Angel of the Abyss
I received an ARC e-book of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.Once again, a very good monthly selection from Darkfuse. Not horror, this time. One half historical mystery, one half modern LA Noir---which made for a very interesting read. I found the historical elements of this novel so interesting that I loaded up several classic silent films into my Netflix queue.
Plot-wise, a copy of an (in)famous silent film, thought to be long lost, has surfaced. However, not everyone is enthusiastic about this discovery. In fact, it is clearly quite dangerous to know anything about his film as everyone connected with this discovery soon winds up dead.
I knew that I would enjoy this novel the minute that I read the plot-line. I am fascinated by horror movies, the older the better, and the idea of a “lost” classic (eg. “London After Midnight”) being found really gets me going. Add to that the fact that the back-story works in the framework of a modern LA Noir tale and you have me standing in line for a ticket.
And Angel of the Abyss did not disappoint. Enough history to satisfy film buffs and enough dark menace to create a very good modern LA Noir tale and you have a thoroughly satisfying read. Not terribly gritty as Noir goes---this is not a James Elroy novel, but the humorous characters provided a freshness that I enjoyed.
Four stars and two thumbs up. Check it out.
