How far will actors go to get that top part in Hollywood? Meet Mia, a London actress, who is trying to make it big in her career. She comes to Hollywood for a possible part in a show, At an audition, a woman hands Mia her car keys and wallet to hold while she tries out for a part. This is fine except the woman never returns. What should Mia do about this missing woman? Is the man that shows up to help her really a love interest or is he in on the scheme?

I gave this book three stars. I enjoyed the main character, but I had a difficult time believing that she could be so gullible throughout the book. She did make me laugh, though, many times throughout the book.

I was given this book for my honest review.

“The Disappearing Act” is by far the best of Catherine Steadman’s three books. “Something in the Water” and “Mr. Nobody” were nicely creepy, but this one is lively and fun as well as disturbing. This might have come off feeling like two different books, but Steadman meshes the two tones perfectly. The result is very enjoyable. Review appeared in print in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and online at stltoday.com.

This book kept me on my toes! I don't typically like when a MC tries to solve a crime because I think this trope is very played out by this point, but I really liked this story. I wasn't sure where the end was going to go, and the action/drama kept me turning the pages quicker than I expected.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was intrigued by the plotline and I really liked the main character, Mia, but ultimately I found the book did not deliver on the promise of it's original premise. It was confusing and I'm still not sure I understand why it was so twisty. It just didn't make any sense and then after the mystery was "wrapped up", a tidy little romance and a happy ending was added as well.

I’ve read a few of Steadman’s books before and they were solid thrillers, but this one fell short for me. It felt very slow and flat, and didn’t have as much of a twist as I’d hoped for. A very middle of the line book.

Liked not loved this one! I thought it dragged in places — but not going to lie... I had to know what happened so it did hook me in that way! It is extremely different from her Something in the Water, her previous book, and that's good for me because I did not love it, ha! I was excited to learn that the author, like the main character, is a British actress, so that made me enjoy the realness of the story more!

Twisty tale in Hollywood. Emily meets Mia and they are both trying to make it in Hollywood. Emily disappears and then someone else reappears claiming to be Emily. What is real and what is illusion. A psychological thriller with some mysterious twists.

The Disappearing Act pulled me right in from the very beginning! Such a good fun book! (I've loved her others just a much). Fun characters, good writing and a compelling storyline. Also more twists and turns than a bag of pretzels with a terrific conclusion!

Oh, how I love Cathernine Steadman! I have loved all of her books and was thrilled to pick up an ARC of The Disappearing Act. As always, she did not disappoint!

Meet Mia, a British actress flying high on the success of her show Jane Eyre, who heads to Los Angeles in hopes of catching a big break in Hollywood. Everything in LA seems shiny and surreal. While at an audition, Mia strikes up a friendship with a fellow-hopeful named Emily. But when Emily suddenly disappears from the audition -- leaving all of her personal belongings with Mia -- Mia is concerned that something terrible happened to her. When the police don't take Mia's report seriously, Mia decides to take matters into her own hands and figure out what happened to Emily.

This book was such a thrill up until the very LAST page. Told from the point of view of Mia, it was the perfect combination of suspense, drama and showing how far people will go for their shot at fame. Drop everything you're doing and pick up this book!

Mia is a UK actress that's come to LA to audition for parts and to do publicity for her recent role. While at an audition, she meets Emily who asks her to watch her purse and to put $$ in the parking meter for her while she takes a call. When Emily doesn't return, Mia becomes concerned as to where she's disappeared to. Mia launches into a search for Emily and uncovers deception that makes her think she's lost her mind. Fast paced and twisty. Enjoyable read.

Mia Elliot is a rising star in British television, with a huge breakout success as Jane in Eyre. She’s even nominated for a BAFTA award. But her personal life is in shambles, as her long-term boyfriend is appearing in public cuddling with another, younger, star. Ugh. Mia is all too happy to flee London’s drizzle for sunnier climes–ie pilot season in LA, where she’s up for several career-making parts.

But LA is just a weird place. Far from family and friends, Mia finds herself in a place where everyone is beautiful and talented, but no one seems real. She attends an audition where she meets a fellow actor named Emily. The two look very similar, in a room where everyone looks somewhat similar, and they bond briefly before Emily is called. Mia offers to go plug her parking meter for her, and Emily passes off her keys and wallet, only to disappear afterwards. Mia waits and waits. She keeps plugging the meter for the white rental Ford, leaves notes, even meets a man who works nearby and wonders why she keeps hovering. It’s all to no avail. Emily has disappeared.

Mia is not able to let it go, and she can’t shake a feeling of something being wrong. Her apartment has good security, but the hall camera’s broken and she keeps feeling like her things have been rearranged. She’s up for a top-secret part, but she seems to be missing emails as well. Is it all in her head? The police are satisfied that Emily is not missing, but Mia is not. She just can’t stop looking for Emily, and worrying that she’s losing her mind in the process.

The Disappearing Act is more than just a suspenseful story though. It’s attempting to answer questions particularly relevant to our time. Is fame earned? Is talent enough, or how much luck do you need? Are we all just ultimately interchangeable, or is each person unique? The novel’s twists and turns keep our attention fully on the story, but at the same time, the book is turning our attention to the assumptions that underpin our society’s obsession with actors.

Well-written, with a fresh, interesting plot, this is perfect for a summer afternoon. Highly recommended.

I thought the premise of this was super interesting and the initial mystery of what happened to Emily had me intrigued. Mia, new to LA from England, is an actress on an audition when she is asked by Emily, another actress, to hold her keys while she runs to the bathroom. When Emily doesn't return Mia is left trying to just leave the keys which in turn leads to her fining Emily's car and meeting a handsome stranger. From there things went from intriguing to unrealistic because Mia doesn't seem like she had any common sense. Her naivety was ridiculous and distracted from my initial enjoyment of the story. By the midway point I had had enough of her and skimmed to the end

#thedisappearingact #catherinesteadman netgalley. My arc’s that I am so grateful and honored to be approved for. Mia. Just dumped by her boyfriend finds herself an opportunity to go to America. She was a hit in her starring role and now she has opportunities. But. America. LA. It’s a funny place. With funny people. And weird things start happening. Definitely a great book to keep you on the edge of your seat. #la #acting #netgalley #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #actress

Love this author. Such a great thriller woven I to a Hollywood tale. This kept me reading and guessing as to what was going on. Enjoyed this quick read.

3 1/2 stars for The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman. This was a very enjoyable and fast-paced thriller. As you may know, Catherine is an actress as well as a writer so this storyline "behind the scenes in LA filmmaking' was a departure from the typical "domestic thriller" where we wonder if the husband really is a psycho-path!

Instead, we follow a rather kind and naive British actress from London to LA as she tries to land "the role" of a lifetime without being murdered! While at an audition Mia "befriends" another hopeful actress in the waiting room and then the chase is on! Mia is dashing around LA trying to find this missing actress! Who is she? Where is she? What the heck is going on? Is our main character really going to dangerously involve herself in this mess? Yes, she was far to "nicey nice" to leave it be!

I appreciated this rather different storyline for a thriller although I do agree with other reviewers that some of the plot is a bit "OTT or Over The Top." BUT, it was a fun look into the life of film production and all that is shady in LA. I alternated between the written version and the audio as Catherine narrates her books (I have read all her stuff) and does a beautiful job and has a great accent. I burned through this book in two days, and while far-fetched it was definitely enjoyable!

**Thank you NetGalley & Publishers for the ARC Kindle copy! **

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book it was a page turner

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC*

3.5 stars
I had NO idea where this book was headed. It was a little confusing in the beginning. You get a sense that what's happening to Mia could be psychological and not really occurring. I liked the mystery/thriller aspect of the book and the writing was fine.
Mia went through A LOT to find out what was going on. This is a book where the main character does SO many things that they shouldn't do and you can't help but get a little frustrated with Mia's decisions.
I do feel like the ending was a bit dragged out. The second to last chapter could have been shorter. The last chapter could have been the epilogue. Overall, this was a decent read and I would definitely read the author's other books.

Emily like many young women had stars in her eyes and in her dreams were set to be the next star. So she went to Hollywood to audition for various roles. Finally she found her wonderful chance when she was invited to a Hollywood producer's party. But she was wrong; on that night Emily disappeared. i especially liked Steadman's portrayal of her main character. This story is told from several points of view which really makes it intriguing. This is an enthralling thriller. It has so many twists and turns, and is full of suspense. Check it out for a great read!

Mia travels to London for an audition and by chance meets Emily who asks her to hold her things. Only Emily never returns, leaving Mia to try and find her. While I felt that narrative was compelling, I felt it hard to relate to Mia who made very questionable decisions. This was a twisty thriller, but I kept asking myself--what stranger would go through all of the trouble for someone she met for 5 minutes? The book had me riveted but the entire premise bothered me.

Catherine Steadman never fails to write thrillers that keep me entertained and up at night. Is it a book I will remember for my lifetime? Probably not. But I did find myself not being able to put it down while I was reading. Steadman was able to use her knowledge and background in Hollywood to really produce an immersive story which made it all the more thrilling.