Calico

A missing-person case becomes a possible homicide investigation, and an ex-LAPD detective becomes tangled in a bizarre mystery in Goldberg’s latest thriller. Beth McDade was forced out of the LAPD, and the only place willing to hire her is in the isolated area of Barstow, California. Everyone knows everybody in this area of the state, and even though there are few people spread out over many miles in the desert, she hopes to escape her past and find a second chance. The disappearance of a man on the way to visit his daughter and an accident involving a motor home running over someone keep her busy. Still, the more she investigates, the more she will question her sanity. Goldberg also takes the time to explore the life of Ben, who becomes a chef in the mining town of Calico in the late 1800s. What Ben uncovers in the past could very well help Beth in the present. The journeys of both Ben and Beth are complicated and compelling, and what Goldberg has crafted is a page-turning novel that has surprises up to the final page. Calico is arguably one of his best.