When Eve Ronin comes to the defense of a woman being assaulted, she has no idea that the attacker is an actor famous for his role as Deathfist, or that her bravado is being videoed. But, then, the obnoxious celebrity has no idea that Eve is an off-duty Sheriff’s deputy.

When the video goes viral, her department, needing the good PR, gives Eve the transfer she’s been wanting, to Robbery-Homicide. There, to her dismay, she picks up the nickname “Deathfist” from her male colleagues. With resentment throughout the ranks running high, Eve knows she has to work doubly hard to shed the name and the nasty taunts that go with it. The partner assigned to her, Duncan Pavone, has less than a year until he retires, so all he cares about is surviving. Making Eve miserable isn’t worth the effort for him.

"LOST HILLS introduces a refreshing detective in Eve Ronin.... She’s a little bulldog who deserves everything she gets. Especially for holding on through the twists and turns the case takes. It’s quite a ride."

As luck would have it, the first case they land is a triple murder. Duncan immediately casts Eve in the lead. He’s happy doing the deskwork. Retirement is so close, he doesn’t want to risk a problem. But solving this one might turn out to be trickier than usual, because there are no bodies. Three people and a dog are missing, but there’s little doubt that something horrific occurred in that house. It’s soaked in blood.

A case that involves forensic evidence without bodies would throw any investigator a gigantic curveball, which is exactly what Eve doesn’t need right when she’s striving to prove herself. In addition, the usual suspects --- the boyfriend and the ex-husband --- have alibis. So the cops can eliminate their most likely killers right away. Their alibis might not be airtight, but they actually sound pretty good. Who else would want to slaughter a mother and her two children? Surprisingly, in the hills around LA, the list of suspects narrows rather quickly. The motive, though, remains elusive.

But Eve has a superb reason to work harder than ever. She needs to be seen as worthy of her promotion and must earn respect. The other officers assigned to assist do their parts, but little more, apparently not convinced that Eve has the cojones to solve a case as complicated as this one. To be fair, even Duncan doesn’t fully believe her theories. But she is about to change that attitude. Her performance now will determine how the rest of her career plays out, so it’s crucial to get it right. Even more important than that, she absolutely owes it to the victims.

LOST HILLS introduces a refreshing detective in Eve Ronin. The woman has baggage, like everyone, but she doesn’t let it get her down. Her troubles percolate in the background as she tackles the job with every tool at her disposal. She fights to win in a job populated by skeptics and men seemingly willing her to fail. Respect doesn’t come easy, not that Eve expects it to, but she intends to solve her first homicide case by using her brains and puzzling out what happened in that house of horrors, not by relying on luck or help from the troops. She’s a little bulldog who deserves everything she gets. Especially for holding on through the twists and turns the case takes. It’s quite a ride.