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

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The purse of Madison, a nearly 40 year old waitress who had some small movie roles 20 years ago is found in a park and it appears that she has gone missing. Missing persons detective Sarah Delaney and her partner Moreno investigate the disappearance and while they can't find any definitive information on her whereabouts, signs seem to point to her short stint in the movie business.

This book is mostly set in the present, following the investigation, but there are flashbacks to Madison 20 years ago. I found this book, like all of this author's books to be an easy read that flowed very well. It was a little slow for me in the beginning, but then things picked up and I was engaged and interested in finding out what actually happened. I thought some of the explanation was a little too convenient, but I liked the book nonetheless. I look forward to this author's next novel.

What an amazing read. Did not expect the twist.

The Author kept me intrigued. The story was very interesting and exciting.

I would recommend this novel.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒊𝒓."

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @amazonpublishing @lisagraywriter and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

MY REVIEW:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just LOVED this one! I don't know if it was the Hollywood aspect or what, but this one kept me so hooked, I read it in 1 day! It was such a fast-paced read, I just flew through the chapters. Told in dual POVs, this one definitely keeps you on your toes.

This story tells the tale a lot of actors/actresses face in the industry or trying to make it big, but fall short. This story focuses on Madison James, who tries to make friends with all the right people and even gets a few roles that bode her some success, but that was twenty years ago. No one's heard of her since she disappeared until a tiktoker finds her purse in a park. As the clues role in, there's so much more behind this mystery than the detectives bargained for.

I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but I PROMISE this one is worth the read!

PUB DATE:
July 1, 2024


QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️ Who is a celebrity you would love to meet in person?

AOTD - Adam Sandler is one I love watching, he'd be one I'd like to meet.

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#mysteryandthrills #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerbooklover #thepulse #pulsepoint #thefinalact #lisagrey #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller
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Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit find themselves investigating the case of missing former actress Madison James. Lisa Gray constructs a solid thriller which touches on Hollywood's misogyny and #MeToo problem.

I breezed right though this book as I was captivated to know what happens next. I really enjoyed the partnership between Sarah and Rob, along with Sarah's complicated personal life. However structurally I think I could've done without too many flashbacks. Instead I think this would've been sharper if we saw the detecting in real time, especially because at times I was surprised Sarah and Rob didn't do enough research on their victim, only to be blindsided with some revelations.

Overall though this was one I recommend when you want the sort of thriller that shows Hollywood's dark side. I really hope this becomes a series as there's a lot of promise here. I certainly will be reading Lisa Gray's next book.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

Title- The final act
Rating-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Get ready for a ton of praise for this book - the Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse team is currently reading it and it's receiving nothing but positive feedback. It's going to be huge and you don't want to miss out.

The plot was engaging, and I enjoyed how the chapters alternated between past and present. The perspective shifted between Madison, a young woman with dreams of stardom, and Sarah, a former homicide detective working her first case in the Missing Persons Unit. Both characters were strong female leads.

Synopsis-

All she wanted was to see her name in lights. Now, her disappearance has made her front-page news.

It’s been twenty years since Madison James had any kind of success in Hollywood. Now she’s disappeared and a TikTok sleuth has found her purse discarded in a Los Angeles park. The news spreads like wildfire across a nation hungry for celebrity tragedy, and the struggling actress’s mysterious disappearance quickly becomes a national obsession.

Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit take the case. But truth is a rare commodity in Tinseltown; some people will stop at nothing to get what they want and Delaney and Moreno soon find themselves mired in Hollywood’s dark underbelly with little in the way of clues.

As revelations from the past emerge, it becomes apparent there is more going on than meets the eye. With an obsessive public watching every step of the investigation, can the police find Madison before she becomes more than just missing?

This will be available on kindle unlimited July 1, 2024.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the early review copy.

This was quick paced and easy to read. A lot of twists are interspersed to keep you reading without feeling like it’s over saturated with ideas. It’s also filled with messy characters which makes it great for a head empty type of read.