Well, I have no words... an early congratulations to Catherine Steadman, you’ve written a best seller here! Endless thanks again to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for this early copy to read & review! This was such an intensely immersive story. I could not get enough. I was captivated from the beginning & sucked in through the whole story. There are so many twists & unknowns in this story. It was incredibly readable & will keep you guessing ho until the finish sentence. This will definitely make my top fav books of 2021!

I can’t wait to see this take off! I foresee a movie or possibly a show coming from this. I certainly hope so. This is in the vein of ‘Gone Girl’ in my opinion... I’m just truly speechless.. please read this, ASAP! Then get back to me!

The Disappearing Act is a fast-paced mystery that is perfect to throw in your pool bag this summer! Mia is a London-based actress who comes to LA for pilot season, hoping to obtain the role of a lifetime after a bitter breakup with her actor boyfriend. While Mia is at an audition, a fellow actress named Emily gives Mia her keys and wallet to hold while she goes into the audition room. Strangely, Emily never reappears after her audition and seems to have completely disappeared. Mia spends the rest of her time in LA searching for Emily, and she ends up discovering some sinister plot twists. You'll have to read this one to find out what happens to Mia, and if Emily ever reappears! I enjoyed this quick, easy read with its insider's glimpse of the acting life. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the librarian preview copy.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I appear to be in the minority of readers with my impressions of this book, so take this review with a grain of salt, but for me, The Disappearing Act fell short. The plot felt bogged down in small details and dialogue that didn't feel crucial to the overall story. The actions that set the whole story into motion seemed extremely far fetched, especially for LA. Who is that worried about their parking time that they give their entire wallet and car keys to a total stranger? Around that part of the story (maybe 40% in), I started skimming and that's basically how I finished the book. It all seemed convoluted, far fetched and just unrealistic in a way that I couldn't get into. When I finally got to the ending, I started reading more (vs. skimming) and there seemed to be gib gaps of details that were left out that would have made the ending less confusing and might have closed some circles. It felt rushed and unfinished for me.

When I requested this book I didn't realize that the author of this book, Catherine Steadman, was also the author of MR. NOBODY. a book I once read entirely and rated 1-star. I only slightly remember why I 1) Finished it and 2) Hated it. But I had found this out after I received a galley of this book. Because I cherish my galley privileges, I do actually finish everything I read. And review them too! So this book was not 1-star. More like 2-star. But my opinion shouldn't be taken as having heavy veracity. I didn't know what I was getting into! I'll be more careful in the future.

The Disappearing Act follows a British actress as she tries to book a role during "pilot season" in L.A. Things quickly turn mysterious when a girl she meets at a casting goes missing and she is the only person who knows. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and couldn't put this book down! Mia did seem quiet naive throughout the entire story and made many questionable decisions. Despite that, I was able to look past it and enjoy the book.

Always love a good Psychological Thriller! I have to say this book pulled me in from the first chapter, and I enjoyed the main character, Mia. Read in just a few sittings!

Wow! I am so glad i received this book from NetGalley. It was literally everything i wanted and more. I have read all of this authors books and will continue to do so. I find her writing to be so addicting and this was no exception. I loved the Hollywood, actress aspect of this book. I love those kind of stories, you know rich people. This book really shocked me in where it went. I honestly didn’t see most of the twists coming. Didn’t want this story to end literally at all! Highly recommend!

I have enjoyed this author’s previous two books and was not disappointed with this one. Set in London and LA the book gives an interesting glimpse of a day in the life of actors and the perks as well as the downfalls of the Hollywood business. This book is also full of suspense and mystery . Being a actor herself, the author excels at giving an authentic feel to the main character. You don’t want to miss this one!

I love Catherine Steadman's books, and this one is no exception! The Disappearing Act pulled me in from the beginning and held me captive until the very end. I can't resist a good mystery novel with a strong female lead. The main character, a successful actress, is surprisingly relatable, and I loved the intimacy of the first-person narrative. This book also provided a glimpse into the inner workings of Hollywood, which I found intriguing. As an actress herself, I'm actually surprised that Steadman hasn't written about the film and/or television industries until now. I just hope she continues writing because I enjoyed this book immensely and I can't wait for more.

While this book was fast paced and I was eager to read on, the entire premise was very unbelievable.

Mia is the main character and her involvement and obsession with Emily, whom she had only met once and for just a few minutes makes no sense, and the reveal at the end only makes it more doubtful.

Although it is a quick read, I just think it is okay.

4.5 Stars, rounded up to 5 because it was definitely a nail biter.
Pub date: June 8, 2012

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Catherine Steadman (who is also an actress btw!) book, and I flew through this story. While I did find some of the storyline a little implausible, the book was extremely well written and the pacing of the story was great.

Mia Eliot is an up and coming British actress set to finally make her big break in Hollywood and escape an embarrassing break-up. When she has a chance to travel to LA to audition for a role of a lifetime and solidify her acting career, Mia gets caught up in a mysterious plot full of lies, #MeToo and murder. What seems like a chance encounter at an audition with a fellow actress Emily Bryant alters her entire visit to LA in a way she never thought. Mia offers to hold Emily's wallet and keys while she auditions for a role, but Emily seemingly disappears after. As Mia attempts to find Emily to return her belongings the situation becomes increasingly strange when someone posing as Emily comes to collect her things. What actually happened to Emily, and why is someone impersonating her?

While I thought Mia was woefully naïve, and there were times that I actually wanted to reach through my kindle and tell her to stay out if it, I still really cared about what happened to Emily. Catherine Steadman did an incredible job making me care about these characters. I also appreciated how she incorporated Nick into the mix. I enjoyed trying to figure out what his true motives were, and how he was involved in the story.

In the end, I thought this was a unpredictable thriller that truly left me with my mouth hanging open.

Mia is an English actress wanting to break into Hollywood. But she has no idea how cutthroat Hollywood can be. When another actress she auditions with goes missing, Mia gets overly involved, putting her career and her life in danger.

I liked the La La Land vibes and the "inside auditioning" scenes that the author, who is also a British actress, clearly used her experiences to write. This book is fast paced and somewhat suspenseful. However, most of Mia's problems could have been avoided if she would just not trust the wrong people and not be so naïve. Parts of this book got lots of eye rolling from me. It did have some noir elements (many actresses looking alike) that added to the storyline but also tangled it up a bit. I did like it as a fun, thrillery read but I did not love it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance readers copy.

I give this 3.5 stars and want to thank Net Galley & Ballantine Books for the ARC.

This was a disturbing and fast paced mystery that I devoured in a day. It left me really unsettled and made me want to find out what was happening. The ending felt a bit rushed to me and a bit on the over complicated side.

Mia is an up and coming British actress whose boyfriend recently ghosted her. She goes LA to audition and connect with producers and runs into Emily at an audition. When Mia offers to help Emily pay a parking meter, she mysteriously disappears and sets in motion a suspenseful series of events.

This was my first dance with Catherine Steadman. She does an amazing job giving the readers a peek into the machine of Hollywood and allowing us to glimpse the glittering reality of the famous in LA. I loved the parts of the book that took me on a little tour of what it's like to be a minor celebrity.
The story is that of Mia Eliot, a British actress, who flies out to LA for "pilot season,' a time when the young hopefuls gather in Hollywood for auditions and screen tests. Mia is about to become well know with a BAFTA award for her part as Jane Eyre. However, her live in boyfriend has just left her for a younger, more glamorous actress. In order to forget about him, Mia embarks on her journey to Tinsel Town. At one of her auditions she meets another actress, Emily and they have a quick conversation that ends when Emily is called to her audition, but she askes a favor of Mia before she goes. Bam! Then she's missing. It's all very odd, to me as the reader. Why she concerns herself with this girl she barely knows confused me.
She makes it her life mission to find Emily and then it gets VERY far-fetched. So much, in fact, I had a hard time going on. While I enjoyed Steadman's rose-colored descriptions of the Hollywood elite, there were plot holes and missing characterization. I will read her other books to compare, but this one fell flat for me. 3 small stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mia is a British actress who is on the short list for a BAFTA for her portrayal of Jane Eyre. At the encouragement, she take a trip to Hollywood for meetings, riding the momentum of her successful film.

She meets Emily at an audition; it's a chance and very short meeting but Mia connects with Emily right away. But then....Emily is gone. Mia still has her wallet and keys, but there's no sign of Emily.

What follows is a sometime terrifying backstage look at Hollywood. While some of the situations were a BIT ridiculous, Catherine Steadman does an excellent job of building the suspense and the mystery of just who Emily is and what actually is happening.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

First I would like to thank Random House, Netgalley, and the author for advanced copy for honest review.

WoW, one day read! We learn of Mia, an actress in London with her foot already in the door. She has had an unspeakable break up and with nothing to lose, heads to Los Angeles to try her luck acting in the states. She thinks everyone in LA is overly nice and kind (using their acting skills probably) that she tries to do the right thing and help out a fellow actress. Buckle up because what comes next with the twist and turns down the 101 Freeway, will have you needing to know more. Who is doing this? Who is behind this? And WHY?!? What possible connection does Mia have with this Emily lady whom she just met? You won't be able to put down for the need to find what is happening and what's around the next turn.

5/5 stars. Highly recommend.

A Hollywood mystery novel? Count me in.

Mia Eliot is known for her role as Jane Eyre in a film adaptation of the novel, which leads her to flying to Los Angeles for pilot season. After such success, but also a pretty sloppy breakup, she starts auditioning for roles over a course of a few weeks to try and uplift her spirits and get out of her head. She meets a woman named Emily at an audition, never anticipating that her trip would hand her such a burden. Emily hands her her wallet and keys... but doesn't come back for them. When Mia finally meets with Emily again, she is entirely not the same woman from the audition. Literally.

Pros:
- Catherine Steadman has a way with words. It's beautifully written in such a way that really gets you through the book. It was a quick read, super easy and wasn't too bored.
- The premise is good. I love a cynical Hollywood story, it really gets your attention driven. There's a lot to do with this trope, and I think Steadman did a good job with making it feel different than other novels.

Cons:
- The characters... were not... likable. I wasn't too thrilled with Mia's character, I found her to be a bit basic and naive. Which is fine, but nothing that felt outstanding to me where I would have found her unique or outspoken or "not like the other girls".
- The actual story drug a little. Steadman does a great job writing, but sometimes it was a little too much writing.

Overall, I gave this book a 3 stars. I had a good time with it. It wasn't a favorite, but I enjoyed it and thought it was solid.

We all have opinions: find out for yourself! If this sounds like a book up your alley, pick it up June 8th! Link for pre-order in my bio.

Thanks Netgalley and Random House for sending me an advanced copy! #TheDisappearingAct

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
I loved Catherine Steadman's 1st 2 books, "Something In The Water" & "Mr. Nobody" so I was excited to read her new book, "The Disappearing Act" & it did not disappoint.
I thought it was original, interesting, addictive & very entertaining.
The author's inside knowledge of the acting business added to the fascinating detail of the story.
I can't wait to read Ms. Steadman's next book.

Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, but a third time is pattern. So it’s official. After her third book, I can say Catherine Steadman is one of my favorite authors. She’s a master of pace and cliffhanger chapter endings. And I can’t put her books down after the first page. Not as much physical thrill in this as Mr. Nobody, though you’ll admire the way she describes Hollywood and brings it to life from the pages. Highly recommend.