The Silent Film Killer

1927 Hollywood: Where flickering shadows hide sinister secrets. The silent film era is gasping its last breath, choked by the advent of sound. But a different kind of silence has fallen over Tinseltown, a silence punctuated by screams. A killer stalks the backlots and crumbling nickelodeons, staging macabre tributes to the very art form he seems to worship. His victims, forgotten stars clinging to the fringes of a bygone age, are posed in chilling recreations of iconic scenes, each death a grotesque parody of cinematic history.

Detective Bryce Bush, a man hardened by the city’s underbelly, finds himself thrust into this chilling tableau. Aided by the ambitious and sharp-witted reporter Amber Watson, whose fascination with the detective rivals her hunger for a scoop, Bryce must navigate the opulent palaces and shadowy speakeasies of a city on edge. Each crime scene, meticulously crafted with a dialogue card bearing a cryptic message, offers a new clue—and a fresh layer of fear.

Their investigation leads them to a clandestine group known as “The Silents,” former film professionals bound by their shared nostalgia for the silent era and their simmering resentment toward the talkies. Hidden within the decaying grandeur of the abandoned Majestic Theatre, they plot their revenge against the industry that discarded them. Is the killer one of their own, their murders a twisted protest against the relentless march of progress?

As Bryce and Amber delve deeper, they uncover a hidden narrative, a story of betrayal and revenge that reaches back to the earliest days of Hollywood. But their pursuit of the truth comes at a dangerous price. Amber's relentless ambition puts her in the killer's crosshairs, transforming her from observer to victim, her body posed in a chilling homage to her favorite silent film.

Now, Bryce must race against time, deciphering the final clues before the curtain falls on another life. The answer lies buried within the coded messages, whispers from a forgotten past, leading him to a final confrontation in the heart of the dilapidated Majestic Theatre. Here, amidst flickering shadows and the ghosts of silent stars, the killer’s identity and motive will be revealed in a shocking climax that threatens to consume them all.

© 2024 PublishDrive (E-book): 6610000668465

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E-book: 6 listopada 2024