Old old hollywood detective story that can be read as a stand alone and still enjoyed. Valentino is a detective trying to save a lost copy of Cleopatra before it's destroyed forever.

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!!

Valentino is back! I enjoyed this newest installment. Valentino has a job that I would love! Not the solving the murders, but this is a great series for fans of historical, traditional, and cozy fans.

"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."

I love hard-boiled detectives involved in the seedy underbelly of the film industry.

Loren D. Estleman does it again in the Valentino series, it had the charm that I looked for in this series. The characters felt like they were suppose to and worked with the series. I was engaged with what was happening in the time-period. It was great to have a mystery set in old Hollywood and I always enjoy reading books from Loren D. Estleman.