives from LA, looking for missing person Owen Slader, much to the annoyance of Beth McDade, who left LA under a dark cloud and can now only find work in the back of beyond. When Owens body turns up in a coffin from the 1800’s Beth begins to suspect a link but she just can’t believe her own evidence as it’s too crazy.
I was expecting a murder mystery where an old cold case has links to a current day case, a bit like the ITV drama Unforgotten (I think that’s what it’s called) I got the mystery part right but and the fact that book is set in both 1880’s and 2019.
To begin with I was a little disappointed that this book was lining up for a sci-fy but I persevered as the story wasn’t bad, I am so glad I did. I ended up really enjoying this book, it was well written and full of twists and turns. I found myself connecting with the characters and looking forward to finding out what happens next. A great story about learning to live and enjoy the hand you’re dealt even when in the beginning it seems as if all is lost.
I would recommend Calico to anyone who enjoys a book written in 2 time zones as this one really worked.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.
The man hit by the RV is wearing clothing common in the 1800’s and has many afflictions that would also point towards the 1800’s but he has be dead a very short time, no one knows who he is.
A detective arrives from LA, looking for missing person Owen Slader, much to the annoyance of Beth McDade, who left LA under a dark cloud and can now only find work in the back of beyond. When Owens body turns up in a coffin from the 1800’s Beth begins to suspect a link but she just can’t believe her own evidence as it’s too crazy.
I was expecting a murder mystery where an old cold case has links to a current day case, a bit like the ITV drama Unforgotten (I think that’s what it’s called) I got the mystery part right but and the fact that book is set in both 1880’s and 2019.
To begin with I was a little disappointed that this book was lining up for a sci-fy but I persevered as the story wasn’t bad, I am so glad I did. I ended up really enjoying this book, it was well written and full of twists and turns. I found myself connecting with the characters and looking forward to finding out what happens next. A great story about learning to live and enjoy the hand you’re dealt even when in the beginning it seems as if all is lost.
I would recommend Calico to anyone who enjoys a book written in 2 time zones as this one really worked.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.
July 10, 2023
I love Lee Goldberg’s atmospheric descriptions of wherever he sets his stories, but I am going to challenge him on his description of Peggy Sue’s Diner in middle of nowhere Yermo, California as “cheesy”! No! It’s enormously amusing, including the dinosaurs. And what about the huge ice cream sundae shaped Eddie World building? The book is called “Calico” which is a real dusty ghost town north of Barstow, a town where I-15 intersects with the end of I-40. 40 takes you through old west Route 66 territory like Kingman, Winslow, Flagstaff, while 15 delivers you to Las Vegas or Los Angeles. The area is a bit of a historic triangle. The Barstow based characters like Deputy Sheriff Beth McDade seem like they would prefer to be anywhere else, especially not in a section known as “weird California.”
There are two storylines:
The first tale is Deputy Beth’s investigation into two dead men: One unidentified man ran into the path of a recreational van and his clothes (and body clues) are straight out of the old west; and the other is a body with 100 year old bones discovered in an unearthed 1900s grave but the skeleton has 21st century titanium plates and dental implants. That forensic discovery quickly reveals that the coffin body seems to belong to Owen Slader, who went missing while driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles the same night the other man died. As Beth surmises “Motor Home Man seems to have stepped out of the 1800s and while Slader stepped into the past.” As she investigates, there’s an apparent unfriendly effort to stymie her at every turn, and she gets “X-Files” vibes all the way.
The second story follows what really happened to Owen Slader, which turns into an engrossing story about the California silver rush and booming/receding western economies and…the prime directive. I’m not going to spoil the story, but trust me, it’s an amazingly entangled story in two different centuries that comes with enough twists to keep you turning pages as fast as possible.
One of the reasons I love Goldberg is his ability to get me invested in his main characters — decent people who have flaws, but who you reliably trust. Added bonus: some very funny unexpected touches — Owen’s assumed name and the name of his restaurant. You’ll have to read this to find out.
Thank you to Severn House/Canongate and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only a couple blue eye color references.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Goldberg does a great job describing the geography and landscape of the area (I can attest to this, thanks whiling time away at the Eddie World Tesla chargers.
There are two storylines:
The first tale is Deputy Beth’s investigation into two dead men: One unidentified man ran into the path of a recreational van and his clothes (and body clues) are straight out of the old west; and the other is a body with 100 year old bones discovered in an unearthed 1900s grave but the skeleton has 21st century titanium plates and dental implants. That forensic discovery quickly reveals that the coffin body seems to belong to Owen Slader, who went missing while driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles the same night the other man died. As Beth surmises “Motor Home Man seems to have stepped out of the 1800s and while Slader stepped into the past.” As she investigates, there’s an apparent unfriendly effort to stymie her at every turn, and she gets “X-Files” vibes all the way.
The second story follows what really happened to Owen Slader, which turns into an engrossing story about the California silver rush and booming/receding western economies and…the prime directive. I’m not going to spoil the story, but trust me, it’s an amazingly entangled story in two different centuries that comes with enough twists to keep you turning pages as fast as possible.
One of the reasons I love Goldberg is his ability to get me invested in his main characters — decent people who have flaws, but who you reliably trust. Added bonus: some very funny unexpected touches — Owen’s assumed name and the name of his restaurant. You’ll have to read this to find out.
Thank you to Severn House/Canongate and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only a couple blue eye color references.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Goldberg does a great job describing the geography and landscape of the area (I can attest to this, thanks whiling time away at the Eddie World Tesla chargers.
November 8, 2023
Calico by Lee Goldberg is a delightful surprise. Not at all what I expected - it was even better! A great genre mashup of suspense, mystery, and historical (Western) fiction with a touch of other things that you'll discover as you go. The book blurb for Calico is kind of vague so I decided to read just one chapter to get an idea of what it was all about. Then I decided to read just one more and, long story short, once I got going I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting - I couldn't put it down.
The storyline goes seamlessly back and forth between modern times and the 1880s. I'm going to tread very lightly here for fear of spoilers...
2019: Detective Beth McDade is a hot mess who has been exiled to a small desert community in the middle of nowhere. When she gets called in to investigate an old coffin found buried at a construction site she finds herself with more questions than answers. It seems to be somehow connected to the recent death of a homeless man who was killed when he inexplicably ran in front of an RV on the highway.
1882: Calico, a ghost town tourist attraction in Beth's time, is a lively mining community that's still growing when a mystery man comes to town and shakes things up; quickly making himself indispensable to several of the town's more prominent citizens.
What does one thing have to do with the other? That's where it all gets very tricky and mysterious.
Goldberg has a knack for writing flawed, fully dimensional characters that come to life on the page. He also writes the kind of strong, compelling female characters that even a grumpy old, hard-boiled detective fan like myself can appreciate (If you're not familiar with his Eve Ronin series, you're missing out). One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the way that every day life in the 1880s gets depicted without all the romantic and nostalgic notions usually associated with those "simpler times". It was hard living -- but author Goldberg still manages to infuse the story with a good deal of humor.
BOTTOM LINE: A great page-turning mystery with a jaw-dropping twist at the end.
The storyline goes seamlessly back and forth between modern times and the 1880s. I'm going to tread very lightly here for fear of spoilers...
2019: Detective Beth McDade is a hot mess who has been exiled to a small desert community in the middle of nowhere. When she gets called in to investigate an old coffin found buried at a construction site she finds herself with more questions than answers. It seems to be somehow connected to the recent death of a homeless man who was killed when he inexplicably ran in front of an RV on the highway.
1882: Calico, a ghost town tourist attraction in Beth's time, is a lively mining community that's still growing when a mystery man comes to town and shakes things up; quickly making himself indispensable to several of the town's more prominent citizens.
What does one thing have to do with the other? That's where it all gets very tricky and mysterious.
Goldberg has a knack for writing flawed, fully dimensional characters that come to life on the page. He also writes the kind of strong, compelling female characters that even a grumpy old, hard-boiled detective fan like myself can appreciate (If you're not familiar with his Eve Ronin series, you're missing out). One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the way that every day life in the 1880s gets depicted without all the romantic and nostalgic notions usually associated with those "simpler times". It was hard living -- but author Goldberg still manages to infuse the story with a good deal of humor.
BOTTOM LINE: A great page-turning mystery with a jaw-dropping twist at the end.
November 22, 2023
I enjoyed this book, but in places it felt like the author had added additional notes or levels of detail that weren’t necessary, and there was some repetition, all of which felt like it should have been removed by a solid edit. Parts of the storyline were a little implausible; Goldberg doesn’t hesitate to ignore facts, change them, or use contrived plot devices to conveniently dodge potential banana skins that could wrong-foot the storyline.
As a female reader, it was also very clear that a man was writing the sex scenes. Let’s just say that Goldberg’s perspective on relationships and intimacy has more than its fair share of masculine ‘tells’.
I had expected something more weighty and credible when I started, but it was still a nice read, if not quite what I was expecting, although it could have been significantly shorter.
If you’re looking for character growth, deep and meaningful emotion, or a tension-packed thriller, this isn’t the book for you, but it is an entertaining story of time travel in the old west.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for the chance to read an arc.
As a female reader, it was also very clear that a man was writing the sex scenes. Let’s just say that Goldberg’s perspective on relationships and intimacy has more than its fair share of masculine ‘tells’.
I had expected something more weighty and credible when I started, but it was still a nice read, if not quite what I was expecting, although it could have been significantly shorter.
If you’re looking for character growth, deep and meaningful emotion, or a tension-packed thriller, this isn’t the book for you, but it is an entertaining story of time travel in the old west.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for the chance to read an arc.
March 13, 2024
Second book in a row I’ve read that surprised me by morphing into a time traveling plot. An entertaining police procedural set in Barstow, California until it goes X Files on the reader. But it’s intriguing to say the least and an enjoyable read. Not sure if this is a standalone or the first book in a series. Certainly setup to be either.
December 22, 2023
I really can’t delve very far into the plot of this… police procedural? Mystery? Thriller? Something stranger? This is a novel that is very difficult to describe or even do something I hate (classify) without spoiling many of the reveals. I was fortunate enough to receive this as an early review without knowing anything about it. I was lucky that was the case because I had no expectations and was able to enjoy the adventure that unfolded.
The characters are very well done and thankfully it is they who drive the story rather than the story driving them. That is a beautiful feat by the author.
It isn’t perfect. There are a few conveniences and the science works best if you don’t spend too much time thinking about it. But that really isn’t the point of the narrative. This is just a good old fashioned adventure that left me with a smile on my face. And sometimes, that enough. I do recommend it!
The characters are very well done and thankfully it is they who drive the story rather than the story driving them. That is a beautiful feat by the author.
It isn’t perfect. There are a few conveniences and the science works best if you don’t spend too much time thinking about it. But that really isn’t the point of the narrative. This is just a good old fashioned adventure that left me with a smile on my face. And sometimes, that enough. I do recommend it!
September 15, 2025
A very unexpected story by Goldberg. A detective ends up in Barstow, about the only place she can find a job, and finds so much more in this intriguing story of Calico both past & present. An old skeleton and a motorhome accident start the story, but that is all I am going to say! I enjoyed the history of Calico, a place I first visited about 65 years ago and as recently as 12 years ago...wow, want to go back & pay a bit more attention to the town. Thank you Marie for the recommendation!
November 14, 2023
Calico was an unexpected, enjoyable treat. It begins with a hardboiled woman ex-LAPD detective, stuck in a desert station near Barstow. A routine traffic fatality is anything but that. There is a strange weather disturbance, a home invasion, a tight-mouthed military man and a grizzly bear spotted where none has been seen in almost 100 years. The fatality becomes even more mysterious when the victim’s clothes seem to be from the 1800s. What is going on here? Detective Beth needs to solve the mystery by suspending reason and embracing the weird. Or maybe reasoning is different and the weird really isn’t that weird. Goldberg slowly morphs this tale into a genre-twisting read going back to an old mining town and then back again and again. There is wit and heart, adventure, and peril. A great read to keep you up all night! Highly recommended – and a great cover. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
November 14, 2023
I was honored to meet the author at our local indie bookstore on his book tour promoting his latest novel, Calico. Lee was the most engaging, humorous, entertaining author I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He explained how he had always wanted to write this novel but didn’t have the time until the pandemic. Calico starts as a police procedural with a rough but likable protagonist, Detective Beth McDade. When the book took an unexpected sci-fi twist, I was initially disappointed because I don’t like sci-fi or fantasy books. But the way the author integrated the sci-fi with the police procedural was brilliant. This was my first Lee Goldberg novel but now I’m fired up to read more!
November 10, 2023
A good investment of your time...
Five stars! ... No, wait. Make that five bottles of twenty-five-year-old Macallan! What a book. What a joy ride. A page-turning mystery thriller chock full of characters to be loved. Read it, and you can be the judge.
Five stars! ... No, wait. Make that five bottles of twenty-five-year-old Macallan! What a book. What a joy ride. A page-turning mystery thriller chock full of characters to be loved. Read it, and you can be the judge.
October 25, 2023
A very entertaining time travel mystery that I found funny and enjoyable with some memorable characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review
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