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Frames (The Valentino Series #1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Loren D. Estleman
Publisher: Forge Books
Category: Book
List Price: $23.95
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $13.96 (58%)
New (35) Used (16) Collectible (1) from $5.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 496157
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1
ISBN: 0765315750
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780765315755
ASIN: 0765315750
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Enter Valentino, a mild-mannered UCLA film archivist. In the surreal world of Hollywood filmdom truth is often stranger than celluloid fiction. When Valentino buys a decrepit movie palace and uncovers a skeleton in the secret Prohibition basement, he's not really surprised. But he's staggered by a second discovery: long-lost, priceless, reels of film: Erich von Stroheim’s infamous Greed.
The LAPD wants to take the reels as evidence, jeopardizing the precious old film. If Valentino wants to save his find, he has only one choice: solve the murder within 72 hours with the help of his mentor, the noted film scholar Broadhead, and Fanta, a feisty if slightly flaky young law student.
Between a budding romance with a beautiful forensics investigator and visions of Von Stroheim’s ghost, Valentino’s madcap race to save the flick is as fast and frenetic as a classic screwball comedy. A quirky cast of characters, smart dialogue and a touch of romance make this Estleman's most engaging and accessible novel to date.
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| Customer Reviews:
entertaining Hollywood mystery May 6, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
Calling himself the "Film Detective" Valentino earns a living as film archivist at UCLA. He considers buying the Oracle, a dilapidated theatre that back in the 1920s was a showcase. However, as he inspects the crumbling edifice, he finds several reels of Erich von Stroheim's classic epic, Greed; though long lost to the ravages of time, stupidity, and avarice.
However, his discovery takes a setback when Valentino also uncovers a skeleton. He would prefer to ignore the old bones and run off with the film, but his conscience will not allow Valentino to do so. He calls the cops informing them of the human remains, but remains silent re the reels out of fear the evidence takers will damage the valuable work, which would put his conscience in suicide mode.
This is an entertaining Hollywood mystery as the lead character hides evidence from the police rationalizing why he did it. The cold case investigation is fun to follow as the Film Detective tracks cinematic clues one frame at a time; while also rationalizing again why he is making inquiries. Apparently Valentino has appeared in short stories, but in his novel debut he seems complete and able to hold together an enjoyable somewhat movie fun fluffy whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
Fun Lightweight Hollywood Romp April 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read a fair amount of crime fiction, but had never read anything by prolific multiple award-winner Estleman until now. The film preservation milieu of this first in a projected series caught my attention, so I decided to give it a whirl. The story revolves around a UCLA film archivist named Valentino, who, in the course of buying a crumbling historic theater in LA, makes the discovery of a career. Many film buffs know the story of Erich von Stroheim's film Greed (based on Frank Norris' novel McTeague), which the studio chopped from ten hours down to a confused two hour release, tossing the remaining footage in the process. That missing footage is a Holy Grail for film archivists, and naturally Valentino discovers it in the old theater he buys.
However, he also finds a skeleton, and once the police are alerted, it's a race to solve a 50-year-old murder before the police decide to confiscate the priceless (and highly unstable) canisters of Greed as potential evidence. Fortunately, he's got help in the form of his 60-something UCLA mentor, who's a walking encyclopedia of film history and a flouter of convention and law to boot. There's also Fanta, a smart and sexy co-ed who's interning with the film preservation office. Finally, there's the sexy (4 of the 5 primary female characters are described as highly attractive) LAPD crime scene investigator Valentino meets and falls for.
The story is best described as of a fun romp, somewhat reminiscent in tone of a Scooby Doo episode. Valentino and friends have to figure things out while keeping their investigation secret from the cops, which gives the proceedings a bit of a farcical air. There are several outsized funny characters, such as the crotchety old department secretary, and the hilariously affected Russian restoration specialist, among others. There are tons of references to Golden Age Hollywood which may or may not send readers to the internet to look up, and plenty of interesting information about the art and science of film preservation. Some of the gags and wordplay are kind of corny, and it's best read with a willing suspension of disbelief. For example, even though the theater is totally falling apart, how does a 30-something film preservationist have enough money to buy it? But on the whole, it's a fun lightweight read that should appeal to mystery readers with a taste for classic Hollywood fare.
Note: Valentino has apparently previously appeared in ten short stories published in Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine. Hopefully these will be collected in book form at some point.
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