This one felt like slipping into a dream a little strange, a little gothic, and totally mesmerising. Set between the 1960s and present day, it weaves together missing actresses, cursed films, and the kind of eerie glamour that gives you goosebumps. Think The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets a ghost story wrapped in moonlight. 🌙📽️

It took me a little while to fully settle into the dual timelines, but once I was in, I had to know how it all fit together. Haunting, romantic, and just the right amount of spooky perfect for fans of atmospheric, cinematic reads with a hint of the uncanny. 🕯️💫

Would you follow the film to the end…?

#TheStarAndTheStrangeMoon #ConstanceSayers #GothicReads #HauntingBooks #SpookySeasonVibes #BookReview #BookstagramUK #4StarRead

I was really excited about this one but unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me. I couldn't connect to the characters and I found myself becoming bored. Therefore I DNF'd at 25%.

So intrigued by this story.

The general plot at the start followed Christopher as he hunted for a missing actress he was obsessed with but soon turns into a duel pov / timeline read as Gemmas actual whereabouts is revealed.

This is a beautifully woven story that envelopes love, obsession, greed, mystery, power and connections. Having suffered a heart wrenching childhood Christopher is obsessed with solving the mystery and I was captivated to see how the book developed.

The way the film is shown every 10 years with impossible added scenes is so clever and dark.

This does say its horror, which I'd disagree with. It's more a spooky vibes, mystery timeslip with darker twists which for me is perfect.

I'd loved this authors previous two books and again this book did not disappoint. Cleverly written, brilliant twists, perfect ending. This book had it all.

Worth a read and one that will leave you guessing, and hoping till the end.

This was a hauntingly atmospheric read. Set in 1968, the story follows actress Gemma Turner, who vanishes during the filming of a French Horror film, only to find herself transported into the film's world. Decades later, film student Christopher Kent becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind her disappearance. The novel weaves together themes of ambition, obsession, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction.
Sayers masterfully blends elements of horror, fantasy and mystery, creating a narrative that's both eerie and emotionally resonant. The dual timelines add depth to the story which offers insights into both Gemma's and Christopher's experiences. The prose is lush and evocative, drawing readers into a world where the supernatural and the cinematic collide.

This was a great book centering on the dark side of the showbiz. The focus on media lost in time was the main attraction of the story for me and it built up the intrigue so well. Though, I did feel that the story was repetitive in places, all of which could have been edited out for a more impactful narrative, over all this was a great read!

I absolutely loved this book. It did start off slow and it definitely took me longer to read than my average BUT wow, this book is so worth it.

I tend to wait a little while before reviewing to make sure I rate books accurately. This one has genuinely not left my brain since I finished reading it. The writing, world-building and general pace and feel to the book are immaculate.

The Star and the Strange Moon is a haunting take on fame, greed, obsession and movie magic.

The mystery of the story, the suspense, plot twists, everything blended together so well. The author does a fantastic job of fully fleshing out the world-building in both timelines from Gemma to Christopher and weaving the story together in such a seamless fashion.

I've previously really enjoyed Constance Sayers books, particularly A Witch in Time. Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me. I found the start too slow & wordy with a lot of world building, to the point I had to step away as I just wasn't ever in the mood to pick it up.

Not what I was expecting from this author who usually whisks the reader away on a magical journey. I ended up DNFing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the stories in this book. Loved every single second reading it.

In 1968, Gemma Turner, a French American film actress, is struggling to revive her career after a failed film. She meets a mysterious French nouvelle vague director who chooses her for the main role in his next film, his first horror film which is to be filmed on his grand property in rural France. Initially excited by this project, Gemma quickly feels unnerved and manipulated by the director's controlling behavior and intentions as well as the strange atmosphere on the set.
In a parallel narrative, a film student is intrigued by the mysterious disappearance of actress Gemma Turner and embarks on a quest to uncover the connection between Gemma, his own mother, and a lost film she starred in.

This novel explores the theme of lost media (which is a fascination of mine) and obsession and the dark side of the film industry with its tyrannical film directors and the trauma they inflict on actors, à la Kubrick or Hitchcock.
The central intrigue of story is really interesting, with an atmospheric gothic setting. The suspense and the tense, eerie moments had me gripped. However, it is long book of over 400 pages and definitely stretched out certain parts with some repetitions and over-explaining. The character development and pacing feels uneven, with a strong beginning and a rushed final third with multiple plot twists. The last minute romantic subplot feels forced, and i really didn’t see the point in its inclusion.

Despite some flaws, the story managed to captivate me with its lost media mystery, the scary and gothic elements, and the different historical settings.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The way I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, this was incredible. The suspense, the mystery, the plot twists, everything was blended so well that i never saw it coming in such a good way.

A little heavy on the world building at times, the story of the star and the strange moon was really intriguing to me. I wasn't expecting the horror elements, but I didn't think that it was too much for the story.

Intriguing, original and gripping. A mix of horror and mystery, a story that kept me reading and I thoroughly enjoyed
Well plotted and tightly knitted, fast paced and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

“The Star and The Strange Moon” is a very clever, unique book by Constance Sayers.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“Hell is a rather bureaucratic enterprise, I am afraid” - favourite quote in this book.

Do you love film? Do you like thrillers? What about a demon in the mix of a cursed film and an even more cursed starlet? If you answered yes to all of these then this is a book for you!

A starlet, a boy, a filmmaker and a demon! All in the same story.

Life comes down to choices, but are we aware our choices also have a ripple effect on other people? This book is all about choices… What would have happened if that starlet would have heard her inner voice and had run as fast as she could from a job that damned her for eternity? What would have happened if a film director wasn’t so jealous of his principal actress? Choices, choices, choices….

I loved that chapters were alternating between the parallel (or not) lives of two seemingly unrelated people and could see the different aspects of the story. I love a good dual POV and this one was ecstatic. Also loved that the plot was stretched for several years, about a lifetime for both characters.

I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next especially from the middle of the book to the end, where the story picks pace very quickly and the whole drama unfolds in a different direction from the one I imagined. If you think you can predict the end, think again!

I would definitely recommend it to all lovers of thrillers, films, twisted tales and demons. In my opinion, it is a must-read and I am definitely getting a copy for my bookcase!

My special thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK (publisher) and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

#TheStarandtheStrangeMoon #NetGalley

A haunting and evocative historical tale that felt at times a bit heavy on the world building. This book was peculiar, and thrilling. There are definitely horror elements and as the mystery unravels, more horror unfolds.

I absolutely loved this book. It had such a gripping story, and it was so unique! I was so eager to uncover the mystery of why she was trapped in this alternate movie world, and was not disappointed.

The only thing I would change is the pace of the book. It feels like it just drags on a bit too long at the beginning, and I was beginning to lose interest, but stuck with it, and I’m glad I did.

Sometimes books beg me to be read. I had not heard about this book before I saw it on Netgalley, but the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have it, one way or another. I was of course insanely happy that Piatkus granted my request for a review copy. I'm, however, especially now that I finished this book, insanely glad that I had also pre-ordered the book and that it will be shipped to me soon. This book belongs on my shelves.

Sometimes it happens. I don't really cry while reading the novel, but the moment I finish, the moment I close the book, the moment the story ends, the tears come. It happened with this book. In a way I was really sad that this book was over, that I had to leave these characters, their world, their magic and their story behind. In a way I also really enjoyed their emotions, the mystery, the magic and the way this story ended.

This story starts relatively slow. We're getting to know the two leads of this story. We meet Gemma when she's finally landing a new film role, we see how she breaks up with her boyfriend, how she dreams about being a script writer and how eventually everything changes. We also meet Christopher, born years and years later. We see how he loses his mother in a gruesome way and how from that day on his entire life revolves around that one picture and that one actress.

Slowly the story becomes more and more sinister. Something magical is taking place and yet we don't exactly know what. We only learn all the secrets of these characters and this story slowly and yet I was never bored. I loved the atmosphere, the characters, all the different plot lines. I of course most of all loved how everything came together quite nicely in the end. I've already ordered the previous two books by this author and I can't wait to read them.

I had no idea what to anticipate because I had never read anything by this author before. In my opinion, this is primarily a mystery story with some romantic and horror aspects. The writing is exquisite. The narrative is presented in two different time periods—the past and the present—in the third person, with Gemma in the former and Christopher in the latter. It's a beautiful tale of coming of age and discovering your place in the world, as well as how obsession can take over a person's life. The characters have been well-written and developed. Although the conclusion wasn't what I had anticipated, I was ecstatic that our protagonists had discovered what they were searching for. The start of the book was slow, but I would say around 30% of the book it did pick up.

This is one of the eeriest books I have ever read, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Christopher Kent is determined to find out what happened to Gemma Turner, a 1960s actress who disappeared while filming a french nouveau movie. It becomes almost an obsession, the seed planted when his unstable mother became even more unwell upon glimpsing a photo of the actress, at a motel that they were staying at, when he was young.

‘The Strange Moon’, the film that Gemma was filming when she vanished, has never been shown publicly - however, every ten years a select few are invited to a secret showing. The film leaves people with a deep melancholia - and if you’re invited again a decade later, you’ll realise that the movie changes, as if somehow the movie is still being filmed and edited, despite its star going missing during its filming and it’s director being long dead. With talk of the film simply being a conspiracy, others claiming it’s haunted, and others saying it seems to come straight from hell itself….what is the truth? And why did his mother react so violently when she saw Gemma’s picture all this years ago? Christopher is determined to find out.

Split between both Gemma and Christopher’s POVs, we watch how the twisted tale takes shape, and the mysteries that arise as the decades pass.

The Star and the Strange Moon is a glittering, horror tinged, tale that fully whisked me away into its complex mysteries, and I throughly enjoyed my time with it. It’s about fame, greed, and a curiosity that just will not let you go, despite how dark the road ahead looks.

I loved trying to piece it all together, and its nods towards classic French films of the time, and early vampire horror vibes with the original film script. It could be a bit slow at times, but it really helped set the scene for when things riled up to an even higher degree, and I found the ending to be extremely well executed.

Highly recommend if you’re after a creepy mystery, that has a streak of darkness, vibrant characters, and a story that will linger on in your head after turning that last page.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

This is the first time I have read a book by constance, and I must say I am impressed. She seamlessly manages to blend elements of horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy, and the paranormal all into one riveting read. The pacing can seem slow to start but this is due to exceptional world building, once you dive further into the mystery surrounding Gemma, the actress who went missing during the filming of what she hoped would be her big movie debut and Christopher, the boys whose mother lost her mind after viewing a photograph of said actress, the pacing really keeps you picked up and becomes an incredible page Turner.

The story is written in dual timeline, so you begin with Christopher and his memories and then move onto Gemma in 1968 during the filming of the movie she vanished from. Sayers can only be described as a maestro for the way she not only manages to seamlessly blend the the multiple different genres I previously mentioned into one book, but also in the way she manages to curate the interwoven secrets and mysteries spanning both the past and present timelines that ultimately culminate in both characters coming together.

Whilst there is romance in this story, it is not the driving factor, and that was actually OK in this book because the plot was fabulous. I haven't ever actually read this concept in any other book, so in that regard it is very unique, however, it did give me strong vibes of the episode from charmed (yes I'm old) where there was the demon who was stealing people into this one particular film that played throughout the cinemas he travelled to. I loved charmed, so I fully loved that little tid bit of nostalgia this gave me. Anyway, I digress, this was a solid read for me, from an author who is now very much on My watch list for more books to read from.

Strongly recommend this story

Oh wow! This is a slow burn epic that was worth the time to connect and then savour. The mystery and fantastical themes werr well set at the beginning and once the characters grabbed me it was a thrill blending obsession, horror, and a love story in one.
The dual timeline with Christopher growing up in America and Gemma's French experiences pushed this supernatural plot along until the tension built to its reveal and climax. The descriptions of place made me want to travel and I loved the authors ability to make filmmaking interesting.

From the start, I loved the author' s writing and thought this would be a solid four star read but the final acts pushed it to five. This book will haunt me and launch me into a book slump.