Night Film by  Marisha Pessl

Ok to start with, the basic plot is something to be savored in this book. You got a movie director; know to the world only through his underground apocryphal films, termed as Night Films. Then you got his dead daughter, who treks the entire book in an uncanny shadow.  Then you got a shamed journalist, who in his search for redemption wants to unearth the mysterious truth behind the world of the cult director and his daughter.

Ashley Cordova, daughter of the celebrated movie director Stanlis Cordova has apparently committed suicide and Scott Mc Grath our disgraced journalist, has reason to believe that he was one of the person she came across before she jumped to her death. The bizarreness of it and an attempt his to find his lost glory, Scott dugs deeper into the life of Ashley and in his quest he befriends homeless teenager and petty drug dealer who both happen to stumble on Ashley at some point of time before her death. Together they go in search of the answers for her mysterious death, and conspiracies behind everything that unfolds, weaved carefully by the master of the trade Stanlis Cordova.  

Like the characters in the book, as we read on, the author at every step wants us to doubt if this is real or surreal world we are diving deeper into. Hence the usage of detective thriller style structure.  And she pretty much succeeds in it.  Probably it’s may be the strongest point of the book, as most of events that take place, is not entirely outside the realm of reality. But according to me author should have leaned a tad more on reality (Considering the hasty attempt at the end).

But this walk in the pitch black tunnel kinda situation although pretty enthralling and scary at first, you also want to get out of it soon enough before you come to the point of not giving damn anymore. And I almost did, but patiently continued, in wait of daylight telling myself ‘longer the wait, better the result.’ But although I liked the ending it somehow let me unfilled.

Having said that 'Night Film' is good experimental book, with lot of interactive pictures, web pages, and photographs which I guess carried it task as expected, to add to the spookiness. Writing is really good, better than some of the lady writers I read in past. Definitely recommended 3.5 stars.