The Devil's Playground

Product Information

Then again, Conway knows he doesn’t see or experience the world the way others do. He never has, and it led him to the profession he now pursues, now excels in. Part of that innate otherness means scenes from movies—whole and flawlessly recalled—play out continuously in his head, holding up confected celluloid realities against the harsh mundanity of daily life. One of the most creative twist endings I have experienced in ages... The Devil's Playground might just be the best mystery of the year." More. A lot, lot more. And as for my ferret skills—my buyer is aware of my knowledge of the industry and the era, and of my expertise as a researcher.” He holds his hands out in a gesture to indicate their surroundings. “It would appear that I was the right choice.”

I’ve been reading Craig Russell’s books for years. I was initially drawn to his books featuring Jan Fabel of the Hamburg Murder Squad and then a short series set on the gangster-ridden streets of Glasgow in the 1950s. These two series were equally strong but very different in terms of setting, timeframe and tone. But lately he’s stepped away from crime fiction novels to produce a group of books that are a complete departure from what’s gone before. The Devil Aspect is a Gothic horror story set in Czechoslovakia in 1935 and Hyde is a dark thriller set in Victorian Edinburgh. In truth, I loved the former but was a little less taken with the latter. So what to make of his latest tale, a mystery/thriller set in 1920s Hollywood?Craig Russell walks a razor’s edge between gothic suspense and horror. The Devil’s Playground conjures rich and riveting elements – 1920’s Hollywood, a terrifying silent film, an elusive and inscrutable killer, and an eerie sequence set in the Louisiana bayou – all of which come together to create a masterful thriller.” The house sits in the foothills, elevated enough to offer an unbroken twenty-five-mile view across the city to the ocean. The architectural vernacular is a mix of Spanish Colonial Revival grandness and poured-concrete amenity. The white stucco and terracotta-tiled house itself is large and sprawling, set on a proportionately generous lot dressed with acacia, palms, and olive and fruit trees; a kidney-shaped swimming pool glitters under suspended lanterns at the rear. Maybe that was the truth of the desert. The desert as death, as desolate judgment and arid purgatory. She knows the house and its scattered half-dozen neighbors are all less than a decade old, the blossoming of recently sown seeds of sudden wealth and confidence. After the war and the post-Armistice economic chaos that followed in Europe, the until then dominant French, German, and Danish film industries had been all but wiped out. The way had been cleared for a small Californian orange-growing town to expand its horizons, metaphorically and, as the house and its neighbors attest, literally.

The cavalry,” says Rourke flatly. “How did you know she’d be dead? The maid phoned nobody but the police.” There’s witchcraft and Voodoo, gunplay, arson, and premature burial...nothing is what it seems to be amid the artifice of Hollywood....Intriguing and entertaining."Hi, Pops,” Rourke says, turning from the Mexican servant. “Thanks for the call. Have you notified the medical examiner yet?”

First off, I found the author's writing style a bit precious and dense. He obviously had his thesaurus close to hand while he was writing this, because he never used the clear and simple word when he could find the more obscure and - I assume he felt - important-sounding big or complex word instead. I am pretty well-read and am a business-writer so I have a fairly wide vocabulary, but even I had to look up multiple words while reading this. More than one of the words I looked up once I had the definition seemed completely unnecessary to get the message across and felt used solely to hammer home how smart the author is. It was a bit annoying and did not endear the author to this reader. I wanted to like this book. I gave it to the halfway point to really grab me, but it just never did and I decided not to invest anymore time into it. If, as I am, you’re a cinema buff, if you like historical fiction and stories that dance on the line between horrific and suspenseful, and are never less than thrilling, not to mention gorgeously written, this book is for you. A deliciously dark reimagining of a timeless character and a wonderful recreation of a gothic Edinburgh . . . Another winner for a consummate storyteller.' - Douglas Skelton won the 2015 Crime Book of the Year (McIlvanney Prize) for 'The Ghosts of Altona', and is currently longlisted for the 2017 McIlvanney Prize for 'The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid', the latest in the Lennox series;I can’t disclose my client’s name. Confidentiality. Let’s just say it’s someone with a special interest in these things.” Extensively researched…A large cast of characters and extensive use of red herrings make this a complex and atmospheric novel, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia.” A blend of murder, noir, and horror set against a fascinating time-trip through Hollywood. The Devil’s Playground is totally engaging." Did you telephone anyone else about this? Or just the police?” Rourke asks. The maid looks confused. How long before you have to call it in?” she asks Nolan when she is finished. “It depends on what we’re talking about, and whether the detective branch get

The plot does feel very busy, but eventually all the pieces come together relatively neatly considering all the moving parts of this story which span decades and multiple locales. While some of the revelations were telegraphed early, they didn’t manage to spoil the bigger surprises, and I can always appreciate a good standalone horror. The Devil's Playground by Craig Russell is my first book by this author. The story was mesmerizing, and I was kept guessing throughout. I am thrilled that I discovered Mr. Russell's previous books are in the my towering to-be-read file. Squeeeee! Definitely something to look forward to with excitement. I felt like there was a decent plot in here . . . somewhere under all the density and excessive descriptions of everything, but it was just too much work to get to it under and around all the padding. 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.

Success!

The Devil’s Playground has a depth of period detail and atmosphere that lifts it above the ordinary. It’s elegant, absorbing and thrilling’ Michael Malone I absolutely adored it. Intense, harrowing and hugely entertaining. . . Spectacular' Chris Whitaker Because we had a row. A bad one. I told her I wouldn’t leave my wife. We’d talked about it before, but things . . . things are complicated.” In 1967, Paul Conway, a film expert is looking for what is rumored to be the only copy left of "The Devil's Playground." His search leads him to several of the characters who are still alive from the 1920s. The twists and turns of the plot were fantastic, and Russell uses an especially amazing twist near the end. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.