Lee Goldberg Books in Order

A behind-the-scenes look at TV pilots that were written and developed but never made it to series. It digs into the concepts, the creative choices, and how close some “almost shows” came to being on the air.

An inside tour of how and why television series get revived, rebooted, or continued years later. Lee Goldberg breaks down what changes in the process, what tends to work, and why some comebacks fall apart.

A teleplay from the TV series Deadly Games, where a scientist’s virtual-reality creations escape into the real world. It’s a fast, high-concept crime story that blends action, dark humor, and a killer who shouldn’t exist.

Los Angeles cop Charlie Willis pulls over a famous TV star and gets shot, then discovers the real danger is what people want hidden. Caught between police work and Hollywood politics, he investigates a case nobody wants solved.

A nonfiction deep dive into how 1980s science fiction films were made, told through interviews and production history. It captures the creative problems, low-budget solutions, and behind-the-scenes choices that shaped a decade of genre movies.

An oral-history style look at fantasy filmmaking in the 1980s, built from conversations with the people who made the movies. It explores how these stories were created on set, on stage, and in effects shops, before everything was digital.

Charlie Willis is pulled into another Los Angeles case where the line between entertainment and real crime gets dangerously thin. To survive, he has to read people as carefully as he reads evidence, and trust almost no one.

A practical guide to writing for television, from pitching and breaking story to structure and collaboration. Lee Goldberg lays out how writers’ rooms work, what scripts need on the page, and how to build a TV career step by step.

Dr. Mark Sloan suspects foul play when a young doctor’s health collapses after a transplant, and a former girlfriend turns up dead. With medical clues and police pressure mounting, Mark and Steve Sloan chase a killer hiding in plain sight.

A murder with dangerous professional ties pulls Dr. Mark Sloan and detective Steve Sloan into a case that reaches beyond the hospital. Following medical clues and hidden motives, they uncover a killer who’s been trading in secrets.

When a death is connected to a script and a production that should have been harmless, Mark and Steve Sloan start asking questions nobody wants answered. The investigation turns into a hunt for who rewrote the story, and why.

After a massive Los Angeles earthquake knocks out normal life, a TV executive must walk across the city to reach his family. The journey becomes a tense test of survival, quick decisions, and what matters when everything collapses.

Harvey Mapes is a security guard in a gated community who dreams of being a private eye. When he takes a simple surveillance job, he stumbles into a murder investigation and learns just how deadly the truth can be.

A new murder forces Mark and Steve Sloan to dig into old history that someone thought was buried for good. The past keeps intruding on the present, and the only way to stop the killer is to find the missing piece in the timeline.

A terrifying case begins with a situation that feels like a waking nightmare, and Dr. Mark Sloan can’t shake the sense that someone is staging the truth. With Steve on the official hunt, Mark follows the medical evidence to the real culprit.

Security guard Harvey Mapes wants to be a private investigator, and he finally gets a case, then everything goes wrong. His small-time surveillance job turns into a murder investigation that puts him in over his head, and in real danger.

A trip to Hawaii is supposed to be a break, but for Adrian Monk it quickly becomes a new mystery. Between travel chaos and germs, Monk has to solve a local murder before he can relax, or even breathe normally.

Adrian Monk is dragged into a case tied to a firehouse, the kind of messy, smoky world he hates. While his routines fall apart, his sharp eye finds the clue that turns an apparent accident into a murder investigation.

A message from someone who should be gone opens a new case for Mark and Steve Sloan. Following the trail of a “dead letter” forces them to question everything they thought they knew about the victim and the motive.

Mark and Steve Sloan investigate a case built on deception, where a victim’s secret second life is the key to the crime. As they peel back layers of lies, they find a killer who’s been hiding behind a perfect cover story.

When a “blue flu” leaves the police stretched thin, Adrian Monk gets pulled into a case where every mistake matters. With fewer resources and more pressure, Monk has to catch a killer while the city is off balance.

Adrian Monk suddenly finds himself juggling two assistants, and the chaos makes his already fragile routines collapse. In the middle of the confusion, he tackles a puzzling murder that requires his full focus and his sharpest instincts.

A space-themed event pulls Adrian Monk into an investigation that’s anything but routine. Monk’s attention to tiny inconsistencies exposes a deadly plan, even as he struggles with crowds, noise, and a world that feels out of control.

A final message and a crucial clue push Mark and Steve Sloan into a case where the last word matters. The investigation moves from medical questions to criminal motives, until the truth comes down to one decisive detail.

Adrian Monk travels to Germany and immediately runs into a case he can’t ignore. Far from home and out of his comfort zone, Monk relies on his meticulous eye to solve a murder before it turns into an international mess.

Adrian Monk is in a thoroughly miserable situation, and then a murder makes it worse. As he tries to restore order to his world, Monk follows the one detail that doesn’t fit and builds a case nobody else sees.

The first part of the Jury serial drops you into a tense hunt for a vigilante who believes the justice system isn’t enough. As bodies pile up, investigators race to stop a killer whose “verdicts” are getting bolder.

In the final installment of the Jury serial, the net closes and the consequences land. The hunt becomes a last, high-pressure race to identify the vigilante, stop the next killing, and survive the fallout of the truth.

The chase tightens in this installment of the Jury serial, as clues point to a killer with a strict moral code and no patience for courts. Each new move raises the stakes, and the line between justice and murder blurs further.

When Adrian Monk suspects a “dirty cop,” he won’t let it go, even when it makes powerful enemies. With his reputation and safety on the line, Monk chases corruption and murder through a department that wants him gone.

Adrian Monk lands in trouble that threatens his freedom and his work. To clear the mess, he has to solve a case quickly, proving once again that his quirks may be difficult, but his mind is nearly impossible to beat.

Payback pushes the Jury story into a new phase, with a vigilante targeting people who thought they were untouchable. The investigation becomes more urgent and more personal as the pattern behind the killings starts to surface.

A collection that brings together Lee Goldberg’s shorter crime fiction, built around tight setups and sharp twists. The stories mix humor and danger, and they show how quickly an everyday decision can turn into a deadly mistake.

A robbery leaves Adrian Monk “cleaned out,” and the theft quickly connects to a more serious crime. Monk’s need for order turns into a relentless investigation, driven by the one detail he can’t explain away.

Adrian Monk hits the road, and the trip becomes a moving crime scene when a case follows him. With unfamiliar places and disrupted routines, Monk has to solve a mystery while everything about travel makes him miserable.

A practical look at writing tie-in fiction, where authors work inside established worlds and characters. Lee Goldberg shares what tie-ins demand, how to match voice and continuity, and how to tell a good story with built-in rules.

A sharp, funny mystery starring Dame Edna, who’s pulled into an investigation when a devoted fan turns up dead. As she digs for answers, her celebrity status opens doors, and attracts danger, in ways she doesn’t expect.

Matt Cahill is murdered and wakes up alive again, with no idea why. Drawn toward a new, unnatural threat, he’s forced to fight for answers and survival as he learns the world is darker than he ever imagined.

A small town looks peaceful on the surface, but Matt Cahill senses something hellish underneath. When people start dying in impossible ways, he’s forced to uncover what’s hiding there, and why it wants him gone.

A ruthless plan leaves Matt Cahill with a simple problem: stop the killing or become the next target. Outnumbered and hunted, he pushes forward anyway, chasing the one clue that could end the threat for good.

A session on the couch doesn’t bring Adrian Monk peace for long, especially once a crime needs his attention. As therapy and investigation collide, Monk follows his instincts to a solution that only he could see.

Struggling writer Kevin Dangler tries to sell the last copies of his failed novel from the trunk of his car. When he meets an obsessed fan, his life turns into a suspense story, and he realizes he may not get a second draft.

A ring of danger tightens around Matt Cahill as he investigates a brutal, blade-edged mystery. Every clue points to a threat that can strike from anywhere, and Matt has to act before the circle closes for good.

Something savage is waking up, and Matt Cahill is forced to face the beast within the case, and within himself. As fear spreads, he races to find the source before the horror becomes permanent.

A remote mesa holds a secret written in blood, and Matt Cahill can’t ignore the pull of it. Facing hostile terrain and a supernatural predator, he fights to uncover what happened, and stop it from happening again.

Matt Cahill is drawn to a death that doesn’t make sense, and the trail leads to a woman whose secrets won’t stay buried. As the case turns darker, Matt has to protect the living from what refuses to rest.

A traveling carnival brings more than cheap thrills, and Matt Cahill can feel something wrong before anyone else does. When people start dying, he has to dig into the show’s secrets and face what’s hiding behind the lights.

Matt Cahill is pulled into a case where extremes collide, danger in the heat and danger in the cold. As bodies turn up and explanations fail, he fights to uncover the truth and stop a supernatural force that won’t quit.

Matt Cahill runs into a community of outsiders where the real monsters aren’t just in the shadows. When the killings begin, he’s forced to protect the people no one else believes, and to confront a threat that thrives on fear.

Detective Tom Wade is punished for doing the right thing and exiled to a rough city where corruption is normal. When women start turning up dead, he investigates anyway, risking his career and his life to stop a predator.

In this standalone novella, a man named McGrave gets pulled into a crime he can’t simply walk away from. Every choice makes things worse, and the only way out is to think fast, hit hard, and survive.

A “midnight special” turns into a midnight nightmare when Matt Cahill follows a trail of unexplained deaths. The deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes that something old and hungry is using darkness as its cover.

Adrian Monk gets even by doing what he does best: finding the truth that someone wants buried. A new case hits close to home, and Monk pursues it with extra determination, even when it disrupts everything he relies on.

A chaotic case leaves Adrian Monk feeling like the world is a total mess, and the disorder only sharpens his focus. Following a trail of small inconsistencies, Monk turns a confusing situation into a clear accusation.

Adrian Monk joins a patrol situation that throws him into the messiest parts of police work. When a crime unfolds in real time, Monk’s careful observations cut through the noise and point to the person everyone else overlooks.

A new case traps people in a pattern of control and violence, and Matt Cahill is drawn into the fight. To break the hold of the evil behind it, he has to risk his own life, again, for strangers who may not survive the night.

A terrifying mystery spreads like an infection, and Matt Cahill is forced to track it before panic takes over. Following the clues leads him into a plague of lies and fear, where the cure might be worse than the disease.

Matt Cahill is caught in a deadly contest where the rules are cruel and the stakes are survival. As the body count climbs, he has to find the real mastermind and end the game before the next “match” becomes his.

Matt Cahill walks onto a killing floor where violence is organized and merciless. To stop the slaughter, he has to identify what’s driving it, and confront a supernatural force that turns people into tools.

A television pilot script adaptation connected to the Ella Clah crime novels, presented with the kind of context TV fans and writers enjoy. It’s a look at how a series is translated to the screen, scene by scene.

Matt Cahill follows a trail into a place where the cold isn’t the worst thing waiting for him. A new supernatural menace preys on the vulnerable, and Matt must act fast, even when his own body and mind are pushed to the edge.

A fire-centered mystery pulls Matt Cahill into a situation where evidence turns to ash and fear spreads fast. With little time and no safety net, he has to identify the threat and stop it before it becomes an unstoppable inferno.

A fresh threat leaves a scorch mark on everything it touches, and Matt Cahill is drawn into the blaze. To save strangers and himself, he has to uncover what’s feeding the evil before it burns through the last safe place.

A short, high-speed thriller that drops readers into a dangerous chase with very little margin for error. As the pressure mounts, survival depends on quick thinking, split-second decisions, and knowing who’s really in control.

A short prequel that shows how FBI agent Kate O’Hare and master thief Nicolas Fox end up on the same side. One small job turns into a risky test of trust, and it sets the tone for their future capers.

When violence erupts in the streets, Matt Cahill discovers the danger isn’t entirely human. Tracking the source leads him into a brutal urban nightmare, where the rules keep changing and survival depends on one smart choice after another.

Matt Cahill faces a threat driven by hunger and obsession, the kind that makes people do unthinkable things. As the darkness closes in, he follows the clues through danger and deception, trying to keep one more life from being taken.

FBI agent Kate O’Hare is assigned to bring down con man Nicolas Fox, but he offers a deal instead. Together they chase a bigger criminal scheme, using a heist-style sting that could ruin them if it fails.

The dead don’t stay down, and Matt Cahill is forced to deal with what rises when a boundary breaks. Racing against panic and disbelief, he hunts the source of the horror before the living pay the price.

In the Dead Man finale, Matt Cahill’s fight for answers reaches a breaking point. Old enemies and new horrors converge, and Matt has to confront what brought him back from death before the darkness takes everything he has left.

Kate O’Hare and Nicolas Fox are back on the run, chasing a dangerous target who won’t play by their rules. The hunt turns into a cross-border game of deception where the only way out is to out-con the con.

Kate O’Hare and Nicolas Fox assemble a plan that looks like a crime from the outside but is meant to stop one. The job is complicated, the clock is tight, and every double-cross forces them to adapt fast.

In this shorter Fox and O’Hare adventure, Kate and Nicolas take on a compact con with bigger consequences than it first appears. It’s a quick hit of planning, misdirection, and the chaos that follows them everywhere.

An updated look at the world of TV revivals and reboots, and how older series get reshaped for new audiences. Lee Goldberg explores what gets kept, what gets changed, and why some comebacks work better than others.

A tour through memorable TV concepts that were pitched, developed, and sometimes even cast, but never became series. Lee Goldberg shares the stories behind these near-misses and what they reveal about the TV business.

A new scam pulls Kate O’Hare and Nicolas Fox into an undercover operation where nobody is telling the whole truth. To protect innocent people and catch the real players, they have to run a con inside a con.

A revised collection focused on television pilots that never sold, with added examples and commentary. It breaks down how pilots are built, why networks pass, and how close some “almost shows” came to production.

A relentless pursuit sends Kate O’Hare and Nicolas Fox racing after a threat that keeps slipping away. Each step forces them to stretch their partnership, and one wrong move could turn the hunters into the hunted.

Bestselling novelist Ian Ludlow expects a comfortable life until a real conspiracy drags him into danger. With only his tough assistant, Margo French, to keep him grounded, Ian has to survive a plot that feels stolen from his own books.

Ian Ludlow and Margo French head overseas for research and wind up in the crosshairs of a much bigger operation. What starts as a writing trip turns into a deadly chase, and Ian learns the hard way that villains don’t follow genre rules.

Ian Ludlow is pulled into a new case built on lies that look real, and the truth keeps shifting under his feet. With Margo at his side, he races to untangle the conspiracy before someone frames him as the perfect villain.

After a viral arrest makes her famous, Eve Ronin is promoted young and assigned to homicide at the Lost Hills station. Her first major case, a brutal scene with victims missing, forces her to prove herself under a harsh spotlight.

A grisly discovery in the hills launches Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone into a case with more history than it first appears. As Eve pushes for answers, she faces pressure from above and a killer who counts on silence.

A murder tied to a gated community puts Eve Ronin in the middle of privilege, secrecy, and people who think rules don’t apply to them. The investigation tests Eve’s instincts and her ability to stand firm when doors slam shut.

A young woman is gunned down at Malibu Creek State Park, and Eve Ronin suspects it connects to a disturbing pattern. Chasing the leads forces Eve and Duncan into a high-stakes hunt where corruption and politics complicate every step.

Ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade is exiled to the Mojave desert, trying to rebuild her life. A strange death tied to the ghost town of Calico pulls her into a mystery that refuses to stay in the present, and won’t let her walk away.

Ray Boyd isn’t the sharpest guy, but he has a big heart and a knack for finding trouble. As the unofficial “designated driver” for the LAPD, he keeps ending up near crimes, and gets pulled into a case that turns dangerous fast.

A massive Malibu firestorm looks suspicious to arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his partner Andrew Walker, a former U.S. Marshal. As they chase the truth through smoke and politics, they uncover a deadly plan that thrives on chaos.

When a house explodes and the evidence points to something more than an accident, Sharpe and Walker dig in. Their arson investigation uncovers a hidden threat, and stopping it means moving fast before the next blast.

A new homicide case pulls Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone into a maze of secrets, and the pressure on Eve never lets up. As the investigation widens, Eve has to balance hard evidence, departmental politics, and a killer who expects her to blink.

Ray Boyd dreams of a richer, easier life, but money has a way of attracting the worst people. When Ray’s luck seems to change, he’s pulled into fresh trouble around the LAPD, and he has to survive long enough to clear the air.

A blood-spattered home and three missing people, a mother and two children, launch Eve Ronin into a race against time. With Duncan nearing retirement, the case pushes their partnership and forces Eve to face a killer who plans ahead.

A case links homicide detective Eve Ronin with arson investigators Sharpe and Walker when fire becomes part of a larger killing pattern. Working across units, they chase a culprit who uses smoke, confusion, and misdirection as cover.

Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone take on a case where two versions of the story can’t both be true. Sorting staged appearances from real evidence, they race to find the missing link before the next scene turns deadly.