Catherine Steadman’s third suspense thriller focuses on a British actress who gets mixed up in a missing persons case (or two) when she heads to LA for a fresh start and the chance at a breakout role in Hollywood.

Actor/Hollywood stuff as a book premise is always kind of a snooze for me, but the set up for the mystery portion of the novel was actually pretty good. The book moves well and hits all the right creepy and compelling notes in the first half, but as the solve unfolds it gets…less interesting.

There’s no enormous flaw in the solve or the climax, it’s mostly just…fine, if unexceptional, which isn’t a tragedy for the reader but is kind of a bummer after the suspenseful first half.

The book also concludes with a long, draggy finish after the action climax that felt about ten times longer than it needed to be and leaves the reader with a lot more apathy toward the book than would have been likely if it had wrapped up a little more concisely and snappily.

Disappearing Act is an adequate beach read sort of thriller, but it’s far less fun than Something in the Water and not as smart and clever as Mr Nobody.

This one was okay until about the end where it just fell flat for me. I wasn't entirely connected with the characters and felt they were just "meh." There wasn't any character development which I absolutely love and need, especially in thrillers. I felt the build up was exciting but the ending wasn't. I just found myself wanting more.

A psychological thriller that'll keep you guessing until the final pages are turned!

I love a book with an unreliable narrator. I will always grab a book that has utilizes an uncertain tone. It makes for a very interesting and exciting read.

I was very pleased with The Disappearing Act. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I loved it! Highly recommended!

Thrillers can be so hit or miss. This one focuses on the dark underbelly of Hollywood and dips into the #metoo movement that recently swept that world, so it felt relevant in that way.

I found this to be a touch confusing/boring. Mia’s obsession with Emily and the very layered explanation of her disappearance didn’t keep me super engaged or invested. I think I could have used some more character development to feel invested in Mia. I did read this quickly but it was less about being obsessed with finding out what happens and more just being done reading the book.

As far as thrillers go, this one just felt meh. And I don’t think it helped that I was not very invested in any of the characters.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable thriller. I could not put it down and was hooked from the beginning. If you like fast paced thrillers I highly recommend this.

I loved Something In The Water so I was excited to read this. Takes place in Hollywood, and I admit I’m a sucker for that setting. Something about Mia I really liked, even if she was too naive. But this unfortunately just trudged along for me.

It starts off well enough, with plenty of gossipy glitz and Hollywood glamour, but then the mystery part kicks in and you sit there and read and your eyes roll back in your head, and you think “really? Do people this stupid exist, and if so, why am I reading this! When will we make women smart.
I’ve devoured Catherine’s others books but this one was slow for me.

I always look forward to Catherine Steadman books, and this is another twisty winner.

This is an enticing book about actress Mia who travels to LA for her big break. At one of her first auditions, she meets an elusive stranger who disappears without her phone and purse. Tracking down the stranger is much harder than Mia thinks though.

Great twists and a fun main character.

I enjoyed Catherine Steadman's first novel, Something in the Water, so I was excited to read her latest novel. In this novel, Steadman tells a story about acting and the industry. When Mia Eliot is dumped by her boyfriend for a starlet, she leaves London to audition for some roles in Hollywood. While waiting to be called for an audition, she meets another actress, Emily. Emily asks Mia for a favor, and when Mia does it and returns to the audition room, Emily is gone. So begins Mia's obsession to find out what happened to Emily.
Strange things begin occurring, people aren't who they seem, and finally a confession scene takes place.
Acting is a story that Steadman knows well, as she is an actress herself.
I liked this novel, it was a quick read, but I am not sure I bought into what Mia's stalker was able to do/survive.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Opinions are freely given.

Catherine Steadman stunned me with her debut, Something in the Water, and her second and third novels prove hype runaway success of her first novel was no fluke. With complex character development and a mystery that unfolds at its own pace- never sloppily rushed and never too slow in an attempt to throw the reader off with Ted herrings and misdirection, Steadman makes me feel like her protagonists could be any any intelligent yet flawed person I might know in team life. This story was compelling and expertly plotted. Loved it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. This story just wasn't for me and I won't be leaving a full review at this time.

This is a delightfully suspenseful read with an interesting mystery at the center. Mia is a British actress in Los Angeles for auditions for pilot season. She meets an American actress named Emily who she seems to have a lot in common with and they hit it off. But when Mia steps out to put money in the parking meter, she returns to find Emily has completely disappeared. Mia is compelled to look for Emily, and that's where things get interesting. I'll leave the rest of the plot for you to discover as you read!

Anything by Catherine Steadman is always on my TBR pile. Mia, a British actress, is in Hollywood looking for fame. This was a quick read and my wheels were churning trying to figure out what was happening (that’s a good thing lol, so many novels are so predictable). I found Mia a little annoying and clueless. Otherwise, it was a fun read!

This is a thriller with some fun elements and some very dark, disturbing elements as well. I loved reading about the hollywood/actor tidbits, maybe even more so than the mystery aspect of the plot. It completely kept my attention - I was immersed in the story from page one.

A woman has gone missing... But did she ever really exist?
Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favor takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.
Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.
In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk finding out?
Such an original story and good solid writing. The story just flows slowly and leads you thoroughly through all the details of Mia's current life and situation.
Watching the story unfold was quite a ride indeed! I liked Mia the main character, a very naïve person with a good heart that believes in the goodness of people and she’s a bit too trusting. A real page turner for me. I sure didn’t see that ending coming! I have loved everything Catherine Steadman has written and cannot wait until her next book comes out, I’m only sad I must wait until next year!
I read the kindle version of this book and purchased the audible version, so when I couldn’t read, I listened. GREAT narration by the author herself!
A very special thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Disappearing Act is a dark, twisty hollywood tale, that embodies new age Hollywood, with stories from Hollywood's past, and I absolutely LOVED that. This book comes at such animportant time of the Met too movement, and provides an inside look at the darkness that surrounds the glamourous Hollywood.

Mia Elliot is in LA, auditioning for what she hopes to be will be her major breakout role. At an audition that she was partiularly nervous about, she meets the mysterious Emily who is also there to audtion. Afte the auditions run a little long, Emily needs a bit of help with her parking meter, and asks if Mia could be of assistance. After Mia helps her feed her meter, Emily is never to be seen again. The receptionist at the audition doesn't seem to know who she's talking about, and for a moment, Mia is at a complete loss. Mia has Emily's wallet, keys, and doesn't know what to do. When someone finally reaches out to Mia claiming to be Emily, Mia is relieved. When Emily shows up, Mia knows this isn't the Emily she had originally met, let the games begin!

A true mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end, I thoroughly enjoyed The Disappearing Act!

Thank you to Netgalley and Randonhouse Publishing for the copy in exchange for a review

The Disappearing Act is about Mia, a British actress on the cusp of hitting it big, who takes a little time to visit Hollywood during pilot season. She’s never been there before and so is quite happy to make a connection with a fellow actress at an audition. But when Mia’s new “friend” disappears into thin air, Mia is confused and concerned to say the least. Did she really disappear, did she ever really exist, or is someone playing a disturbing game with Mia?
This was quick easy read and I enjoyed it. It’s a perfect beach/vacation ction book.

Things that I liked:
* The reliable, single narrator. It seems like EVERY book right now has multiple points-of-view, multiple timelines, and at least one narrator that the reader isn’t sure can be trusted for whatever reason. While those books can be fun, it was refreshing to read an “old-fashioned” mystery.
* The author did a wonderful job of evoking the almost magical quality of Hollywood juxtaposed with the harshness of the city. The isolation that Mia feels as a newcomer is palpable.

Things that I didn’t like:
* The author had a habit of ending a chapter with a big event or reveal and then skipping over the aftermath and fall-out in the next chapter until Mia reveals what happened in an offhand way that makes each of these big incidents seem not quite so important. Every time that happened it felt like a bit of a let-down.
* Without giving away any spoilers, I wasn’t a fan of how the ending/“epilogue” was spread out over two chapters. If those had been re-worked into one “event” I think it would have been more impactful.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

In short, if you enjoyed Mr. Nobody and Something in the Water, you’ll enjoy this one. Catherine Steadman definitely has a formula to her books, but she executes it very well.

Oooh the suspense was definitely there in this one. This book is a reminder that the Hollywood industry is quite scary. It wasn’t really predictable which I like, but it still felt a bit underwhelming. This was still actually pretty good though and I really enjoyed it! The ending gave me a bit of chills.

Mia Eliot, travels to LA for Pilot Season. She has had much success in England for her acting roles and hopes to do as well in the States. The trip is planned by her agent and all she has to do is really learn her lines & show up to auditions. Or so it would seem.. But from the moment Mia shows up, weird things start to happen.. Like meeting another aspiring actress and getting caught in her web of lies and secrets. Mia, knows she probably shouldn’t continue down the road of tracking and finding this actress Emily.. but she can’t help herself. Hook line and sinker, she falls down the rabbit hole and doesn’t know what is going on? Why she is invoked & what really is the truth? She seems to be safe no where and everyone seems to be dangerous. I really enjoyed this story. The main character was very likable and I couldn’t help rooting along for her. The twists and turns were very good. It made you wonder is any role worth this much trouble. I also thought the writing was excellent. I am glad that Netgalley & Catherine Steadman, sent me an advanced copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review. This was a four star read for me & I hope you enjoy it as much as I did..