The Song Is You    by Megan Abbott Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2007 (2007) Hardcover     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Gil 'Hop' Hopkins knows Jean Spangler from the studio where he works as a movie reporter. When her evening movie shoot is canceled, he accompanies the young starlet and her friend Iolene to a nightclub. Jean hooks up with the popular song and dance duo, Sutton and Merrel. Gil leaves early with a burlesque dancer called Miss Hotcha. That's the night that Jean Spangler disappears. The Song Is You begins two years after Jean's disappearance. Hop is approached by Iolene, the young black actress who was with Jean that night. Iolene blames Hop for leaving after escorting them to the club. A little late, Hop's conscience kicks in and he attempts to find out what happened to Jean. Hop, a sleazy womanizer with too few principles, isn't your usual protagonist. He uses Jean's disappearance to move up in the studio food chain by making sure certain people valuable to the studio stay out of the news and the investigation. He is persistent and smart and when he decides to investigate what really happened that night, new facts begin popping up - facts that others would rather stayed hidden. This noir novel is based on the disappearance of starlet Jean Spangler. It sticks with the truths of the Spangler case while weaving an imaginative solution to the 1949 mystery, that's often called 'Daughter of Black Dahlia' by the press. Jean Spangler's disappearance still remains unsolved by the police. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews