The Star and the Strange Moon
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4.8 • 20 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From the author of A Witch in Time comes a haunting tale of ambition, obsession, and the eternal mystery and magic of film.
A vanished star. A haunted film. A mystery only love can unravel…
1968: Gemma Turner once dreamed of stardom. Now the actress is on the cusp of obscurity. When she’s offered the lead in a radical new horror film, Gemma believes her luck has changed—but her dream is about to turn into a nightmare. One night, between the shadows of an alleyway, Gemma disappears on set and is never seen again. Yet, Gemma is alive. She’s been pulled into the film. And the script—and the monsters within it—are coming to life. Gemma must play her role perfectly if she hopes to survive.
2007: Gemma Turner’s disappearance is one of Hollywood’s greatest mysteries—one that’s captivated film student Christopher Kent ever since he saw L’Étrange Lune for the first time. The screenings only happen once a decade and each time there is new, impossible footage of Gemma that shouldn’t exist. Curiosity drives Christopher to unravel the truth. But answers to the film’s mystery may leave him trapped by it forever.
"A sweeping tale of dark magic, artistic obsession, and a love unbound from the limits of time, The Star and the Strange Moon captivates with lush prose and moments of poignant, heartbreaking beauty." —Paulette Kennedy, author of The Witch of Tin Mountain
For more from Constance Sayers, check out:
A Witch in Time
The Ladies of the Secret Circus
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sayers (The Ladies of the Secret Circus) returns with a wonderfully creepy tale of ambition, loss, and the lure of an unsolved mystery. From a young age, Christopher Kent learned to take care of both himself and his unstable mother as they moved from motel to motel. Then she has a breakdown that he can neither handle nor conceal, triggered by seeing a photo of Gemma Turner, a Hollywood starlet who disappeared in the 1960s. Before this incident, Christopher had never heard of Gemma, but afterward, he makes researching her his life's work, determined to uncover the connection between Gemma and his mother. This obsession lands him in film school—and, eventually, scores him an elusive invite to a private screening of Gemma's final film, the experimental French horror flick L'Étrange Lune, a movie shrouded in intrigue. Gemma's own timeline is interwoven throughout as filming for L'Étrange Lune goes horrifically awry. Sayers masterfully weaves a tale of multigenerational secrets, creating an enticing dance between past and present that will keep readers on edge. The psychological depth Sayers brings to the core mystery invites comparisons to Gillian Flynn, while the lost horror film at the center of the plot will put readers in mind of Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's Silver Nitrate.
Customer Reviews
OMG
Fantastic fantastic fantastic
Couldn’t put it down
Original special magical
Amazing
Very unique plot line. Finished so quick! Loved this book!
Beautiful story
I love this author’s lush, descriptive writing. This novel follows the themes of her previous work. The ending was beautifully crafted and executed.