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When the occult, Nazis, hypnotism, magic and film come together, you get the elements of "Silver Nitrate" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
I nearly gave up on this book until about halfway through because it was such a slow build but I'm glad I persevered because it paid off.
Mexico City in the 90s is where the magic happens and it's refreshing to read something set during that time period because that's unusual. Another perk is that it's set in Mexico, a country and culture I've always been fascinated by.
The main character, Montserrat, works as a film sound editor and isn't having luck finding success in that industry. She and her best friend Tristan meet a renown horror director Abel Ureta, someone I would equate to a less-successful Alfred Hitchcock.
Ureta talks to them about a film he never got to complete and asks for their help to record a voiceover and complete it. But it isn't that simple. Ureta wants them to break a curse.
The man Ureta worked with on the film wove magic into the movie and with the combination of elements and he believes he was cursed because the film wasn't finished. After the record is completed, Montserrat and Tristan start experiencing paranormal activity.
While it's a fascinating, unique concept, the book could have used some editing and sprucing. The beginning was drawn out with not a lot happening and a lot of the details were muddled in the process.
What kept me going was one of the characters knowing the date and time of his demise. At that point, I knew I couldn't put the book down.
Overall, it was a satisfying read, even if it took a while to get there. It's clear Moreno-Garcia did her research and her creativity shines through.
Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.