As the film archivist at UCLA, Valentino acts as a detective tracking down lost or forgotten movies. He is overjoyed to receive a print of a never-released noir film, “Bleak Street,” especially because a mystery is attached to the film: its star, Van Oliver, disappeared during post-production and was never seen again. His alleged ties to the Mob might offer a clue, but can Valentino resolve the mystery so many decades after the fact? He has no option but to try, whatever the cost…. “Indigo” is the sixth in this series of rather odd mysteries featuring the film detective, all set in modern Los Angeles but dealing with Hollywood history in all its aspects. I’m not a fan of LA (having lived in San Francisco for much of my life), but I love this series, in large part because Mr. Estleman is so skilled at drawing complex and compelling characters and at using the landscape almost as another character in its own right. As a bonus, he always includes information about film history and a bibliography for further enlightenment. Recommended! ( )

Valentino search for a restores lost films and in between has restored his own movie theatre. An opportunity to showcase a film thought long lost comes at a price - find out what happened to its star. The more Valentino digs, the more he realises someone doesn't want this film to see light of day.

This was a nice little noir outing with the twist at the end slowly revealing itself in the final chapters. You sort of get a hint that something is not quite what it should be. I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series, those had no real issues with picking up the threads as I read along. Loved the bibliograghy and filmography at the end.

An afternoon's escapism for those that get the chance to read it one sitting. ( )