Vamp

by Loren D. Estleman

Vamp is a hot new Valentino mystery by Loren D. Estleman, the master of the hard-boiled detective novel and recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

Renowned film detective Valentino is on a quest to help restore The Comet, an extinct drive-in movie theater, and his trail leads him to Leo Kalishnikov, who requests a favor first—rid him of a blackmailer from his shady past, and he'll gladly hand over the money that The Comet needs.

With only an uncashed check for a clue, Valentino embarks on a treacherous path to save not only The Comet but the last remaining print of the 1917 film Cleopatra, which has been lost for over a century. The film is somewhere in Los Angeles, and Valentino is willing to risk it all to find it. He must navigate the shady underbelly of Hollywood once more, in a dangerous adventure that threatens not only his career—but his life.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Mystery

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Danielle Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in the series, and while I had no trouble following what was going on at about the halfway point, I was enjoying it so much that I went and requested the first book from my library!
I really enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters.. especially Leo to the murder mystery plot with a film detective at the center of it all.

I had a lot of fun following Valentino as he helped his friend build a drive-in theater, and brought in Leo, an eccentric Russian specializing in building theaters, only to be pulled into assisting Leo with a bit of a blackmail problem. There was so much happening it kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down. I loved all the film stuff and the intrigue that goes along with locating and authenticating them.
I can't wait to start this series from the beginning and see how it all began!!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5

Valentino, a UCLA film archivist and occasional detective is helping out a friend who recently bought an old drive-in movie venue. Leo brings in his friend Leo Kalishnikov who is a top-notch theater designer. But Leo's mind isn't on the job - he's being blackmailed in regards to something from his past. Valentino offers to help Leo but at just about the same time, Valentino is contacted by a stranger who claims to have two reels of the silent film Cleopatra (1917) starring Theda Bara. Finding a film thought to be lost is a film archivist's dream.
But getting ahold of the film would require that Valentino navigates in the dark, underbelly of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, time is running out for his friend Leo. Can Valentino accomplish both missions, successfully? Can he even stay alive?

Maybe it's not a surprise, given my interest in films, but I've read a surprising number of books (ie: within the last year) about rare/lost films recently. One of these was a book I rather randomly picked up in my local library (Alive!), which, it turns out, is part of this same series featuring Valentino.

Author Loren D. Estleman is clearly a film fan himself or a huge fan of research (possibly both). I followed up on the issues in the book to see that Theda Bara was one of the biggest stars of her time, maybe one of the first sex symbols. And yes, there are no known copies of her film Cleopatra in existence. This historical film-related mystery, complete with history lesson, is actually quite fun.

The mystery surrounding the missing film is rather a side story to the bigger issue of the drive-in restoration and Leo's problems and none of the stories is earth-shattering exciting. It's a solid story, well-written, but the theme and general character of the series are the most interesting aspects of the book.

It's not the first time I've gotten into a series based on the concept (Gigi Pandian's "Accidental Alchemist" series comes immediately to mind) and Estleman's work is certainly strong enough that I'm very interested in reading more in the series (earlier books and future volumes), but it's not a book I'd recommend for the average mystery reader.

Looking for a good book? Vamp by Loren D. Estleman is a mystery with a classic film theme, well researched and well told, though it may not be the most exciting mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul Sutter]

For those who enjoy classic films of yesteryear, and have not read a Valentino mystery yet, now is definitely the time to come on board. Loren D. Estleman has really given the character a life all its own, offering a sort of nostalgic take on the crime-noir series, that definitely has so much going for it each time out.
This is book seven of the series, with the same sort of spectacular moments and characters we have come to see in the previous six books. Valentino is sort of a finder of lost films, and his latest challenge is helping his friend Dinky Schwartz, with restoring an old drive-in. Valentino decides to seek the help of another good friend, Leo Kalishnikov, who is noted for his skillful touch in designing theaters. It seems like the perfect pairing for all, but things are not about to run as smoothly as planned.
Leo is being blackmailed for a past indiscretion, so in exchange for adding his expertise to the project, he wants Valentino to look into the blackmailer, and the reasons behind this. The blackmail revolves around a death many years before, that has Leo fearing for his health and life. In the meantime, Valentino is contacted by a mysterious person who seems to have acquired a couple of reels of the silent film Cleopatra, that starred Theda Bara. It won’t come without a cost, as Valentino finds that his life may definitely be in danger on a couple of fronts, from helping Leo and getting involved with this rare and elusive film.
Since this a noir mystery, it is not long before there are bodies, including one that Valentino finds right inside his car, making him look guilty in the entire affair. The deeper that Valentine probes into the case involving both Leo and the reels, the more obvious it is that someone wants Valentino not to find any answers at all. In fact, it is speculative if Valentino can make it to the final reel in more ways that one.
Loren Estleman makes the series both compelling and adds that classic noir touch, with great scenes and tense moments. Plus we get an education as usual in the world of classic Hollywood, and the stars and movies that definitely were ones we still talk about today.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film detective Valentino is a bit at loose ends as a bathroom is being installed in his restored movie theatre/home, so he is pleased when an old college friend contacts him about a new project: restoring a drive-in movie theatre, something that the builder really wants to do. He enlists Valentino’s help, and the latter brings in his old friend Leo Kalishnikov, eccentric but brilliant theatre designer, but Leo has other things on his mind - he is being blackmailed by somebody who knows something about his past. Val agrees to help his old friend, but is also contacted by a stranger, who claims to have the first two reels of the legendary Theda Bara’s Cleopatra, long missing from the world. How will Valentino find time to solve all these puzzles, especially after murder intrudes?.... Loren D. Estleman is best known for his Amos Walker series, but the Valentino books, of which this is the seventh, are a great deal of fun to read. Mr. Estleman’s Los Angeles setting reveals his familiarity with that town and all its quirks as well, and his love of film history is evident throughout, up to and including bibliographies and filmographies at the end of each book. These are not terribly serious works, but they are hugely entertaining - and the reader learns something, to boot! Start with the first book, “Framed,” and you won’t be sorry; recommended!

[BookTrib.com]

Fiction meets cinema history in the seventh full-length novel in masterful author Loren D. Estleman’s Valentino, Film Detective series, VAMP. This hard-boiled #detective novel will have #readers on the edge of their seats!

Read the full review on BookTrib.com

[Araych · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valentino #7. The UCLA film historian and researcher is asked to help an old friend find a daughter from long ago while trying to track down a print of the 1917 film Cleopatra starring Theda Bara. Murder complicates everything. Enjoyable series and I did like this story but it's nothing special. 3 stars.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are fun books and have these wonderful Bibliographies that give us further movie research or movies to watch. Valentino is in solid form here. I enjoyed the dive into Theda Bara. I also enjoy some of the license Estleman takes with movie classics. Really fun read.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentino is back on the case. He has got seduced into investing in refurbishing a historic drive-in theater in Hollywood. But to get the money, he needs to find and stop a blackmailer and locate a missing Theda Bara movie. And along the way solve another murder, or maybe unsolve it!

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure entertainment and nothing more. And I am old enough to "get" the film references without resorting to the filmography author Estleman so thoughtfully included.

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Breezy with a lot of snappy patter. The film historiography in this series is interesting. But: the ending is much too abrupt and tennis pros have competed in the Olympics for years.

[Gaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series

[John Sargent · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but too light for me

[Mary Tuohy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise is interesting and I enjoy the quirky characters however there were times when the novel seemed to go off track. I love the film history peppered in.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valentino is always fun to spend time with and enjoy his love of all things movies.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in a mystery series featuring featuring Valentino, an LA film archivist who somehow keeps stumbling into bodies. Built around the lost Cleopatra film starring Theda Bara, like the other books in the series it is a great treat and again one of the best parts is the author’s afterward about the history of Hollywood and film-short this time around but still interesting. I always keep my eye peeled for new books in this series even though, sadly for me, they don’t come out very frequently.

[Doug Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

UCLA film archivist Valentino (no relation to actor Rudolph) is approached by a strange man from Nebraska who claims to have the first two reels of Cleopatra, a 1917 hit lost since a studio fire in 1937. Obtaining the reels may not be so easy, though. His competitor Teddie Goodman is also after the film, and Teddie has some extra incentive. She believes she's a descendant of Theda Bara (born Theodosia Burr Goodman), the original "vamp" who was the star of the film. As with the other novels in this series, this one includes lots of interesting cinematic history along with the usual colorful characters and clever dialogue.