3.5/5

Madison moved to LA to become a star. After a few flops and minor parts in movies she hasn’t lived up to her dream. One day she goes missing and the police are looking into her disappearance. Where did she go? Is she safe?

I enjoy stories that revolve around Hollywood and fame! The good, the bad and the ugly! This book had all of that and more! I guessed the big reveal what happened to Madison about 2/3 of the way in, but this book had me hooked and I couldn’t put it down! I love an easy read and this was a popcorn thriller through and through (which I always enjoy!)

It is told through Madison’s POV in the past and present, as well as the detective’s present day POV. I enjoyed the sprinkling of news articles throughout the story!

This was my first Lisa Gray book (how?) but I have had my eyes on some of her books for awhile now. This one comes out July 1 and would be a fab pool side read!

The Final Act is a story of the darker side of Hollywood. It is told 20 years apart starting when Madison was starting her acting career and then when she goes missing. I love a dual timeline so this book was perfect for me. This is my first book by Lisa Gray and I was hooked from the first page. This is a character driven story with a great twist!

An addictive, fast-paced plot with definite Hollywood vibes, The Final Act had my attention right from start with quite the spellbinding prologue. From the twisty, twisty premise to the dynamite characters who came alive on the page, this popcorn thriller won me over hook, line, and sinker. Believe me when I say that while I might have had an inkling about what lay in store, the multiple blind twists kept me guessing all the same. There was even one surprising turn, in fact, that totally turned the whole plot on its head.

As for the characters, from a few truly unlikeable individuals to the realistic winners front and center with the narration, I was a fan of them all. Told via the dual POVs of Madison and Sarah, we were blessed with both the past and present timelines throughout the failed actress’s career and disappearance. Even better, however, was how fully fleshed out Madison felt. But it was Detective Sarah Delaney of whom I’d love a second helping. Please say it’s so, Ms. Gray. A sequel would put me over the moon.

All said and done, this quick, easy read was truly unputdownable. Coming in at only 270 pages, I flew through it in just a single sitting. But it was the well-written dark side of Hollywood and the serious topics it brought to mind that really nailed this in one. That’s not to say that the crime fiction edge to this thriller wasn’t just as alluring. Trust me, it was. Ultimately, I had a blast speeding through this fun rollercoaster ride of suspense. So if you have yet to read anything by Lisa Gray, take this as your call to duty. After all, those of us at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse are utterly head over heels. Rating of 4.5 stars.

This was such a thrilling read! I did not expect it to go the way that it did, but was so satisfied by the ending. Everything came full circle. It flowed easily and kept my interest the whole time. If you enjoy mystery/suspense/thriller you are sure to like this ode

New Favorite Lisa Gray Book Alert!! I have been a fan of hers for so long, and this book is SOOO good! Hollywood mysteries are my absolute favorite, and this one delivered. Fast-paced and twisty, it was impossible to put this book down until I figured out what happened to Madison James! The big reveal shocked me, and I thought the ending was perfect. Highly recommend!

The Final Act is a page turning thriller that takes place in Hollywood when a has-been actress disappears. Told in multiple timelines including present time, 20 years ago and the days leading up to the disappearance, the story was completely addictive.

I seriously could not put this one down and completely devoured it. I loved the Hollywood backdrop with shady characters mixed in with amazing characters.

The main detective Sarah was superb and I think this could be a start of a new series, hopefully 🙏 There is so much more to unpack about her backstory and I hope I get to hear from her again.

A great read! We have all heard some shocking truths about women being sexually abused and exploited in Hollywood and for young actress Madison, the trauma she experiences at the hands of a famous casting director is enough to destroy her emotionally and subsequently destroy her fledgling career.

Still hungry for fame, Madison finally achieves it when her purse is found by a hiker who posts it on tiktok, sparking a nationwide hunt for Madison that soon becomes an obsession. Madison has the fame she craves, but at what cost?

Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD find out some horrifying truths in their search for Madison.

When the truth finally came out, I was stunned! There were so many layers to peel back in this well thought out and fast paced plot and I was very pleased with the ending.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Lisa Gray and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC in return for an honest review.

3.75 stars. loved the main characters for not being insufferable. the pacing of the book and the overall plot kept me entertained. the story only wrapped up one characters story, it would have been nice to know what happened to the other character after the case was solved.

I really liked this book. I thought I knew what happened, but never saw that twist! A great ending! Hoping to see more of Detective Sarah Delaney.

This is my first read by the author but it won’t be my last. The cover grabbed me and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations.

It was a little bit of a slow burn but it read more like a fast paced book. Told in the past by the missing woman and in the present by the detectives investigating her disappearance. It was a great balance of letting the story unfold.

Weirdly it felt a little familiar but still fresh. I know that sounds contradictory but I had those feelings.

I loved the detectives investigating and would love to see more of them. They were an odd pair but were a great fit.

I flew through this one and couldn’t wait to figure out what happened. And it surprisingly caught me off guard more than once.

Whether you’re a fan of police procedurals, struggling actors or a good twisty mystery, this book is worth a read. Make sure and add this one to your summer reading list.

“The Final Act” is the current buzz amongst The Pulse, where my thriller friends and I have alll been loving it!

It’s been decades since Madison James had any kind of success in Hollywood. After living out her dream of becoming an actress, when her purse is found by a TikTok personality, Madison is reported missing. Her disappearance makes national news in a tabloid and media frenzy, in a nation hungry for celebrity gossip. Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons department get the case, but in Hollywood, the truth often isn’t what it seems. As more evidence emerges for the past, it becomes clear that there is more to Madison’s story.

I have loved every book I have read by Lisa Grey and “The Final Act” is no different! I started this book and finished it in one day - after staying up way too late reading - LOL! It’s fast pace and the backdrop of Hollywood made it quite the page-turner. Told in dual timelines (both Madison’s past rise to fame and her present day life), I was fully invested in the search for Madison. I love detective stories and this dark exploration into Hollywood was really quite gripping.

I can’t wait to see what Lisa Gray writes next! After loving her three previous books, I will definitely be grabbing that too!

”The Final Act” releases July 1, 2024! Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the ARC!

After 20 Years, An Audition Does Not Go Well

The novel opens with filming a slasher movie, Survive the Night. A new actress, Madison James, makes her debut. After two more movies, James returned to waitressing. Twenty years later, she has an audition for a new film. She leaves for the audition and disappears. From this start, the novel starts.

This novel consists of two main storylines. First is the investigation of the missing actress. The protagonist and narrator is Detective Sarah Delaney. Her difficulty, which she does not want to address, is that she is being transferred from Robbery-Homicide to Missing Persons. This problem occurs when there is a jurisdictional issue, in this case, with a detective in Robbery-Homicide. The major obstacle for Delaney is common with police procedures, i.e., all the persons interviewed seem to withhold important information. The second thread centers mainly on events related to Madison James's career in the movie industry. She is the narrator for this thread. This thread provides much background on Madison James and many of the characters in the other thread. This thread provides information pertinent to the investigative thread. The holes in Delaney's understanding of the events leading up to her disappearance led to twists, turns, and red herrings in the investigative thread. The way these two threads interacted piqued my interest and kept it to the end of the novel.

The character development of Delaney was the only aspect I did not find in what I had seen this author has done in previous novels. Her actions surprised me in several instances and did not seem consistent with how I expected her to act. Madison James had much more background and a well-rounded character.

Some aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading are present in this novel. There are no intimate scenes but references to trips to the director for private interviews and one with the events before and after. Vulgar and rude language are noticeable but not excessive for me. The only violence is infrequent but one with detail, but it isn’t more than what can be seen in prime-would time police procedurals. Lastly, in this category, this novel appears to be a standalone, so no worries about missing something from the previous novel, although I think I would like to read a follow-on novel.

The aspect of this novel I most liked was the use of flashbacks to Madison James’s early career that complemented what was happening in the investigative thread. I was most disappointed with Detective Delaney’s not wanting to explain her transfer from the Robbery-Homicide to her new role with the Missing Persons unit. The apparent answer appears later in the novel, and the reason does not have any stigma that it needs to be hidden from her new partner.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. I finished this novel in five days, the fastest of the previous six of her novels. She has maintained my rating as a Must-Read author. I look forward to reading any further novels or series by this author. I rate this novel with four stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Madison James was about to be the next big thing, until she throws it all in, and then one day she disappears.
Told in a dual narrative spanning 20 years from the beginning of stardom to the life she has now, which couldnt be further away.

This book has everything you would expect, from the vile sexual abuse to drug use in Hollywood and while it was uncomfortable reading I think it was executed well. It felt very topical and I did enjoy the way Gray manages to make the reader feel as washed up and spit out as Madison while reading.

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book!! I finished it in less than 24 hours and I felt invested from the start. Told in multiple POV’s between past and present, we learn the story of former actress Madison James and her mysterious disappearance.

I loved the Hollywood vibes, the stories of Madison’s break into Hollywood, her friendship with Taylor Rose, the detective’s hard work to solve the mystery and the reveals of what happened. This was a great story and very well written to captivate the reader’s attention and keep them wanting more.

Thank you to the author (Lisa Gray), the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) and Thriller Book Lovers - The Pulse for the opportunity to read this upcoming thriller. The Final Act will be hitting shelves on July 1st.

This book has us all talking at @thrillerbookloversthepulse !

⭐️Hollywood
⭐️Messy Characters
⭐️Twists
⭐️Fast Paced
⭐️Missing Person and Murder

20 years ago, Madison James was about to become the newest star in Hollywood. And then after a few movies she dropped off the scene and worked as a waitress.
When her boss and friend calls to say she’s missing her name is back in the news. And after a TikTok influencer finds her purse on a hiking trail, all the amateur sleuths are getting her name out and wanting to know what happened.
What happened to Madison and is she still alive?
This is told from two time periods. 20 years ago when Madison first started out in Hollywood and how dark the industry can be and now when she is missing. I found it very fast paced and I just had to know what happened.

This gripping mystery thriller had me hooked into the story really fast which makes putting it down is the last thing I want to do!

A well-written story that alternates between the past and the present through Madison’s POV(the missing woman).
Not just through Madison's POV, readers will get to follow Det. Delaney and her team investigate Madison’s disappearance.

Through Madison’s POV the readers will get to see the glamorous and dark side of the movie industry as Madison climbs her way to get to be an A-list actress.
I admire Madison’s bravery for seeking justice and her determination for never giving up despite having her hopes and dreams slowly fell away.

Overall, this was such a page turner!
I have to say the title definitely fits the whole story! (I can’t go to more details or I’ll spoiled the whole story).
I’m looking forward to read more books from this author in the future!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: physical abuse, sexual assault, rape, murder, drug use, addiction

I love books that incorporate the Hollywood lifestyle, or lack there of 🤭, and this book definitely lived up to all the hype over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse! The story alternated through timelines and POVs, and every chapter had me saying "one more" until I was up way past my bedtime. I blew through this one in 2 days because I couldn't put it down! Every time I thought I had it figured out, I experienced whiplash with another twist. If you love fast paced thrillers, you aren't going to want to miss out on this book!

Thank you to Lisa Gray, @amazonpublishing and netgalley for an ARC!

Lisa Gray is a writer I discovered by chance on Netgalley in 2020, who writes a lot and hardly ever disappoints. This is the 4th book by her that I read, and a lot of fun. It’s not her best in my opinion but still takes you for a good ride.

A middle-aged actress has disappeared, and in a park near Hollywood her handbag is discovered. This does not augur well. But also, this is 2024, so her discovery gets immediately viral on Tiktok and wannabe true crime sleuths crowd the place. Detective Sarah Delaney has just transferred to the Missing Persons Unit in LAPD and she starts right away. The actress was only known for a few movies back 20 years ago but never made it to the stardom she aspired. She stopped by her waitressing job on her way to an audition, the first one in a very long time…

Compared to her previous books, the violence in this book is more psychological than gore. I’m not saying that Lisa Gray is mellowing, but I feel that she’s very much attune to the current vibe. There are references to actual scandals that the reader will pick up. I could guess a small part of the solution, but indeed not all the twists, and that was very satisfying! I feel this would make a great, quick summer read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

I did not expect how this book was going to flow. I enjoyed the story and the relevance to today’s world with the me too movement. Great book!

Interesting characters and intriguing story. Fast paced and easy to read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book