ARC Review: Split Screen by Lee Goldberg

Split Screen
Author: Lee Goldberg
Series: Eve Ronin (Book 7)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (October 20, 2026)

Description: Reality and fiction collide in shocking violence for Detective Eve Ronin in a propulsive thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

When Erin Casey, the actress who plays LASD detective Eve Ronin on TV, is gunned down after a ride-along, the intended target is obvious: the real Eve. What isn’t obvious is why.

As Eve hunts the shooter, her world fractures into more deadly reflections. The new sheriff forces Eve to exploit her fame to burnish his image―or he’ll destroy her partner, Duncan. And a reckless half sister Eve never knew she had pulls her toward a criminal conspiracy that’s already dumped a corpse in a Topanga Canyon ravine.

To save Erin, protect her half sister, and survive herself, Eve must find the killers before they strike again―and before her enemies inside the department finish the job for them.

My Thoughts: The story starts with the death of an actress by an apparent drug overdose which isn't totally unexpected since she's been an addict for years and has blown up her career a few times because of it. 

While waiting for the tox screen, Eve's called to meet with her new Sheriff. He wants to use Eve's reputation to burnish the tattered reputation of the LASD. He uses her partner's future as a lever to force Eve to comply. Duncan is under investigation for actions around the forced resignation of the former Sheriff. The new Sheriff also orders Eve to take the actress portraying her on the television show about her career. 

Erin Casey shows up for the ride along in a car identical to Eve's and dressing and looking more like Eve than Eve does. Eve takes Erin along while she runs an errand for her estranged father who is one of the producers on Erin's show. It seems that her father has scattered other illegitimate children throughout the area and one is in trouble. Her mother is convinced that she's involved herself in prostitution after failing to find a job in journalism. Eve slips a tracker onto her new half-sister's car to see where she's been going all those nights she's out impossibly late.

Then another call comes in and Erin finds herself really seeing what Eve does. A noted doctor is found beaten with a baseball bat next to his bougie car and behind his clinic. That one should be a no-brainer since the doctor's partner saw the doctor's ex-wife and current boy toy speeding away from the scene.

But then Erin is shot while out for coffee with a friend and Eve believes that it is because someone thought she was Eve. Of course, the shooter shouting "Die, Ronin, die" was sort of a clue. Since videos of the scene indicate the shooters could be from a Russian mob, she recruits Walker to go along with her to see a mob boss he knows which leads to all sorts of complications.

This was a busy episode with lots of realizations for Eve and lots of changes for the whole cast of characters. I enjoyed the fast-paced action.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.