Summary
"A riveting 1920s Hollywood thriller about the making of the most terrifying silent film ever made, and a deadly search for the single copy rumored still to exist. This is the breakout from Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect. 1927: Mary Rourke-a Hollywood studio fixer-is called urgently to th... Full description
Summary: |
"A riveting 1920s Hollywood thriller about the making of the most terrifying silent film ever made, and a deadly search for the single copy rumored still to exist. This is the breakout from Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect. 1927: Mary Rourke-a Hollywood studio fixer-is called urgently to the palatial home of Norma Carlton, one of the most recognizable stars in American silent film. Norma has been working on the secret film everyone is openly talking about... a terrifying horror picture called The Devil's Playground that is rumored to have unleashed a curse on everyone involved in the production. Mary finds Norma's cold, dead body, and she wonders for just a moment if these dark rumors could be true. 1967: Paul Conway, a journalist and self-professed film aficionado, is on the trail of a tantalizing rumor. He has heard that a single copy of The Devil's Playground-a Holy Grail for film buffs-may exist. He knows his Hollywood history and he knows the film endured myriad tragedies and ended up lost to time. The Devil's Playground is Craig Russell's tour de force, a richly researched and constructed thriller that weaves through the Golden Age of Hollywood and reveals a blossoming industry built on secrets, invented identities, and a desperate pursuit of image. As Mary Rourke charges headlong through the egos, distractions, and traps that threaten to take her down with the doomed production, she discovers a truth far more sinister than she-or we-would imagine. This is Craig Russell's strongest novel to date, and one that will resonate with American readers"-- |
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Physical Description: |
349 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
ISBN: |
9780385549011 0385549016 |
Author Notes: |
Craig Russell was born in England and is also known as Christopher Galt. He is a short story writer and novelist. His special interest in post-war German history is reflected in his Fabel series, which includes historical themes. In 2007 he was awarded the Polizeistern (Police Star) by the Hamburg Police. He is the first non-German to ever receive this award. Russell also won the 2008 CWA Dagger in the Library Award. He was also a finalist for the 2013 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger for Dead Men and Broken Hearts. In 2015 his novel, The Ghosts of Altona won the Scottish Crime Novel of the Year at the Bloody Scotland Festival. (Bowker Author Biography) |