Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Release Date: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Random House

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
When Ashley Cordova, daughter of the iconic movie director, Stanislas Cordova, is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft, Scott McGrath can't seem to shake the feeling that something isn't quite what it seems with the formal story. As a former investigative reporter, Scott is used to chasing after impossible to find clues and getting the full truth of the matter out in the open. But when he begins poking through the world of both Cordovas, he finds himself at a crossroads.

After losing his career and seeing his marriage crumble, Scott pushes himself to the extreme and follows every lead, large or small, until he is spent. He's unaware of the cost until he faced with a decision. Press on with the investigation and lose the little he has left or leave it all alone to play out however it will.

Review:
One of my fellow word addicts won this book in a giveaway and graciously let me borrow it. I had to put off reading this book due to other obligations because I knew that once I opened the cover, I would not want to put it down. Not only did the synopsis grab me, but the hints my friend dropped about the story had me intrigued from the beginning. With high expectation and anticipation, I finally started to read this book. It became apparent quite early on that I would not be let down.

Not only is the story continually intriguing, the author's level of commitment to creating Cordova's world is impressive. Marisha Pessl gives the readers history lessons within the lines of the book but also adds another dimension to the experience by creating webpages, message boards, photographs and other bits of evidence/information to tantalize the reader. For me, it definitely took longer to devour the story whenever I stumbled across the webpages or the darkened pages of message board postings. I wanted to read, to know every detail and sought out the clues just as the lead character, Scott, was doing.

Since the reader experiences the events through Scott's point of view, it's little wonder that I became so connected to the character that I could almost feel the emotions or react in a similar fashion as that which was written. Each of the characters in this book were so lifelike that it's easy to imagine one or more of them walking down the streets of NYC this very moment. Even the animals featured in the book had their own personalities. Besides making it easy to keep the characters straight, the differences kept the story interesting.

Let me tell you, the twists within this book keep you guessing. I am a longtime lover and reader of mysteries and suspense stories, so I can usually guess what's about to happen in a large percentage of the books. Not with this book! The moment that I snagged a clue or was given a large amount of information to process, I thought I knew where the story was going to lead. Right up to the very last page, the last sentence, I was proven wrong and shown another facet to the diamond that is this book.

Overall, the reader needs to suspend his/her beliefs in order to really enjoy the book. Dwelling on one area too long will throw the reader from the ride that story is taking him or her on. Clearly, I really liked this book. I will be buying a copy of my own very soon. It's very understandable why it took so long for the author to finish this book with all the history and background she provided as well as the various website and evidence pages. If you are looking for an exciting, thrilling ride with some dark depths to plumb, this book is one that I'd highly recommend. Most definitely, this book is one of my favorites.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl is currently available at many stores and major online retailers. It's currently available in both hardback and Kindle forms. Clicking the link below will allow you to visit the book's page at Amazon.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl