Glass Town
About
Uncover the secrets of a lost Hitchcock movie and a hidden world where time stands still.
There's always been magic in our world
We just needed to know where to look for it
In 1924, two brothers both loved Eleanor Raines, a promising young actress from the East End of London. She disappeared during the filming of Alfred Hitchcocks debut, Number 13, which itself is now lost. It was the crime of the age, capturing the imagination of the city: the beautiful actress never seen again, and the gangster who disappeared the same day.
Generations have passed. Everyone involved is long dead. But even now their dark, twisted secret threatens to tear the city apart.
Joshua Raines is about to enter a world of macabre beauty, of glittering celluloid and the silver screen, of illusion and deception, of impossibly old gangsters and the fiendish creatures they command, and most frighteningly of all, of genuine magic.
He is about to enter Glass Town.
The generations-old obsession with Eleanor Rainess unsolved case is about to become his obsession, handed down father-to-son through his bloodline like some unwanted inheritance. But first he needs to bury his grandfather and absorb the implications of the confession in his hand, a letter from one of the brothers, Isaiah, claiming to have seen the missing actress. The woman in the red dress hadnt aged a day, no matter that it was 1994 and shed been gone seventy years.
Long buried secrets cannot stay secrets forever. Hidden places cannot stay hidden forever.
The magic that destroyed one of the most brutal families in Londons dark history is finally failing, and Joshua Raines is about to discover that everything he dared dream of, everything he has ever feared, is waiting for him in Glass Town.
A gripping tale of obsession, betrayal, and the magic of cinema, perfect for fans of historical thrillers and dark fantasy.
Praise for this book
“Steven Savile has the gift of making the unbelievable completely believable, and leading you willingly into an illusory world that you can touch, feel and smell...but can you trust?”
"Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere or Clive Barker, Savile’s highly original story is an extremely engaging, fast-paced read."
"Compelling... Unusual and perhaps reminiscent of Clive Barker's Weaverworld."
"With a vivid London setting and a tantalizing dose of cinematic history (including Alfred Hitchcock's lost directorial debut), this dark fantasy should appeal to fans of Neil Gaimain."
“Bursting with imagination, Steven Savile’s Glass Town is a twisted, breathless unraveling of inter-generational magic and mystery. With its intrigue twined around early film studios, romantic obsession, and the dark secrets of London, it’s a book that feels written just for me. I loved it!”
"A luminescent love letter to London, the movies, and the darker corners of the human heart."
“Glass Town is a mind-bending, devious and thoroughly entertaining thriller! Steven Savile brings serious game and leaves the reader breathless. Highly recommended!”
"A beautifully rendered tale of magic, family, and dark secrets set against the backdrop of London that may or may not exist in the real world, Steven Savile's Glass Town is the novel everyone will be talking about come December. This gem is not to be missed!"