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 identify 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.
Industry Reviews
In Calico, Lee Goldberg seamlessly blends a present-day police procedural with a Western from the 1880s. The results are a genre-bending, gripping read * #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben *
A superb twin-track thriller featuring constant intrigue and a huge secret - could be Lee Goldberg's best ever * #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child *
A mind-bending thriller unlike anything I have read before. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough * New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay *
If you have time for only one mystery, one Western, and one SF this year, this will ding all three targets * Kirkus Reviews *
Goldberg's plots are always first-rate, but this one is especially suspenseful and surprising * Booklist *
Impeccably crafted entertainment * The Times *
An entertaining story * Library Journal *
Goldberg interweaves two storylines into a remarkably unconventional crime novel that is warm, thrilling, and fun to read * Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine *
A riveting mystery. . .Goldberg expertly paces the narrative, ensuring continuous engagement until the thrilling conclusion * Mystery & Suspense Magazine *
Goldberg has crafted is a page-turning novel that has surprises up to the final page. Calico is arguably one of his best * FirstCLUE *
Lee Goldberg has crafted a tale that is as engrossing and inventive as anything you'll read this year * Best Thriller Books *
A cleverly complex plot wreathed in Goldberg's brilliant humour makes this a rocket-paced story . . . This novel, where wryly amusing moments abound, comes highly recommended * Historical Novel Society (Editor's Choice) *
If you're looking for an exciting mystery within a mystery, flawed characters who work toward redemption, and a few unexpected twists, you should read Calico * Kings River Life Magazine *
Something altogether new, radical and exciting * Paperback Warrior *
A tour de force of a novel. The authenticity is overwhelming, the writing is taut, and the mystery is thoroughly engrossing * James Robert Daniels, author of The Comanche Kid, a Spur Award finalist for Best Western Novel *
One of the most compelling novels I've read in a long time. Great characters, a vivid historical setting, and intriguing plot twists had me staying up late to finish it. Goldberg always delivers the goods, and Calico is something special * James Reasoner, Spur-Award finalist and author of more than 350 westerns *
A two-fisted western mystery with a compelling heroine in Beth McDade. If you like the Yellowstone series and its spinoffs, you'll love Calico!" * Peter Brandvold, multiple Spur Award finalist and Western Fictioneers Lifetime Achievement Award honoree *
Lee Goldberg delivers with the unapologetically savvy Beth McDade, a detective unafraid of following the dead bodies and the mystery surrounding them. Calico couples history with good old fashioned detective work * Yasmin Angoe, award-winning author of the Nena Knight series *
Calico is stunningly original - a magical mixture of a murder mystery and an old-fashioned Western, set in the California desert. It's also a heartwarming, epic story of one family that spans the centuries. Read it today - you won't soon forget it! * Matt Witten, author of Killer Story *
