cover image City of Flickering Light

City of Flickering Light

Juliette Fay. Gallery, $16.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-5011-9293-7

In Fay’s good-hearted novel, Irene Van Beck, Millie Martin, and Henry Weiss jump from a moving train in 1921 to escape the burlesque show where they’re employed and its dangerous henchman and head to Hollywood. There they discover that their friendship plays the most important role in their search for fame, fortune, and happiness. Irene has an affinity for screenwriting, the camera adores the lovely Millie, and Henry’s handsome face takes him from set tailor to leading man. They each find romance; Henry’s passionate love affair with a male director is particularly well portrayed. Fay vividly captures the grit and glamour of 1920s Hollywood, and Gert Turner, from Fay’s previous novel, The Tumbling Turner Sisters, even makes an appearance. This talented trio’s journey isn’t free of tragedy, but their love and support for each other sees them through trying times. It’s a dishy but never salacious tale, chock full of details that will delight readers fascinated with silent films and what goes on behind the scenes. [em](Apr.) [/em]