Catherine Steadmans’s latest book, “The Disappearing Act” does not disappoint! I have read other works by her, including “Something in the Water” and this most current write exceeded my expectations. While the main character is from the U.K., which is my most favorite character profiles, Mia is whisked off to La La Land for the chance of a lifetime to audition for a role that could change her acting career forever. Little does she know that her life will be turned upside down once she arrives and the role starts to not feel within reach to her.

Steadman keeps a steady run of mystery and semi-creepiness that I thoroughly enjoyed throughout the book and kept me on my toes until the final reveal finally made it’s appearance. The characters that were developed throughout the book had a humanity that was easy to bond with and root for, while the comedy of the L.A. acting scene was a nice comedic relief when things get tough for Mia. I also enjoyed the bit of romance Steadman includes throughout the novel and it truly adds to the complexity of the storyline and creates a sense of mystery about this mystery man....is he involved? ,,,,are his intentions true? Only time will tell! This is a great weekend read that sucks you in and doesn’t want to be put down.

This was just simply amazing and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The words just captured me in a way that i was blown away. I cant wait to read mo and e from this author.

"Classic LA: everyone knows something weird is going on but we're all pretending we didn't see it happen."

Mia Eliot has become famous in England due to her role as Jane Eyre. Happy with her success in her own country, she's ready to move on to bigger and better things in The States. So after a bad breakup (and in an effort to escape her loneliness) Mia decides to try her luck in LA and potentially land the role of a lifetime.
But the longer she's in La LA Land, the more the glitz and glam of Hollywood fades away to reveal the gritty underworld that lies just below the surface. Mia will soon come face to face with what it truly means to succeed in Hollywood. The question is: Are the sacrifices worth it?

I love this book! I love everything about this book! From the moment Mia sets foot in Hollywood, there's an air of unease that descends. And when things get going, boy do they keep going! This was a crazy thrill ride that left me questioning and second guessing every character.
Also, I enjoyed the character of Mia. She has an awkwardness that's endearing and a determined spirit that left me rooting for her.

This is such a great book. I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of thrillers and/or has an interest in the darker side of Hollywood.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. This is the third book I've read by Catherine Steadman and I've enjoyed all three. I loved this one because it's about a world that people know about, but don't REALLY know about. Plot season in LA was such an interesting setting and this book was quite suspenseful. I read it in a day!

I also like that the main character, Mia, isn't weak or stupid. Thrillers often have dumb female characters and it drives me crazy! This book was interesting and suspenseful! Thanks for the ARC.

This was such a unique story line. As a reader, I almost always picture the book as a movie when I'm reading. Knowing the characters were actors was a really fun twist! I don't know if I would consider this a full blown thriller. More of a mystery/who dun it. It was really fast paced and kept my attention!

Disappearing Act’s premise is that of a newly B-listed English actress seeking out jobs in L.A. after a recent breakup. I found the backstory and behind the scenes view on auditioning actors in Los Angeles fascinating. Likewise, the onset of the conflict was equally engaging. When Mia Eliot’s newfound acquaintance goes missing, Steadman transitions the protagonist into a sleuth of sorts. I appreciated the way the main character naturally evolved. I did find some parts of the story implausible, and, similar to most page turners, I occasionally questioned the protagonist’s choices particularly towards the end. That said, Disappearing Act kept my attention throughout, and had me eagerly turning pages to find out how it all concluded.

I requested this novel after hearing so much praise for Catherine Steadman’s previous works. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for my honest review.

Mia Eliot is a British actress, famous in her home country for starring in an adaptation of Jane Eyre. She’s always wanted to make it in Hollywood. During pilot season, her agent fixes her up with a 3-week trip across the pond for some very promising auditions. At one of the auditions, she meets Emily, another out-of-towner actress, and they immediately bond. However, after Mia does an odd favor for Emily, Emily disappears.

Perplexed, Mia doesn’t quite know what to do...until Emily shows up at her rented condo the next night. The only thing is, this woman isn’t Emily. She’s only pretending to be her.

Something sinister is obviously going on, and Mia can’t help but get herself involved. She may not realize how dangerous the situation is until it’s too late.

DUN DUN DUN.

This one didn’t quite reach my expectations, but I still enjoyed it overall.

PROS:

-The writing is superb. Author Catherine Steadman, also an actress, does a great job fleshing out characters and locations. It was interesting to get a behind scenes look at Hollywood and the audition process.
-It’s a quick read that kept me mostly entertained throughout. I was never bored, and enjoyed every chance I got to pick it back up.
-I was surprised by the direction it went in. I thought I had it figured out, and it would’ve been horrible if it went in the direction I suspected, but it didn’t. PHEW!
-I really enjoyed Mia. She’s such a sweet character, and I couldn’t help but want her to succeed.

CONS:

-While I really liked Mia, she was also WAY too naive. It wasn’t realistic to me that someone would get themselves so deep into this mess the way she did.
-The story is pretty implausible overall, and a bit OTT. Sometimes that works for me. This time, it was a bit of a letdown.
-The ending, while ultimately satisfying, dragged on quite a bit. I started to lose a bit of interest.

While I didn’t love this one like I was expecting, I did LIKE it for the most part. However, I couldn’t help but think of an appropriate alternative title: The Slightly Disappointing Act.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 6/8/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

British actress Mia has landed many acting jobs in the UK. Due to a change in her personal life, she decides to travel to Los Angeles to get some roles there. She finds it to be even more cut throat with many people vying for a part in anything they can get.
She meets Emily who is also looking for an acting job, but Emily does not seem to be so competitive as some others. Emily asks a favor and Mia is happy to help, little knowing that it will change her life when Emily disappears.
This story has some interesting chapters that hold your attention, but some other chapters I found boring.
I do thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a tense ride from beginning to end! I am a fan of the author’s books, and this one, like Something in the Water, was not only interesting but thought provoking. It really made me wonder what I would do if I were in a similar situation. This book read extremely quickly for me-I finished it in two days. I would definitely recommend this one to any fan of Something in the Water.

Who doesnt love a bit of an insider look at Hollywood - the glamorous (or not so glamorous) side of a life of an actress?! This book kept me on the edge of my seat as Mia tries to uncover what happened to a woman she meets at an audition. The last to see missing woman, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth. I finished this book within 24 hours as I couldn't put it down! Right up until the end, I still wasnt sure if Mia would make it out alive or what to make of Nick. The ending wrapped the story up in a way that left me satisfied (most of these suspense novels are a let down at the end)! Would highly recommend for a fast quick suspenseful read!

Thanks NetGallery for the advanced copy. Cant wait to read the rest of Catherina Steadman's books.

Really good book. I enjoyed reading this book. Kept my attention. Loved the characters. I would recommend this book. Thank you.

An interesting Hollywood thriller. A young actress comes to Hollywood to score the lead in a up and coming film. She meets a girl named Emily who takes her down a twisting road if intrigue, violence, and murder all to become a star. A twisty compelling read.

“A British actress discovers the dark side of Hollywood when she is the only witness to the sudden disappearance of a woman she meets at an audition in this psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water and Mr. Nobody.”

First, thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced copy. I was extremely happy to read another one of Steadman’s novels!

While parts of this novel had me on the edge of my seat, the plot fell flat in several areas. There were so many unanswered questions, implausible events, and one extremely naive leading lady.

Overall, this was a decent read that did keep me guessing until the end. I just wish the plot would have been stronger and the main character would have been a bit smarter.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55421402

First, I want to say I really liked this. I enjoy a good mystery but sometimes they get too dark for me this is more suspense-building, the edge of your seat tension which makes it a fun ride.

Mia is an actress who is new to the Hollywood scene. She is off the heels of a breakup she didn't see coming so she takes the chance to come across the pond to LA. This sets up some of her mindset for this trip.

While waiting for one of her auditions she encounters the mysterious Emily. Emily asks for a small favor of trading spots of audition times because she forgot to feed her parking meter again. Mia offers to take care of doing it for her so she doesn't have to audition earlier than expected. This one decision sets off a rollercoaster ride of crazy.

Mia is a likable character who can be identified with as anyone who has a curious mind and is going through a hard time. For the majority of the book, her curiosity puts her in plausible situations that are like an amateur sleuth on the case. I really liked the character of Nick and wished for a bit more of him. There are also lots of great supporting characters but not so many that it gets complicated.

This was a page-turner.

Dark truths are revealed in the course of a search for elusive fame in the world of wannabe actresses. The protagonist’s search for the truth is thwarted at every step. An excellent read for everyone that enjoys a good mystery!

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this ARC of The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman. What a great read! The writing was so good I kept getting drawn deeper and deeper into the story.
I thought Mia was not very bright and she made a lot of mistakes, so that was annoying. She was the main character, so not liking her was tough for me.

The story started out so intriguing, but the longer the story went on, the more implausible it got.

I enjoyed the writing so much, I give this book three and a half stars, rounded up to four. I will look for other books by Catherine Steadman.

Wow! I stayed up late reading this book and it absolutely did not disappoint. Mia, an actress, travels to L.A from the U.K to audition for roles during pilot week. While at an audition she meets Emily who disappears moments after they meet. The rest of the novel has Mia trying to uncover what happened to Emily and it will keep you on your toes. The thing that makes this book stand out from the others is the fact that it keeps you guessing until the very end. It holds your attention the entire way through. It was a very enjoyable read for me.

Mia is just coming into her own as an actor with a (possible) BAFTA on the cards. Her personal life is less glittering - her boyfriend George ghosted her, going so far as to have a moving company come to the house to pick up his things so he didn't have to face her. The chance at a pilot season in LA seems heaven sent. When a fellow actor goes missing in the middle of the audition process, Mia gets caught up in an ever-deepening mystery. The Hollywood scene can be deadly - literally.

Take one part Nancy Drew and one part La La Land and stir in half a cup of The Black Dahlia and a tablespoon of The Player. Add a dash of Gone Girl, and bake until it all catches fire at the end. Now you have the recipe for this dishy Hollywood thriller, which I could not put down.

The first cool thing about this book was that I learned that the author, Catherine Steadman, is also a well-known British actress. What? Why didn’t anyone tell me this when I was listening to the five-star Something in the Water audiobook and marveling at how good the author was at reading it?

Anyway, as a fan of Hollywood gossip and a girl who did a little acting in her day, it’s like this mystery was written just for me — and I bet a lot of other Hollywood dreamers. If you like show biz and Hollywood tales, both old and new, you’ll definitely love this clever thriller about a young ingenue who goes missing, and the more experienced English actress on the brink of her first huge break in LA who gets pulled into the mystery of her rival’s disappearance. Steadman obviously knows the ins and outs of acting from personal experience, and everything about the show business aspect of this book rings true. There are some great old Hollywood touches coupled with important modern-day themes, and a great little mystery that will remind you both of film noir and Nancy Drew. (Again, if you ask me? An ideal and quirky combination.)

The one caveat I’ll add is that if you’re looking for a darker, nastier mystery (which I also do SO love) or something more like Something in the Water, you should be aware that this isn’t quite that same book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty twisted, but more in the sense of a Hollywood story than a serial killer style thriller.

I just love the way Steadman writes and I thoroughly enjoyed this unputdownable treasure trove of gossip, sleuthing, leading ladies, and Hollywood heartbreak. Doesn’t hurt that it also prominently features some of the best places for Hollywood fans to hang out in LA, like the Sunset Tower hotel and the 101 Coffee Shop. 4.5 stars! Fun, fun, fun from beginning to the fabulous denouement.

Oh, and an aside to Ms. Steadman - who explains herein Chekhov’s famous “loaded gun” movie-making theory (if you show a loaded gun in the first act, make sure it goes off in Act Three) - I see what you did here, you clever author.

Big thanks to the author, RandomHouse and NetGalley for this great read - my only minor regret is that I didn’t get to hear it I read in Steadman’s voice, because I have a feeling this audiobook is also going to be fantastic.

A total page-turner, Catherine Steadman does it again! Follow the twists and turns as Mia Eliot works to solve the mystery of what happened to a fellow actress who goes missing. With Hollywood & LA as the setting, get ready for a fascinating and fast-paced escape.