The Devil's Playground by Craig Russell

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.