THE PICTURES Detective Craine, Book 1

Speaking in a gravelly whisper, narrator Adams Sims is just right delivering Guy Bolton's noir mystery, set in 1930s Hollywood. LAPD detective Jonathan Craine "spins" stories that help the studios cover up potential scandals that could wreck the careers of both movie stars and executives. After the suicide of a top producer who is married to Gale Goodwin, a big movie star, MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer calls on Craine to bury the particulars. Sims displays the necessary tough-guy attitude of a Sam Spade or a Philip Marlowe, yet he allows this hard-boiled manner to melt as Craine becomes involved with Goodwin. A complicated, engrossing plot, just enough name-dropping to add period ambiance, and a strong performance by Sims make this enjoyable listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2018]