Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

A private detective searches for a missing lover in the neo-noir novella, Film Noirs and Spanish Guitars (A Sterling P.I. Series) by John Kemp. Times are getting tough for private investigator Sterling. So tough, he hasn't had a case in four weeks. When a beautifully exotic woman comes floating into his office, smelling of jasmine, and exuding an odd mix of feminine charm and tragedy, Sterling is intrigued and hungry, so he takes her case. With a pocket full of cash, and his head filled with information concerning his case, Sterling takes a 200-mile train ride to Manchester. According to his client, the missing man's mistress, the man was last seen at a run-down bed-and-breakfast in a sketchy part of town.

Not expecting to find much after a week-old stale trail, Sterling is pleasantly surprised to find more. Only, the more he discovers about his client's lover's past, the more of a target he becomes for men lurking in the shadows. Confused by the uncommon location for a wealthy man, Sterling visits an upper-crust motel of a similar name. There he discovers that a wayward secretary had made a possibly fatal booking error. At odds with the evidence given him, Sterling decides to go undercover to locate the missing man. What he uncovers threatens to kill him. Can he discover the cause of the man's disappearance? Will he find his client's lover before it is too late for them both?

Go undercover and discover the underbelly of Manchester in the exciting novella, Film Noirs and Spanish Guitars (A Sterling P.I. Series) by John Kemp. Sterling may have his issues, but he uses them to expand his experiences of life. I really enjoyed reading this novella. I am great fan of the noir genre. I enjoyed the story; it was fun and upbeat in a grimy sort of way and held all of the thrill and shadow play of a classic noir. Regardless of how you like your thrillers, this story is a great intriguing read. I look forward to the next installment! I would recommend this book to lovers of mystery, noir, and light, cozy crime reads.