If you can ignore the yakety-yak, this isn't that bad. This, the second book in the PI Jim Keegan series, is a quick read (especially if you skip the paragraphs of exposition), something like a 30 minute TV episode. It's an ok standalone but if you buy it as a paperback, you'll probably put it out in your Tiny Library pretty quickly.

Valley of Shadows is the second instalment in the Private Investigator Jim Keegan series, a historical noir mystery set in 1960’s Los Angeles, California. Haunted by the events of his past, 54-year-old Private Investigator Jim Keegan, a former journalist and crime reporter for The Times newspaper, is seemingly having a difficult time emerging from an extended period of depression and apathy precipitated by Eve’s death - a woman involved in a previous case. But when his old friend Mike Donovan invites him to his retirement party before he slopes off to Arizona, it seems to be the jolt Jim needs to get his mind back in the game especially with the business doing miserably financially of late; he badly needs a new case to steady the shifting sands lurching underneath the PI firm. It is at this do that he reluctantly takes on a new client when Donovan decides to leave Jimmy a parting gift - his favourite client. Ida Fletcher is a reclusive millionaire, but all Jim has to do is keep her important papers safe and check on her LA properties. Despite Keegan having a sneaking feeling, she is going to be more trouble than she is worth, he relents and takes her on.

A week later, Ida’s estranged nephew turns up unannounced. Two days later, Ida is missing. What started as a simple job, has turned into an investigation of murder, lies and deceit. Keegan moves quickly, desperate to find Ida and return to his quiet life, but no one is safe, and appearances can be deceiving. This is a compulsive, enthralling and thoroughly disquieting work of crime noir rich with atmosphere and the author brings into sharp focus both the sense of time and place. Featuring not only the zeitgeist of 60’s LA but the spectres of it too, the story becomes haunting and tough to put down. It's a slow-burn read with a cast of primarily idiosyncratic and memorable characters including Jim’s doggo who appears to feel an affinity for any paranormal visitors should they pay a visit and is cognizant of when he is in their presence, a superstitious secretary, Mrs Dodds, who enjoys meddling in Jim’s private life and a prescient psychic Madame Lena and her many harbingers. With gentle humour, a solid mystery at its centre and a quirky cast, this is an engrossing, entertaining and richly immersive read.

Paul Buchanan follows up his historical crime noir City of Fallen Angels with this sequel set in a 1960s Los Angeles featuring 44 year old PI Jim Keegan., a former crime reporter for The Times newspaper. Keegan has been left with grief, regrets and guilt after previous events which saw Eve's death, he has withdrawn from the world into himself, life is passing him by, a fact that his secretary, Mrs Dodds, insists on pointing out to him, trying to get him to move on but he just can't jolt himself out the depression that has him its grip. His agency is in deep financial straits and he desperately needs a lucrative gig. It seems as if the gods are smiling on him when an old acquaintance, Mike Donovan, invites him to his retirement do, prior to him moving to Arizona.

Donovan, a less than diligent PI has nevertheless been financially successful, and as a favour offers him a wealthy client, the elderly Ida Walters, eccentric, paranoid and residing with her factotum, Frank Romano and companion, Mildred Zinnia at the Chateau Marmont Hotel, where the rich go to become invisible. Keegan is employed to look after Ida's interests, visiting 2 properties on a weekly basis, and for this, he is handsomely rewarded by being given wads of cash in envelopes, which makes him feel deeply uncomfortable. He meets the young Daniel Church, the nephew and heir to Ida's vast fortune, and takes an instant dislike to the over-privileged narcissist who has returned from France. When Frank's body is recovered from the ocean, and Ida assumed to have drowned, he suspects Church of murder. Keegan begins to investigate, but struggles to come up with more than circumstantial evidence, and the police require more to take any action.

This is a entertaining, haunting and engaging atmospheric historical fiction, laden with ghosts, Jim's terrier regularly barks at empty chairs at night, and including the likes of the strangely spooky and prescient psychic, Madame Lena. Mrs Dodds is interfering in Keegan's personal life, engineering an ambush date with teacher Helen Stark, someone he genuinely likes but is initially not ready for at all. This was an immersive read with a intriguing mystery at its centre that I enjoyed and savoured. For those looking for a fast paced read, I would suggest looking elsewhere, otherwise I recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and interested in this time period in LA. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Slightly down and out PI Keegan gets a job to look after an odd old rich lady and her assets but she then apparently disappears. There's a suspicious boat accident in which her bodyguard is killed and it is generally assumed that she was drowned as well. Keegan ferret around in a traditional Perry Mason sort of way. The bad boy nephew is in the frame for a murder but evidence is circumstantial at best although Keegan, terrier-like, keeps digging. The end was neat. A generally easy read but not especially nail biting and it was easy enough to put down and pick up again some time later. Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The second novel in the PI Jim Keegan series. City of Fallen Angels was published in 2020.
A reclusive millionaire hires PI Jim Keegan to look after her interests, she is currently hidden away at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel. All Keegan has to do is humour her, keep her important papers in his office safe, and make weekly checks of her LA properties. but within a week she goes missing. Keegan suspects her ne’er-do-well young nephew of murder—but all the evidence he can find is circumstantial, and there’s a good chance the kid will get away scot free. Loved the first book so was thrilled to read book 2. love every minute of the story… I couldn’t put this down…

This is the second book in the Jim Keegan, P.I. series, I loved the first one (City of Fallen Angels) so I was kind of excited to get an advance copy of Valley of Shadows.

Jim Keegan is a middle-aged, former journalist turned private investigator living in Los Angeles in an unspecified time period that is probably early to mid 1960s - Rat Pack era '60s, pre-Beatles. Still haunted by events of the previous book that led to a young woman's death he has become something of a hermit, working but not socializing. On the recommendation of a friend that is more of an acquaintance Keegan is hired by a reclusive, paranoid millionairess who almost immediately disappears leaving Keegan with a mystery on his hands.

This book gets off to a painfully slow start. Once it gets going it's pretty good but, honestly, had I not been a fan of the first book I don't know if I would have stayed with this one long enough to get invested in the story. It's a stand-alone novel but so much of it deals with the impact that the circumstances of the previous book has had on Keegan that it would be best read as part of a two book set.

At heart, Valley of Shadows is something of an old-school puzzle mystery. Not so much hardboiled or even "who-done-it" as a "what is happening and why" type of thing. There are some humorous moments and a hint of supernatural elements (a dog who may or may not see ghosts and a superstitious secretary).

My expectations may have been too high after how much I enjoyed the first one but I wasn't too crazy about this book. In my opinion it was just okay. Something to read but nothing to get too excited about. I'm guessing maybe fans of more traditional mysteries (Perry Mason, Nero Wolfe, etc.) might enjoy this one, although it doesn't live up to that level of cleverness.

***I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

This book had a great storyline and definitely kept me interested! I really couldn't wait to see who done it!! Lol this book had intrigue, light suspense, action, drama ,but it wasn't A nail biter , or a Herat pounder?! Just an all around decent private investigation type book! Its definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!