I really enjoyed this glimpse into L.A./Hollywood, and the mystery was compelling. I liked this one a lot better than Steadman's first two books.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

British actress Mia Eliot has arives in sunny Los Angeles to put a humiliating breakup behind her and audition for a major role in a movie. Her agent lined up other readings for Mia as nothing is promised when auditioning.

During an audition to read for a television show Mia meets Emily Bryant, an aspiring actress whom she feels an immediate connection. As they chat during a break, Emily's script reading comes up next and she realizes her meter will run out for her rental car. She offers to let Mia go ahead of her. Mia doesn't want to go ahead as she's still preparing. Unbelievably, Emily gives Mia her wallet and car keys so she can feed to parking meter. Who does that? Here is where the mystery and disappearance play in.

With the sudden disappearance of Emily intruding on Mia's thoughts she knows she must banish them while auditioning for this role of a lifetime. The setting of the movie is years before cell phones and war so she closes her eyes and forces herself back to Edwardian England, Covent Garden and immerses herself in the part. I like the descriptions of the auditions.

Once Mia calls the police and reports Emily missing I would think that would be the end of it. In real life it probably would be but in this story Mia goes the extra mile to find out what happened to Emily. Creepy things happen after this point such as items missing or moved in her apartment. There is a sinister element to this amateur investigation and things start to fall into place at the 80% mark. The ending has a chilling scene as well.

If you are interested in more by Ms. Steadman check out Mr. Nobody on a previous post. In addition to authoring several novels she is also a successful actress appearing in The Tudors, Downton Abbey and Mansfield Park to name a few.

Much thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. Publication date is June 8, 2021 by Random House Publishing - Ballentine. Genre is Mystery, thriller, general fiction. Opinions and thoughts regarding this book are all mine; I was not compensated for this review.

I will be starting Something in the Water next. That's the only other Catherine Steadman novel I have not read

Rising British actress Mia has been sent to Hollywood during it's annual Pilot Month, when studios and production companies audition actors for major projects. A BAFTA nominee, Mia is focused on building her career, while trying to recover from a recent break-up. Feeling alone and a bit unsettled by the fast-paced and cut-throat world of the LA film industry, she's happy to meet Emily, a friendly, down to earth young actress at an audition. When Emily goes in to read for a producer, Mia offers to feed her overdue parking meter. Emily hands over her wallet and car keys, and Mia does her good deed. She returns to discover that Emily has never emerged from the audition room. In fact, no one besides Mia even remembers her.

Since dark-side-of-Hollywood novels are my catnip, I was immediately drawn into the book's behind the scenes look at the film industry. The mystery plot was well done, sufficiently creepy and the novel's excellent pacing kept me turning pages. While there were a few times I shook my head at Mia's foolhardy actions, I appreciated that the character questioned herself about why she'd done this or that. But loneliness in the wake of her romantic break-up, and a sense of identification with a British starlet who leapt to her death from the Hollywood sign in the `1930s, keep Mia searching for Emily, understanding how easy it would be to disappear in this alluring world, with no one noticing at all.

At first I just loved the story of Mia, and how she was handling life with its twists and turns. I was wondering where the mystery was going and if it would be able to unfold seamlessly. As I continued reading, I thought I saw how it would take a turn, but then Catherine Steadman turned it in another direction. I loved how I was not able to fully guess what would happen. I kept thinking a certain person was involved, but I was wrong!

A deft, engaging thriller about a BAFTA nominated British actress on her first trip to L A who finds herself entangled in the mystery of what happened to the other actress whose car keys and wallet she agreed to hold while she was waiting to audition for a different role. Nicely woven into Emily Bryant's disappearance and Mia's efforts to track her down are the details of pilot season in Hollywood, a cast of picture-perfect minor characters, and enough plot turns to set up a cable original . Steadfast keeps getting more confident as a story teller and it shows in this well-paced novel.

Fun and well written book. most notable for the what would Jane do thread and the Hollywood sign theme. Hollywood movies are iconic
and were timeless at one point,... the modern So Cal lifestyle is definitely the best fodder for satirical and or u reliable narrator fiction. Given the times and re evaluating
what entertainment one spends ones time on I think documentaries may still be what is worthwhile.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to like this one so badly- as others have commented, the protagonist is great and many aspects of the story are fun, but the main mystery, well I didn't understand why the author thought Mia would care enough about Emily to do all this, and I didn't understand why I should care enough about Emily not to skim those parts to get back to the boy stuff. A sad trombone of a three

The Disappearing Act has all the boxes checked for a enjoyable and fast paced, if not expected, mystery -- pretty women, rich/powerful men, lots of twists and cover ups, and a happily ever after. This is a light and fun beach read that will appeal to a wide audience.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC.
Mia, an English actress in London, gets dumped unceremoniously and without explanation by her partner. When the chance to go Hollywood for auditions (it's pilot season!) comes up, she grabs it. Anything to take her mind off the breakup.
She meets Emily, an actress auditioning for the same part, and helps her out with a problem. When it looks like Emily has disappeared, Mia frantically tries to find her, without success.
I have to admit that Hollywood has no appeal for me and after reading this book, even less so. Even though I love movies and series (hello Netflix!) Hollywood has always struck me as a snake pit, but what would we do without it?!
Mia is an appealing character, although some of her decisions seemed questionable, but she is obviously a caring person, so kudos to her. It's one of these books that's hard to put down, with many twists and turns and an interesting look at Hollywood during pilot season. The jaw-dropping gift bags were obscene, lol... unbelievable!
Definitely recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

If I’m being honest, I read Something in the Water and it was a big predictable. It made me hesitate to request this for fear I wouldn’t like it. But, I refused to let another book influence my decision or not allow me to have an open mind with this one. I loved the premise, so I gave it a go. I’m glad I did! Every time I thought I knew what was coming, boy was I wrong (and I’m usually pretty good at guessing). This was very well crafted.

I really enjoyed Mia. Her story was pretty relatable. The idea of a man leaving you and wanting to get away for a bit? Yeah I felt that. The only issue for her was that LA was certainly not what it seemed. This took twists and turns and genuinely kept me guessing at every single one. I loved her need to help people, no matter who it was. She was a very likable main character and I enjoyed reading about her.

The storyline was well done and well researched. I enjoyed getting insider info on how auditions work and parties and the work that goes into productions. Hollywood was also a nice backdrop for a thriller. It’s a fun idea considering everyone was in the entertainment industry, making this a fun puzzle to try and crack. It was a great psych thriller! I couldn’t put it down. It was a bit lull-ish at times, but overall pretty great!
True rating: 4.5/5

The Disappearing Act was overall an excellent mystery thriller. I appreciated how complex the story was, and yet I was still able to work some of the clues out for myself, which I personally like. Even still, it was not predictable, as there were twists right up to the final page, which I also like. I read through it quickly and will definitely recommend it to others. The main character was interesting, although she did make some odd decisions that helped drive the plot along, which can be troublesome. My main critique would be that some elements of the #metoo movement were woven in, and the way they worked into the plot could be hurtful or damaging to those who are victims/survivors. There is a potential inference there that could fit into some of the worst narratives about folks who get through such events. I guess I wish the author had been a little more thoughtful about this, or someone else would have caught it in the editing process (perhaps with the assistance of a 'sensitivity reader').

As a fan of Something in the Water, I had high expectations for Catherine Steadman's third novel. Needless to say, my expectations were exceeded! The Disappearing Act is a refreshingly original take on a psychological thriller. In a genre filled with plotlines that leave you dissatisfied or with endings that you definitely saw coming, The Disappearing Act will not disappoint. Steadman's own background as an actress provides the reader with an inside look to pilot season as we follow British actress Mia in LA. After a chance encounter at an audition, Mia sets out to uncover if there is something dangerous going on with a fellow actress. Although the ending was satisfying, I did think it dragged on a little long. With that said, I read the entire second half of the book in one sitting! Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC and congrats to Catherine Steadman on another page turner!

I really struggled with this one. I loved the idea but I couldn't really get into it. I think I just don't like this authors writing, I've tried her other books and I know people love them so I keep trying but they feel flat to me. Its like they are written for children but are about murder and other "adult" themes.

4.5 rounded up. What a fun read! I was instantly taken with the story and I really enjoyed Mia as our lead; I feel so many thrillers love to show struggling, down on their luck actors so it was refreshing to see someone who actually was doing well. I found myself rooting for her, even as she lead her investigation and made some questionable choices. I also enjoyed that the ending was not rushed. I felt it led to a perfect concluding chapter and I felt satisfied with the twists that lead to the final words.

I loved Something in the Water, but found myself disappointed in Mr. Nobody, so I'm glad to see Steadman is back on my all-star list.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Catherine Steadman since her writing debut, so The Disappearing Act was a book I couldn't wait to read.
Mia Eliot is a successful British actress on the heels of a breakup heading to LA for a change of scenery and to see what opportunities await her there.
She gets far more than she's bargained for.
A luxury apartment, an expensive rental car, the role of a lifetime. But after an encounter with a stranger at an interview gets Mia entangled with another actress she realizes she's really in over her head.
The story that unfolds is compelling and timely; with commentary on the boy's club that too many executives in the industry seem to be a part of, and the attacks on women that have been pushed under the rug for too long.

The book is a bit of a slow burn at times, but there are so many things going on I was never able to know who to suspect or what was going to happen. It was a very enjoyable read for those who want a glamorous and twisty thriller .
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I so enjoyed this book. I loved Mia, she was a brilliantly written character. I loved the suspense, the mystery, the Hollywood setting, I just loved all of it. I read it in a day, couldn’t put it down to even sleep. It was exactly what I love about reading!

I highly recommend this book to lovers of psychological suspense, well written heroines and lack of sleep. This is a good one

The first novel I read written by Catherine Steadman was Something in the Water and I absolutely loved it. Perhaps I am still looking for that reader connection but, although I liked The Disappearing Act, I did not love it. The main problem for me was that I did not find the plot terribly believable. The main character, Mia, was sweet and likable but was so often portrayed as lacking in sense. There were too many instances where I thought “Who would act that way?” For that reason I am giving this book three stars. It was a quick enjoyable read and I will definitely read the next book by the author.

The Disappearing Act is about a recently single young British actress who heads to LA, and begins to experience a string of unexplainable events. The author does a great job at slowly unfolding the story, giving the reader the perfect amount of new information and twists at every point. I was intrigued from the very start and my intrigue held until the end. Based in modern day LA, but still conveys an old school Hitchcockian vibe (which we love). Ending could have gone 1 of 50 ways, and I ended up being surprised. Highly recommend. Only critique to the author would be- I appreciated the diversions and thoughtful distractions, but I think maybe one too many angles presented in a storyline that was already incredibly strong. Thanks so much Netgalley and to the author- I am a big fan of Steadman’s books and love to see yet another success!

I don't know how but Catherine Steadman did it again. Somehow she makes each book better and better. This is her third book and I read this one the fastest of all her books, I could not put it down.

I was questioning everyone at different points and then questioning my questioning.

I enjoyed "seeing" L.A. through the eyes of her main character, Mia, who is a British actress in L.A. to audition for a movie that would be a role of a lifetime. She is thrown into drama almost right after arriving. She meets another actress Emily, at a pilot show audition, who leads her on a dark, twisted road of behind-the-scenes life.

The pieces of the story are weaved together slowly and you don't get answers until the author wants you to get them.

Highly recommended for all mystery and thriller lovers.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an ARC of this book to review.

** spoiler alert ** Welcome to Hollywood! Author gives a glimpse to what happens behind the scenes of a set, the inner workings of LALALAND and an actor's life. Storyline is interesting and suspenseful. Makes readers wants to leaf thru the pages to see what will happen next.
Thank goodness the one character that I thought was the "mastermind" wasn't. I just did not like that no justice was given to the wrongdoings (you will see what I mean) hence the 4 stars.

Peace and Love to Random house and Net galley for this ARC!