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abibliofob's review against another edition
3.0
This was a new character for me but I enjoyed it very much. I must thank #Netgalley and #Forgebooks for giving me the opportunity to read Loren D. Estlemans latest Valentino mystery #Indigo I grew up reading Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane and the author has got the atmosphere just like them. I really recommend this book.
ispeakbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
As Indigo by Loren D. Estleman opens, Valentino and his girlfriend, Harriet, are off to a celebration for completion of his restoration of an old cinema, The Oracle. One of the guests present, Ignacio Bozal, avid film collector and generous donor to the UCLA Film Preservation Department where Valentino works, invites him to his property the following day, where he then gifts him with a never released film called Bleak Street. The main actor mysteriously disappeared after it was finished filming, and there was lots of speculation and gossip over his disappearance over the years. Valentino, Film Detective, will essentially need to solve the unsolvable before this film can ever be released.
Indigo is #6 in the Valentino series. It is the first I've read of the series. It works as a standalone, but reading the previous installments, I am certain, will enrich the reader's experience.
Valentino, naturally, given his career as a film archivist, is an avid fan of the classics. This book is chock full of references to classic black-and-white films and their stars, to at times, seem transportive. The characters are all interesting, although not as three-dimensional as I'd like; thus, why I say reading the previous novels would enrich the experience. I am certain previous knowledge of said characters will bring them more to life for the reader.
I was able to predict the main circumstances of actor's disappearance fairly early on, although some of the minor details remained unknown until the end. It was a quick, easy read, which was appreciated. Many authors add pages and page of unnecessary information to stories that would be just fine if kept shorter. Estleman paced and kept the length of this one just right.
It was like a slice of old-film pie, and I can genuinely say I enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend this book and the series's previous installments to fans of old cinema and also to fans of cozy mysteries. It's not quite a cozy, but perhaps akin to one, and was a nice, relaxing read, with mostly enjoyable characters and settings. Even though many will guess the answer to the mystery, it was enjoyable to watch the other details fall into place.
Indigo is #6 in the Valentino series. It is the first I've read of the series. It works as a standalone, but reading the previous installments, I am certain, will enrich the reader's experience.
Valentino, naturally, given his career as a film archivist, is an avid fan of the classics. This book is chock full of references to classic black-and-white films and their stars, to at times, seem transportive. The characters are all interesting, although not as three-dimensional as I'd like; thus, why I say reading the previous novels would enrich the experience. I am certain previous knowledge of said characters will bring them more to life for the reader.
I was able to predict the main circumstances of actor's disappearance fairly early on, although some of the minor details remained unknown until the end. It was a quick, easy read, which was appreciated. Many authors add pages and page of unnecessary information to stories that would be just fine if kept shorter. Estleman paced and kept the length of this one just right.
It was like a slice of old-film pie, and I can genuinely say I enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend this book and the series's previous installments to fans of old cinema and also to fans of cozy mysteries. It's not quite a cozy, but perhaps akin to one, and was a nice, relaxing read, with mostly enjoyable characters and settings. Even though many will guess the answer to the mystery, it was enjoyable to watch the other details fall into place.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the atmosphere and the characters of this book. It's a story for anyone who loves old movies and Chandler/Hammett stories.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
annarella's review
4.0
I liked the atmosphere and the characters of this book. It's a story for anyone who loves old movies and Chandler/Hammett stories.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
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