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Bozal suggests that Oliver had a shady past that gave him insight into the behavior of gangsters. Insiders who saw Oliver work thought the realism he brought to the part was revolutionary. Bozal gets Valentino interested in a Hollywood actor named Van Oliver who made one movie, a noir called Bleak Street. His girlfriend, Harriet Johansen, is a forensic pathologist but she doesn’t have much of a role in this novel.Īmong Valentino’s many friends is Ignacio Bozal, who made some money somewhere, then bought and restored a resort in Acapulco that made even more money before he showed up in Hollywood and began making generous contributions to the Film and Television Archive. He’s also rehabilitating an old theater called The Oracle and lives in an apartment in the projection booth. #Review of the hider by loren estleman archiveValentino tracks down lost motion pictures for the Film and Television Archive at UCLA. I’ve dipped into and enjoyed his Amos Walker mysteries but this was my first exposure to Valentino. Indigo is the sixth novel in his Valentino, Film Detective series. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count all the books Loren D. Published by Forge Books on July 28, 2020 I don’t know if Estleman gets the same notice as best-selling crime fiction authors who have mastered the art of self-promotion, but he’s a writer who fans of the genre shouldn’t miss. Estelman sets up a standard crime plot and turns it upside down. She should have asked for something tall and green with a garden in it.”Īmos solves the case with legwork and close observation and a keen understanding of human nature - particularly the nature of sociopaths who have no human nature. When Amos is surprised that a woman wants to drink her scotch neat, he thinks “It didn’t go with your outfit. Kopernick is such a loser that he’s almost likable.Įstleman is a master at telling a tight story. Kopernick claims that earning favorable publicity by helping Amos (whether he proves or disproves Corbel’s guilt) will balance the most recent black mark on his record. Amos is, in fact, pursuing justice in his own way, not as a vigilante but as a man with a passion for the truth.Īmos gets unexpected help from Stan Kopernick, a cop who has alienated his boss by gambling on duty. The investigation also has unfortunate ramifications for Corbel, a fact that causes Amos to wonder whether he is doing more harm than good. Cutthroat Dogs scored points with me by suggesting that television hosts who position themselves as vigilante crime fighters might have more interest in their bank accounts than in justice for victims.Īmos is repeatedly targeted for murder as he investigates Dan Corbel’s conviction. Since most television hosts who style themselves as champions for crime victims fall into that category, I was pleased that Estleman took a well-deserved shot at them. Estleman is savage in his depiction of Chester Gross as a greedy, self-aggrandizing, unfeeling hypocrite. I’ve never been a fan of shows that exploit a family member’s victimization to create wealth for the host. Since ratings depend on a high capture rate, the show cherry-picks crimes that will probably be solvable with massive publicity. Viewers phone in tips and Goss brags about how the show helps put away bad guys. April’s father, Chester Goss, used her death as the foundation for one of those horrid “true crime” television shows. Dan Corbel has been in prison for almost twenty years.Ĭorbel was convicted of murdering April Goss, a woman he dated in college. Chrys Corbel wants Amos to look into her brother’s murder case. The gunplay gets Amos some good press that attracts a bunch of kooks and one paying client. John Alderdyce, back from retirement in a new role as a consultant for the Detroit Police, gives Walker a pass for carrying a firearm into a bank. Walker begins Cutthroat Dogs by shooting a bank robber in the leg. #Review of the hider by loren estleman freeNot that the novels are free of violence. Walker spends most of his time solving puzzles by piecing together clues and getting a handle on ambiguous personalities. The novels move at a brisk pace, but Estleman doesn’t depend on shootouts and fistfights to carry the story. Estleman pushes all the buttons I look for in private detective fiction. #Review of the hider by loren estleman seriesIf my application for a second life comes through, I’ll go back and read his Amos Walker series from the beginning. Published by Forge Books on January 4, 2022 ![]()
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