Mystery, science fiction and an old time western blend with a police procedural in Calico, a sure fire bestseller by the talented Lee Goldberg. Banished to the Barstow desert after a career flameout in Los Angeles, detective Beth McDade is puzzled. A terrified homeless man has run into the path of an RV and been killed. The only clues to his identity are clothes made in the 1800s. An extinct grizzly bear has attacked a camper. A freak lightening storm has caused a multi-car accident after a dislodged boulder dropped to the highway. Organized home invaders are robbing vacant vacation homes. And how would a century old corpse have dental implants? And in the boom town of Calico, during a silver mining craze, Ben Cartwright begins a career as a saloon chef.

Compelling, unputdownable, spellbinding and riveting describe this powerful tour-de-force by award winning author Goldberg. It’s a totally unique idea. Thank you, Lee Goldberg. I would read appliance manuals if you wrote them. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House and Lee Goldberg for this ARC.

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.

I've always liked most of Lee Goldberg's stuff, but I thought with the Eve Ronin series he really came into his own. The California cop novel is a peculiarly American art form, and a lot of well-known writers have practiced the form in ways that ranged from competent to brilliant. The Eve Ronin series propelled Lee Goldberg to the top of the heap. If it didn't make him the greatest practitioner of the California cop novel ever, then it absolutely established him as one of two or three greatest I ever read.

So when I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of CALICO, I couldn't wait to dive in. A new California cop novel from Lee Goldberg? Bring it on!

Then I started reading it, and about a third of the way in I screamed, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

This is like no California cop novel ever written. I'm convinced Goldberg dreamed it up while suffering through the delirium from a bad bout of malaria. Or maybe he woke up in a Tijuana cat house with a three-day growth of beard, a dozen empty tequila bottles, and no memory of anything but the novel he had plotted out in his head.

However it was that CALICO happened, thank God it did. It's an absolutely jaw-dropping genre mashup that no one who reads it will ever forget. I only hope Goldberg has enough left in the tank after launching this sneak attack on all that is holy in crime fiction not to be forced to give up writing and retire now.

Come on, Lee. I'm already jonesing for the next one. But this time... uh, maybe go a little easier on the tequila, huh?

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the copy of Calico by Lee Goldberg. This is the most imaginative and intricate book I have read in a long time! It’s best to go in not knowing too much and just letting the story unfold. I loved the ethical and moral dilemmas the characters faced. Beth was a great character, flawed and real. It goes without saying that the writing was great and engaging. If you want an intriguing read, don’t miss this one! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Calico by Lee Goldberg – 5 Stars
Publisher: Severn House
ISBN: 9781448310135

Calico is a magical unique mix of past and present. It is a current day mystery combined with an old western adventure. Movement between past and present flows smoothly making time travel almost believable. There are interesting characters, history, romance, humor, science and surprises flawlessly woven together into an entertaining story.
I have been a fan of Lee Goldberg’s books for some time. This is my favorite.

Reviewer: Nancy

What can I say about this book and Lee Goldberg that hasn't already been said by much more authoritative and influential people than me? What more can I add besides, "Ditto!"?

Calico is a bit of a departure from Goldberg's usual fare, but not by much. If you consider Goldberg's usual fare to be tightly constructed plots with incredible characters and impeccable research, then Calico is exactly in line with everything else he's written.

I'm not usually one for anything supernatural. And I'm generally not a fan of westerns or historical fiction in general. But I love a good mystery and I love Lee Goldberg. This book is all of the above, and I loved it. Couldn't stop reading, couldn't put it down, got grumpy at anyone who interrupted me LOVED it. The only times I did stop were to google facts about Calico Ghost Town in attempts to find the line between fact and fiction (for my own curiosity's sake). That's how blurred the lines were at times, and THAT is the mark of excellent research and storytelling.

You can read the plot summary elsewhere. You can read reviews from super stars elsewhere. The only thing I need to say is READ THE BOOK. You won't regret it.

I am a huge fan of Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronan police procedural series and when I read the description of this book it sounded very similar. Boy was I wrong! But in a good way. It started out as I expected. Like Ronan. The main character here, Beth McDade, is a former LAPD detective whose career ended in scandal. The only position that she could find was as a deputy in the Mojave Desert town of Barstow, California where the joke is that the interstate only goes one way… away.

The story begins as Beth is called on to investigate the deaths of two men on the same night. The first was a seemingly crazy homeless man who ran out in front of a motorhome. In the second a man traveling from Las Vegas home to Los Angeles disappeared in the same area, only have his skeleton turn up a day or two later in a hundred year old coffin. The ancient bones seemed to match the coffin, but the titanium implants were the very latest technology.

At this point the book turns into two parallel storylines. Beth’s investigation of the two deaths and the story of Owen Slader’s life in an 1882 silver mining camp called Calico that had existed in the mountains above modern day Barstow. It’s a fascinating story rich in period details of what life was really like in the Old West.

As someone who loves police procedurals, “The X-Files” and the history of the old west I really loved this book, especially the way the author skillfully merged the two storylines in a way that kept me guessing as to how it all fit together. There's even an amzaing love story. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for providing this digital ARC for review.

Unlike many of the other reviewers I had not read any of Lee Goldbergs books before but the name was familiar and the blurb was intriguing.

I'm very glad I requested and was approved because it was a really enjoyable book - a mixture of crime and Back to the Future.

A 21st century detective, banished from LA for a violation of dept. policy is rooted in the desert when a seemingly simple accident on the highway leads to a very complex case which stretches for more than a century.

Beth Dade's character is refreshing and there is, in general, a thread of very strong and believable female characters. The author's continual referencing of her sex drive is a little creepy, a couple of references would've established the character trait and allowed for its role in the narrative.

I'd love to see her in a series but I'm not sure where she could go from here though the author did leave some leeway for her and a colleague to take part in a further exploration of the events in the novel and their repercussions. Fingers crossed.

What I loved about this book is that the landscape and the real life geography of the area play a real part. I was ticked to find many of the places - towns, military bases, observatories, gas stations, etc. easily findable on Google Maps and the desert and its features play a really key part in everything that happens.

The other main characters are likeable throughout and although the denouement when it comes is fairly simplistic, in these days of real life horror and strife it was a welcome relief.

Highly recommended.

Let me say first that I discovered Lee Goldberg through NetGalley, and he's quickly become one of my top favorite authors. I don't normally like cop dramas, but his settings take place in SoCal and are so descriptive, and his characters are highly flawed but very likable. He also gives women the lead role in most of his books, so what's not to love!?

I started reading the book without knowing the plot so imagine my surprise when a few chapters into the latest suspense/crime novel, I realized I was reading what I can only describe as a SciFi/time travel novel. I'm not a SciFi fan and I think a lesser author would have me putting the book down, but I was so drawn in, I couldn't wait to keep reading.

I loved the back-and-forth between the present day and the 1880s, and I loved the ending. This may well be the best Lee Goldberg book yet.

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, Golberg 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.

Sometimes I speed read through the last quarter of a novel to get it over with, and onto the next one. Rarely do I slow down because I enjoy it so much that I do not want it to conclude. Calico by Lee Goldberg was one of those rare treats. The book kept delivering, and how I savored.
The author surprised me with this one. I always enjoy his work, which are usually police procedural/private eye/master thief stories, but this one has a more supernatural element. Handled by a less experienced author Calico might not have worked, but in Goldberg’s talented hands he creates an enjoyable, even plausible plot.
Beth is a Barstow California Sherrif’s homicide detective. Once in the more promising location of Los Angeles, she is now in this comparative armpit of the world, due to poor judgement and decision making of former superiors. The story opens up with her investigating the death of an apparent homeless person who ran in front of a moving motor home.
Soon there are other events, the sudden disappearance of a man who was last seen driving through the area on the same night, one in which there were strange lighting strike explosions from a nearby military base.
As the detective story evolves with stranger clues that are developed over the case, the reader is provided another storyline taking place in the same area in 1882 when nearby Calico was a struggling to exist mining town. Alternating between the modern day investigation and western story is satisfyingly woven by Lee Goldberg. Frankly, I do not usually care for mixed genres in the books I read, but soon the author provided threads connecting the two timelines and I became hooked on each.
As I wrote, this novel quickly became a page turner until I did not want it to end. Lee Goldberg’s prowess as an author truly shines in Calico, and I heartily recommend this fabulous novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Calico - Lee Goldberg
PUBLICATION DATE - 7th NOVEMBER 2023

Lucky enough to receive an ARC of this unique, compelling read and so temptingly close to being a 5 star book!

Two timelines, where the Old West meets 21st Century America - both gripping in their own ways as the battle to uncover the truth unfolds.

It took me a little while to get into the read - with the sci-fi angle not part of my normal go-to material - but once I’d got my head around the concept and the possibilities that this might produce, I was hooked and in for the ride.

Lee Goldberg paints vivid pictures - and recreates scenes which are all consuming, steeped in historic detail and full of life. As the book progresses, the page turns get quicker - and by the end of it, I was dying to find out how it would eventually play out.

Unusual, riveting - and certainly one to add to the Christmas list for 2023!

Beth McDade is a detective in a small town in the middle of the Mohave Desert when she catches a case of a pedestrian struck and killed by a vehicle. The man, who appears homeless, is dressed in clothing that would be appropriate for someone in the 1800’s, and that’s just the start of the story! Calico was the name of an old mining town, close to where the accident occurred, and it’s the jumping off point for this delightful mashup - part mystery, part Western, part sci-fi, that is highly entertaining and definitely unique, and will stand out amongst the cookie-cutter plots that we’re used to. There’s tons to like about this book, from the likable but flawed protagonist, to the characters in 1800’s Calico, and a fantastic storyline that will totally engulf you. Another can’t miss book from Lee Goldberg. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the unapologetically savvy Beth McDade, a detective fighting her way back from a hard time in her life. She just wants to do her job, find answers for the dead bodies. But it seems nobody else wants her investigation to get anywhere close to the truth. No matter how many times Beth is warned off, she keeps searching, even when the evidence leads her to a conclusion she can't quite believe.
The authentic desert location is is so well written, I felt like I'd been there. You really can't say much more without spoilers. Calico didn't keep me up late, but I woke up this morning thinking about it and read two hours before breakfast. Highly recommended!

Lee Goldberg has become on of my most favorite Authors and in between Malibu Burning and Calico,
he has spoiled us all with such interesting, well written stories making the wait for the next
books seem even longer!
I just loved the attention to detail in the desert locale, a part of California even most natives are not
familiar with due to the remote location, long tedious drive from civilization and nearly nothing to
do upon arrival.
Until Mr Goldberg stopped by with the most interesting and detailed time travel tale one could
possibly imagine. It’s really well researched, and he’s clear on which places are real, and which
are from his active imagination-keeping the reader fully engaged and perhaps thinking a bit ahead,
anxious to learn the next secret.
When people disappear while driving East, and find themselves more than lost-lost a century back,
things start to get weird, as the kids would say. And when a ‘fallen from Grace,’ Detective lands in
Calico, the only place she could work after a brush with indiscretion, the cast of folks in this suspense
begin to appear, and on occasion, disappear. The two main characters do a fine job carrying this really
fun book through to the conclusion, which is where I leave; questions and all.
This is time travel, suspense, love, and money, ALL in one book. This book kept me trying to carve
out time to read with little regard for other activities. I also spent a great deal of time thinking about
how I would take this story to its fruition. It turned out that I was patient with my time and let the
brilliant Author wrap things up with a lovely bow and I am completely satisfied with the conclusion.
This book is a treat!
My sincere thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for providing this download title in exchange
for my honest review.

I love the Eve Ronin series and was excited to see something new from Lee Goldberg. I started out not being fond of Beth McDade, but she grew on me. I loved the Owen and Gwen storyline, and how they traversed their circumstances with optimism and humor. Both the police procedural (the medical examiner is hysterical!) and Calico storylines are engaging and keep you invested in what strange events occurred and how it all ends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House, and Lee Goldberg for the eARC.

I came across Lee Goldberg when I found his book Gated Prey. I read the sleeve and was hooked. It was my favorite book of his as I then read Lost Hills, Bone Canyon, and then Movieland. One of the greatest things about Gated Prey besides the story was it was under 300 pages. Fast forward to Calico. When I saw the cover and saw Lee Goldberg wrote it I was excited. Even though it was over 300 pages, I figured I ought to give it a read since it's Lee Goldberg and I love the Eve Ronin series.

The book started off amazingly. It began in Barstow and Yermo which are in San Bernardino County, I lived in Yermo for 2 months and then in Barstow for 5 years. The way Lee described the intersection of Yermo Road and Ghost Town Rd was spot on. I've been on both those roads hundreds of times due to my job. It made reading feel like I was there again but in the story. I've been to almost every place he described in the book multiple times I.E. MCLB Barstow Yermo Annex, Jack In The Box, Peggy Sues, Fort Irwin, Barstow, the courthouse, and the Sheriff's Barstow station. I was disappointed he didn't include Burger Den in the book, as it's on Yermo Road just a bit past the Yermo Post Office.

I really enjoyed the way the story began with the incidents that started the book. I was very disappointed to see the book go back in time. I'm not a fan of time-traveling anything and still am not after reading this book. I read the first chapter from the late 1880s to give it a chance and it was good. After that, it just went downhill with boring details about the lives of the people in the 1880s. It was filled with filler content to keep the story longer than it had to be. I began to skim through the chapters in the past to get back into the present part of the story which kept me interested. The chapters in the 1880s should've all been at least half the size of details.

This book will be a real treat for those who love time-traveling books as the detailed research Lee did was very impressive, as mentioned at the end of the book. When Lee decides to write a book, he does his homework. I'm able to say that as the details he had about Barstow and Yermo were all spot on, exactly as it is. I would give Calico a read if you're OK with almost 1/4 of the story being in the 1880s. If you're not OK with that, I'd suggest giving the Lee Goldberg Eve Ronin series a try as they're all in the present day and all amazing books. Start with Lost Hills.

Lee Goldberg’s Calico might be harder to summarize and review than even Louise Penny’s books. There’s not a good way to describe this book without spoilers, but I’m going to try.

Beth McDade is a former LAPD detective. After the scandal she was involved in, the only job she can get is in the Mojave Desert town of Barstow, where the first responders all hang out at a rundown bar. That’s the dead end for all of them. In 1957, the town that was once an active stop on Route 66 began a long decline when the interstate was built.

Beth was in bed at 2 AM on Feb. 2, 2019 when everything happened after a lightning strike. A naked man ran in front of a motor home and was killed. A man on the way from Las Vegas to California disappeared. There was a multi-car accident on the interstate, and there was some sort of event at both Marine bases, but no one will tell Beth what happened. She’s sent to deal with the man killed by the motor home. But, that’s just the start of her confusion. She and Amanda, the local coroner, are caught up in investigating deaths that could change the future.

I can’t talk about this engrossing crime novel with two timelines. I can talk about Beth McDade, a sex addict who drinks too much and lives in filth. Her lifestyle corresponds with her day-to-day life in Barstow. When she begins her investigation, she’s a cop who just doesn’t care. But, Amanda pushes her to accept what she learns, no matter how unlikely. In the end, Beth changes. She does her job, and discovers the truth. No matter how implausible the truth, she does uncover it. It’s satisfying to see two strong women, Amanda and Beth, take on the establishment.

This was a great story! I loved it so much. I am not a sci-fi fan, so wasn't sure I'd like this time travel story, but it was so well done and believable, that I couldn't put it down. The research on Calico in the 1880's and the desert life back then was great. The present day story was good too, loved Detective McDade, hope to see more. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a very different mystery.

I have read numerous books by this author, and I have loved all of them, this one is no exception, a very good story that had me flipping the pages as fast as possible. Beth, a policewoman in Barstow CA, is called out late one night to an accident, a man has been hit by a motor home, which killed him. The unusual thing was he was dressed in very old clothes, was very dirty and after the medical examiner took a look at him, he was also suffering from a disease that hasn't been seen since the 1800's. A few days later Beth is called out to another scene, this time the body is in a casket that had been buried on land that was being developed, the casket was over a 100 years old, the body though had a metal implant in the arm and dental work that didn't exist back then. The story goes back and forth in time, to Owen who was on his way to visit his daughter, when he drove through an opening that appeared and was suddenly in the desert. In present day Beth is trying to piece together what happened, and quickly determines that she may be dealing with a time travelling situation, as difficult as that is to believe. I really enjoyed this book, the author put a lot of effort into research (which he details at the end), There is a bit of everything in this book, police procedural, conspiracy, sci fi, and a bit of what life was like living in the desert in the 1800's (not clean, and not pleasant smelling). I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Severn House for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Calico", the new standalone thriller/mystery/western from Lee Goldberg, author of the 'Eve Ronin' series (which I love and have read all).
Now, you might think that that's a strange way to describe a book... but you'd be wrong!
Welcome to Barstow, California in the middle of the desert, where nothing much happens other than the usual petty crime. Beth McDade is a Homicide Detective in exile from LA, where she left in disgrace - but that's really not germane to the story other than it never should have happened.
On February 2, 2029 four seemingly-unconnected things happened: there was an explosion at a military installation in the desert, there was a massive lightning storm (but no thunder or rain), a vagrant was run down and killed by an elderly couple driving through Barstow in their RV (to be known henceforth as Motor Home Man), and Owen Slader - a wannabe chef and social media influencer - disappeared off the map completely while driving through the area on the way to his usual visitation with his daughter.
Detective McDade is tasked with investigating both Motor Home Man's demise and Owen Slader's disappearance.
Shortly thereafter, there is the discovery of a body in a random grave at the site of an upcoming development.
An autopsy on Motor Home Man is puzzling to say the least: he appears to be dressed in 19th Century clothing and was suffering from all manner of diseases; and his body appears to be older than thought possible; and the autopsy on the bones found in the grave reveal two things: the bones are very old and they have modern-day implants and dental work.
I'm not going to go any further into things, but let's just say that this book does something I've never seen before: bends (no, actually breaks) literary genres: it's part police procedural, part western, part conspiracy theory and part time-travel. You might think that that would be extremely confusing - but it's not!
In the deft hands (and radically twisted mind) of Lee Goldberg, it all just seems to work; and it seems plausible.
There are a number of sub-plots which will keep the reader interested, and some very amusing segues. But on the whole I would just say, read the book. If you don't love it, fine - but I think you will.
Recommended.

This book has it all. Mystery, time travel and a bit of the old West. Beth is a policewoman in the Barstow desert when a homeless man runs in front of an RV and gets killed. Turns out he is wearing clothes from the 1800 hundreds. Another man disappeared driving down the highway. It all weaves together in a very good book. I highly recommend this book.

"My favorite Lee Goldberg novel yet! CALICO alternates between contemporary investigation, intriguing sciences, and fascinating history. Each aspect is told with a stellar sense of place, engaging characters, and the kind of real yet snappy dialogue readers have come to expect. Highly recommend!"

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5818916550
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/775203396

When I picked up this book, I was prepared for a great police procedural, like the previous books I had read by Lee Goldberg. WOW... I was wrong! This was a wonderfully written book that encompasses a huge electrical storm, missing person and a man that was hit by a RV at the same time, on the same highway. What the heck has happened? This book was so wonderfully written with a vivid description of the historical scenes. I ended up really enjoying this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me to preview this great book.

I’ve been a fan of author Lee Goldberg for a long time. 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.

Golberg 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. 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 book from the publisher, Severn House, via NetGalley.

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.

It is February 2019 as Calico by Lee Goldberg opens and Beth McDade is in Barstow, California. Not that she ever wanted to be there, but in the here and now, she is doing time in exile. Things went bad for her in Los Angeles. There was a media driven firestorm and she had to leave the police department in disgrace.

After the scandal hit the media fan, her name and reputation in the minds of many meant that it was almost impossible to get a job. She finally did with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department and is a detective. She is assigned to the substation in Barstow and is on call almost always, even when off duty. It means that even when she has spent the previous few hours drinking at a local place where everybody knowns your business, and she is currently in bed with a man from the bar, she still gets called out to bodies.

Like when a couple in a RV hit somebody who ran out in the road in front of them. That just happened outside of Peggy Sue’s in nearby Yerno. A roadside diner, it is part of string of small places clustered there at the highway, and is the last stop for gas or a remnant of civilization until one gets to Baker, about fifty miles to the east across yet more desert.

The deceased might have been homeless considering his clothing and general appearance. The couple claim that there was lightning storm in the sky and then a boom from the nearby Marine base. The driver looked over to see what was happening and when he looked back, the guy was screaming and running right out in the road in front of him. The husband and wife are very upset.

According to Sheriff’s Deputy Willits, who was first on the scene, the breath analyzer indicates neither one has been drinking. He is ready to write it off as an accident.

While Deputy Willits is sure it was an accident and Deputy Beth McDade would tend to agree, she does have some questions. Why was he running across the parking lot of the diner in terror seconds before impact. Why does he have some items on his person that have not been seen in decades? Why did the Security Chief for the Marine Corps Logistic Base nearby, Bill Knox, showed up on scene, ask her some questions, and then bald faced lied to her.

This is the first of several cases, a couple of which are interlinked, that become her focus in Calico by Lee Goldberg. This police procedural features adult language, adult situations including sexual intimacy, and is not for everyone. It is also very complicated and well worth your time. Cases from the past and the present are worked by a detective that does her job and more as she pursues answers and justice.

This reviewer is deliberately ignoring a major chunk of the story as to not cause any spoilers. This is a read that will bend your mind and is well worth your time. Calico by Lee Goldberg is very good.

My reading copy came by way of Severn House and a NetGalley ARC. There was no expectation of a review. The book releases on November 7th.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023

I’ve never read anything from this author, but I am familiar with some of the shows he’s worked. I loved them, so I definitely wanted to read this. Man is it weird to read a book set in the area you grew up! I’ve never in my life read a book that mentions Barstow or Victorville, and I read a lot. (Describing the meth labs and gang members is spot on. Try being the tiny nerdy girl in that setting.) This book was so entertaining! It made me think of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter if it was part western. Really well-done and kept me interested until the very end. I would be so happy if there were a sequel!

Huge thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This was my first book by this author, but it was a great read, so it won’t be my last. I loved a good police procedural and this book delivered. The writing well was developed and on point and wove elements of historical fiction into the story. The descriptions were wonderful, and I could picture the entire book in my head as I was reading. I always have a lot of fun with that. I enjoyed that this book was told from current and past timelines. This book has plenty of drama, and the twists and reveals were wonderful.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This modern-day police procedural turns up an unexpected link to a mining town’s past, and the rest of the narrative alternates between past and present. Goldberg is an expert at well-paced novels featuring homicide detectives, so you know you’re in good hands, but this one takes a different turn. The chapters taking place in the past are detailed and entertaining (though the repeated references to bodily functions were definitely excessive). If you’ve watched enough TV, the general idea here will be familiar. You have to be willing to play the game and suspend disbelief. Surprisingly, this is easier for the overall premise than it is for some trivial day-to-day stuff.

There are some cute twists on the old TV trope; for example, the old-timers use a clever signaling method that is very funny. The ending is fun and satisfying on all points but one: we never find out where that one guy bought his improbably durable lightning cable. I’d like to switch brands.

Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for a digital advance review copy.

Calico by Lee Goldberg is the story of Detective Beth McDade, set in Barstow California, and her most recent homicide case, a seemingly homeless/indigent man hit by a mobile home on the night of a thunder and lightning storm and a large explosion at the nearby military base. The Mojave Desert doesn’t seem like the best location for a life or a detective/crime story. Beth is visited by a previous acquaintance from the LAPD who is investigating the disappearance of a man last known to have been driving in the area of Barstow. Just as Beth’s investigation gets intriguing due to some odd results revealed by the coroner, the author takes back a hundred years or so to the mining town of Calico, not far from the present-day Barstow.
What promised to be a straightforward crime story set in an unusual location, now becomes a most intriguing and, at times, difficult to fathom story of time travel. The night of the storm, it seems, a rip in time appeared and at least one person traveled back in time and another traveled through the rip, forward in time. The story now lives in two times: Beth’s story, attempting to gather evidence to support her bizarre theory that the corpse dug up on a building site is that of the man from LA who was last seen just two weeks ago – and the story of that man’s life a hundred or so years ago in Barstow where he landed after falling through the rip in time.
The plot has been carefully constructed such that this story, unlike most time travel stories, feels plausible. The characters are sufficiently flawed to be real people that we can identify with and cheer for and they relate to each in what feels like a real manner without it feeling forced or deliberate.

Beth McDade, a detective with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department investigates the death of someone who was hit and killed by a motor home and then of a body uncovered at a construction site. The coroner's report offers anomalies that involve when these individuals lived and died. A lightning storm, explosions from two area military bases and a particular day in February factor into the investigation. As McDade uncovers more that in all sense can't be possible, she runs into roadblocks intended to shut down her investigation and most likely ruin her career. The history books of the area offer more clues as she has to consider that the impossible is possible. In Calico time runs in more than one direction.

Rips in time and the idea of time travel make this a thrilling read. Beth McDade has the intelligence to connect the dots and to see the connections that are a hundred years apart. Add the humorous nods (Denny's, H. G. Wells, Gilligan's Island theme song, Ben Cartwright, etc.), and this is Lee Goldberg at his best.

I will be recommending this book. A compelling adventure!

I appreciated the research that was involved. A list of material is offered in the author's note and acknowledgements.

Thanks to Severn House, Lee Goldberg and NetGalley for this ARC.

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!

When I first started reading this I thought it was just going to be another novel about a disillusioned female cop out of favour with her colleagues. But I rapidly became hooked as Beth becomes heavily involved in a case that has mysterious links to lives in the 19th century. Her determination to bring closure to the bereaved family against all odds makes for a rollercoaster ride taking in the past and present as the truth is painstakingly revealed.

A broken career cop in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but time on her hands, doesn't sound like a great plot for a book, but once I was in to the storyline it really took off.
It has all the usual plot lines, a secret agenda from the Armed Forces trying to keep things quiet after a scientific accident, a cop that doesn't know when to quit and for me a quirky off beat humour running through the book.
A great read. And I can see a thread for a sequel too.

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.

Calico by Lee Goldberg The story if filled with interesting people, history, romance, humor, and science (fiction and real). A truly unique blend of an old wild west adventure combined with a present day mystery. The shift between past and present is flawless making time travel entirely conceivable. An exceptionally entertaining and one of a kind story.
Thank you to the author, Lee Goldberg, Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A wonderful mix of crime procedural, western and time-travelling scifi. The story is compelling and successfully manages to entertain you, amuse you and even make you think. The plot is well-thought, characters are fleshed out and you're constantly wondering what will happen next. A 2023 favorite, no doubt.

This book has everything that I love in a good read. There’s a great plot, one which you have no idea how everything can be tied up into a believable ending, a bit of romance, police investigation, the old West and engaging characters. There’s also been some really good research done, particularly for the area around Calico, the scientific areas needed and a really large dose of imagination. Loved it!

I liked the fact that there are two distinct stories being told, Beth’s and Owens. Beth is an interesting character, flawed, determined, dogged and likeable, except maybe by the baddies she comes across. She’s had her own share of bad luck, by the way she was treated when working as a Dectective in the LAPD, but has fought back, not letting it make her so embittered that she can’t do her job. Owen has his own charm too, and is more resilient than he thinks he is, passionate about his daughter Nicole, and determined to try to let her know how much he loves her. I love the nods to the present day that are used in the late 1890s, some made me laugh out loud, and also how mind boggling upsetting the future from the past can be. All in all a must-read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I must say that Calico by Lee Goldberg was not what I expected, but in a good way. Going from a good police procedural to a time travel story, the history of the town of Calico, CA at two different times in its life was a really interesting way to write a mystery. Between the travails of Beth McDade, a jaded police detective relegated to the California desert around Barstow and the unexplained explosions on the military base nearby and the unexplained deaths and disappearances of various characters, this book will keep you guessing and wanting to finish!

Great combination of a police procedural, sci-fi time travel story, and Western. Owen's transformation into Ben as he is sent from 2019 back to 1880's California is delightful. Beth's modern-day investigation into what happened to him is riveting as she slowly puts together the pieces to discover the unthinkable has happened.

Vivid, immersive and endlessly fascinating, Calico is an unforgettable investigative thriller that will burrow into your brain and set up shop before completely blowing your mind. Lee Goldberg has crafted a tale that is as engrossing and inventive as anything you’ll read this year. A creative novel that you won’t be able to stop thinking about for a long time.

In Barstow, California a vagrant is killed when hit by a RV in the middle of the night. At the same time, a man driving through town on the interstate disappears without a trace. These separate incidents are given to ex-LAPD detective turned San Bernardino County detective Beth McDade to investigate. As she gathers clues and evidence, a connection between the two cases arises and ties back to events in Calico, a small mining town from the late-1800s. Faced with shocking revelations that defy logic, Beth must tread carefully to unlock the entire unbelievable mystery before she is shut down by powerful forces that will do anything to keep the situation from becoming public.

I lost sleep over Calico. Yes, it was incredibly difficult to put down and so I read late into the night. But that’s not all. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the overall concept. It opened a Pandora's box of what-if questions that got stuck in my head. And when I did fall asleep, I dreamt about the book and woke up thinking about it even more. And even a week later I still can’t shake it. Because Calico is more than a police procedural or crime novel. Way more. And the method by which the story is told, switching back and forth between present day Barstow and Calico from the late-1800s, makes it damn near impossible to stop reading as the intrigue increases and the story sinks it’s hooks into you deeper and deeper. You get absolutely invested in certain characters and have a burning desire to know what happens next, asking yourself over and over how you would respond if put in similar situations. I would say more but won’t dare risk spoiling the experience for readers. Best to go into this one knowing as little as possible.

Calico is alluring and entrancing. Extraordinarily thought-provoking and riveting. Memorable and mind bending. Something exceedingly different from the typical thriller. A fantastic book expertly crafted by Lee Goldberg and gifted to readers.

To be honest I requested this book after reading a few good reviews – without checking the book description. I was enjoying the book till I came across the words ‘time travel’ and then realised my mistake. I don’t like reading anything about time travel! I wondered if this was one book I wouldn’t finish – but I did, and I loved it! I found it fascinating, and absolutely love Detective Beth McDade. A very imaginative and well-researched story and I’m sure it’s going to be a huge hit. Thanks to NeGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this early copy.

On February 2nd 2019, Beth McDade is called to an accident on a deserted road. The victim, a man dressed like a miner from the 1800s has been hit by an RV. He came off second best. Beth assumes the victim is an actor from a nearby tourist attraction, but a closer inspection of his clothes and his teeth suggests otherwise. On the same night, a man, Owen Slader, disappears while driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to visit his daughter. The last ping from his mobile phone shows he was on the same road. Two days later, the body of Owen Slader is discovered – in a one hundred-year-old coffin.
The story is told from two perspectives. We have Beth and her investigation to get to the truth of exactly what happened out there in the desert on that February night. Where did the miner come from, and where did Owen go? Then there is Owen’s story, who, thanks to some sort of tear in time and space, finds himself stuck in the 1880s.
Both storylines are compelling and honestly, I couldn’t flick the pages quick enough.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Lee Goldberg and I would definitely like to read more. Without giving away the plot, this is a genre bending tale with a strong, female lead - a randy detective with an axe to grind who gets pulled into a strange case which, come hell or high water, she just has to solve. Her story runs in parallel with that of a man trying to make sense of his past and how it might affect the future. It was full of twists and turns and I couldn't put it down. The sensory descriptions of life in a 19th century mining town were spot on and made me feel like I had been transported there. This novel would make a brilliant film. Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Very enjoyable mystery novel - well worth a look.

In many ways, this novel is a bit of nonsense but highly enjoyable nonsense at that. Beth is a detective investigating the circumstances in which a man is run over out on a Californian desert road and the disappearance of another man in the same area at the same time. Without giving too much away, these events are connected and her investigation uncovers some interesting and disturbing facts. There's a lot to enjoy in the book, including the characters and the original plot. I have not read any other books by Lee Goldberg but my curiosity has been piqued. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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.

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.

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.

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.

First novel I’ve read by this author and I don’t think it’ll be the last.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Every chapter ended on me wanting to know more and more.
At first I wasn’t sure about the time travel aspect but I grew to enjoy it and understood how it fitted in with the story.
A great read and very well executed.