"The Devil's Playground" by Craig Russell is a captivating and unsettling novel that masterfully blends historical fiction, horror, and mystery. Set in the glamorous and dark world of 1920s Hollywood, this gripping thriller follows studio fixer, Danny Chaimovitz, as he investigates the eerie and tragic events surrounding a cursed silent film, "The Devil's Playground".

Russell's vivid prose immerses readers in the glitzy and gruesome world of Hollywood's Golden Age, where the glamour and sophistication of the film industry meet the dark underbelly of corruption, greed, and depravity. The author's meticulous research and attention to detail create an authentic and immersive atmosphere, transporting readers to the iconic movie palaces, cramped editing rooms, and opulent mansions of the Roaring Twenties.

The story unfolds at a breakneck pace, expertly weaving together multiple plot threads and perspectives. Danny Chaimovitz, the troubled and resourceful studio fixer, is a compelling protagonist with a complex past and a penchant for getting in over his head. As he delves deeper into the mystery surrounding "The Devil's Playground", Danny's investigation leads him down a dangerous and surreal path, blurring the lines between reality and the silver screen.

One of the standout aspects of "The Devil's Playground" is its exploration of the early days of cinema and the pioneers who dared to dream of capturing the impossible on film. Russell skillfully captures the magic and wonder of the movies, as well as the darker side of the industry, where ambition, ego, and obsession can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The supporting cast of characters is equally well-developed, from the enigmatic and troubled filmmaker, Julius Klein, to the glamorous and mysterious movie star, Madeline Ferrara. Each character adds depth and complexity to the narrative, their motivations and secrets slowly revealed

“She tells him a tale of a great movie, of a curse hanging over it, of a great movie actress, of a real-life drama, even greater than the one that played out on the screen. Of a time and a place where deception came naturally. She tells him a tale of Hollywood.”

This story unfolds in 3 timelines, 2 in Hollywood and one in Louisiana. In 1927, a silent horror film is under production. When its star is discovered dead in her home, that is only the beginning of the tragic events that begin to plague the production of The Devil’s Playground. The movie came to be known as both the subject of a curse, and as the greatest horror movie ever made. Its legend was enhanced by the fact that all copies of the film were supposedly destroyed. In 1967, a film historian believes that he is on the trail of a single preserved copy.

This book is written in a noir fashion and has aspects of both a thriller and a horror novel. I loved the writing, with its snappy dialog and acid descriptions. The Hollywood fixer, Mary Rourke, was a spunky gal right out of a 1930s or 40s movie. Think Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. The book also had a very twisty plot, it will make a terrific movie. I am also attracted to the gritty underbelly of old Hollywood, so I really enjoyed this.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This story is told in third person in multiple timelines from the swamps of 1893 Louisiana to 1927 Hollywood and an old hotel in the desert of 1967. I usually enjoy a book with dual timelines, but this one was weighted a little heavier on the central timeline than the others and one timeline just felt pointless. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it had just been dual timelines with equal time spent on both.

I loved the character of Mary Rourke. She clearly thrived in her life as a Hollywood Studio Fixer and while she balked a bit at investigating a possible murder, she jumped in feet first and followed every lead to the inevitable conclusion. Her interactions with the various Hollywood types were a highlight to the story. I did find some of her conversations with her boss to be a little repetitive hanging the pace a bit.

I also enjoyed the story of Hippolyta Cormier and her daughter, Anastasie. Their mysterious origins in rural Louisiana had me transfixed. I was a little mystified by Boy and the connection and wished for more details and interactions in this part of the story. I wanted more of this storyline. I think giving these characters more depth and detail would have had a powerful impact on the conclusion. Instead, I felt like story and character depth was sacrificed for the shock value of the climactic twists.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the Hollywood murder mystery, but found the occult and supernatural aspects to be lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

In 1927, a Hollywood fixer is called yet again to take care of a situation that will look bad for a film studio. Mary Rourke arrives at the home of gorgeous star Norma Carlton to find that she’s committed suicide. Norma had been filming a horror movie, The Devil’s Playground, that’s now rumored to be cursed. When the situation turns out not to be exactly as it appeared, Mary is given a new assignment as a secret investigator. It leads her down a lot of dark alleys and gets quite complicated — and dangerous.

Forty years later, a journalist arrives at an old hotel in the desert that has long since been abandoned. Except for one person. And he believes that person may be in possession of the lone surviving copy of The Devil’s Playground. It’s said to be the most terrifying movie of all time. He’s getting paid a lot of money to deliver it to a well-heeled movie buff.

This mystery hops between these two times but also back to a few earlier ones as well, filling out the dark and very well-hidden back stories of some dangerous players. It’s a period piece, transporting readers to a glamorous time in old Hollywood just before “talkies” started being made. It’s a thriller, in which danger lurks in every corner; it has elements of horror and the supernatural, with women who practice some shady/dark arts.

I enjoyed the journey through the eras and the mystery, as the very capable heroine Mary Rourke tried to uncover the truth in what became an increasingly odd and unsettling case. The Devil’s Playground is quite satisfying.

Craig Russell’s, “The Devil’s Playground,” is a tour-de-force occult themed mystery/thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. It has everything that I love in a great novel—voodoo priestesses; traveling carnival phantasmagoria shows; 1920s Hollywood Golden Age glamour; and the production of a cursed movie—“The Devil’s Playground,” billed as the greatest horror film ever made. This is a thrill a minute page-turner that kept me entranced from beginning to end. The dialogue is smart; the action is fast and furious; and the the heroine, heroes, and villains are difficult to discern making everyone a suspect and surprises all the more delicious.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Craig Russell, and Publisher Doubleday for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

I’ve read Craig Russell before. Only one book but it’s made an impression. And with this novel, I am now officially a fan.
It drew me in from the first chapter and didn’t release me until the very end.
On a quest for a mysterious lost cinematic treasure, a movie expert finds an old woman in a desert who may or may not have the very last extant reels of the eponymous production. And from there on, the adventure unfolds, taking you back in time to the Golden Era of Cinema and beyond, to the bayous of Louisiana and a very unusual woman and her daughter branded as witches by the locals. Slowly but inexorably the storylines will collide into a dazzling mystery, a tale of obsession, revenge, and silver nitrate.
If you watched Babylon and thought it was great, as I did, this is Babylon with a murder mystery.
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.
Cleverly weaving in the real and imaginary, this marvel of a book will spellbind you as sure as any bayou witch.
And the writing is just … oh so good. Russell handles descriptions like a fine artist, dialogue like a playwright, and language like a poet. But it is never overwrought or cumbersomely pretentious. Instead, it’s sheer beauty. Literary, elegant, epic.
In case you can’t tell by now, I absolutely loved this book. Recommended to any reader of discerning taste. Thanks Netgalley.

Beautifully written., atmospheric mystery/thriller set in three time periods.predominantly Hollywood in the 1920s.
Good twists. Couldn’t put it down.

This was absolutely fascinating and an utterly wild ride. Not only does it have the old Hollywood glamour, but it touches on race, horror, magic and so much more. Told in alternate timelines, 1927, the 1960s and various time periods prior to the 20s. The 20s narrative focuses on the creation of a cursed horror film, arguably the best one ever made. The 60s focuses on the location of the film. The other time periods focus on central characters without telling you who they are but cluing the reader in on their past. The narrator in the 20s is Mary Rourke, a Hollywood studio fixer who is tasked to unravel the mysterious happenings on set. But this task is dangerous and terrifying. Highly addictive read - heartily recommended!

Craig Russell's "The Devil's Playground," is a wonderful noir mystery that's set in the Golden Age of Hollywood when the silent films are changing to talkies. What an amazing time period for such a mystery. Russell's non-linear plot moves between two time periods: the 1920s and the 1960s. One of the strengths of the book is his ability to combine events from these times to create a solid story of decadence, murder, and early Hollywood. He brilliantly describes the movies studios and how they relied on money, power, and appearance. Mary Rourke, a "fixer" for Carbine Studios in 1927, is the main character who finds the dead body of gorgeous actress, Norma Carlton. Her death appears to be connected to the terrifying silent film, "The Devil's Playground." According to the PR mill, it has a "curse" on it.
Investigating Norma's death, Mary discovers the dark underbelly of that time where young girls disappeared, were used violently, and were discarded. The police are on the "take," and all the dirt can be swept under carpets. Under the glitz and glamour is a dark, dark world.
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.
My only criticism would be that part of the plot goes back to another place and time to shore up how people came to Hollywood in the 20s to escape all kinds of lives elsewhere. They created whole new identities. I didn't feel this was quite as developed as it might have been, and its connection to the main plot could have been tighter.
However, I'd recommend Russell's book, especially if you, like me, love reading about the Golden Age of Hollywood and the early movies.

This one was so much fun! It seemed to have a little bit of everything: 1920s Hollywood glamor and decadence, a great noir plotline and even some Louisiana blackwater hoodoo voodoo thrown in. Despite all that, it moved a little slowly and some parts ties together a bit disjointedly. I love multiple timelines and consider characters to be in the more-the-merrier vein but some of the people just didn't fully flesh out for me. There were a lot of great little tidbits and trivia dropped throughout and like I said, great fun all around.

I'd like to thank the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading.

I was really excited for this book. It spoke to me - a curse having to do with a film, death, and spooky things abound. Who wouldn't be intrigued by that? The fact that this book sat forever at 30% was enough to tell me that perhaps it didn't speak to me enough to finish it.

I found the creep factor and the story too ... dull. I mean, I totally get that it took place in two different time periods I just felt like the characters weren't memorable enough for me to continue this adventure from the past to the present.

While I am 1 starring it here, I am refusing to give it a rating on goodreads because I did not finish it.

This book has a lot of pros: Hollywood and the film industry in its early hay days, the luxury lifestyle of the bygone film stars, the prohibition era, etc. etc. I will admit, early on, I had problems with the over descriptive writing and all the comparisons of book’s settings to film scenes. For me, it unnecessarily slowed down the pace of introducing the story. Moving onto the story, the storyline is about a fictional film “The Devil’s Playground” (circa 1927) which we are told is the greatest of horror films and the film is said to be cursed. In Chapter one we learn all copies of the film have been either lost or destroyed by fire. The story opens in 1967 with Film Historian Paul Conway driving through the desert to meet a Hollywood recluse who may have information about a copy of the film rumored to still exist. The story then switches to 1927 where we are introduced to Mary Rourke, the studio’s fixer; her job is to cover up scandals involving the stars or anything that might cause production problems. We meet Mary as she is called to the scene to handle what appears to be the suicide of “The Devil’s Playground’s” leading actress. The suicide is soon revealed to be a murder so the scene is set for a murder mystery. After this, a third timeline is introduced, the late 1800s involving Voodoo and a witch hunt. Yes, there is a lot going on within the story so it’s not what I would term a “traditional” murder mystery. Interspersed within the earlier timelines are smatterings of, black magic and other horror elements and lots of twists and turns to keep readers interested.
Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reading Copy of this book for an impartial review.

Thank you to Doubleday for letting me ready a copy of THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND by Craig Russell. This one is out now.

I think many people will love this book but it's sadly just not for me. I can't get into this kind of historical fiction and this version of Hollywood is too icky for me. I just didn't want to read about these characters, and I didn't like any of them.

In current day a man goes to the desert in search of the cursed manuscript for “the devils playground“ he has found one of the last people alive who had something to do with the movie and although at first she is evasive he believes he is on to something. Then the POV goes back to win the movie was being shot at first glance it looks like the main actress has killed herself Mary Rourke who is a Hollywood fixer and helps clean up negative happenings thanks she was way too selfish for that and believes she was murdered and although she will try to keep it on the down low it seems everyone she talks to already knows about it. When she learns the head of the movie wants her to investigate the murder she knows she is no investigator but she also knows no one else has a Contacts she does and takes on the flight. Before it’s over however there will be another dead body and possibly even hers although at first it seems like she is uncovering nothing she must be uncovering something because there are people out to her trying to silence what she doesn’t even know she knows yet. This is an epic tale of a book and wanna thoroughly enjoyed I absolutely love historical fiction Ian historical True Crime so I knew I would love a book that was historical crime fiction and I certainly dead I will be definitely looking forward to more books from this author as I found this one phenomenal. What a great book! I received this book from NetGalley I am the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

4.5 stars rounded up! What an amazingly thorough, intricately put together mystery! Actually, there are quite a few mysteries that make up the entire narrative. You will want to take your time with this book so you can absorb, retain and understand all the descriptions and happenings. It was a lot to take in at first, especially with three different timelines, but they are expertly brought together by the end. Russell gives us a special glimpse into 1920's Hollywood, toward the end of the silent film era, when the making of a certain film, The Devil's Playground, appears to be cursed. There are plenty of strong celebrity and Hollywood industry personalities, dark and evil backstories, diabolic forces, murder and more. It is dark, mysterious, powerful, intriguing, greedy, evil and fascinating. This would make a great mini-series with so many cliffhanging moments to end each episode. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the eARC!

The setting for this title centers on old and not so old Hollywood, the bayous of Louisiana and the midwest. It's 1927 and Norma Carlton is an up and coming starlet,. Having just almost completed a silent horror movie, entitled The DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND. The movie has been cursed with bad luck and to top it off, Norma has been found dead at her home. Mary Rourke, the studio fixer, has been sent to cover up a seeming suicide. No one really knows Norma and her past has been glamorized. Would be actresses disappear and one is found dead. There is switching between 1967, 1927, and turn of the century travelling carnivals. The transitions are smooth and this is a very good read-especially the 1927 Hollywood.

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.

In 1927, the Golden Age of Hollywood, Mary Rourke is a studio "fixer" for Carbine International Pictures. Cover up a DUI? Have a sexual scandal on set? Rourke is the woman who's called to take care of it. She is summoned by the powers that be to the mansion of actress Norma Carlton, one of the biggest stars in silent film. Norma has been working on a terrifying horror film called The Devil's Playground, and it's rumored to be cursed. When Rourke arrives and sees Norma dead, there's a little part of her that wonders if the rumors could actually be true. Fast forward to 1967... Paul Conway, a journalist and huge film buff, has heard a rumor that there is one copy of the horrifying movie The Devil's Playground left, and he is determined to discover if the rumor could possibly be true. Does he really want to find out?

This book was phenomenal! When I started out, I was afraid I was going to be totally confused by the storyline. The timeline is not linear; we go from 1927 Hollywood, to Kansas 1897 to 1910, and 1907 Louisiana. The time periods were also told from different points of view. Amazingly enough, there was absolutely no confusion trying to keep up with the different time periods. Mr. Russell seamlessly weaved all the varying periods together. The author apparently did his research on the Golden Age of Hollywood. What's surprising is that it doesn't seem all that different from today's Hollywood, just a little classier. There were affairs, drinking and drugs; the main difference is this was during the time of Prohibition, and stars' bad behavior was kept under wraps by fixers like Rourke. Mr. Russell also expertly blended themes of Hollywood, black magic and voodoo, horror, drug use, abuse and violence. There were many amazing characters; however, above them all towers Mary Rourke. I absolutely loved this smart cookie! She had hidden depths and secrets herself, but they never got in the way of her work. She was doggedly determined to figure out what was going on, despite threats to her life. Rourke's role as fixer was close to being a detective. Other fascinating characters are Hippolyta Cormier and her daughter Anastasie, who lived in the Louisiana Bayou and were believed to be practitioners of dark magic. Boy left home to join the circus in 1987 Kansas. And of course there was Norma, the Hollywood star. All of the supporting characters were finely drawn and brought to glorious life. I will warn you that there is violence in this story, and some of the scenes are gruesome. If you like to be totally surprised with your stories, this one is for you. Just brilliant. And special kudos for the beautiful but extremely eerie cover art. It suits the story perfectly.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Who killed Norma Carlton, the star of the silent film The Devil's Playground? That's the question Mary Rourke, a fixer for the studio, is charged with answering. But it's not that easy and this complex novel moves back and forth between multiple time periods ranging from the 1890s to the 1960s, although it's mostly set in 1920s Hollywood. It swirls and dips and is actually hard to describe except that it will pull the reader into the quest. Mary is a dynamic character - well rounded, relatable, and someone you will root for. No spoilers from me but know that this will become a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Terrific read. (And, you, like me, might learn a bit and seek out more information on the Hollywood figures of the day).

I don't have too much to say about this one, just know that it's AMAZING!

If noir mysteries, old hollywood & supernatural things are your jam, don't miss this page turner! Twist after twist unfolds.

"It is the way of the world, she thinks without much bitterness, that men bear their scars and blemishes with pride, while women must always conceal evidence of their having lived a life."

Special thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book is probably going to be 5 stars for a lot of people. I'm just not into film noir and classic movies of the 20's. Although I have to say the book is well written.

However, if you're looking for a brilliant book on film noir that im surprised i did really like, might I recommend another book called Silver Nitrate. No disrespect to this author, because Craig Russell is an excellent author. Just wasn't great this time around for me.