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Frames: A Valentino Mystery Audiobook
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(3.12) - 109 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Enter Valentino, a mild-mannered UCLA film archivist, buys a decrepit movie palace and uncovers a skeleton in the secret Prohibition basement. He then makes a second discovery: long-lost, priceless, reels of film: Erich von Stroheim's infamous Greed. The Los Angeles Police Department 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 seventy-two 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.
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"One of my favorite authors has a new mystery series 'starring' a UCLA film archivist -or as he likes to be called, "a film detective'. Fast paced, great character development and dialogue - exactly what I expect from Loren Estleman. "
— Jack (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Prolific four-time Shamus Award winner Estleman has scripted yet another wacky comedic mystery that begs to become a feature film. His snappy dialog, feisty characters, Hollywood lore, and gentle romance make this his funniest to date.”
— Library Journal -
“As Valentino and his buddies careen about Los Angeles, visiting a home for retired movie workers and researching the provenance of the movie palace, Estleman smoothly seeds the text with all manner of fascinating details relating to the history of silent films and the techniques of modern film restoration. There’s even time for a nifty romance between Valentino and an LAPD forensics investigator. Great cast, great subject, flawless delivery from a real pro.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“While the lighthearted tone is far removed from the gritty realism of the author’s Amos Walker series the versatile Estleman has crafted yet another intelligent page-turner.”
— Publishers Weekly
Frames Listener Reviews
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" Although I haven't liked every Loren Estleman I've read I loved this one. Film archivist becomes detective with aid of love interest! "
— Probibliophile, 12/23/2013 -
" Great fun, lots of wit, and a fascinating history of silent films. This is a very quick read, and extremely enjoyable. "
— Cynthia, 12/17/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. I guess I like his noir styled books better. This was a light read - good for the summer. I'd probably read another in this particular series if only to see how he develops the Valentino character. "
— Donna, 10/2/2013 -
" Loved it--some of the best dialog I've read in a while. The main character is a film historian, and the book is certainly well researched--not often do you get a mystery with an extensive list of references at the end. What's not to love? "
— Martha, 3/14/2012 -
" Fun for movie buffs, which I am! "
— Alan, 10/6/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book, clearly a lot of research went into it. Just not as much fun as the Amos Walker series. Valentino is not as appealing... "
— Jane, 8/10/2011 -
" In addition to the engaging mystery, I enjoyed the references to silent film history and film preservation. It made me feel like I was learning a bit while escaping reality. I look forward to more books with the film archivist/detective. "
— Jane, 7/10/2011 -
" Valentino is a film archivist at UCLA. On a whim he buys an old theater and in the basement he discovers a full copy of the long lost film Greed and a skeleton. Valentino races to solve the mystery before the LAPD harms the film by holding it as evidence. A fun mystery. "
— Rachel, 6/15/2011 -
" i liked this book, not deep but i really liked the characters and the dialog. "
— Ruth, 5/23/2011 -
" A pleasant diversion, and a rare amateur sleuth that's actually somewhat plausible. "
— Jessica, 2/3/2011 -
" One of my favorite authors has a new mystery series 'starring' a UCLA film archivist -or as he likes to be called, "a film detective'. Fast paced, great character development and dialogue - exactly what I expect from Loren Estleman. "
— Jack, 1/30/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. I guess I like his noir styled books better. This was a light read - good for the summer. I'd probably read another in this particular series if only to see how he develops the Valentino character. "
— Donna, 8/27/2010 -
" Loved it--some of the best dialog I've read in a while. The main character is a film historian, and the book is certainly well researched--not often do you get a mystery with an extensive list of references at the end. What's not to love? "
— Martha, 4/6/2010 -
" Great fun, lots of wit, and a fascinating history of silent films. This is a very quick read, and extremely enjoyable. "
— Cynthia, 8/2/2009 -
" i liked this book, not deep but i really liked the characters and the dialog. "
— Ruth, 3/16/2009
About Loren D. Estleman
Loren D. Estleman is an award-winning author of mainstream fiction, Westerns, criticism, and mysteries. He has written more than eighty novels, including in the Amos Walker, Page Murdock, and Peter Macklin series. He is the winner of four Shamus Awards, five Spur Awards, three Western Heritage Awards, a Barry Award, the Elmer Kelton Award, two Stirrup Awards, and a Popular Fiction Magazine Outstanding Writer Award. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the Western Writers of America, the Private Eye Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Arts Alliance of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
About William Dufris
William Dufris attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham before pursuing a career in voice work in London and then the United States. He has won more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards, was voted one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century by AudioFile magazine, and won the prestigious Audie Award in 2012 for best nonfiction narration. He lives with his family in Maine.