Fast paced and suspenseful. This one shows the dangers of being obsessed with being famous and the lengths people will go through to get there. Definitely a page turner and would highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The team at Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse is raving about The Final Act and with good reason! Thank you Amazon Publishing for the ARC!

Pub Date: July 1, 2024

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱.

Twenty years ago, Madison James was poised to become the next big star in Hollywood. She starred in three films and then disappeared from the big screen. In the present, she works as a waitress to get by. One day she heads out for an audition and doesn't return. Her abandoned purse, discovered by a hiker, ignites a firestorm of media speculation. Enter Detectives Delaney and Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit. Separating truth from internet sleuths and wading through Madison's faded past, they embark on a desperate search for answers.

The Final Act switches timelines between Madison's early days in Hollywood and the present. We learn about her wide-eyed optimism as she entered the glamourous world of Hollywood and the thrill of her auditions and promise of fame. We also learn about the underbelly of Hollywood - the drugs, competition and predatory exploitation of young women.

I loved this one and binged it in one day. The clever use of dual timelines unfolded like peeling an onion, uncovering layer upon layer of secrets and unexpected turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Lights. Camera. Action! Well that ending came out of nowhere! The twists and crazy turns this book had were great. This book will have you on your toes and wanting more. I enjoyed this back and forth game of chase. Told by different point of views in the past and present.

Thank you @thrillerbookloversthepulse for the #gifted copy.

I am not sure how I have missed ever reading a book by Lisa Gray, but I can assure you I will be reading her backlist now! Madison was supposed to be a star, but things didn’t pan out and she is missing. I love to see the good and bad sides of Hollywood and this book had all those elements plus the twists and turns of a good thriller! I loved it!

Don’t miss this book. It is out July 1, 2024!

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Gray for allowing me to read the ARC of "The Final Act" in exchange for an honest review.

To say I was invested might would be an understatement. I ditched sleep entirely just to finish this book, this is how much I wanted to know WHAT will happen. Before I dive in, let me just say one thing ...

f e m a l e r a g e.

Madison James, once upon a time was an upcoming movie star until one day ..., well, she was not and instead earned her money as a waitress and if that is already tragedy enough, to know that her talent was wasted and her dreams were shattered, then you might want to stop right there.

One day, Madison James finds its way on screen and onto tabloids and news paper, this time however due to the fact that she went missing and her handbag was found by a young teenager, who did made her discovery public on TikTok.

What happened to Madison? Is she still alive? That is the investigation Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno find themselves working on and with every minute, hour, day passing more and more details from Madison's past come to the surface.

Is Madison's disappearance somehow linked to her past?
And what role does Taylor Rose, former best friend and actress, play?


This book was just astounding, perfect pace, perfect balance of humorous banter between the detectives and the perfect amount of suspense to literally glue me to the pages.

Madison, An Actress vanishes and as soon as the report of her disappearance is filed, Detective Sarah and Rob Morena of the LAPD begin their investigation. Their investigation leads to secrets and buried truth. The author takes us deep in her life and everything she has been through. The mystery slowly unveils as with each layer of mystery, the truth comes out. There were several twists and short chapters. I liked the characters. They were flawed and messy. I particularly liked the setting and heart pounding beginning. Will the detective be able to find her? Will the secrets find their way out of the Hollywood’s dark underbelly or Sarah and Rob will get tangled in them?

Many Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

★ 4.5 Stars ★
Get ready to mark your calendars for the highly anticipated release of "The Final Act" on July 1st! This amazing beach read is sure to keep you glued to that beach lounger, so get that sunscreen on thick! Stay hydrated and healthy, so you're ready for the next great thriller the team @thrillerbookloversthepulse reviews and recommends!

If you're a fan of Hollywood razzle-dazzle, you'll love Lisa Gray's upcoming thriller. With its unexpected twists, sleazy atmosphere, and vulnerable leading ladies, this book is perfect for readers who enjoyed "Hurricane Blonde."

Ms. Gray is a must-read. Best of all, her books are available on Kindle Unlimited, and most have an audio version, providing a double benefit. Each book cover is more impressive than the last. Her latest release is her best yet!

This novel explores the harsh truth of Hollywood's glamorous and treacherous underbelly and the starlets who get caught up in it. Madison is a rising star who left her hometown and family for fame. However, she works as a waitress to make ends meet after her career hit a snag. Her disappearance, without a trace, starts an investigation that ends dubiously!

Thank you to Lisa Gray and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

An aging actress, Madison James goes missing and a tik tok sleuth finds her purse in the woods. Enter our two detectives, Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit. This case is taking over the media coverage and as we know – nothing in Tinseltown is as it seems. 20 years ago Madison’s career seemed to be effortlessly taking off and then she just disappeared from the spotlight and no one really knew why.
Twisted and super fast-paced, Lisa Gray digs into the seedy and dirty parts of Hollywood that remind you it is not all glitz and glamour. Going between 2004 and 2024 you get to see Madison’s life in two very different time periods. A fantastic novel about the cut throat movie industry and what goes on behind the scenes. (pun intended) With plot twists you will never see coming, this is sure be talked about in reader circles.

This was my first book by Lisa Gray, but it won’t be my last. Though I did figure out the twist, I still really enjoyed this. The pace was good, and kept me interested.

I binged this book in one night! It was so good. I did not want to put it down. I kind of wish I had gotten the audiobook too because I am sure it would have made the story even better! This is a face paced thriller that had me flipping to the next page saying "Just one more chapter" until there were no more chapters! I love how this book focuses on the Hollywood industry. It threw in a lot of real life references so that it definitely makes the book more relevant. When reading, I felt like I was back in the early/mid 2000s when I was a teen and now as an adult. Y'all know me, I am a sucker for dual timelines and multiple perspectives and this book had both! The book switches back and forth between the two. We follow Madison in the past during her Hollywood days as well as the present and then we follow Detective Sarah Delaney as she investigates the case in the present. This book had me gripped until the very end. Twists and turns I didn't see coming. I felt like this would be great tv show or movie!

Madison James was on the brink of major success as an actor when her career suddenly tanked and she vanished from the spotlight. Fast-forward twenty years, and Madison has vanished for real. Her purse is found near a hiking trail; her car has been abandoned behind her job; her friends and neighbors haven’t seen her in days…

This is my first book by Lisa Gray, and I’ve been missing out! I love books that dig into the gross, seamy parts of Hollywood glamour, and while this is a very different story, there were some Hurricane Blonde-ish vibes that I really enjoyed. This was twisty and super fast-paced — I read it in basically one sitting! And I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s maybe the start of a series…?!? I’d really like to read more books about the Missing Persons Unit detectives (please and thank you)

I’m a fan of Ms. Gray’s novels and this one is another winner. The plot covers events from the early 2000’s and current day of an aspiring actress, Madison. It’s not a long book but there’s no shortage of intrigue and suspense. The theme of the story for me highlights the extreme highs and lows of young women who dream of becoming a star. The sacrifices, the expectations of those with the power to make you or break you, the substance abuse, partying and waitress jobs to pay the rent. Nearing forty Madison hasn’t given up on her dreams, still expecting her big break. She had a foot in the door when she was younger but things went wrong. Now she’s been reported missing.
Detective Sarah Delaney has just transferred from Homicide to the Missing Persons Unit. She is investigating Madison’s disappearance. I enjoyed getting to know her character, personal details were scattered throughout. She was a determined officer seeking to uncover where Madison disappeared to along with who else might be involved. Is Madison even still alive? Who would want to silence her? Hollywood is full of cutthroat agents, directors and those who were once your best friend. The list of suspects contains some deceitful lowlifes. The plot held surprises and plenty of drama.
An advance reader copy of “The Final Act” by Lisa Gray, Published by Thomas & Mercer, publication expected 07/01/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

So basically by this point, you should understand that ANYTHING I read from @thrillerbookloversthepulse is going to be a massive hit. Hollywood setting? Check. Dual timelines? Check. Murder? Duh. Check. The Final Act is coming July 1st from @lisagraywriter and @amazonpublishing, and you’re definitely going to want to read it.

When aging actress Madison goes missing, a TikTok sleuth finds something that belongs to her. Could Madison have been kidnapped, left Hollywood or is something more sinister happening? This story takes over the media and everyone wants to know what happened to Madison.

WE know in Hollywood that actresses come and go, but this new piece of evidence leads to an investigation. Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno lead the investigation as part of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit. Lots of people want their 15 minutes of fame as clues come to the surface.

I was invested in this page turner to see if Madison was alive and would happened to her

It’s so frustrating when life gets in the way of a good book. I could have read The Final Act by Lisa Gray in one sitting, but unfortunately I had to be a responsible adult 😋
I really enjoyed the plot and the way the chapters alternated between past and present. The POV also went back and forth between our main characters: Madison, a beautiful young woman with hopes and dreams of becoming a star. Then there’s Sarah, a former homicide detective working her first case in the Missing Persons Unit. Both strong female characters.

This was my first Lisa Gray book, but I’ll definitely be checking out more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for an e-copy of this ARC.

What a page turner!!! I loved the multiple POVs that flip back and forth between characters. This was so full of twist and turns! Definitely recommending this one to y’all!!!

Thank you for the advanced copy!!

Full disclosure: I am the author of this book and I am providing feedback in order to maintain my NetGalley percentage ratio. But, of course, I highly recommend The Final Act and hope NetGalley reviewers enjoy the book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Took a day to devour! The writing style hooked me right away, very easy to read and comprehend. And the story line kept me reading. I certainly didn’t see that ending coming!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer along with #Netgalley for allowing me early access to #TheFinalAct

"All she wanted was to see her name in lights. Now, her disappearance has made her front-page news."
I really liked this read. Lisa Gray has a way of making the story move along without feeling rushed, giving just enough to keep you turning the page. Her twists in the plot were unpredictable and believable. If you like reading about messy characters who get what they deserve, then The Final Act by Lisa Grey is definitely going to be for you.
This book would be perfect for a beach day read. ❤️

Madison James will do anything to be famous… but will her disappearance make her infamous?

Madison James was going to be the next big thing in Hollywood but her career tanked and she disappeared into obscurity. Even missing the world doesn’t take notice, until her purse is found discarded in a place Madison would never go by a wannabe TikTok influencer. Can the media that’s been an influential player in Madison’s downfall save her in time? Or will ex-homicide detective Sarah Delaney be too late in solving her first missing persons case?

The final act focuses on the cut throat Hollywood industry and is a riveting, fast paced thriller with twists and turns that will keep you guessing everyone’s motives. Seeped with real life references from pop culture, movies, actors and the Me Too movement, the writing focuses attention in a way that aligns the reader into the storyline itself. The clever use of media clippings further situates the audience within the story, divulging salacious gossip about Madison at every plot twist.

Alternating between Madison’s POV and that of detective Sarah Delaney, the reader follows the police work that is involved in uncovering a missing person, while simultaneously learning pieces of Madison’s past that influence those around her and showing that anyone could be the person responsible for Madison’s disappearance.

Lisa Gray anticipates the readers thought processes and coordinates plot twists that you will never see coming. The final act will not disappoint.