I really liked this one and the writing was incredible but it was too slow of a burn for me. I prefer something faster or more action packed. This book didn't pick up until later but was otherwise quite good.

This was my first Catherine Steadman novel and I really enjoyed it. Her background in acting was very prevalent in this book and I found all the behind the insight very intriguing. I had a love hate relationship with the main character. Part of me just wanted to shake her and tell her to mind her own business. The story kept you going though and by the end I HAD to know what happened and it did take a turn I didn't expect. Overall a really enjoyable read.

I got so frustrated with the main character about halfway through, I just wanted to DNF this book. I didn't, but I thought about it for a while. I don't think I'll recommend this one to anyone.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheDisappearingAct in exchange for the honest review.

Mia is a British actress with a hit film and a BAFTA nomination in wait, With this new spotlight upon her, Mia's agent sends her to LA to meet with studios and read for roles. While waiting for one of those auditions, she meets another actress, Emily, who leaves Mia with her wallet and rental car keys. When Mia tries to return these to Emily, she is nowhere to be found. The Disappearing Act shows the dark underside of of the entertainment business. A place where people will do just about anything to land the right role and be seen with and by the right people. The plot was somewhat convoluted, but I can go with that. The characters in the book, much like the characters in the real Hollywood, were not that deep. I was hoping for more layers of development. It is a quick read and a good enough story to pass the time, but not something I would put on your summer reading list. My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Wasn’t really a fan of this one. Didn’t care for the plot. I thought I would love it because I enjoyed the author’s last book. I’ll still read other books from her.

This book is impossible to put down! I quickly devoured it in one sitting. I was a huge fan of the author’s debut novel and this novel manages to be an improvement by showing even tighter writing and faster plotting. Somehow I missed her middle novel which I am excited to read. Mia is the perfect protagonist for this story. She is charming and so well written I was quickly invested in the character and happy to follow along with her. It takes some time to get to the events in the description but the setup was perfect and I would have been happy to continue tagging along with her anywhere the author took her. Mia manages to be completely relatable as a down to earth girl despite already earning success as an actress and on the verge of a massive career breakthrough. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into a mystery that it appears she is the only one to notice.

She is so normal that her actions seem to make sense even as she starts to veer off in a dangerous direction. I did find a choice she makes very hard to believe but aside from that it is expertly crafted. I’m an avid reader and rarely surprised but I never saw where this novel was going and was surprised and impressed all the way through. I was surprised after I read her first book when I realized she was an actress and she continues to impress me with how well she can write as her books are not well done for an actress but just incredibly well written. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed the story itself and also how much I loved the pacing. Very often authors rush or drag out a story but this one was perfect with each page holding my interest as the story moved along. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I remember when deciding to request this ARC being on the fence and I have learned my lesson. I had read her debut and that didn't work for me and hoped this would be different. I did actually finish this one (the other was a DNF for me). The pluses - it is a fast read and the setting is a bit entertaining - LA/Hollywood during pilot audition season. But the good for me ended there. It was a bit of a far-fetched mess with an unlikeable main character that continuously made really bad decisions. I know many like this author, so maybe it will work better for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Disappearing Act will be available on 6/8/21.

A thrilling story and a book absolutely guaranteed to keep you up too late reading. Strangely enough it’s not a ‘who done it.’ And I think that’s actually refreshing. The storyline is fresh, and fun. And an insider’s look at LA is interesting, in and of itself. I think this book will be a huge success and I thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. I feel lucky to have had the chance to read this.

This book really drew me in initially but I found myself getting very frustrated with the main character as things went along. The second half then dragged a little for me. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A British actress, Mia, has come across the Pond to LA for a chance to be chosen to star in a film. At an audition Mia meets Emily, another actress and under strange circumstances is left holding Emily’s wallet and car keys. When Mia is unable to locate Emily after the audition she becomes obsessed in finding her. More strange occurrences only incur Mia’s need to find out what happened to Emily.
I really wanted to like this book as author Catherine Steadman has become a notable writer. But although the beginning of this book was engaging, the middle was slow and fell flat till the surprising ending picked up again.
I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley and Ballantine Publishing. This review and my comments are my honest opinion. Up rated to 3.5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 8, 2021
British actress Mia Eliot has been invited to LA to audition for an up and coming movie, as well as to take part in the renowned “pilot season”. When she arrives in LA at her first audition, she meets another actress, Emily Bryant, and the two quickly bond. Days later, Emily completely disappears, leaving behind her car and identification, and Mia cannot get in touch with her. Convinced something has happened to Emily, Mia is determined to find the missing actress. When a woman shows up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily, Mia expects everything to be resolved. Except for one thing- this woman is not Emily. Mia then begins to get disturbing threats, and items begin to go missing from her secure apartment. What was Emily involved in? Is she missing? Did she even exist at all?
Actress-turned-author Catherine Steadman returns with her third novel, “The Disappearing Act”. Steadman is a new author for me, so I went into this one completely blind, enticed by the premise.
The nitty gritty details of the acting world take centre stage (pun intended) in this novel, set among the Hollywood elite and the glitz and glamour of the LA acting scene. The fact that Steadman was an actor herself adds some harsh reality and truth to the depiction of money-trumping-all and every-man-for-themselves attitude that LA has embodied in so many onscreen representations. Combined of course, with the tragic #metoo movement, and the misogynistic male-dominated acting industry, “The Disappearing Act” is a powerfully relevant read.
Mia is a great character, full of charm and grace and I found her very easy to root for. The female camaraderie that she attempts with Emily is honest and sweet, and Emily herself appears to be friendly and open. The fact that there are so many young females in this novel who look enough alike to be confused for the other make the plotline seem a little unbelievable to me, although I have never faced the acting scene of LA, so perhaps there is some truth to it.
I enjoyed the glamorous backdrops and the surreal depiction of the LA lifestyle, and the plot had enough twists and turns that the ending was completely unexpected, but also entirely satisfying. The story was well-researched, having obviously come from Steadman’s personal life experiences with the acting world, and I found the plot to be well-developed, and the characters to be affable and likable. “The Disappearing Act” offers a full blown escape, while maintaining an air of mystery and intrigue that kept me engaged from page one.

Mia Elliot, a talented British actress on the verge of stardom (and rumored to be nominated for a prestigious Bafta award), is between roles and has just been publicly dumped by her boyfriend. Her agent sets up some auditions in Hollywood and Mia soon has a brand new sports car and a luxury apartment there. She’s definitely not in her comfort zone with the ruthless ambitions and backstabbing that seem to be a part of Los Angeles life. So when Emily, an actor auditioning for the same part as Mia, needs s favor, Mia quickly agrees. She is left with Emily’s wallet, keys and phone but Mia never sees Emily again.

With an intriguing background of Hollywood auditions, parties, gift suites, meetings and over the top lifestyle, Mia tries to find out what happened to Emily. She discovers the dark side of all the glamor that glitters on the surface. She doesn’t realize what she is involved in until it is almost too late.

Catherine Steadman has drawn on her successful background as an actor (Downtown Abbey) to create the world of The Disappearing Act. This beautifully written, character driven thriller is the perfect summer read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Catherine Steadman for this ARC.

I get really excited whenever Catherine Steadman puts out a new thriller, and The Disappearing Act did not disappoint. I found this book to be quite different from her previous works in that it felt more personal and a lot more character development for Mia, the main character than past books. I could definitely feel the personal experience infused into the detailed set ups and scenes for an actress on the rise. Mia, an established British actress who has thrived in period pieces in England travels to LA for a flurry of auditions when she meets Emily, a fellow actress at an audition. But before the day is over Emily is gone and Mia is left with her wallet and keys and no idea how to track her down.

When she finally does managed to get ahold of Emily, the woman who shows up to collect them definitely isn't her, even though she's acting like she IS Emily. This sends Mia off on an intense journey of trying to figure out what happened to her friend, even if it puts her own life in danger.

What I thought was going to be the main plot, a successful actress from London going to LA in search of new opportunities, turned out to be the side plot. The main story was the search for an actress who seemed missing at times. Mia has been told she is likely to be receiving an award for her portrayal of Jane Eyre. Studios are falling all over themselves to get her to test with them, with promises of a big project that is secret.
Where I started losing interest was when her script was missing from her hotel room, but she did nothing about it. With NDA in play big time here, wasn't she the least bit concerned? Then I started questioning her interest in this missing actress, even though everyone including the police said either nothing here to be concerned about or stay the hell away from this mess. Did she listen? Of course not. Did she ignore it to the point of being stupid? Oh yes.
It could have been better if it had been more believable. 3 stars seems generous.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Stop reading now if you don’t want to see spoilers.

Mia is a British actress, a star in the making based on her last film. She comes to Los Angeles for pilot season, hoping to make it big in Hollywood. At an audition she meets Emily, and Mia’s life takes a strange twist. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me as Mia is entirely naive about the world, and obsessed to the point of being a stalker. The story ends up being so convoluted, I coudn’t fathom why anyone would go to the lengths laid out in the plot.

First, let’s start with Mia. She has been living with George, another actor, in London for quite a few years. He breaks up with her via text, and she doesn’t seem heartbroken, just more annoyed. When someone shows up to collect his things with a van, she just turns everything over. Who does that?

So, off to Hollywood she goes, and it’s at an audition that she meets Emily for the first time. She and Emily sit outside on a bench, and Mia leaves her purse. Who does that? Then Mia agrees to feed the parking meter for Emily, and hold Emily’s wallet and car keys. Again, who does that? Needless to say, Emily disappears and Mia becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Emily. When Emily contacts her to pick up her things, it’s a different person, not the Emily she met. Now she almost becomes stalkerish as far as Emily is concerned. Strange things begin happening in the apartment she is staying at, indicating someone has been inside. It takes her a while to come to the conclusion it might have something to do with leaving her purse unattended.

The story dragged on quite a bit, then finally the ending. Emily agrees to meet with a friend of Emily’s, who drags her through dark streets and alleys, then a hike through the hills, and up the Hollywood sign. And once again, who does that?

Overall, it was over the top drama that just fell flat.

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You know how sometimes it takes a little while to get into a book? The Disappearing Act is not that. I think I was completely engrossed on page 3 or 4. When we meet Mia, she totally reminds me of the actress that plays Mary in Downton Abbey. Beautiful and famous, but not as aware of it maybe. And I have no idea if the actress is that way in real life, it’s just how I picture her.

But she is a big deal. She’s a bigger deal that she realizes. And Mia has arrived in Los Angeles to give the glitzy Hollywood life a try for just a bit before traveling back over the pond home to the UK. So she’s kind of overly trusting and totally down to Earth in a town that maybe doesn’t value that. And it gets her into a bit of trouble.

First she helps out another actress (oh the horror), but then finds herself stuck in a really strange and somewhat surreal situation that she can’t get out of, or figure out how exactly she got stuck in.

I recommend The Disappearing Act to fans of Steadman and suspense, along with people who like a bit of an insiders taste into the going ons of stardom and Hollywood. I will warn you, it seems much more everyday that we might imagine it. But I can total understand that in that world, it must be hard to know who to trust. Because everyone is an actor and ultimately, most people are out for themselves.

Lucky you, The Disappearing Act comes out tomorrow (June 8) and you can snap up what Entertainment Weekly is calling “One of the best thrillers of the summer” ASAP. Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Even though it took me several days to read it, I was always eager to return to the story, and that doesn't happen often enough, lately. Mia is a British actress who is upset when her long-time boyfriend leaves her for another woman, so she is very favorable to the offer to fly to LA for an important audition. Wow, what a trip that turns out to be!

The book is chockful of surprising turns, and Mis is just as shocked as the readers will be.

I don’t know what I really expected from this book - I just knew it was written by an author I enjoy... so finding that it was a book that was really hard for me to put down was a huge plus!

(Mostly) set in L. A., this gives one (British) actor’s experience of all things Hollywood. It’s definitely not all glitter and gold in this story - though you definitely get the spoiled life vibe (and I was so there for it).

This one had me intrigued from the very beginning - it had me scratching my head and trying to figure out just what the heck is going on here??? A lot.

There are several twists and turns that will make you go, “OMG! WHAAAAAT?”

Unlike many of the books I have been reading lately, this one was really suspenseful! It had my heart pumping in a few scenes!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What an unexpected delight! This was my first of Catherine Steadman’s novels, but I will be reading her first two asap. I don’t typically go for psychological thrillers, but this was just enough suspense to keep me constantly guessing but not too terrified to keep reading. The story was convoluted and confusing but not too hard to follow, and I think the backdrop of pilot season was such a fun choice. I also really loved the way the book ended—satisfying but not perfect.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for an advance reader’s copy.

A big thank you to Ballantine Books, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! This one hits shelves on June 8th!

Psychological thriller fans add this one to your summer TBRs! When I read Catherine Steadman’s ‘Something in the Water’ I loved it and Steadman became an auto-read author for me! I was so excited to be granted an opportunity to read an ARC of her latest novel, The Disappearing Act!

This book sent me on a WILD ride. I’ve been having trouble focusing lately but when I was reading this one I was all in. It’s a quick read that kept constantly guessing what the heck was going on! I did figure out ‘whodunnit’ pretty early on in the book, but I was so drawn to the writing and the characters that it didn’t bother me.

I loved the ‘insider’ scope we get into the behind-the-scenes aspects of pilot season in LA. I usually don’t love books set in the entertainment industry, but Steadman does a great job at setting the scene and atmosphere of this one!

Definitely add this book to your TBRs! It’s a great fast-paced summer read!