An enchanting story with mystery and romance. I really liked the mystery and the twists, some I hadn’t quite figured out. Sayers delivers a unique story and her writing style pulled me in, making this book hard to put down.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Redhook Books in exchange for an honest review.

A haunting mystery evolves into a love story. I was captivated with Sayers writing style and immersive storyline. There are several different timelines and the beginning is slow yet it helps to pull the story together. I found it mesmerizing with just the right amount of mystery, magic, paranormal and romance.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Redhook Books in exchange for an honest review.

In this 3rd instalment, I found it a little confusing. Sometimes winded in description it sometime left me wanting to skip a few pages. The characters are endearing. You know that another book is in the works after reading this book. I truly enjoyed the first book in the series. Constance is a great writer, met her on a zoom book club meeting. She is a wonderful person.

This book was really different for me. My recommendation is that if you feel like you want to stop reading this one and you haven't reached the 40% mark, keep pushing and get there. That's when this book really starts to take off. It's got a slow beginning where everything is a little muddled and coming together, but once you get into it, it becomes a lot more fascinating!

This woman has been missing for decades and no one really knows what happened to her, but one young man whose life seems fatefully intertwined with this missing woman, is determined to find out what happened to her.

Quite an adventure of unravelling a deep mystery and filled with elements I wasn't really expecting. Dual vantage points are used to tell the story of Gemma Turner, acclaimed actress who tragically went missing - contrasted with the viewpoint of Christopher Kent nearly 40 years later. Their stories converge into a wonderful depiction of horror in ways that were more subtle and psychological than graphically terrifying.

When I started this one, I wasn't sure I would finish it, but I am so glad that I did!

Constance Sayers has just joined a very short list of authors that are so good I will auto-read their books no questions asked. The Star and the Strange Moon is the third book in a row of hers that I absolutely LOVED. Like the first two reads by Sayers, this story had a dark, foreboding edge that keeps you turning the pages with equal parts anxiety and wonder. I've never really been a big fan of the horror genre, but this novel leans towards the gothic sub-genre with the element of romance involved. The romance was not in the forefront of the story, which I didn't mind at all. The dual timelines and time travel feel (I would describe it as traveling to an alternate world/dimension rather than time travel) both added to the complexity of this thought-provoking story.

Christopher Kent's childhood was very unstable and chaotic. From a very early age, he had to learn how to deal with his mother's extreme mood swings, addictions, and unpredictable behavior. Constantly on the move to a new place and a new job, they lived a nomadic life out of hotels filled with uncertainty and dread. Christopher knew he wouldn't stay in any one place too long, so he wouldn't allow himself to make friends. While it wasn't an easy childhood, it was what he had become accustomed to in order to take care of his mother and keep them safe. Then his world came crashing down one day when his mother seemed to have a complete mental breakdown. The catalyst was (strangely enough) a poster of an old black and white movie star named Gemma Turner. It seemed to send his mother into an unhinged loss of control that became her final breaking point.

After Christopher couldn't hold the pieces of their life together any longer, and he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle. He never forgot Gemma Turner and the strange effect she seemed to have on his mother. It started a lifelong obsession-a quest to learn everything he could about the actress and her possible connection to his mother. It was a quest that would ultimately dig up dark secrets that were meant to stay hidden forever.

Gemma Turner's POV is ominous from page one. If you've read the synopsis, you know that she is doomed to disappear during her last movie. That movie, L’Etrange Lune, grew to have a cult-like following as well as the strange deaths of some people connected to it. Was there some sort of curse on the property they were filming at? The world had a macabre fascination with the unexplainable events. To Christopher, it was more than that. He felt uncontrollably drawn to the story. Obsessed. Gemma's fate meant something to him in a very personal way and he couldn't stop until he had closure. Her alternating chapters become hard to read because you're filled with dread for her. Knowing she has nothing but a living nightmare waiting for her in the near future, in a living story that alters with each decision she makes.

I can't say much more about the plot without spoiling the mystery of it all, but I will say that Christopher and Gemma's worlds eventually will collide. He must find a way to extract her or he may become entangled right along with her. What sacrifices is he willing to make in order to put this cursed movie to rest once and for all?

The book was a little slow going at first, partly due to my impatience to just get Gemma's entrance into the movie over with. Even though I was impatient, the attention to detail created a fine-tuned plot and three dimensional characters. Everything was brought to life in an exquisite, sinister package that kept me hooked until the very last page. I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next!

“𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒, 𝒾𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹.“

Surprising, terrifying and a mesmerizing read.

Wow, I feel like I have just woke from a fever dream. This was an incredibly surprising read with full of plot twists. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, I was scared and I cried so hard by a heartbreaking scene.

The Star and the Strange Moon was such a unique experience. I loved the characters, the multiple timelines were equally intriguing and fantastic. All the ideas and this whole story was fascinating, it was a true masterpiece. The ending of the book was pure perfection! I can’t get over how much I enjoyed this book, I couldn’t put it down I had the most incredible time with it and I want to experience this journey the first time again.

I highly recommend reading this incredible masterpiece, it definitely became my new favorite book! I would suggest starting the book without reading the synopsis, I haven’t read it and this way I definitely was shocked and surprised by things that is written in the synopsis.

The Star and a Strange Moon is a captivatingly haunting novel that will hold you enthralled to the very end. Young Christopher has had an unconventional childhood to put it mildly. Constantly on the move, one would think that something or someone is stalking his mother. But it’s simply that his mother is struggling. He has no idea just how much until she destroys a picture of a woman he has no idea who she is. The picture of the woman? Gemma Turner. This beginning sets the stage for what will become an “obsession” of Christopher’s as he strives to discover who she is and what she was to his mother.
The Star and a Strange Moon is a mysteriously haunting novel that will captivate you in the most surprising way. This story has dual POV throughout as it shifts between Christopher as he goes through his life, and Gemma as she goes from the past...to an even deeper “past.” From her life to being trapped in a “cursed” film.
Unfolding page by page this story details Christopher’s quest for answers. He wants to know what caused his mother to do what she did. He wants to know what exactly happened to Gemma Turner, and why. The answers lead him down a road that he could never have expected. This story details more than just the mystery of it all, but how everything is connected. An interconnected web of drama, secrets, and pain weave together to create a beautifully haunting story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading this book.
The author has worked to create something truly unique and gripping. Packed with paranormal and fantasy elements The Star and a Strange Moon is a story that you will not soon be forgetting.
5 out of 5 stars

My heart felt for 10 year old Christopher. When she told him that it was going to be different this time, I felt that it wasn’t going to be. I was hoping that with the free room and his mom having a gig that it would turn out better for them.
All of a sudden a photo on the wall of a woman named Gemma Turner makes his mother lose her mind. Christopher has no idea who the woman in the photo his mother destroyed is. It was so sad to read him begging his mom to get up and bring herself to their room. No 10 year old should have to worry about their parent like that.
The hotel room didn’t last long for him and his mom, she never ended up performing her gigs and ended up letting herself go. What did this Gemma Turner do to his mom for her to behave the way she did when she saw the photograph? Christopher is going to spend his life trying to put the pieces together.
Gemma Turner is an American actress in France, her newest film is one of horror. However the film does not quite go as the way it should. William it be found out how his mother knew of Gemma Turner? Or will Christopher bring himself down a hole he cannot take himself out of.
You’ll definitely need to read this book! It’s written beautifully. I really enjoyed the writing style of Constance Sayers.

From the author of A Witch in Time comes a haunting tale of ambition, obsession, and the eternal
mystery and magic of film.

A vanished star. A haunted film. A mystery only love can unravel…

1968: Gemma Turner once dreamed of stardom. Now the actress is on the cusp of obscurity. When
she’s offered the lead in a radical new horror film, Gemma believes her luck has changed—but her
dream is about to turn into a nightmare. One night, between the shadows of an alleyway, Gemma
disappears on set and is never seen again. Yet, Gemma is alive. She’s been pulled into the film. And the script—and the monsters within it—are coming to life. Gemma must play her role perfectly if she hopes to survive.

2007: Gemma Turner’s disappearance is one of Hollywood’s greatest mysteries—one that’s captivated film student Christopher Kent ever since he saw L’Étrange Lune for the first time. The screenings only
happen once a decade and each time there is new, impossible footage of Gemma that shouldn’t exist.
Curiosity drives Christopher to unravel the truth. But answers to the film’s mystery may leave him trapped by it forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for strange books about film and filmmaking. Though the plots aren’t the same at all, it gave me Night Film vibes, and I would love to read more books with this feel.

It’s got mystery, romance, and some magical/paranormal elements with plenty of references from classic Hollywood. If you’re a film lover, a puzzle-like plot lover, mystery lover, or love a bit of romance that doesn’t overshadow the plot, definitely check this one out.

I want to start by saying that I received a ebook. In return for my honest thoughts and my review.
I haven’t read anything from this author before. This won’t be the last book I read from this author. Thank you to the author and rrbooktours for allowing me the opportunity. To read such amazing and horrifying (good) book. Where at times didn’t feel like just a book to me. I felt like I was just has apart of this story with the characters. I love the two different POV. Gemma 1967 and Christopher in 2004 ’s. I definitely will be reading more books from this author. I can’t believe that I haven’t picked up any of this author’s books before until now. I must off been sleeping under a rock all this time. This book was also very unpredictable. I honestly went into this book really unsure what this book is about. What a way to start the new year with a horror story. I loved the characters and the world the author created. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I was Gemma waking up and living the same scene or trying to change it to get home. I felt for Christopher trying to figure out what really happened to his mother. How is all this connected.
About Book:
1967 Gemma is a young actress who wants to become the best actress. She leaves a trouble relationship. To travel to become in a new film honor about Vampires. When Gemma travels to. Start filming and adding notes to and changes to the movie. Weird things start to change. And she wake up. And things are really not what they seem to her. Until she realizes what has happened. 2004 Christopher who lost his mother at a young age. Unsure what really happened to his mother. Years later in learns of Gemma and her last film. Christoper wanting to know how his mother and Gemma are connected. Interviewing and searching for answers. Thank you to the author and rrbooktours for allowing me the opportunity to read amazing story. My reviews are going to be up everywhere. I highly recommend this book. Definitely a favorite 2024

There is a mystique that comes with a movie from a bygone era. Though usually fictional, they encapsulate a specific story from a specific place and time brought to life by a cast and crew. By extension, characters are also enveloped within the reels of film—an actor’s performance is set in amber, available to watch and rewatch days, weeks, and even decades later.

The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers makes this metaphysical view of cinema literal.


The central quandary involves the mysterious disappearance of the young actor Gemma Turner in 1968 while she was working on the French New Wave horror film, L’Étrange Lune. What made her disappearance even more ominous is that the film disappeared, popping up only once every decade for a screening for a handful of individuals who received invitations and attended the viewing wearing masks. To increase the intrigue (and the danger) around the movie, it seems that people connected to the film meet ill-fated ends, causing many to say that it’s cursed. Those few who’ve attended one of these clandestine viewings are deeply disturbed by it, though they won’t say why, as talking about the film also seems to result in an untimely death.

Given this description, it’s probably no surprise to you that there is a compelling pall over Constance Sayers’s novel. This feeling sets in from the first page, where we meet one of the book’s two point-of-view characters, Christopher Kent, as a child. In this chapter, which takes place in 1986, we meet a very young Christopher and his mother, a woman with clear mental heath problems who can’t provide him a stable home or have him enrolled in school. Christopher’s mom also has some unknown connection to the actress Gemma Turner, so much so that she goes into a catatonic state after see a picture of the missing starlet on a hotel wall. Her breakdown results in Christopher being raised by his aunt and uncle, with her dying in an institution a few years later.

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3.5/5 I loved the mystery and horror elements of the first half of this book, especially Gemma's part of the story. Once the mystery started to be revealed on the second half, I started to not enjoy it as much and felt some elements were overly explained. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Star and the Strange Moon" weaves a mesmerizing narrative across two timelines, blending elements of horror, mystery, and romance. I enjoyed this unique story and highly recommend.

It took me about a quarter of the book to become invested in the characters. Once i did, I was hooked. I loved the magic and mystery of this book, but even more I loved the cat and mouse game that was being played in the past and in the movie.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook Books for the chance to read The star and the strange moon by Constance Sayers. I was absolutely blown away with this book! I loved the author's previous title The ladies of the secret circus and this one is just as good!!! Told in two timelines, this is a peculiar story about an actress that disappears in 1968 while filming a horror movie, and a boy who becomes fascinated with her and spends his life trying to find out what happened. The star and the strange moon is a gothic/horror/mystery love story that will leave you wanting to read more from the author. I totally recommend it, as well as The ladies of the secret circus!!!

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Redhook Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An in-depth historical fiction gothic horror that I would find perfect for fans of Laura Purcell.

When 1960’s movie starlet Gemma Turner disappears during the filming of her last movie - a horror titled L’Etrange Lune/The Strange Moon - it remains as one of film’s greatest mysteries. Years later, a photo of Gemma makes 10 year old Christopher Kent’s mother become absolutely catatonic in their hotel room, forcing him to live with his aunt and uncle. This event is the catalyst for Christopher’s interest in Gemma Turner, as he is convinced that solving the mystery of the missing starlet will provide him answers about his late mother.

Things are not as simple as they appear, however, as we can see the mysterious events unfolding both in Gemma’s time, as well as Christopher’s, and how they interconnect. Gemma, in 1968, is hoping this movie will reignite her dying movie career, and she is drawn in with the promise of having a writing role on the film, in addition to simply acting. However, when she arrives, the director suddenly is acting extremely differently than before, and the house she must live in seems to be haunted. Wishing for a way out, but forced to stay, her life suddenly changes when suddenly she vanishes from the movie set - and winds up inside the film as the lead starlet. She has to find a way to survive - and thrive - this horror movie, and try to hopefully find her way home.

In the current timeline, Christopher has been studying filmmaking since his pivotal moment with his mother and the photo of Gemma Turner. He receives an invitation to watch a secret showing of L’Etrange Lune, where no one other than a mysterious select group of people, have ever seen. However, strange things seem to be happening with the movie - each showing every 10 years seemingly adds scenes to the film, scenes that were never filmed before Gemma’s disappearance. And when trying to solve the mystery of how this is possible - seeming to investigate too closely causes dangers all around.

Christopher needs to figure out the secret behind L’Etrange Lune, and the missing Gemma Turner, before it is too late for the both of them.

I loved this book, as it was a perfect blend between the fantastical and the “realistic,” and you could really feel the growing tension as both the stakes and the body count are rising. If you love historical fiction, thrillers, and gothic horror, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book! Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed.

I was first pulled in by the concept of this book. Gemma Turner, an actress struggling to stay in the spotlight, is hired on to a horror film to be directed by an eccentric and demanding director. After filming for a while Gemma, disappears, only ever to be seen in the screening of the aforementioned film every ten years… the catch? Every ten years, Gemma appears in a new scene, which should be impossible!

I found I was really pulled in for the first 40-ish% of the book. The story was gripping, I was surprised, and the plot was moving well. After that, I felt that the author really tried to add in too many paranormal elements to the overall detriment of the storyline. Curses, demons, spells… it was all very interesting, but was so condensed into the end that it was hard to enjoy.

The ending made sense, but seemed to tie itself up too conveniently given the hectic addition of so much content in the back half of the book. I think I’m a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I lost a ton of momentum after the halfway point.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for access to this eARC for a fair and honest review.

The book follows two different time lines, and spans 40 years, it's part thriller, and mystery, with a dash of horror.

I enjoyed this book, it's a bit longer than I liked. At times, I didn't think I'd be able to get through it, but I had to finish it to learn how all the characters were connected. I think the writing was absolutely wonderful and that's the only reason why I didn't DNF it. This was my first book by this author, and while by the description it wasn't what I expected at all, it's encouraged me to check out her other books!

3.5 rounded up. Thank you NetGalley and Redhook books for the ARC!

The book is a little slow at first, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s an extremely interesting read with a unique storyline. With notes of thriller, horror, and mystery genres, this is a perfect read for someone who enjoys multiple timelines and darker themes.

A huge thanks to Net Galley and Constance Sayers for the opportunity to receive this book as an ARC!