Angel of the Abyss by Ed Kurtz

Angel of the Abyss by Ed Kurtz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Graham Woodard is hired to restore part of a previously lost silent horror film—Angel of the Abyss—the last thing he expects is the first in a series of murders clearly meant to keep it lost.

With one-time friend Jake Maitland in tow, the two must now navigate the treacherous enigma that is the lost film, while piecing together the story of the film’s ill-fated starlet, Grace Baron, who vanished in 1926. The closer they get to the truth, the more blood is spilled, and it soon becomes apparent that there is much more to the lost film than anyone expected, as there are still forces that will stop at nothing to keep it and its star buried. The darkness the strange film conjured all those years ago has come alive again with its discovery, and now everyone from Graham’s own estranged ex-wife to the LAPD is getting involved.

And the body count is growing.

From the burgeoning film studios of 1920s Hollywood to the perilous streets and dark underbelly of modern-day Los Angeles, Angel of the Abyss is a dangerous tapestry of cinema, history and murder, at the center of which stand two men with everything to lose.

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I knew I wanted to read this book when I saw this on NetGalley. I mean love old Hollywood movies and Darkfuse books. What a perfect combination. The book was good, the story intriguing, Graham was a good and likable main character, Jake was a bit annoying first, but I started to warm up to him when the book shifted focus to him. Also, I enjoyed that the book shifted between 2013 and 1926 so that we both followed Graham and Jakes pursuit after answers in the present and Grace Baron in the past acting in Angel of the Abyss and everything that happened around the movie.

But and this is for me a big BUT, I was expecting a horror novel, not a mystery/ crime novel. All the time I read the book I just waited for the story to turn horrific. But it never did. As a mystery/crime novel is it great, but I was disappointed never less. Because I really was looking forward to something weird, not an ordinary crime novel.

But if you are into mystery/crime novels, or/and have a fondness for old silent movies or just looking for a good book this is the one. But if it is horror novel you are after then pick another Darkfuse novel like Sunblind or Blackout!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!