Really enjoyed this one - always love a Catherine Steadman book. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my opinion.

I had high expectations for this book but for me it just never took off. The main character seemed very naive with the way life works. Some of this was explained away by her being British and in California— but even then some of her actions were not believable. Accepting a strangers keys to help them out and then leaving your purse unattended and not checking to make sure everything is there when you pick it up? I just felt I had to suspend my belief way too often in the book to go along with what was written as being plausible.

I also felt like the story dragged on and on. I really had to force myself to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened. All in all not a favorite of the author’s works or thrillers in general.

This was one of the most fun mystery reads and it’s been awhile since I’ve read something as good as this mystery. It was so good and I definitely would recommend it.

initial thoughts: this extremely slow moving “thriller” just wasn’t for me. the premise sounded interesting, hence why I started the book, but after the first quarter of the story, it just fell flat for me.

the characters were all one dimensional - and at least one was introduced that did nothing to the story at all.

without giving anything away, the ending was the biggest disappointment for me, it could have been so much more exciting, but instead it seemed like the author took the easy way out.

a big thanks for NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

This was a good suspense/mystery novel with short chapters and a fast pace. I liked the main character Mia, and found the Hollywood component fascinating.
When Mia travels to LA for pilot season she meets Emily an an audition and becomes friendly with her. But sometime during the audition Emily disappears leaving her wallet, bag and car behind. Mia does everything she can to help return her things but when a woman claiming to be Emily shows up to get things back Mia realizes that maybe something sinister did happen to the real Emily. As she wedges herself farther into the tale things become more dangerous for herself and for Emily.
While I enjoyed the overall story I felt there were quite a few plot holes and that Mia seemed a little reckless with her own safety. As soon as I even thought someone might have been in my apartment I would’ve switched apartments right away. There were other small decision throughout that I found myself frustrated with including a scene at the end where I find it hard that no evidence was left behind. I did like the ending, it was a bit unexpected but fit with story perfectly.

Based on the blurb, I expected to LOVE this, but it ended up being a bit more meh than I anticipated. I enjoyed the story, and the setup was interesting, the plot just moved soooo slowly at the beginning, and then there was a big lag in the middle. The last 5% felt very satisfying (!!!) and that redeemed some of that middle laggy bit for me.

Catherine Steadman, well-known author of the fabulous books "Mr. Nobody" and "Something in the Water", has now crafted "The Disappearing Act." This novel centers around up-and-coming British actress Mia Elliott as she travels to LA and experiences the Hollywood lifestyle. While attending casting calls, she runs into a fellow actress named Emily, who mysteriously disappears. While uncovering the mystery of what happened to Emily, her own life comes into danger. This was fast read and the story sucked me in pretty quickly. I felt that parts of it felt very unrealistic and I wasn't quite sure why Mia was so compelled to figure out what happened to Mia.

Overall, this was a fun read and I enjoyed most of it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow moving in a few places, but overall a great ride! Very hard to top Something in the Water.

So this a 3.5 star upgraded to a 4 star review. A sort of rags to riches tale centering around the dark underbelly of Hollywood. Mia is our protagonist and narrator. In her late 20’s, having gone through a public falling out with her boyfriend, she decides to leave the doom and gloom of London for new opportunities in sunny California. She has some new options available in new film projects if she can just keep her head in the game. Enter Emily, a friendly brunette, Mia meets at a screening. I’m an attempt to be friendly, Mia agrees to fill Emily’s parking meter while she is in her audition, and things head south from there when Emily disappears. Unable to just let it go, Mia vows to find out what has happened to Emily. Her attempts will lead her down the darkest, and deadliest avenues of Hollywood. There are parts of this story that ring eerily accurate, especially in the post Harvey Weinstein era, and other parts that are a little far fetched perhaps. This is a relatively short story that sticks to the plot without getting lost in the weeds. The story has a couple of good twists that keep things interesting. Generally, a fun, quick read. Review posted to Litsy, LibraryThing, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.

A bit of a far fetched theme but it held my interest. I didn’t get have any interest in the characters

Recently finished the latest mystery-thriller by Catherine Steadman, THE DISAPPEARING ACT. While thrillers aren’t my primary reading genre, I do like to mix it in along with the magical realism genre when I’m not reading historical fiction. As a result there are a few thriller authors I have discovered in the last year or two that I tend to lean towards when I need a good thriller! Catherine Steadman is great, not only is this my second book of hers (the previous read being SOMETHING IN THE WATER), but she also narrates both books on their audiobook formats. I love when an author narrates their own audiobook, but largely that only usually happens when it’s a memoir or similar genre. Other mystery/thriller go-to authors for me are Ruth Ware, Mary Kubica, and Chandler Baker. You may have seen Chandler’s latest release, THE HUSBANDS, recently featured on my page; as well as Ruth Ware for the win for her free fun, unique, and downloadable Free Murder Mystery Party Game - it makes for great group fun for virtual entertainment during the pandemic.

Now to focus more directly on THE DISAPPEARING ACT, this novel follows a British BAFTA award-winning actress who after a stinging breakup, travels to LA for auditions and film work. While there she finds herself wrapped up and pulled into another actress’s disappearance case, taking a lead role in solving this mystery involving total strangers. Through her experiences in LA, the reader also gets a glimpse behind the scenes into the fantasy other-world of famous celebrities and stars through the stories of Old Hollywood and the current glitz and glamor that now swirls around the rich elite. Furthermore the novel takes the reader and main character on an illuminating ride to see the lengths aspiring actors go to for fame or a big break allowing for the resultant advantages taken over them by an unforgiving cold Industry. The author is an actress herself leaving her poised to be the perfect authentic storyteller for this tale!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for early access to the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

When British rising star Mia heads to LA for pilot season, she ends up in a psychological thriller in real life. The premise of Catherine Sreadman's third novel really intrigued me. LA? A disappearing actress? Vying for roles? The setting and main plot line are ideal for a gripping story. However, this novel fell flat for me.

I had a similar sense of disappointment reading Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. The Disappearing Act is told in a similar style, making this a better bet for fans of those books than for me. However, I think each of those had more substance, were more successful in building tension, and created a real sense of noir.

Mia is a likable charachter, but the depth wasn't there to justify the questionable actions she takes that land her in the midst of a mystery. The details that she notices (for the reader's benefit), are immediately, but unrealistically, forgotten. These and other clues planted are too obvious.
There is limited development of other charachters, and attempts at red herrings flop as a result. Similarly, the setting I looked forward to gets only a surface nod. For example, when Mia connects with an old friend take a tour of LA to see the highlights and homes of the rich and famous, there are no specifics to make it believable or relevant. This scene only allows Mia to tell her friend about the strange occurrence, which would have made more sense in a more private place. Mia's auditions and screen tests are similarly lacking in detail.

This didn't reach the level of "did not finish" for me, but I considered it a couple times. Nonetheless, if you are looking for an uncomplicated, easy read in the suspense category, this might be for you.

This was a fun thriller that kept me guessing what was going on and who could be trusted. Catherine Steadman, who is an actress as well as an author, reads the audiobook. She did very well, of course, even if there were little giveaways in her American accent and some American characters using British phrases. Still, I enjoyed this very much.

Like most everyone I loved Something in the Water, and it was this which made me want to read The Disappearing Act. This combines the attraction of an up close look behind the scenes of the the glamorous appearance of the movie biz with the elements of a great thriller. You want to join Mia for the hunt for the truth of what happened to Emily. One might ask themselves would I really look for someone I’ve spent such a small time with —but look at how all grow to care for the recent real life disappearances of young women who have made the news and you realize the answer is yes— you want to find out what happened to Emily… I recommend this book!

Mia Eliot has it all, despite some recent turmoil in her private life. She's an up-and-coming actress who decides to escape a bad break-up by attending pilot season in Los Angeles, where she is in consideration for at least one major role. But after a strange meeting with a fellow actress at an audition, Mia finds herself drawn into a mystery when she believes the young woman has disappeared into thin air but no one seems to be looking for her.

The premise of this book is extremely interesting, because it rises some interesting questions: how much of an obligation do you really have to someone you've one met once? Mia takes her obligation really seriously and becomes nearly obsessed with figuring out the mystery, and wow, there's a lot going on there! Let's just say that Mia certainly didn't get involved in anything boring. It at first may seem annoying, but it definitely picks up as the book goes on and the mystery deepens.

I liked Mia as a character and found myself rooting for her to keep it all together. She was the kind of character that seemed to jump off the page, as she began navigating the world of Hollywood, with its glittering surface, but with the deceit and cutthroat world underneath. Plus, when the book starts off with a guy ghosting a girl after six years together, you automatically have sympathy for her, c'mon!

The resolution was pretty intense - I really enjoyed it. I think it turned out exactly as it should have. It was as wrapped up as it cold be, but with just a touch of an open ending that leaves enough of a hint of question. It was right.

This was a nice, quick read of a thriller. I really enjoyed I and it took me about three days to get through. I really enjoyed it!

I’m going to start with the setting. Our actress begins in England and then is introduced to the Hollywood lifestyle, but not the typical Hollywood where she parties all night. This actress is here to focus on getting THE role. She has been a solid name on television but is in the States for The Movie role. This means complimentary cars, hotel rooms, gifting parties, and of course, auditions.

While the Hollywood glam is fun (I had fun reading it at least), it also balances well with our character. Mia Eliot is a famous actress (of course), but because she is a big name, but not so much in the U.S., plus she just doesn’t see herself this way, it makes for a character that makes the perspective more enjoyable with the setting. She notices things we, the readers, want to notice.

This all being said, part of the reason she is happy to be out and about all alone in Hollywood is she recently lost her long-time boyfriend. I will admit one of the most annoying parts of her character to me is her pining over her boyfriend. HOWEVER, the way he left her is RUDE. So, she’s justified (but so are my emotions as a reader).

ANYWAY-- all that being said, this leads us to the main crux of the story. While Mia is in Hollywood, she goes to other auditions in addition to her main movie one. Her head is definitely not on straight after just being left in a very abrupt and discouraging way by her ex and in comes the issue. At an audition, she meets Emily. I personally loved this set up (sometimes it’s so unbelievable, but it makes complete sense)

Mia ends up questioning herself a LOT. Lots of twists and turns. I will admit, I sometimes just wanted to scream at the main character (but when haven’t I before?).

I will say just before the ending it got fast-paced, which was good, but I didn’t love the resolution there- won’t go into more detail because spoilers. (taking off star here- both for pace but also for the reason- it still doesn’t make sense to me)

The ending was a nice twist.

Side note: love the title

Overall review: 4 stars

Very excited to read The Disappearing Act after really liking Something in the Water. I liked this new one too. There are some plot holes but I don’t get hung up on those like a lot of people do. Plenty of twists and turns and generally entertaining which is all I’m ever looking for!

I have now read all three of Catherine Steadman's books and I can say I'm a true fan. The Disappearing Act is a twisty phycological thriller set in the world of Hollywood. Having worked in the industry, I was really excited to read the book. This story is engaging and I enjoyed the suspenseful unraveling of the mystery. Sign me up for Steadman's next novel please. Thank you to Ballantine books and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Catherine Steadman's Something in the Water, so I was excited to read The Disappearing Act...and it did not disappoint! I had a hard time putting this book down because I really wanted to find out what happened to Emily. I thought Mia was a great character, and the plot was unique and engrossing. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Disappearing Act...I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author. : )