Book Review: Night Film by Marisha Pessl

On a damp October night, beautiful young Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley’s life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror-film director Stanislas Cordova—a man who hasn’t been seen in public for more than thirty years.

For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova’s dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.

Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova’s eerie, hypnotic world.

The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more. (Goodreads)

I am just going to start by saying this book has the potential to be just as big as Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. It combines the gothic with the literary, with the suspense, with the mystery. It had it all...even a little romance, though not in the traditional sense.

I did not read the author's first novel though it received great acclaim. I must say I was impressed with her superb writing style. She wrapped me up. It was hard to put down. Events get a little wacky right after the middle of the book but overall, it was a page turner and put together quite well.

I liked that it included seemingly "real" newspaper articles, photos, blog posts, and police files. Having all that pop up throughout the book made it seem so realistic. I wasn't drawn towards any one character. They all had their own mystery to them and I was intrigued by them all. The director Cordova was haunting and intriguing and I was curious what all the hype was about. 

Overall, though it took me a bit to complete it was definitely worth reading. I highly recommend it. It's already been sent to my pal, Cheryl. :) 

This was one of the books I selected for the R.I.P Challenge from Stainless Steel Droppings. I am happy I completed it in time! It definitely combines most of the genres listed for this challenge, combing a lot of gothic with a lot of mystery.

Author Website:
Marisha Pessl

Challenge:
R.I.P Challenge

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child