craig russell – The Bibliophile Chronicles

Today I’m really excited to be taking part in the blog tour for the Bloody Scotland book festival taking place in Stirling from 15th-17th of September.

There are a whole host of fascinating events taking place including one I am really looking forward to: Craig Russell and Liam McIlvanney.

One McIlvanney, two McIlvanney Prize winners, three McIlvanney Prizes between them. Two of Scotland’s – and crime fiction’s – finest talents join forces for an hour to discuss their approach to their work. Craig Russell’s dark, gritty plots and complex characters have gained an army of fans. He continues to push the boundaries of the genre and his latest, the masterful, Hollywood-set The Devil’s Playground is no exception. Liam McIlvanney has an enviable ability to create a sense of place and atmosphere through brooding and deeply evocative prose. His talents are on full show in The Heretic, the stunning follow-up to his award-winning novel The Quaker.

The event is taking place at the Albert Halls on Sunday at 1pm and tickets can be bought here.

If you want to take a look at the wide array of events happening over the weekend at Bloody Scotland, have a look at their full brochure here!

Now read on for my review of Craig Russell’s newest release – The Devil’s Playground.

Release Date: June 8th 2023
Publisher: Constable
Pages: 432
Find it on: Goodreads. Waterstones.
Source: I bought a copy of this from my local Waterstones
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

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, from the internationally acclaimed 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.

Review

Craig Russell’s The Devil’s Playground is a dark and enthralling tale that follows two timelines. In 1967 journalist Paul Conway is attempting to track down the only copy of The Devil’s Playground in existence – a silent film that was thought to be a cursed production with several tragic accidents and deaths linked to the film. Meanwhile, in 1927 Mary Rourke is a fixer for a Hollywood film studio – she does what she can to ensure the studio and its actors are never seen in a bad light. The studio is currently working on a film that is thought to be the most terrifying horror film ever made – The Devil’s Playground. When Mary discovers the body of the lead actress, she begins to wonder if there are any truths to the rumour that this is a cursed production.

The Devil’s Playground had me hooked right from that very first chapter. Russell has a way of creating really fascinating, gripping premises and this one was no exception. I very much found The Devil’s Playground difficult to put down, it was such a captivating story. I often found myself thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it and the vivid and atmospheric writing style meant I was desperate to pick the book up at any opportunity. The story is exceptionally plotted and I loved the way the tension just climbed and climbed. The Devil’s Playground feels incredibly detailed and well researched – the sights and sounds of 1920s Hollywood really leaped off the page.

This story is full to the brim with mystery and its definitely a story that will keep you guessing. The characters were exquisitely crafted and I particularly liked Mary Rourke. The Devil’s Playground is a brilliant, captivating tale and if you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this one is an absolute must read.

Synopsis

A terrifying novel set in Czechoslovakia in 1935, in which a brilliant young psychiatrist takes his new post at an asylum for the criminally insane that houses only six inmates–the country’s most depraved murderers–while, in Prague, a detective struggles to understand a brutal serial killer who has spread fear through the city, and who may have ties to the asylum

In 1935, Viktor Kosarek, a psychiatrist newly trained by Carl Jung, arrives at the infamous Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane. The state-of-the-art facility is located in a medieval mountaintop castle outside of Prague, though the site is infamous for concealing dark secrets going back many generations. The asylum houses the country’s six most treacherous killers–known to the staff as The Woodcutter, The Clown, The Glass Collector, The Vegetarian, The Sciomancer, and The Demon–and Viktor hopes to use a new medical technique to prove that these patients share a common archetype of evil, a phenomenon known as The Devil Aspect. As he begins to learn the stunning secrets of these patients, five men and one woman, Viktor must face the disturbing possibility that these six may share another dark truth.

Meanwhile, in Prague, fear grips the city as a phantom serial killer emerges in the dark alleys. Police investigator Lukas Smolak, desperate to locate the culprit (dubbed Leather Apron in the newspapers), realizes that the killer is imitating the most notorious serial killer from a century earlier–London’s Jack the Ripper. Smolak turns to the doctors at Hrad Orlu for their expertise with the psychotic criminal mind, though he worries that Leather Apron might have some connection to the six inmates in the asylum.
Steeped in the folklore of Eastern Europe, and set in the shadow of Nazi darkness erupting just beyond the Czech border, this stylishly written, tightly coiled, richly imagined novel is propulsively entertaining, and impossible to put down.

Review

“I will return,” the voice hissed in Viktor’s ear. “I will return and show you the truth and you will be blinded by it. I will show you such horror and fear that you will be burned by its beauty and its clarity.”

This is my first time reading a book by Craig Russell and I can tell you right away that it definitely won’t be my last. The Devil Aspect follows a young and ambitious psychiatrist named Viktor Kosarek who begins work at an institute for the most criminally insane people of Czechoslovakia. Victor is determined to prove that the six murderers housed here are evidence of the devil aspect. Also occurring in the story is a serial killer loose in Prague, striking fear into the cities residents. As police investigator Lukas Smolak attempts to uncover who’s behind the murders, he discovers there may be a connection to the inmates of the infamous asylum.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. This story is so tense and gripping, it will definitely have you reading long past bedtime. The story kept me guessing at every turn and I really enjoyed the two different story arcs and the way that they weaved together. I really liked the characters, they were well developed and Viktor and Lukas made for really fascinating protagonists. The story blended murder mystery with supernatural horror incredibly well and the whole way through I was questioning what was real and what wasn’t.

The story in this book is really superb but thing that really made this a five star read for me was the atmosphere. It was so dark and chilling, it made me feel like I was right there in the story. Russell really brings to life this dark and creepy asylum and the freezing foggy streets of Prague. This Gothic horror tale is an addictive roller coaster ride that doesn’t let you off till the very last page. If you’re looking for a new favourite read, I can’t recommend this enough.

The Bibliophile Chronicles

Tag: craig russell

Bloody Scotland Blog Tour: – The Devil’s Playground – Craig Russell

Synopsis

Review

Blog Tour: The Devil Aspect – Craig Russell

Synopsis

Review