Excellent case and exceptionally well-themed!
I bought this for my mum for Mother's Day - the family all got stuck in and we enjoyed it. Personally, I'm not as much of a fan (anymore) of the number-lead system, where you have a number associated with a lead and you can look that number up in a book for further info. We've done a fair amount of that, and it definitely has certain advantages to other methodologies (such as receiving information in a controlled, sequential pace), it's just personal preference on my part. That's my one gripe out of the way.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was the theming / narrative. When you buy this game, one of the things you probably want to get out of it is that 'noir' feeling. Beneath the glossy surface of Hollywood lies a seedy underbelly of cynicism, corruption, and base drives. This game really delivers on theme. As you reveal information, you start to get ideas of what characters are like, what they've done, and the conclusive paragraph when you've solved the case hits all the right notes of 'noir' for me. I was very impressed the theming.
In terms of challenge, this one was perfect for our group. There were a couple of moments where, thanks to someone having taken excellent notes previously, or following a whim of an idea, we were able to naturally obtain those "aha!" moments of clarity, that helped crack the case wide open - in the times when they came, those moments were invaluable. Nothing is entirely out of reach or logic, but sometimes just obscure enough that you need to follow up on ideas that aren't easily perceptible. So, as I say, for our group, the challenge was perfect.
Considering price, delivery time, and the end product / experience, this is an easy recommend from me. Extra push towards those who are intentionally looking for a 'noir' experience. It's not too dark, just dark enough.
