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 with no expectation of a review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023 ( )

I got this book at Bouchercon as part of my free allotment, and finally devoured it tonight, coincidentally a few days before the initial release. The back cover says "Goldberg attempts something very tricky: combining a gritty Southern California police procedural and an epic Western historical saga." I've enjoyed everything Lee has written that I have read, so I grabbed this; what I didn't expect was the other part of the story that the blurber left out. This book is science fiction as well; my other favorite genre! Goldberg has taken all of these threads and woven them into a seamless multi-layered tapestry. The characters in both time periods are extremely believable, not surprising given the amount of research Goldberg performed, as he notes in an afterword. Even the throwaway details and the in-jokes all work. The ending paragraph is a perfect example of "He didn't just do that, did he?" The closest thing I can think of to this book is David Gerrold's The Man Who Folded Himself. If Goldberg wants to try his hand at more science fiction, I'll happily buy it. ( )

#FirstLine ~ The walls in Beth McDade’s dark bedroom were bare.

Calico by Lee Goldberg is a gripping and atmospheric mystery novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the sun-baked, unforgiving landscape of Barstow, California. In a city where the interstate leads only one way—away, we meet the resilient ex-LAPD detective, Beth McDade, who is seeking a shot at redemption following a dramatic fall from grace. Her journey for a second chance leads her to the enigmatic town of Calico, a struggling mining community with a history as mysterious as the desert that surrounds it.

As the story unfolds, the web of intrigue tightens, leading to a revelation that could change the world. Calico is a mesmerizing tale of secrets, redemption, and the inexorable ties that bind the past to the present. The author's ability to blend history, mystery, and character development into a cohesive and enthralling narrative makes this novel a must-read for fans of detective fiction and historical mysteries. Lee Goldberg's Calico will keep you guessing until the very end, and it's a compelling story that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. ( )

Beth McDade left the LAPD in disgrace. Now she is working as a detective for the Sheriff's Department in Barstow, California, drinking too much and picking up random first responders for one-night stands.

February 2, 2019, changes things. There was a lightning storm and explosion on the nearby military base. A man runs in from of an RV and is killed. And a man named Owen Slader disappears on his way back to LA from Las Vegas.

Beth's initial case deals with the man, nicknamed Motor Home Man, who ran out in front of the RV. Not only can he not be identified, he is dressed in clothing out of the 1800s and has diseases also common at that time. The coroner confirms these things which don't really help Beth with the case. She checks with people in the area to see if anyone can identify him. She also visits the recreation of the town of Calico which was a mining town from the 1880s to see if he came from there.

The guy who was involved in the reason Beth left LA in disgrace comes to her about the missing Owen Slader. And when his body is found buried in an old coffin from the 1800s at a construction site, his death becomes her case too. But there are strange things about his body. He was fully skeletonized after only being missing for a few days and tests indicate that he died at least 100 years earlier which adds to the mystery.

And the local military are quick to cover things up and unusually reticent to share information about what went on the night of February 2. While Beth is dealing with the impossible notion that time travel is involved in these strange occurrences, Owen is making a new life for himself in the 1880s where the chef has some knowledge of what the future will bring and is determined to do nothing that would prevent the birth of his daughter whom he was rushing home to see when swept back in time.

This was an engaging story. I'm not usually a fan of time travel stories but this one worked for me. I liked the action as Beth tries to keep herself and the evidence she has located out of the hands of the military. The car chases were exciting. ( )