Devil's Playground

FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2021 McILVANNEY AWARD COMES ANOTHER GRIPPING, COMPLEX MASTERPIECE . . .

''Russell writes a pacy, ever-twisting mystery that will keep you turning the pages.'' - Ian Rankin

''When it comes to Gothic crime, Craig Russell is peerless. Absolutely stunning.'' - M W Craven

1920s Silent Era Hollywood. Carbine International Pictures is making The Devil''s Playground, ''the greatest horror movie of all time'', about a mediaeval community that saves itself from the Black Death by turning to the demon and Lord of Hell, Beelzebub, for protection. Based on a mysterious screenplay, in turn based on a novel written by a defrocked priest, The Devil''s Playground is rumored to be the subject of a deadly curse.

When the film''s glamorous star Norma Carlton, ''the most desirable woman in the world'', is found dead in her luxurious Hollywood Hills home, everything points to a suicide. Cynical studio fixer Mary Rourke moves quickly to cover up anything that could involve the studio in a scandal. However, when she realizes she has been duped into helping cover up a murder, Mary Rourke, more used to concealing truth, finds herself seeking it out.

When the production of the movie becomes beset with horrific accidents, and people connected to Norma Carlton are murdered or disappear, Rourke sinks deeper into the darkness behind the glamor of Golden Age Hollywood. She finds herself navigating a world of speakeasies and secret societies, occultists and crooked officials.

And begins to wonder if the Devil''s Playground is Hollywood itself.

Praise for Hyde:

''Intricate...evocative prose enhances a suspenseful and sophisticated plot. This is the rare riff on an influential novel that sticks the landing'' Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

''Stephen King meets Robert Louis Stevenson... an imaginative gothic tale guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine the next time you walk a dark Edinburgh night.'' - David Hewson, author of The Garden Of Angels

''Russell delivers a brooding, stunningly atmospheric tale set in Stevenson''s Edinburgh - multi-layered and intricately plotted, this is a Gothic thriller from the hands of a master.'' - Margaret Kirk, author of Shadow Man

''A deliciously dark reimagining of a timeless character and a wonderful recreation of a gothic Edinburgh . . . Another winner for a consummate storyteller.'' - Douglas Skelton

''Gloriously diabolical. A terrifying thrill ride through the hidden chasms of the human soul.'' - Chris Brookmyre, author of Black Widow

I absolutely adored it. Intense, harrowing and hugely entertaining. Craig Russell conjures the kind of spine-tingling tale that kept me reading through the night. Spectacular. - Chris Whittaker

''The story is a thrilling ride through the murky depths of madness and horror, written with all Craig''s trademark skill and style. Definitely five stars from me'' James Oswald

''A Gothic masterpiece which will lead you so far into the darkness that you won''t know who to trust. Another splendid offering from a writer who is top of his game. '' - Theresa Talbot

''An engaging Gothic thriller full of atmosphere and surprises.'' - Irish Independent

Praise for Craig Russell

''A masterclass in suspenseful, character-driven prose fiction. Simply exceptional''
Frank Darabont, writer and director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile