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The Last Reel: Hollywood Neo Noir
Beloved movie star Emily Winters is found dead in her palatial Malibu mansion, apparently of a drug overdose. However, veteran homicide Detective Susan Chen of the LAPD doesn't think so. It all looks a little too neat, too staged, too picture perfect.
Emily's close confidant and frequent collaborator, bad boy film director Nick Reeves, doesn't think so either. Just last week over margaritas and enchiladas at El Cholo's, Emily and Nick were discussing their next project which they were sure was going to blow their last blockbuster, Midnight Crossing, out of the water. In his bones, Nick knows she didn't do it. Emily just wasn't wired that way. However, Nick recalls over their margaritas that the usually carefree Emily was uncharacteristically troubled and uneasy about the indie production company deal she was about to sign with Paramount. Something about how she looked in the recent paparazzi photos with Paramount's CEO and her on-again, off-again tech billionaire boyfriend, Jason Reed, didn't smell right. The pieces didn't fit. For years now, Emily had it all. Three Oscar nominations and one win, indie street cred to boot, a quick exit via pills wasn't her style. Something's off -- way off. Nick couldn't exactly put his finger on what, but he owed it to Emily to find out.
Then, when he got that alarming text from the sixteen-year-old Pali High teenager who Emily was mentoring, Zoe Blackwood, Nick's worst suspicions were confirmed. Something WAS rotten in Malibu. And even if it killed him, Nick Reeves was going to get to the bottom of it.
Lifelong Hollywood insider HD Delman pulls back the curtain and reveals the show Hollywood prefers you never see.
Emily's close confidant and frequent collaborator, bad boy film director Nick Reeves, doesn't think so either. Just last week over margaritas and enchiladas at El Cholo's, Emily and Nick were discussing their next project which they were sure was going to blow their last blockbuster, Midnight Crossing, out of the water. In his bones, Nick knows she didn't do it. Emily just wasn't wired that way. However, Nick recalls over their margaritas that the usually carefree Emily was uncharacteristically troubled and uneasy about the indie production company deal she was about to sign with Paramount. Something about how she looked in the recent paparazzi photos with Paramount's CEO and her on-again, off-again tech billionaire boyfriend, Jason Reed, didn't smell right. The pieces didn't fit. For years now, Emily had it all. Three Oscar nominations and one win, indie street cred to boot, a quick exit via pills wasn't her style. Something's off -- way off. Nick couldn't exactly put his finger on what, but he owed it to Emily to find out.
Then, when he got that alarming text from the sixteen-year-old Pali High teenager who Emily was mentoring, Zoe Blackwood, Nick's worst suspicions were confirmed. Something WAS rotten in Malibu. And even if it killed him, Nick Reeves was going to get to the bottom of it.
Lifelong Hollywood insider HD Delman pulls back the curtain and reveals the show Hollywood prefers you never see.
441 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2025
An Addictive Hollywood Noir with Heart, Depth, and Sharp Edges
The Last Reel by HD Delman is a knockout. It's an electrifying, deeply atmospheric neo-noir that captures the soul of contemporary Hollywood in all its glossy, gritty contradictions. From the moment beloved actress Emily Winters is found dead in her Malibu mansion, you’re pulled into a haunting mystery that refuses to let go. What initially looks like a suicide quickly unravels into something darker, as Emily’s confidant, troubled director Nick Reeves, teams up with razor-sharp LAPD Detective Susan Chen and Emily’s determined young protégé, Zoe Blackwood, to uncover the truth.
The characters leap off the page—raw, layered, and utterly believable. Delman masterfully evokes the spirit of Raymond Chandler and Michael Connelly, with Los Angeles itself looming large as a moody, mesmerizing presence. The novel shines with authentic insider detail that only a Hollywood veteran could deliver.
The dialogue is crisp, the suspense perfectly paced, and the emotional undercurrents hit hard. The Last Reel is more than a murder mystery—it’s a searing portrait of ambition, illusion, and betrayal in a city built on dreams. A must-read for fans of noir, thrillers, or anyone who loves a smart, stylish page-turner with something real to say.
The Last Reel by HD Delman is a knockout. It's an electrifying, deeply atmospheric neo-noir that captures the soul of contemporary Hollywood in all its glossy, gritty contradictions. From the moment beloved actress Emily Winters is found dead in her Malibu mansion, you’re pulled into a haunting mystery that refuses to let go. What initially looks like a suicide quickly unravels into something darker, as Emily’s confidant, troubled director Nick Reeves, teams up with razor-sharp LAPD Detective Susan Chen and Emily’s determined young protégé, Zoe Blackwood, to uncover the truth.
The characters leap off the page—raw, layered, and utterly believable. Delman masterfully evokes the spirit of Raymond Chandler and Michael Connelly, with Los Angeles itself looming large as a moody, mesmerizing presence. The novel shines with authentic insider detail that only a Hollywood veteran could deliver.
The dialogue is crisp, the suspense perfectly paced, and the emotional undercurrents hit hard. The Last Reel is more than a murder mystery—it’s a searing portrait of ambition, illusion, and betrayal in a city built on dreams. A must-read for fans of noir, thrillers, or anyone who loves a smart, stylish page-turner with something real to say.
March 10, 2026
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews