This book kept me guessing the whole time, even up until the very end. The main character Mia is a British actress who goes to America after her breakup from her actor boyfriend to do some screen tests and try to get over her broken heart. She finds herself investigating a mystery that she just can't seem to let go of even when she is warned off by several different people in some what frightening ways. I loved the use of the Hollywood sign and it's history to add to the mystery and spookiness of this story. Great read for the mystery lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for letting me receive an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a rollercoaster ride not just for the events that took place throughout the book but my feelings while reading it. There were sections of the book that felt really fast-paced that would then lead to sections that felt especially slow, littered with a bunch of unimportant details. For the most part, The Disappearing Act read less like a thriller and more of a literary fiction novel with mystery elements.

There was also an annoying romance that I thought would eventually lead somewhere and was probably linked to the core mystery of the book, but alas, it did not and I was stuck with these boring couple moments that I ended up skimming through at the halfway mark.

Overall, I thought that Steadman is good at writing a story but tends to add too many details that I felt slowed down the story.

2.25/5

Mia Eliot, 28, a British actress, has just learned that she will be nominated by BAFTA for the Best Actress award for her role in Jane Eyre. Her agent, Cynthia, now wants her to head to Los Angeles for what is called pilot season. There, she will audition with other actresses for upcoming shows. This is a good time for her to be away because her long time boyfriend of 6 years, George, has just left her for a younger woman. Shocked and hurt, she is glad to be away for awhile.

As Mia waits for an audition, a young woman calling herself Emily, asks her to watch her wallet and keys while she auditions for a part. But, Emily does not return to claim her belongings. Mia can’t help but be worried about her. Where has she gone? Unable to forget about her, Mia does all she can to find Emily. When someone responds to her text saying she’s Emily, she comes to retrieve her items, but Mia is not convinced that the woman is Emily, yet gives her the items anyway. She can’t stop worrying about her and becomes more involved.

This book just did not grab me. For one thing, I am not intrigued by the life of an actress so her auditions were so-so for me. I did not understand why she would continue with her search for Emily when she had answers that, although they were not the perfect ending she expected, were enough to let it go. The author tried to make this a thriller and apart from one good scene, the rest was almost boring. If you are a reader that enjoys the acting world, I feel you will enjoy this book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat during the entire time. I didn't want to put it down to go to work. While I had some of the things figured out, they were minor in comparison to the major twists the author gives you! This book was amazing and I am almost mad I finished it as fast as I did!

British movie star Mia Eliot is in California to see if she can land a role in the US. At an audition, she runs into a stranger and tries to do a good deed. Unfortunately this leads to a chain of events she never saw coming. The suspense in this book as you wait to see what could possibly come next is amazing. I could not turn the pages fast enough.

How far would you for a stranger if you thought they were in trouble? That's the question Mia must ask herself on one of her first days in LA where she's auditioning during pilot season.
She immediately worried about a fellow actress named Emily when she leaves her belongings with her to never reappear. Every time she thinks she's getting close to the truth there's another twist to have her questioning herself and what she's really after.
As she starts to wonder if her own safety is in question she still can't turn lose of the fact that something sinister is at work.

Mia Eliot is a British actress struggling to find her way to success in the film industry. She has just gained some notoriety with her filming of Jane Eyre and her agent has secured an audition across the ocean in spectacular Hollywood. The film is a very "hush, hush" project with a starring role of an actresses lifetime and Mia needs this role because her good-looking boyfriend of six years (also an actor) just up and left her for a young gorgeous model/starlet without a word except a short text message while the world knew before Mia did with pictures of the happy new couple showing up on Instagram, newspapers and magazines. Broken hearted but determined to move on she arrives in beautiful L.A. and is amazed at the fast pace and the over friendliness of strangers that feels somewhat fake to her. At the audition she meets Emily another actress auditioning for a role in the film and she thinks this could be a new friendship while staying in the states. Before the day is over Mia will have Emily's wallet and car keys with no way of contacting her and will soon realize Emily seems to be missing but no one believes her and within a few days Mia wishes that she never met a young woman named Emily and Hollywood would never hold the aura of glittering lights and glamour and beautiful people for her again.

I really enjoyed this entertaining and dark story. Mia was a great character, very naive and sweet in a world of vicious wild animals. I thought she was extremely likeable but impulsive with making some very poor decisions yet this added to the charisma of the story. There were some great twists and I had to pay careful attention because the characters would get very confusing at times (in a good way). This was my first book by Catherine Steadman and I'm looking forward to reading her previous two books that have received many great reviews. I definitely recommend this to anyone who reads mystery books and psychological thrillers. It was fun to read about the darker side of Hollywood although this was a fictional story, one can only imagine how ruthless the film industry could be.

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have give this intriguing book a rating of 4 Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

I have enjoyed previous novels by the author, and this new novel, "The Disappearing Act", did not disappoint, LOL! As a Los Angeleno, I loved the Hollywood setting too! Here we have new arrival actress Mia (brit) trying to break into Tinseltown & her new buddy, another budding actress Emily - but something goes wrong... or did it? I always enjoy the "unreliable memory" trope. A engrossing Hollywood tale with a twist, I do recommend highly! My thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. Copy of review at Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2KNPWMXWOSCAL?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp

While I thought the book was really well written, I felt like the character development fell flat to me. Mia was on the naive side and I just couldn't connect with her character. It was action packed and kept me turning the pages for the most part, but when I got the twist it was again not my favorite. And to get to the end itself I was having a hard time turning those pages. It was a good book, but one that I won't re-read again.

British actress Mia Eliot, acclaimed at home, decides to spend pilot season in Los Angeles hoping for a break that will catapult her career. But even though she is gifted the use of an amazing apartment and luxury automobile—in exchange for a few Instagram posts—she still must slog through the grueling and competitive audition process.

Demoralized after only a few days, Mia is elated to meet Emily, another actress from out of town who is refreshingly authentic. But when Mia does a simple favor for Emily, she is pulled into a dark conspiracy. The next time she sees Emily, the woman looks similar but isn’t the same person, and the police find no evidence of foul play.

Mia, however, follows Emily’s trail, even as she questions her sanity, though it might jeopardize her career and her relationships.

I had so much fun reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘤𝘵 by Catherine Steadman. Thrillers with unreliable narrators are among my favorites! While the book took some time to establish the setting and characters, the details of pilot season were fascinating. Once Mia began searching for Emily in earnest, the action picked up quickly. I had lots of theories as to where this was going, but I was completely and delightedly wrong!

I didn’t want to put this book down because I was invested and curious, even if I questioned Mia’s increasing involvement!

Recommended for those who like female-focused psychological thrillers or thrillers set in Hollywood!

It isn’t often that I put a book aside and give up. I have picked up, read a few chapters and put this book down numerous times over the past few days and after struggling through 50% it just isn’t for me. Nothing clicked except the inane stupidity of the protagonist and I am not a fan of stupid. Too many words and needless thoughts and why would she ever embark on such dangerous and tangled paths.?!

This was a good one! In the acknowledgements, the author describes it as a “what would you do” thriller - which I think describes it perfectly. I got a little annoyed with the main character at times because I felt a step ahead of her, but overall she was likeable and a reliable narrator. Lots of twists and turns to keep the pages turning! And it has a great, satisfying though also a little chilling, ending. Highly recommend!

A modern day film-noir from Catherine Steadman.
Is Mia’s life real or is she imagining it? A story with twists and turn to keep the reader’s attention and keep them guessing. The characters are well written and work well with the storyline. Something Ms Steadman does well in all her novels. Being an actress in Hollywood can be deadlier than you think.

This was one of those that I really could not figure out until everything was revealed at the very end. It kept me turning pages all day today and was also one of those books that I finished in less than a day. With that said, I had a hard time connecting with the characters, even Mia, and my overall feeling of the book is just kind of "eh." I'm happy I read it and it served the purpose of entertainment for the day, but it won't be one I return to or one that I keep thinking about.

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I could not finish this book and that is rare. The storyline just did not grab me like I thought it would.

The dark side of Los Angeles is explored in this fast paced novel. A British actress on the rise arrives in LA for auditions, only to find that not everything is as it seems in sunny California. This would make a great streaming series!

Mia meets Emily at an audition after which Emily disappears, and no one other than Mia seems to be looking for her. The story is set in the cutthroat Hollywood movie and tv business, where the desire to get ahead of the competition seems paramount. The author of this book is also an actress, so there is an authentic feel to the description of the stresses and perks experienced by an English actress who travels to Los Angeles for a series of auditions. The plot was melodramatic but entertaining. It could make you wonder exactly how the hot new star got their big break.

The first half of the book dragged a little, and the whole side plot about Mia dating a producer could have been left out. Nevertheless, I definitely liked this book more than I liked “Mr. Nobody”, but not as much as I liked “Something in the Water”, so 3.5 stars. The author narrates her own audiobooks and she does a good job.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Wow! I adored this story. It's a thrilling combination of Hollywood glamor and psychological suspense. Steadman has written a unique mystery that really stands out in a crowded genre, and I thought the ending was perfect.

Just finished this gem and it was super good! Special thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

Hollywood, the stuff of stories from the past and to come. Hollywood starlets and producers and stuff that comes out in crime shows. British actress, Mia arrives from London for screen tests and auditions and finds her way into the darkness that only Hollywood can hide.

I enjoyed the story and thought it was a really developed novel. It was creative and the characters were well thought out. Mia was an interesting character and I liked her point of view. It was an easy and fast read. I liked it!

4.75 stars
The Disappearing Act, by Catherine Steadman, is an enthralling tale about the lengths people will go to in order to achieve the elusive title of stardom and the acquisition of fame.

The story follows Mia, a British actress who suffers a humiliating breakup and decides to escape public attention by leaving the country and seeking some new opportunities in LA. Her agent has auditions awaiting her and on one such audition, a role of a lifetime, she makes the acquaintance of a fellow actress named Emily, and the two hit it off. Some unusual circumstances ensue and Emily disappears from the audition, while Mia is left with her keys and her wallet. Events escalate as Mia is drawn into her own investigation of Emily’s whereabouts, partially in order to return Emily’s personal possessions and partly driven by curiosity at these strange occurrences.

This story was engaging from beginning to end and I enjoyed the suspenseful unraveling of this mystery. I was drawn to the forthright and talented Mia. I found the Hollywood scene with the focus on the actors and the movie industry to be fascinating, particularly in light of Mia’s counterpoint. The comparison between the British and American acting scenes was also really interesting.

I will say that while the overall conclusion was rather satisfying, the climatic reveal was a tad disappointing. Truthfully, I was expecting something a bit more surprising. The final pages, however, do expose and intriguing revelation. All-in-all, The Disappearing Act was another gripping and highly enjoyable suspense story.

I quite enjoyed Steadman's two previous novels, so I was genuinely excited to check out this one, her third. It's engaging from the get-go with Mia unexpectedly being single and taking her acting career from London to LA as a fresh start. Mia's not the most sympathetic character with her almost ostrich-like naïveté... after a very strange encounter at an auction, Mia finds herself fixated on Emily and what actually befell her.

The plot certainly takes some unexpected twists, with plenty of red herrings along the way. Though, I must admit that I got pretty hung up on my own theory of what was really going on and was a little disappointed that it didn't turn out to be quite how I expected. As to be expected with a cast full of actors, there is plenty of drama here and ultimately, it kept me totally riveted. I read it in practically one sitting! I think that I liked this one more than her second novel, but I am not sure that this one is my very favorite of hers. I am definitely curious to see what her fourth book will be about!