MYSTERY

The Devil’s Playground

Doubleday. Jun. 2023. 368p. ISBN 9780385549011. $28. M
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Equal parts gothic suspense and horror, this extensively researched mystery from the author of The Devil Aspect and the Hamburg, Germany–set Jan Fabel series takes readers back in time to Hollywood’s early years. In 1927 Hollywood, studio fixer Mary Rourke is called in to clean up after the suicide of Norma Carlton, mega-star of silent films. Norma had been working on a secretive horror film called The Devil’s Playground, and rumors are circulating that the production has been cursed, affecting everyone involved. Is there more to Norma’s death than meets the eye? Is the film cursed? Mary is determined to get answers, but then the film reels disappear in a disastrous fire at the studio. Paul Conway, a journalist and film aficionado, picks up the threads of this mystery in 1967 when he tracks down the only remaining copy of The Devil’s Playground, only to become the latest victim of the curse.
VERDICT 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.
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