Brazen: A Valentino Mystery

Valentino #5

by Loren D. Estleman

A killer is reenacting the deaths of Hollywood's blond bombshells, and Valentino must stop him before it's too late in Loren D. Estleman's Brazen.UCLA film archivist and sometime film detective Valentino doesn’t take friend and former actress Beata Limerick very seriously when she tells him that she quit acting because of the curse on blond actresses. Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Thelma Todd, Sharon Tate… they all had more fun, but none of them made it out of the business alive, and according to Limerick, she wasn’t taking any chances. But when Valentino finds Beata’s body staged the way Monroe was found, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” playing on repeat; he knows Limerick's death was no accident.Police detective Ray Padilla doesn’t quite suspect Valentino is the killer, but he can’t let him off that easy. After all, the film archivist seems to be involved in more than his share of intrigue and death, which makes him a prime suspect. But Valentino is also a walking encyclopedia of Hollywood knowledge. When another washed-up actress is killed, the crime scene a copy of Thelma Todd’s last moments, Padilla enlists Valentino’s help in catching a serial killer of doomed blondes before he can strike again.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

At only about 175 pages of story this was a short entry in a series I love. Not one of Valentino's more interesting investigations. There was some movement on the personal front with Val's boss's impending wedding getting a bit closer, his theater renovation making some small gains and, of course another bit of film history being saved. Loved the new grudging rapport with police Lt. Padillo. Would have liked some things to have turned out a little differently for our hero but any visit with Valentino and friends is welcome. As always the book closes with an extensive annotated bibliography of works to give more background (this time for mysterious deaths in filmdom) as well as an annotated filmography of major films of actors referenced in the story. Such a fun way to learn more Hollywood history.

[Joe Slavinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this series shows that Estleman can write funny. It's still a murder mystery, but set in Hollywood, it gives him a chance to populate it with funny/oddball characters, and laugh out loud dialog. Estleman is obviously a big movie fan(he also has a couple of stand alone books on the subject), and he makes good use of that for this series. If you've read any of his "Amos Walker", "Detroit", or even his western books, you'll know that this is a fairly significant departure, yet his talent stands out anyway. Looking forward to more Valentino, but I hope the next one is more than 187 pages.

[Michael Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LIKE this series. I LIKE the basic plot of film history mingled with a crime. But this book was a waste of time. It was a short story stretched out and full of meaningless verbiage. The two subplots ( theatre restoration and a wedding ) are over played and getting very boring. The third subplot of completion with another collector is used to end the story which was going nowhere and a very stupid setup. Estleman needs to get back on tract and find a more compelling plot line and develop it fully.

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just a fun quick read. :D Nothing too serious and heavy. Perfect break from the more heavy stuff.

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read in this Valentino series I've been reading. I've added quite a few new books on 1920s Hollywood in my "to read" pile.

"A killer is reenacting the deaths of Hollywood's blond bombshells, and Valentino must stop him before it's too late in Loren D. Estleman's Brazen. UCLA film archivist and sometime film detective Valentino doesn’t take friend and former actress Beata Limerick very seriously when she tells him that she quit acting because of the curse on blond actresses. Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Thelma Todd, Sharon Tate… they all had more fun, but none of them made it out of the business alive, and according to Limerick, she wasn’t taking any chances. But when Valentino finds Beata’s body staged the way Monroe was found, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” playing on repeat; he knows Limerick's death was no accident. Police detective Ray Padilla doesn’t quite suspect Valentino is the killer, but he can’t let him off that easy. After all, the film archivist seems to be involved in more than his share of intrigue and death, which makes him a prime suspect. But Valentino is also a walking encyclopedia of Hollywood knowledge. When another washed-up actress is killed, the crime scene a copy of Thelma Todd’s last moments, Padilla enlists Valentino’s help in catching a serial killer of doomed blondes before he can strike again."

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Valentino is a film archivist and occasional private detective currently helping a retired starlette compile a collection of golden era Hollywood memorabilia when the old girl is murdered in a manner that mimics Marilyn Monroe's death. Then the serial killer responsible continues to reenact killings of other famous blonde bombshells.

Verdict: "Brazen" (2016) is a boring paint-by-numbers mystery that feels like an exercise in name-dropping and socialite banter, not enough by itself to kill the read, but then there's a mystery-ruining plot change towards the end that would be spoilery to share here. I didn't like this one.

Jeff's Rating: 1 / 5 (Bad)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is someone killing the blonde former stars in the same way as Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Thelma Todd and Sharon Tate. Can Valentino and Police Detective Ray Padilla stop them before they kill again?

While this is not really a thriller, it is a unique plot and a nice diversion from the upcoming nuptials of Broadhead and Fanta, which tend to slow down the action.

Nice bibliography at the end and great use of famous actors real names.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always in the Valentino mysteries the most fun is all the classic movie and Hollywood references.

[David C Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characteristic snappy Estleman dialogue. Snippets of Hollywood history. No plot to speak of. Wish they'd finish restoring the old movie house.....

[Elizabeth Quan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not see the ending before I got to it!

[Ben Shakey · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this wasn't so short I don't know if I would have finished it.

[Susan Walton]

Like the rest of the Valentino books, this one is best enjoyed by people who like old movies. Great details, good reminders of movies I'd like to see or see again.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd of Estleman's Valentino Series novels I've read and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it as well, if not better than the first one I read ("Shoot" - Valentino #4). A couple of nice plot twists within the narrative of the mystery surrounding solving a serial murderer obsessed with the deaths of famous Hollywood blondes whose lives were cut short in the prime of their careers makes for a very interesting tale. Estleman's continued character development of the main character as well as Valentino's best friend and trusted colleague (Kyle Broadhead) is continually entertaining throughout and the dialogue between them is a joy to experience.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentino begins investigating when an elderly retired actress of his acquaintance is found dead under suspicious circumstances, in a pose very reminiscent of the death of Marilyn Monroe. When another blonde woman is also killed, Valentino has to work with police detective Ray Padilla to determine whether they’re hunting for a serial killer who has a thing for blondes…."Brazen" is, I think, the fifth or sixth novel in Estleman’s Valentino series, which follows the life and work of a “film detective,” someone whose life’s work involves tracking down and restoring lost film from the Golden Age of Hollywood; incidentally, Valentino also owns a decrepit movie theater and is in the process of restoring it to its former glory. The characters are engaging, the story lines quite absorbing and the extensive knowledge that the author obviously has about Hollywood and movie history all combine to make this one of my favourite amateur detective series - not to mention the fact that Estleman includes an extensive bibliography and filmography at the end of the book! Recommended, but start at the beginning of the series ("Frames") to really appreciate them all.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 in the Valentino mystery series. Valentino is a UCLA film preservationist and this mystery, sprinkled with film history trivia and witty dialogue, is a treat for a film buff. Continuing characters are a treat for fans of the series. The current mystery revolves around the so-called curse of the blonde bombshells - the early deaths of Monroe, Harlow, Todd, Mansfield, Tate, etc. The novel is followed by 17 pages of Closing Credits - summaries of relevant books and films with commentary by author and film buff Loren D. Estleman.

Valentino series - Beata Limerick was a blonde bombshell when she quit the movies at 25. Now, decades later, she tells Valentino, UCLA film archivist and part-time movie sleuth, why she abandoned her career: I was afraid of the curse. What curse? The one that kills blondes in the movies: Thelma Todd, Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Sharon Tate. Val is skeptical until he finds Beata dead, her body arranged in the manner of Marilyn's corpse. More murders follow, with the victims laid out like other dead bombshells. Val, of course, is a suspect, but, really, he doesn't need that circumstance to motivate him. It's just too juicy a case to pass up.

[Billhotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Movie historian Valentino kibitzes on the case of a serial killer who is recreating Hollywood's "doomed blond" curse. This is the idea that blond screen goddesses tend to meet violent and tragic ends. The killer restages the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Todd, Jane Mansfield, Sharon Tate, and Dorothy Stratton. Valentino discovers the first victim, a friend, and is sort of a suspect. His encyclopedic knowledge of the movies, including the Hollywood Babylon sort, helps nab the killer. Not up to the earlier books in the series, but still a fun read. The dialogue isn't as sharp and the ending is rushed. Also the ages of the characters seems in doubt. Working things out, the story seems to be happening in 2012. But a character in her twenties has a father who was killed in Vietnam.

[Elise · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick book about modern day "film detective" Rudolph Valentino. As he attempts to restore his home/theater the Orpheus, Valentino finds himself embroiled in yet another mystery involving a serial killer that is posing his victims as famous blonde actresses who died tragically.

There's a theory that blonde bombshells die badly in Hollywood, going back to Thelma Todd and famously with Marilyn Monroe. This book examines those deaths and it has a great look at modern police work as well as attitudes about film mysteries and serial killers. Estleman brings up some great points about how the public's presumptions (based on films such as Silence of the Lambs) about serial killers are a bit limited and inaccurate, but in the end falls into the same patterns.

I enjoyed earlier books of this series more than this one, it felt a bit formulaic and patterned rather than clever. The characters are a bit dated as well, moving past nostalgia into just plain old fashioned.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentino did it again. He found a body when he went to visit a friend. She was a former movie star who had married for love and money at the height of her career and left to to "The Curse of the Blondes!" His friend was laid out to recreate the death of Marilyn Monroe. When other former blonde actresses started dying, Valentino and Detective Ray Padilla team-up to stop the serial killer knocking off more victims. Another satisfying tale by Loren D. Esteem an.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I really like this series, even though (sadly) Estleman has not written very many books in it. I enjoy the behind the scene looks at Hollywood, interwoven with film history, and some very interesting continuing characters. The author's notes and bibliography included with each book are in and of themselves great reading, and always give me something more to put on my TBR list. Start with the first book, though.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentino is another interesting character developed by the vastly under-rated Mr. Estleman. One of my favorite authors. Check him out.

[Al Stoess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like Estleman and even Valentine but this one rambled throughout. The best part was the author's discussion of the books and especially the films which were the basis for the book.

[Phil Rosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Estleman. Historical details make this story come alive and Valentino's insight is sharper than ever. If you're a Valentino fan already, you will be. Great read, highly recommended.

[Kay Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amos Walker was one of my favorite detectives and it seems that Estleman could still find stories in today's Hamtramak but he's chosen to go Hollywood and create a bunch of cartoon characters who do the same things in each novel. The story, which is always about a Hollywood Has-been, has a formulaic mystery and lots of references to old movies, old theaters, and saving both. If he doesn't want to write mysteries anymore, fine, but why waste his time writing and your time reading such third-rate material. I'm out. Until Amos is back.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of this series I read following a few of the Amos Walker books. Not much of a plot. It appears to be intended as a comic novel, but I wasn't amused.

Does Valentino have a last name?

I'm not really interested in continuing this series based on this entry.

[Ellen Trufant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light and breezy murder mystery featuring Hollywood past and present in a starring role