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The Disappearing Act
A woman has gone missing
But did she ever really exist?
Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.
Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.
In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?
But did she ever really exist?
Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.
Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.
In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2021
About the author
Catherine Steadman
8 books4,769 followersCatherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London, UK. She is best known for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey and is currently filming on the new Starz television series 'The Rook'. She grew up in the New Forest, UK, and lives with a small dog and an average sized man. Something in the Water is her first novel.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,788 reviews
December 26, 2023
Mia is a British starlet who is coming to LA for some film jobs. While at an audition, Mia meets another woman auditioning for a part. As the woman enters the audition, she hands Mia her wallet and keys to feed her parking meter. But the woman never returns. Several days later, a woman appears but isn't the same person that Mia remembers meeting before. But how well do you really remember someone that you met for only a few minutes? What is going on?
The first 50% of the book was very slow, and then I enjoyed the next 20% and the rest was only so-so. The book discusses some interesting tidbits of the acting profession (and some of the perks)! However, there was a character who didn't really seem to move the plot along, and the characters didn't really seem to have any depth to them, very one dimensional. I also just hate it when the main characters in mysteries just assumes weird stuff is normal and glosses over it. Some of the events didn't feel very realistic, and I really hated the portrayal of female friendships (some of the ladies being far more concerned about themselves than what happened to their friend/fellow female). But perhaps I am on the only person left in the world that cares about others? Additionally, this book didn't have any steam and felt very PG.
Some of the weird things in this book: Mia drives her car around in The States. I find this very hard to believe. As an American who has been to London, I would NEVER drive in London. Why wouldn't she just take an Uber? When Mia meets an alleged American guy, He says that he will "pop out." Sorry but Americans don't typically say pop in and pop out. That is totally a British saying. There were other things that didn't make sense but I won't go into them because they would be very spoilery.
Overall, this book bored me, and I felt it was a chore to read except for about 20% in the middle which was unexpected. Then, it went back into slow mode.
*Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
Connect With Me!
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The first 50% of the book was very slow, and then I enjoyed the next 20% and the rest was only so-so. The book discusses some interesting tidbits of the acting profession (and some of the perks)! However, there was a character who didn't really seem to move the plot along, and the characters didn't really seem to have any depth to them, very one dimensional. I also just hate it when the main characters in mysteries just assumes weird stuff is normal and glosses over it. Some of the events didn't feel very realistic, and I really hated the portrayal of female friendships (some of the ladies being far more concerned about themselves than what happened to their friend/fellow female). But perhaps I am on the only person left in the world that cares about others? Additionally, this book didn't have any steam and felt very PG.
Some of the weird things in this book: Mia drives her car around in The States. I find this very hard to believe. As an American who has been to London, I would NEVER drive in London. Why wouldn't she just take an Uber? When Mia meets an alleged American guy, He says that he will "pop out." Sorry but Americans don't typically say pop in and pop out. That is totally a British saying. There were other things that didn't make sense but I won't go into them because they would be very spoilery.
Overall, this book bored me, and I felt it was a chore to read except for about 20% in the middle which was unexpected. Then, it went back into slow mode.
*Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta
May 24, 2022
Happy book birthday to this twisty, sucker punching, riveting Hollywood drama!🥳🎉🎈
3.5 heart pounding, action packed, quick pacing, one sit, mysterious, intriguing Hollywood drama with #metoo movement vibes!
It’s quite shocking, blood freezing, intense story about how far actors could go to climb at the career ladders, how vicious, bloodthirsty they can be to take their share from the illusionary La La land experience!
The book is dragging you into action packed, mind numbing mystery with its fast and riveting pace, making you question where the hell Emily go? You make speculations till the end and even though the revelations seem a little far fetched and too illogical, as a small pawn of this notorious industry I keep telling myself: well, why not! I’ve seen worse things people can do to reach their goals!
I think I have to talk more about the plot not to leave in the dark:
Mia Elliot is our successful British actress, who is about to be nominated at BAFTA for her leading actress performance at Jane Eyre. As soon as she learns the possible nomination from her agent, she also learns another heart wrenching truth: her six years long boyfriend George she’s living with is chosen to play as Holden Caulfield at the adaptation of Catcher in Rye and he is also having insta-worthy fling with 20 years old young actress who will share the leading roles with him! Bang!
As if all those things he’s done is not enough, he also sends a moving company to gather his belongings and dumbs her with four worded text! I know what you’re thinking : real sun of beach right? ( I changed some words as a precaution: just in case your kids want to read my review instead of glued their faces on YouTube videos :) )
Heartbroken Mia chants Gloria Gaynor’s I will survive and packs her bag to catch pilot season in LA! She attends the auditions back to back including her dream project Galatea.
She feels like a lamb in the jungle crowded by wolves, learning more about how the wheels of stinking industry works differently. The phony smiles, merciless rivalries, powerful manipulation games played by big boys who can be easily expendable in the long term! Yes, I liked the realistic approach of the author a lot!
Mia meets with Emily at one of the auditions who wants her help to feed her park meter. She gives her phone and wallet just in case. It can be so easy to get traffic ticket cost you around $90 when you forget to feed your park meter and get caught by those parking enforcement officers ( been there done that) so I got her reason completely. And Mia was already too confused because of sob ex who just ghosted her, wanting to show British politeness by offering her help. But when she gets back, she realizes Emily is nowhere to be seen. She tries to leave her belongings but the receptionist rejects to hold them.
Now she’s with the key of rental car and wallet of a stranger, still attending auditions, checking for phone to hear from her. Then she finally reaches to Emily who wants to stop by at her apartment to pick her belongings but this is the part what things get crazier. A woman stops by Emily’s apartment to pick Emily’s belongings, acting like her but she has no clue what Mia and Emily talked that day ( how can she? She’s another person! )
Mia lets her leave with Emily’s belongings. ( yeap, this is the second move which made me question the nativity level of Mia again) But later she calls the police and she starts conducting her own investigation, getting herself into serious danger but once she starts to dig, she cannot stop!
Big revelation has still far fetched and there are still ugly big holes, some unrealistic explanations about extra resources and abilities of culprit but I still liked the nerve bending ending.
It was griping, exciting one sit reading with realistic, well researched approach to the city of Lucifer. The mystery parts are a little exaggerated and the heroine was so clueless at some parts of the story but I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 surprising, captivating, whirlwind stars! At least I enjoyed this one more than Mr. Nobody!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
3.5 heart pounding, action packed, quick pacing, one sit, mysterious, intriguing Hollywood drama with #metoo movement vibes!
It’s quite shocking, blood freezing, intense story about how far actors could go to climb at the career ladders, how vicious, bloodthirsty they can be to take their share from the illusionary La La land experience!
The book is dragging you into action packed, mind numbing mystery with its fast and riveting pace, making you question where the hell Emily go? You make speculations till the end and even though the revelations seem a little far fetched and too illogical, as a small pawn of this notorious industry I keep telling myself: well, why not! I’ve seen worse things people can do to reach their goals!
I think I have to talk more about the plot not to leave in the dark:
Mia Elliot is our successful British actress, who is about to be nominated at BAFTA for her leading actress performance at Jane Eyre. As soon as she learns the possible nomination from her agent, she also learns another heart wrenching truth: her six years long boyfriend George she’s living with is chosen to play as Holden Caulfield at the adaptation of Catcher in Rye and he is also having insta-worthy fling with 20 years old young actress who will share the leading roles with him! Bang!
As if all those things he’s done is not enough, he also sends a moving company to gather his belongings and dumbs her with four worded text! I know what you’re thinking : real sun of beach right? ( I changed some words as a precaution: just in case your kids want to read my review instead of glued their faces on YouTube videos :) )
Heartbroken Mia chants Gloria Gaynor’s I will survive and packs her bag to catch pilot season in LA! She attends the auditions back to back including her dream project Galatea.
She feels like a lamb in the jungle crowded by wolves, learning more about how the wheels of stinking industry works differently. The phony smiles, merciless rivalries, powerful manipulation games played by big boys who can be easily expendable in the long term! Yes, I liked the realistic approach of the author a lot!
Mia meets with Emily at one of the auditions who wants her help to feed her park meter. She gives her phone and wallet just in case. It can be so easy to get traffic ticket cost you around $90 when you forget to feed your park meter and get caught by those parking enforcement officers ( been there done that) so I got her reason completely. And Mia was already too confused because of sob ex who just ghosted her, wanting to show British politeness by offering her help. But when she gets back, she realizes Emily is nowhere to be seen. She tries to leave her belongings but the receptionist rejects to hold them.
Now she’s with the key of rental car and wallet of a stranger, still attending auditions, checking for phone to hear from her. Then she finally reaches to Emily who wants to stop by at her apartment to pick her belongings but this is the part what things get crazier. A woman stops by Emily’s apartment to pick Emily’s belongings, acting like her but she has no clue what Mia and Emily talked that day ( how can she? She’s another person! )
Mia lets her leave with Emily’s belongings. ( yeap, this is the second move which made me question the nativity level of Mia again) But later she calls the police and she starts conducting her own investigation, getting herself into serious danger but once she starts to dig, she cannot stop!
Big revelation has still far fetched and there are still ugly big holes, some unrealistic explanations about extra resources and abilities of culprit but I still liked the nerve bending ending.
It was griping, exciting one sit reading with realistic, well researched approach to the city of Lucifer. The mystery parts are a little exaggerated and the heroine was so clueless at some parts of the story but I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 surprising, captivating, whirlwind stars! At least I enjoyed this one more than Mr. Nobody!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
July 31, 2022
This is a Psychological Thriller/Mystery. I have to say this book pulled me into for the beginning, and I loved the character, Mia. I will have to add that this is more of a mystery to me then a thriller. I did not find this way thrilling or shocking, but there was suspense. I did love the story and the characters. I did not want to put this book down. The ending was just ok. I think any book that pulls you into it and keeps you wanting to read is worth reading. I am normally not one for books about actress/actors, but I really enjoyed this story. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Ballantine Books) or author (Catherine Steadman) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
March 12, 2021
Mia Eliot is a British actress, famous in her home country for starring in an adaptation of Jane Eyre. She’s always wanted to make it in Hollywood. During pilot season, her agent fixes her up with a 3-week trip across the pond for some very promising auditions. At one of the auditions, she meets Emily, another out-of-towner actress, and they immediately bond. However, after Mia does an odd favor for Emily, Emily disappears.
Perplexed, Mia doesn’t quite know what to do...until Emily shows up at her rented condo the next night. The only thing is, this woman isn’t Emily. She’s only pretending to be her.
Something sinister is obviously going on, and Mia can’t help but get herself involved. She may not realize how dangerous the situation is until it’s too late.
DUN DUN DUN.
This one didn’t quite reach my expectations, but I still enjoyed it overall.
PROS:
-The writing is superb. Author Catherine Steadman, also an actress, does a great job fleshing out characters and locations. It was interesting to get a behind scenes look at Hollywood and the audition process.
-It’s a quick read that kept me mostly entertained throughout. I was never bored, and enjoyed every chance I got to pick it back up.
-I was surprised by the direction it went in. I thought I had it figured out, and it would’ve been horrible if it went in the direction I suspected, but it didn’t. PHEW!
-I really enjoyed Mia. She’s such a sweet character, and I couldn’t help but want her to succeed.
CONS:
-While I really liked Mia, she was also WAY too naive. It wasn’t realistic to me that someone would get themselves so deep into this mess the way she did.
-The story is pretty implausible overall, and a bit OTT. Sometimes that works for me. This time, it was a bit of a letdown.
-The ending, while ultimately satisfying, dragged on quite a bit. I started to lose a bit of interest.
While I didn’t love this one like I was expecting, I did LIKE it for the most part. However, I couldn’t help but think of an appropriate alternative title: The Slightly Disappointing Act.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 6/8/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Perplexed, Mia doesn’t quite know what to do...until Emily shows up at her rented condo the next night. The only thing is, this woman isn’t Emily. She’s only pretending to be her.
Something sinister is obviously going on, and Mia can’t help but get herself involved. She may not realize how dangerous the situation is until it’s too late.
DUN DUN DUN.
This one didn’t quite reach my expectations, but I still enjoyed it overall.
PROS:
-The writing is superb. Author Catherine Steadman, also an actress, does a great job fleshing out characters and locations. It was interesting to get a behind scenes look at Hollywood and the audition process.
-It’s a quick read that kept me mostly entertained throughout. I was never bored, and enjoyed every chance I got to pick it back up.
-I was surprised by the direction it went in. I thought I had it figured out, and it would’ve been horrible if it went in the direction I suspected, but it didn’t. PHEW!
-I really enjoyed Mia. She’s such a sweet character, and I couldn’t help but want her to succeed.
CONS:
-While I really liked Mia, she was also WAY too naive. It wasn’t realistic to me that someone would get themselves so deep into this mess the way she did.
-The story is pretty implausible overall, and a bit OTT. Sometimes that works for me. This time, it was a bit of a letdown.
-The ending, while ultimately satisfying, dragged on quite a bit. I started to lose a bit of interest.
While I didn’t love this one like I was expecting, I did LIKE it for the most part. However, I couldn’t help but think of an appropriate alternative title: The Slightly Disappointing Act.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 6/8/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
June 9, 2023
While not much about Catherine Steadman’s The Disappearing Act surprised me, what did surprise me is how engrossing it is.
There’s no bells and whistles to it – it’s your standard Hollywood thriller involving a missing actress. But what makes it not so standard is the way the story gripped me from beginning to end and threw me with a twist I never saw coming.
A few caveats, though –
1. Steadman only got me the one time; most everything else about the plot is predictable.
2. Mia, our lead character, is intelligent but makes some really poor decisions.
3. Certain aspects of the story are far-fetched, though not as far-fetched as I expected based upon the reviews I skimmed. Disbelief, however, does need to be suspended at times.
The fact that I never seem to tire of reading about Hollywood likely increased the enjoyment factor, too. For some reason, acting and the city of Los Angeles always appeal to me.
All in all, a great read. The Disappearing Act is my kind of thriller.
My sincerest appreciation to Catherine Steadman, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
There’s no bells and whistles to it – it’s your standard Hollywood thriller involving a missing actress. But what makes it not so standard is the way the story gripped me from beginning to end and threw me with a twist I never saw coming.
A few caveats, though –
1. Steadman only got me the one time; most everything else about the plot is predictable.
2. Mia, our lead character, is intelligent but makes some really poor decisions.
3. Certain aspects of the story are far-fetched, though not as far-fetched as I expected based upon the reviews I skimmed. Disbelief, however, does need to be suspended at times.
The fact that I never seem to tire of reading about Hollywood likely increased the enjoyment factor, too. For some reason, acting and the city of Los Angeles always appeal to me.
All in all, a great read. The Disappearing Act is my kind of thriller.
My sincerest appreciation to Catherine Steadman, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
May 24, 2021
Well, here’s a weird little coincidence. Two stories in the past week which have included the story about the 1920s actress that did a head dive off the Hollywood sign. Anyway…
The Disappearing Act follows actress Mia Elliot when she leaves London for LA. She’s just starred in a remake of Jane Eyre, about to be nominated for a BAFTA, but her personal life is in shambles and it seems like a good time to vamoose. Plus, her agent has all these upcoming shows to audition for. At one audition, she helps out a fellow actress and ends up with her belongings. When the gal comes to collect her stuff, it’s not the same woman.
Catherine Steadman is an actress and it shows. I felt like I got a real taste of casting calls, screen tests and all the hoopla that goes into being cast for a role. She also put together what seemed to be a pretty accurate portrayal of Hollywood. But I just couldn’t believe the premise of the story. Ok, yes I could believe that Mia tried to help Emily. But I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t let it go. And then it takes a turn towards the unbelievable, because Mia is just so bloody gullible and naive. The book goes on for a while with minimum tension or real suspense. It picks up at the end, but the entire time, I was shaking my head. Credit where credit is due, I had no clue who the villain in the piece was or how it would play out.
This is decent entertainment and doesn’t really tax the brain.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.
The Disappearing Act follows actress Mia Elliot when she leaves London for LA. She’s just starred in a remake of Jane Eyre, about to be nominated for a BAFTA, but her personal life is in shambles and it seems like a good time to vamoose. Plus, her agent has all these upcoming shows to audition for. At one audition, she helps out a fellow actress and ends up with her belongings. When the gal comes to collect her stuff, it’s not the same woman.
Catherine Steadman is an actress and it shows. I felt like I got a real taste of casting calls, screen tests and all the hoopla that goes into being cast for a role. She also put together what seemed to be a pretty accurate portrayal of Hollywood. But I just couldn’t believe the premise of the story. Ok, yes I could believe that Mia tried to help Emily. But I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t let it go. And then it takes a turn towards the unbelievable, because Mia is just so bloody gullible and naive. The book goes on for a while with minimum tension or real suspense. It picks up at the end, but the entire time, I was shaking my head. Credit where credit is due, I had no clue who the villain in the piece was or how it would play out.
This is decent entertainment and doesn’t really tax the brain.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.
February 25, 2021
Take one part Nancy Drew and one part La La Land and stir in half a cup of The Black Dahlia and a tablespoon of The Player. Add a dash of Gone Girl, and bake until it all catches fire at the end. Now you have the recipe for this dishy Hollywood thriller, which I could not put down.
The first cool thing about this book was that I learned that the author, Catherine Steadman, is also a well-known British actress. What? Why didn’t anyone tell me this when I was listening to the great Something in the Water audiobook and marveling at how good the author was at reading it?
Anyway, as a fan of Hollywood gossip and a girl who did a little acting in her day, it’s like this mystery was written just for me — and I bet a lot of other Hollywood dreamers. If you like show biz and Hollywood tales, both old and new, you’ll definitely love this clever thriller about a young ingenue who goes missing, and the more experienced English actress on the brink of her first huge break in LA who gets pulled into the mystery of her rival’s disappearance. Steadman obviously knows the ins and outs of acting from personal experience, and everything about the show business aspect of this book rings true. There are some great old Hollywood touches coupled with important modern-day themes, and a great little mystery that will remind you both of film noir and Nancy Drew. (Again, if you ask me? An ideal and quirky combination.)
The one caveat I’ll add is that if you’re looking for a darker, nastier mystery (which I also do SO love) or something more like Something in the Water, you should be aware that this isn’t quite that same book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty twisted, but more in the sense of a Hollywood story than a serial killer style thriller.
I just love the way Steadman writes and I thoroughly enjoyed this unputdownable treasure trove of gossip, sleuthing, leading ladies, and Hollywood heartbreak. Doesn’t hurt that it also prominently features some of the best places for Hollywood fans to hang out in LA, like the Sunset Tower hotel and the 101 Coffee Shop. 4.5 stars! Fun, fun, fun from beginning to the fabulous denouement.
Oh, and an aside to Ms. Steadman - who explains herein Chekhov’s famous “loaded gun” movie-making theory (if you show a loaded gun in the first act, make sure it goes off in Act Three) - I see what you did here, you clever author.
Big thanks to the author, RandomHouse and NetGalley for this great read - my only minor regret is that I didn’t get to hear it read in Steadman’s voice, because I have a feeling this audiobook is also going to be fantastic.
The first cool thing about this book was that I learned that the author, Catherine Steadman, is also a well-known British actress. What? Why didn’t anyone tell me this when I was listening to the great Something in the Water audiobook and marveling at how good the author was at reading it?
Anyway, as a fan of Hollywood gossip and a girl who did a little acting in her day, it’s like this mystery was written just for me — and I bet a lot of other Hollywood dreamers. If you like show biz and Hollywood tales, both old and new, you’ll definitely love this clever thriller about a young ingenue who goes missing, and the more experienced English actress on the brink of her first huge break in LA who gets pulled into the mystery of her rival’s disappearance. Steadman obviously knows the ins and outs of acting from personal experience, and everything about the show business aspect of this book rings true. There are some great old Hollywood touches coupled with important modern-day themes, and a great little mystery that will remind you both of film noir and Nancy Drew. (Again, if you ask me? An ideal and quirky combination.)
The one caveat I’ll add is that if you’re looking for a darker, nastier mystery (which I also do SO love) or something more like Something in the Water, you should be aware that this isn’t quite that same book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty twisted, but more in the sense of a Hollywood story than a serial killer style thriller.
I just love the way Steadman writes and I thoroughly enjoyed this unputdownable treasure trove of gossip, sleuthing, leading ladies, and Hollywood heartbreak. Doesn’t hurt that it also prominently features some of the best places for Hollywood fans to hang out in LA, like the Sunset Tower hotel and the 101 Coffee Shop. 4.5 stars! Fun, fun, fun from beginning to the fabulous denouement.
Oh, and an aside to Ms. Steadman - who explains herein Chekhov’s famous “loaded gun” movie-making theory (if you show a loaded gun in the first act, make sure it goes off in Act Three) - I see what you did here, you clever author.
Big thanks to the author, RandomHouse and NetGalley for this great read - my only minor regret is that I didn’t get to hear it read in Steadman’s voice, because I have a feeling this audiobook is also going to be fantastic.
April 12, 2024
2.5
Badly written? Nope.
Badly drawn characters? Kinda.
Overly complicated plot line. Yes and no (depending on how you view the ending).
Could it have been better? Absolutely.
Ugh- when a book starts out strong and then it takes all kinds of wrong turns.
And when your heroine isn’t the likable character you first met? You should have moved on.
Probably means it was a good read, just not a good read for me.
(I toyed with a DNF, but the overwrought storytelling was still compelling. By the time I realized it wasn’t a terribly fun read, I was closer to the end than the beginning, so I just pushed on.)
(Reviewed 12/12/21)
Badly written? Nope.
Badly drawn characters? Kinda.
Overly complicated plot line. Yes and no (depending on how you view the ending).
Could it have been better? Absolutely.
Ugh- when a book starts out strong and then it takes all kinds of wrong turns.
And when your heroine isn’t the likable character you first met? You should have moved on.
Probably means it was a good read, just not a good read for me.
(I toyed with a DNF, but the overwrought storytelling was still compelling. By the time I realized it wasn’t a terribly fun read, I was closer to the end than the beginning, so I just pushed on.)
(Reviewed 12/12/21)
January 18, 2022
The premise of this book grabbed my attention and I ended up enjoying the LA setting so much! 🎬
I love that the plot is based in the acting world (more precisely, during the pilot season🎥) and that Steadman is an actress herself.
About the mystery itself, there were nice twists and it was enthralling, even it dragged in the middle.
A very interesting story!
I love that the plot is based in the acting world (more precisely, during the pilot season🎥) and that Steadman is an actress herself.
About the mystery itself, there were nice twists and it was enthralling, even it dragged in the middle.
A very interesting story!
April 22, 2021
Title is The Disappearing Act!
Mia Eliot has a BAFTA nomination in the offing for her role in ‘Eyre’, her career is on the up but her private world suffers a blow when her partner dumps her with a brief text. What would Jane do, Mia asked herself? She decides to move on and when her agent Cynthia gets her some auditions in Hollywood she goes without a backward glance. She’s schmoozed and seduced by a Hollywood charm offensive, some auditions go really well and during one she does a favour for fellow actor Emily who then does a disappearing act dragging Mia into a murky and dangerous world.
This is a well written novel with a good blend of mystery combined with some insights into the movie process. The setting is good and you get a warts and all spotlight into the less than salubrious aspects of the industry. The main character of Mia is good, she’s likeable, intelligent and reflective although despite her obvious cleverness some of her decisions are very questionable and you want to shout ‘Nooooo’ at the top of your voice! However, it is born out of a desire to do the right thing. I enjoy her assessment too of what the atmosphere in Hollywood might do to a person or lead them to do. The storyline is mostly well paced but it does drop off from time to time, there are some good twists, there’s tension and suspense and a real air of an intriguing mystery for the most part which makes you read on eagerly. I like the literary illusions the author cleverly uses such as Jane Eyre and Chekhov and there are some good movie references too. Towards the end there’s one scene that is very exciting and extremely tense and my first thought on reading it is what a great movie it will make! It is on occasions a bit slow, there’s one Hollywood sign reference that keeps getting repeated which gets a bit wearing, yes, LA weather is glorious, and yes, it’s a well known fact that the traffic is terrible! Some of the plot is a bit far fetched and OTT but just put your disbelief suspenders on and go with the flow and enjoy this rollercoaster read!!
Overall, this is a compelling, well written and enjoyable page turner.
With thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Mia Eliot has a BAFTA nomination in the offing for her role in ‘Eyre’, her career is on the up but her private world suffers a blow when her partner dumps her with a brief text. What would Jane do, Mia asked herself? She decides to move on and when her agent Cynthia gets her some auditions in Hollywood she goes without a backward glance. She’s schmoozed and seduced by a Hollywood charm offensive, some auditions go really well and during one she does a favour for fellow actor Emily who then does a disappearing act dragging Mia into a murky and dangerous world.
This is a well written novel with a good blend of mystery combined with some insights into the movie process. The setting is good and you get a warts and all spotlight into the less than salubrious aspects of the industry. The main character of Mia is good, she’s likeable, intelligent and reflective although despite her obvious cleverness some of her decisions are very questionable and you want to shout ‘Nooooo’ at the top of your voice! However, it is born out of a desire to do the right thing. I enjoy her assessment too of what the atmosphere in Hollywood might do to a person or lead them to do. The storyline is mostly well paced but it does drop off from time to time, there are some good twists, there’s tension and suspense and a real air of an intriguing mystery for the most part which makes you read on eagerly. I like the literary illusions the author cleverly uses such as Jane Eyre and Chekhov and there are some good movie references too. Towards the end there’s one scene that is very exciting and extremely tense and my first thought on reading it is what a great movie it will make! It is on occasions a bit slow, there’s one Hollywood sign reference that keeps getting repeated which gets a bit wearing, yes, LA weather is glorious, and yes, it’s a well known fact that the traffic is terrible! Some of the plot is a bit far fetched and OTT but just put your disbelief suspenders on and go with the flow and enjoy this rollercoaster read!!
Overall, this is a compelling, well written and enjoyable page turner.
With thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 12, 2024
I did not enjoy this book. It’s definitely not for me.
Good concept but poorly executed.
For a thriller, it’s quite slow.
The writing felt rushed and a bit amateurish.
I almost quit around 60% because I wasn’t happy with the dialogues, but my curiosity kept me going.
Unfortunately the characters are very weak and extremely shallow.
The storyline is, in my opinion, farfetched.
Well, I’m so disappointed that I’d rather not say anything more.
At least this is a fast read.
As they say, to each their own.
Good concept but poorly executed.
For a thriller, it’s quite slow.
The writing felt rushed and a bit amateurish.
I almost quit around 60% because I wasn’t happy with the dialogues, but my curiosity kept me going.
Unfortunately the characters are very weak and extremely shallow.
The storyline is, in my opinion, farfetched.
Well, I’m so disappointed that I’d rather not say anything more.
At least this is a fast read.
As they say, to each their own.
July 29, 2021
A slow moving story that had me asking "why?" almost constantly as the naive main character got herself deeper and deeper into a very bizarre situation from which she could have easily walked away. The plot got more confusing and less believable as the story progressed to a truly strange ending. There were several instances where Americans said very British things, such as "Are you keen to meet tomorrow?" All in all, this was an odd one, and just barely okay. 2 stars
June 5, 2021
I love it when authors use their very specific background knowledge as a base for a novel because it usually makes for an intriguing, authentic insight into another world. With her acting background, Steadman allows us a glimpse into Hollywood life in her latest novel THE DISAPPEARING ACT, spicing up the story with a generous sprinkling of murder and intrigue.
English actress Mia is auditioning for movie roles in LA when she meets Emily, another hopeful actress from out of town. Minding Emily’s bag and car keys for her whilst she is in the studio, Mia becomes concerned when Emily fails to return to claim her possessions, and Mia’s calls to her mobile remain unanswered. Her suspicions grow when the next day, a stranger turns up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily and asking for her bag and car keys back. And so starts a story full of mystery and intrigue – who really is Emily? And what has happened to the girl Mia met at the auditions?
As soon as I met Mia, I immediately warmed to her. Despite her rise to fame through her movie role as Jane in Jane Eyre, she has remained refreshingly down to earth. A recent break-up with her long term partner, who has left her for another, younger woman, has left her heart broken and has shaken her self-confidence. In the dog-eat-dog world of LA, her innocence renders her as alien as a fish out of water, which is why she is instantly drawn to Emily, who is the only smiling, friendly face around. Through Mia we also get a glimpse into some of the quirks of the Hollywood scene, which I found thoroughly intriguing.
Once Mia starts looking into the mystery of Emily’s disappearance, things start to take on a sinister turn, putting Mia’s own life in danger. I was hooked!
Even though some suspension of disbelief was required to buy the whole premise of the final reveal, and even some of Mia’s actions, I found the story entertaining and intriguing until the end. Some readers may find Mia a bit naive, but I was touched by her honesty and innocence, which made her more relatable for me. A special mention must go to Steadman’s inclusion of a real-life mystery into her story, the suicide of actress Peg Entwistle, who jumped to her death from the “H” of the Hollywood sign in 1932, and whose body was discovered by a hiker a few days later. Her sad death becomes a symbol of the ruthlessness of Hollywood and has a special significance for Mia – I will say no more.
In summary, THE DISAPPEARING ACT offered a fascinating insight behind the glamour of Hollywood, incorporated into an intriguing mystery. It will appeal to readers who are able to suspend disbelief for the sake of a few unexpected twists and a finale I definitely could not have predicted. I really enjoyed Steadman’s writing style and her insider glimpses into the life of an actress, which made for an authentic and compelling read.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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English actress Mia is auditioning for movie roles in LA when she meets Emily, another hopeful actress from out of town. Minding Emily’s bag and car keys for her whilst she is in the studio, Mia becomes concerned when Emily fails to return to claim her possessions, and Mia’s calls to her mobile remain unanswered. Her suspicions grow when the next day, a stranger turns up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily and asking for her bag and car keys back. And so starts a story full of mystery and intrigue – who really is Emily? And what has happened to the girl Mia met at the auditions?
As soon as I met Mia, I immediately warmed to her. Despite her rise to fame through her movie role as Jane in Jane Eyre, she has remained refreshingly down to earth. A recent break-up with her long term partner, who has left her for another, younger woman, has left her heart broken and has shaken her self-confidence. In the dog-eat-dog world of LA, her innocence renders her as alien as a fish out of water, which is why she is instantly drawn to Emily, who is the only smiling, friendly face around. Through Mia we also get a glimpse into some of the quirks of the Hollywood scene, which I found thoroughly intriguing.
Once Mia starts looking into the mystery of Emily’s disappearance, things start to take on a sinister turn, putting Mia’s own life in danger. I was hooked!
Even though some suspension of disbelief was required to buy the whole premise of the final reveal, and even some of Mia’s actions, I found the story entertaining and intriguing until the end. Some readers may find Mia a bit naive, but I was touched by her honesty and innocence, which made her more relatable for me. A special mention must go to Steadman’s inclusion of a real-life mystery into her story, the suicide of actress Peg Entwistle, who jumped to her death from the “H” of the Hollywood sign in 1932, and whose body was discovered by a hiker a few days later. Her sad death becomes a symbol of the ruthlessness of Hollywood and has a special significance for Mia – I will say no more.
In summary, THE DISAPPEARING ACT offered a fascinating insight behind the glamour of Hollywood, incorporated into an intriguing mystery. It will appeal to readers who are able to suspend disbelief for the sake of a few unexpected twists and a finale I definitely could not have predicted. I really enjoyed Steadman’s writing style and her insider glimpses into the life of an actress, which made for an authentic and compelling read.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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June 10, 2021
Decently suspenseful book, I was kept interested from the beginning really wanting to know what was going on and why.
The main premise is great: British actress Mia has made a name for herself in the UK and heads to LA to audition for some promising roles. While at an audition, she speaks with a fellow actor named Emily and circumstances occur where Emily goes in for her audition and Mia goes to feed Emily's meter for the car. When Mia returns, Emily is nowhere to be found, and no one seems to know who she is--leaving Mia with Emily's bag, wallet, and keys. She takes them home and a couple of days later finally gets in touch with Emily to come pick the items up. When the woman arrives, she says all the right things but she is NOT the woman Mia met at the audition.
Like I said, I was very intrigued with the premise and the author does a great job keeping the suspense going with twists revealed that make everything very mysterious. Where the book fell a bit short for me were some of Mia's choices and things she said and did that were absolutely unrealistic and bizarre. I'm not a fan of armchair detectives and Mia takes chances and does things to try to figure out who Emily really is that no sane person would ever do. At one point, she comes in possession of some critical evidence and instead of going to the police, she actually confronts the suspected bad guy and basically tells him that she knows what happened. Other than her curiosity at what happened to Emily, I could see no point in her getting involved with any of it because she had only met Emily for a few minutes. Even the culminating moment toward the end was totally unbelievable, so many things made me shake my head.
I'd still recommend reading this one because the premise is good. Just suspend your disbelief at Mia's actions and enjoy the mystery and the twists along the way.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
The main premise is great: British actress Mia has made a name for herself in the UK and heads to LA to audition for some promising roles. While at an audition, she speaks with a fellow actor named Emily and circumstances occur where Emily goes in for her audition and Mia goes to feed Emily's meter for the car. When Mia returns, Emily is nowhere to be found, and no one seems to know who she is--leaving Mia with Emily's bag, wallet, and keys. She takes them home and a couple of days later finally gets in touch with Emily to come pick the items up. When the woman arrives, she says all the right things but she is NOT the woman Mia met at the audition.
Like I said, I was very intrigued with the premise and the author does a great job keeping the suspense going with twists revealed that make everything very mysterious. Where the book fell a bit short for me were some of Mia's choices and things she said and did that were absolutely unrealistic and bizarre. I'm not a fan of armchair detectives and Mia takes chances and does things to try to figure out who Emily really is that no sane person would ever do. At one point, she comes in possession of some critical evidence and instead of going to the police, she actually confronts the suspected bad guy and basically tells him that she knows what happened. Other than her curiosity at what happened to Emily, I could see no point in her getting involved with any of it because she had only met Emily for a few minutes. Even the culminating moment toward the end was totally unbelievable, so many things made me shake my head.
I'd still recommend reading this one because the premise is good. Just suspend your disbelief at Mia's actions and enjoy the mystery and the twists along the way.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
April 4, 2022
Mia Eliot is a British actor trying to make it big in Hollywood. At an audition she meets Emily and her life is suddenly plunged into mystery and danger. After their brief encounter, Emily vanishes without a trace. Mia is determined to find the truth behind Emily’s sudden disappearance. Mia breathes a sigh of relief when Emily shows up the next day. Her repose is premature because something is off. This woman resembles Emily, but is not the same woman she met at the audition. Who is this imposter and why is she impersonating Emily? This is a twisty, mystery with a Hollywood edge. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my copy.
March 31, 2021
Quite the page-turner. It reminded me of Lynch's Mullholland Drive and the tv show The Arrangement. Both for the "something's not quite right with this dreamy place" feels and also the feeling of falling down a seemingly bottomless pit of crazy.
It didn't take long for events to take an eerie turn upon Mia's arrival in LA for pilot season. I enjoyed reading about pilot season as a sole end user of entertainment and having only ever heard the term but clearly not having any idea of what is involved in that whirlwind. It was at times invigorating, dangerous and also absurd and it was easy to see how people could get pulled into the whirlpool of it all and in the case of this story, pulled under entirely. Rare was the moment I could see myself making the same decisions Mia chose to and sometimes I was a bit incredulous that she was 28, her naivete was somewhat unreal. But I still wanted her to figure things out and be safe. I was rooting for Mia to make it out on the other side (I was yelling at the book, "Girl, just get your passport & book a flight! Get out of there now! Don't call that woman back! Just leave it!").
As for other characters, I cared a lot about Emily and given the truth of what happens, I liked that Steadman made me feel so much for her and her fate. George, the oft-referenced ex-boyfriend didn't connect for me and I was a bit annoyed that he was talked about so much. I realized that the breakup was abrupt and difficult for Mia but George loomed far too large for a guy who isn't really present and also isn't described in such a way that he seems like a loss. Mia felt it but I didn't. Nick was fine and served his purpose well. For where the story ends, I'd have appreciated seeing a bit more about that journey but no complaints there. Marla, was quite a character and that's all I can say. The remainder were well done for their parts but I don't want to give away anything.
Finally, I very much enjoyed Steadman's descriptions of LA and its environs. As I read I imagined everything bathed in golden, peach and pink hues by day and the glow of the city by night with slashes of purple. The glass tower Mia stayed in was both sleek and creepy and not just because it was occupied by only twenty-odd residents (the remaining hundreds of units were held by off-shore people using them as investments & addresses) and built atop a fault line. Just a lot of well-done evocation of tone and feeling.
In words I'll keep in mind for crosswords and puzzles this book gave me "air-con-chilled". It showed up twice in this book and I looked it up but didn't find a definition or any other word use so I can only assume this is the cool feeling from air conditioning. It was used to describe the coolness of skin and diamonds.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.
It didn't take long for events to take an eerie turn upon Mia's arrival in LA for pilot season. I enjoyed reading about pilot season as a sole end user of entertainment and having only ever heard the term but clearly not having any idea of what is involved in that whirlwind. It was at times invigorating, dangerous and also absurd and it was easy to see how people could get pulled into the whirlpool of it all and in the case of this story, pulled under entirely. Rare was the moment I could see myself making the same decisions Mia chose to and sometimes I was a bit incredulous that she was 28, her naivete was somewhat unreal. But I still wanted her to figure things out and be safe. I was rooting for Mia to make it out on the other side (I was yelling at the book, "Girl, just get your passport & book a flight! Get out of there now! Don't call that woman back! Just leave it!").
As for other characters, I cared a lot about Emily and given the truth of what happens, I liked that Steadman made me feel so much for her and her fate. George, the oft-referenced ex-boyfriend didn't connect for me and I was a bit annoyed that he was talked about so much. I realized that the breakup was abrupt and difficult for Mia but George loomed far too large for a guy who isn't really present and also isn't described in such a way that he seems like a loss. Mia felt it but I didn't. Nick was fine and served his purpose well. For where the story ends, I'd have appreciated seeing a bit more about that journey but no complaints there. Marla, was quite a character and that's all I can say. The remainder were well done for their parts but I don't want to give away anything.
Finally, I very much enjoyed Steadman's descriptions of LA and its environs. As I read I imagined everything bathed in golden, peach and pink hues by day and the glow of the city by night with slashes of purple. The glass tower Mia stayed in was both sleek and creepy and not just because it was occupied by only twenty-odd residents (the remaining hundreds of units were held by off-shore people using them as investments & addresses) and built atop a fault line. Just a lot of well-done evocation of tone and feeling.
In words I'll keep in mind for crosswords and puzzles this book gave me "air-con-chilled". It showed up twice in this book and I looked it up but didn't find a definition or any other word use so I can only assume this is the cool feeling from air conditioning. It was used to describe the coolness of skin and diamonds.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.
July 17, 2021
What would you do to get your big break?
British actress, Mia Eliot, is dumped by her actor boyfriend in the most devastating way. He moves out of their flat without a call, text, or email. When she learns that he is dating his new younger co-star, she decides it’s time for a change. She flies to America in the hopes of getting her big break in Hollywood. When she meets Emily at an audition, she thinks she may have made a new friend. Instead, Emily disappears without her wallet and keys. What happened to Emily?
I have read three Catherine Steadman thrillers and you would think that I would have learned my lesson by now! Her books always begin with an intriguing premise and lure me into the plot, but leave me somewhat unsatisfied in the end. Unfortunately, The Disappearing Act follows suit with the same formula.
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author. While she does a great job of switching between British and American accents, I soon became frustrated with the the mistakes in the writing. There are several times where American characters use British terminology, like “car park” instead of “parking lot” and “fancy” instead of “like.” It is also a slow moving book with a ridiculous premise. I did enjoy the Hollywood acting scene, but struggled to root for Mia, as she is a somewhat boring and unlikeable amateur sleuth. The ending is clever, but definitely not realistic or believable.
3.5/5 stars
British actress, Mia Eliot, is dumped by her actor boyfriend in the most devastating way. He moves out of their flat without a call, text, or email. When she learns that he is dating his new younger co-star, she decides it’s time for a change. She flies to America in the hopes of getting her big break in Hollywood. When she meets Emily at an audition, she thinks she may have made a new friend. Instead, Emily disappears without her wallet and keys. What happened to Emily?
I have read three Catherine Steadman thrillers and you would think that I would have learned my lesson by now! Her books always begin with an intriguing premise and lure me into the plot, but leave me somewhat unsatisfied in the end. Unfortunately, The Disappearing Act follows suit with the same formula.
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author. While she does a great job of switching between British and American accents, I soon became frustrated with the the mistakes in the writing. There are several times where American characters use British terminology, like “car park” instead of “parking lot” and “fancy” instead of “like.” It is also a slow moving book with a ridiculous premise. I did enjoy the Hollywood acting scene, but struggled to root for Mia, as she is a somewhat boring and unlikeable amateur sleuth. The ending is clever, but definitely not realistic or believable.
3.5/5 stars
June 6, 2021
I loved Something in the Water and I've been watching for new books by the author ever since. Mr. Nobody was just a so-so read for me, so this one has restored my confidence in Ms. Steadman. It’s well written, as are all of her novels, and it’s filled with unexpected events. I’m excited to see what she comes out with next!
Mia is one of the most irritating characters I’ve read about in a long time. I disagreed with almost every decision she made... but there wouldn’t have been a book if she’d listened to me, lol! The beginning was a bit slow, but once I got into it I was hooked!
Mia lives in London, is newly single, and her career as an actress is taking off. She flies to LA for auditions and meets Emily, a very friendly woman who is auditioning for the same part. They have a bizarre interaction and Emily disappears, leaving Mia with her car keys and wallet. Of course, Mia doesn’t do any of the logical things with the items and the story begins!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Ballantine Books, for the opportunity to read this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: June 8th 2021 by Ballantine Books
Pages: 320
Recommend: Yes
@CatSteadman @randomhouse @NetGalley
#TheDisappearingAct #NetGalley #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #BallantineBooks
More on the Author:
Twitter: @CatSteadman
Instagram: @catsteadman
Mia is one of the most irritating characters I’ve read about in a long time. I disagreed with almost every decision she made... but there wouldn’t have been a book if she’d listened to me, lol! The beginning was a bit slow, but once I got into it I was hooked!
Mia lives in London, is newly single, and her career as an actress is taking off. She flies to LA for auditions and meets Emily, a very friendly woman who is auditioning for the same part. They have a bizarre interaction and Emily disappears, leaving Mia with her car keys and wallet. Of course, Mia doesn’t do any of the logical things with the items and the story begins!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Ballantine Books, for the opportunity to read this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: June 8th 2021 by Ballantine Books
Pages: 320
Recommend: Yes
@CatSteadman @randomhouse @NetGalley
#TheDisappearingAct #NetGalley #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #BallantineBooks
More on the Author:
Twitter: @CatSteadman
Instagram: @catsteadman
October 13, 2021
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman is a gripping psychological thriller story set in the acting world with many twists and turns. You’ll be suspicious of everyone in this cast!
Young actress Mia Eliot has just starred as Jane in Eyre, a TV series adaptation of the famous novel by Charlotte Bronte. She’s been tipped for a BAFTA award and her agent Cynthia is keen to capitalise on this. She sends Mia to LA from London for a three week period at the start of 'pilot season’ for auditions. Coincidently Mia’s just been cowardly dumped by her long time ‘actor’ boyfriend so she’s keen to get away.
Mia meets a woman named Emily Bryant at one of the auditions. She clicks with Emily but then, what starts off as a straightforward favour turns into the mystery of Emily’s disappearance.
We're given an interesting look behind the glamour of Hollywood and and the dark characters that lurk there, I loved the show biz setting!
I really enjoyed the atmospheric scenes situated at the Hollywood sign, each giant letter the height of a five storey building. This landmark and cultural icon has a dark history that I was not aware of until reading this story.
This one is a real page turner with lots of strange and weird happenings, It was a fast and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a copy of the book to read and review
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman is a gripping psychological thriller story set in the acting world with many twists and turns. You’ll be suspicious of everyone in this cast!
Young actress Mia Eliot has just starred as Jane in Eyre, a TV series adaptation of the famous novel by Charlotte Bronte. She’s been tipped for a BAFTA award and her agent Cynthia is keen to capitalise on this. She sends Mia to LA from London for a three week period at the start of 'pilot season’ for auditions. Coincidently Mia’s just been cowardly dumped by her long time ‘actor’ boyfriend so she’s keen to get away.
Mia meets a woman named Emily Bryant at one of the auditions. She clicks with Emily but then, what starts off as a straightforward favour turns into the mystery of Emily’s disappearance.
We're given an interesting look behind the glamour of Hollywood and and the dark characters that lurk there, I loved the show biz setting!
I really enjoyed the atmospheric scenes situated at the Hollywood sign, each giant letter the height of a five storey building. This landmark and cultural icon has a dark history that I was not aware of until reading this story.
This one is a real page turner with lots of strange and weird happenings, It was a fast and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a copy of the book to read and review
June 5, 2021
The Disappearing Act is not the first thriller I’ve read from Catherine Steadman and it probably won’t be the last. The writing in this author’s books does seem to always be incredibly compelling despite my finding a few things that I consider to be slight personal flaws.
In this story Mia Eliot is a British actress who has traveled to Los Angeles to attend several auditions with her chance to actually make it as an actress in Hollywood after a successful part. Mia has been set up in a luxurious apartment in a nice building and given a pricey car to make her way around the city all for a few Instagram posts and can’t believe her luck.
One afternoon however Mia is waiting for her turn at an audition when she meets another young actress, Emily, auditioning for the same part. As the time comes for Emily to go in she gets flustered and says she needs to feed her parking meter. Not wanting to be rushed in either Mia volunteers to do it for Emily taking her things as Emily heads into the audition. After helping Emily out however Mia can’t find her afterwards and begins to worry something has happened.
I picked up this book late one night to begin reading and it was one of those times that I just didn’t want to put it down and kept thinking just one more chapter. The story flows rather well and is completely addictive when it comes to wanting to know what comes next just as I had remembered had happened before with this author. However, I did find something that held me back from a high rating then and now it has happened with a totally different reason. This time I felt I wasn’t overly exited with how the entire book ended which I won’t go into to avoid spoilers but that feeling left me rating this one at three and a half stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
In this story Mia Eliot is a British actress who has traveled to Los Angeles to attend several auditions with her chance to actually make it as an actress in Hollywood after a successful part. Mia has been set up in a luxurious apartment in a nice building and given a pricey car to make her way around the city all for a few Instagram posts and can’t believe her luck.
One afternoon however Mia is waiting for her turn at an audition when she meets another young actress, Emily, auditioning for the same part. As the time comes for Emily to go in she gets flustered and says she needs to feed her parking meter. Not wanting to be rushed in either Mia volunteers to do it for Emily taking her things as Emily heads into the audition. After helping Emily out however Mia can’t find her afterwards and begins to worry something has happened.
I picked up this book late one night to begin reading and it was one of those times that I just didn’t want to put it down and kept thinking just one more chapter. The story flows rather well and is completely addictive when it comes to wanting to know what comes next just as I had remembered had happened before with this author. However, I did find something that held me back from a high rating then and now it has happened with a totally different reason. This time I felt I wasn’t overly exited with how the entire book ended which I won’t go into to avoid spoilers but that feeling left me rating this one at three and a half stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 25, 2022
Молодая британская актриса Мия, номинированная на премию BAFTA и весьма обласканная публикой, не очень счастлива (внезапно!). По вечерам актрису, у которой нет инстаграма (три ха-ха), караулит навязчивый поклонник, а ненавязчивый жених, наоборот, как-то подозрительно безынициативен. Тогда Мия, всплеснув руками, бросает все к чертовой матери приезжает в Голливуд на какой-то очень крутой и секретный кастинг.
Казалось бы, ничто так не приводит в чувство, как покататься по Лос-Анжелесу в халявной ауди (ради которой пришлось-таки завести инстаграм). Но уже по дороге из аэропорта Мия узнает историю про несчастную актрису, которая сбросилась с тех самых манящих букв на холмах, не заполучив роль своей мечты, а на одном из кастингов с ней знакомится и тут же пропадает другая актриса, подозрительно похожая на саму Мию. Которая, конечно, тут же воображает себя Нэнси Дрю и начинает расследовать то-не-знаю-что.
Если вам кажется, что я путано рассказываю, то это не я, это такая книжка! Девиз Мии — слабоумие и отвага, ну, и роль же мечты очень хочется получить. В общем, все в этой книжке приятно подозрительно, главного романтического героя зовут Ник (как в "Исчезнувшей"), суть проблемы до конца не понятна никому, даже Мие, но от книжки почему-то не оторваться (я слушала аудио на Сторителе, даже с раскалывающейся от болезни головой).
June 19, 2021
Mia meets Emily at an audition after which Emily disappears, and no one other than Mia seems to be looking for her. The story is set in the cutthroat Hollywood movie and tv business, where the desire to get ahead of the competition seems paramount. The author of this book is also an actress, so there is an authentic feel to the description of the stresses and perks experienced by an English actress who travels to Los Angeles for a series of auditions. The plot was melodramatic but entertaining. It could make you wonder exactly how the hot new star got their big break.
The first half of the book dragged a little, and the whole side plot about Mia dating a producer could have been left out. Nevertheless, I definitely liked this book more than I liked “Mr. Nobody”, but not as much as I liked “Something in the Water”, so 3.5 stars. The author narrates her own audiobooks and she does a good job.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The first half of the book dragged a little, and the whole side plot about Mia dating a producer could have been left out. Nevertheless, I definitely liked this book more than I liked “Mr. Nobody”, but not as much as I liked “Something in the Water”, so 3.5 stars. The author narrates her own audiobooks and she does a good job.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 21, 2021
Mia Eliot is a British actress struggling to find her way to success in the film industry. She has just gained some notoriety with her filming of Jane Eyre and her agent has secured an audition across the ocean in spectacular Hollywood. The film is a very "hush, hush" project with a starring role of an actresses lifetime and Mia needs this role because her good-looking boyfriend of six years (also an actor) just up and left her for a young gorgeous model/starlet without a word except a short text message while the world knew before Mia did with pictures of the happy new couple showing up on Instagram, newspapers and magazines. Broken hearted but determined to move on she arrives in beautiful L.A. and is amazed at the fast pace and the over friendliness of strangers that feels somewhat fake to her. At the audition she meets Emily another actress auditioning for a role in the film and she thinks this could be a new friendship while staying in the states. Before the day is over Mia will have Emily's wallet and car keys with no way of contacting her and will soon realize Emily seems to be missing but no one believes her and within a few days Mia wishes that she never met a young woman named Emily and Hollywood would never hold the aura of glittering lights and glamour and beautiful people for her again.
I really enjoyed this entertaining and dark story. Mia was a great character, very naive and sweet in a world of vicious wild animals. I thought she was extremely likeable but impulsive with making some very poor decisions yet this added to the charisma of the story. There were some great twists and I had to pay careful attention because the characters would get very confusing at times (in a good way). This was my first book by Catherine Steadman and I'm looking forward to reading her previous two books that have received many great reviews. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who reads mystery books and psychological thrillers. It was fun to read about the darker side of Hollywood although this was a fictional story, one can only imagine how ruthless the film industry could be.
I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have give this intriguing book a rating of 4 Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
I really enjoyed this entertaining and dark story. Mia was a great character, very naive and sweet in a world of vicious wild animals. I thought she was extremely likeable but impulsive with making some very poor decisions yet this added to the charisma of the story. There were some great twists and I had to pay careful attention because the characters would get very confusing at times (in a good way). This was my first book by Catherine Steadman and I'm looking forward to reading her previous two books that have received many great reviews. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who reads mystery books and psychological thrillers. It was fun to read about the darker side of Hollywood although this was a fictional story, one can only imagine how ruthless the film industry could be.
I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have give this intriguing book a rating of 4 Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
May 30, 2021
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 8, 2021
British actress Mia Eliot has been invited to LA to audition for an up and coming movie, as well as to take part in the renowned “pilot season”. When she arrives in LA at her first audition, she meets another actress, Emily Bryant, and the two quickly bond. Days later, Emily completely disappears, leaving behind her car and identification, and Mia cannot get in touch with her. Convinced something has happened to Emily, Mia is determined to find the missing actress. When a woman shows up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily, Mia expects everything to be resolved. Except for one thing- this woman is not Emily. Mia then begins to get disturbing threats, and items begin to go missing from her secure apartment. What was Emily involved in? Is she missing? Did she even exist at all?
Actress-turned-author Catherine Steadman returns with her third novel, “The Disappearing Act”. Steadman is a new author for me, so I went into this one completely blind, enticed by the premise.
The nitty gritty details of the acting world take centre stage (pun intended) in this novel, set among the Hollywood elite and the glitz and glamour of the LA acting scene. The fact that Steadman was an actor herself adds some harsh reality and truth to the depiction of money-trumping-all and every-man-for-themselves attitude that LA has embodied in so many onscreen representations. Combined of course, with the tragic #metoo movement, and the misogynistic male-dominated acting industry, “The Disappearing Act” is a powerfully relevant read.
Mia is a great character, full of charm and grace and I found her very easy to root for. The female camaraderie that she attempts with Emily is honest and sweet, and Emily herself appears to be friendly and open. The fact that there are so many young females in this novel who look enough alike to be confused for the other make the plotline seem a little unbelievable to me, although I have never faced the acting scene of LA, so perhaps there is some truth to it.
I enjoyed the glamorous backdrops and the surreal depiction of the LA lifestyle, and the plot had enough twists and turns that the ending was completely unexpected, but also entirely satisfying. The story was well-researched, having obviously come from Steadman’s personal life experiences with the acting world, and I found the plot to be well-developed, and the characters to be affable and likable. “The Disappearing Act” offers a full blown escape, while maintaining an air of mystery and intrigue that kept me engaged from page one.
Expected publication date: June 8, 2021
British actress Mia Eliot has been invited to LA to audition for an up and coming movie, as well as to take part in the renowned “pilot season”. When she arrives in LA at her first audition, she meets another actress, Emily Bryant, and the two quickly bond. Days later, Emily completely disappears, leaving behind her car and identification, and Mia cannot get in touch with her. Convinced something has happened to Emily, Mia is determined to find the missing actress. When a woman shows up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily, Mia expects everything to be resolved. Except for one thing- this woman is not Emily. Mia then begins to get disturbing threats, and items begin to go missing from her secure apartment. What was Emily involved in? Is she missing? Did she even exist at all?
Actress-turned-author Catherine Steadman returns with her third novel, “The Disappearing Act”. Steadman is a new author for me, so I went into this one completely blind, enticed by the premise.
The nitty gritty details of the acting world take centre stage (pun intended) in this novel, set among the Hollywood elite and the glitz and glamour of the LA acting scene. The fact that Steadman was an actor herself adds some harsh reality and truth to the depiction of money-trumping-all and every-man-for-themselves attitude that LA has embodied in so many onscreen representations. Combined of course, with the tragic #metoo movement, and the misogynistic male-dominated acting industry, “The Disappearing Act” is a powerfully relevant read.
Mia is a great character, full of charm and grace and I found her very easy to root for. The female camaraderie that she attempts with Emily is honest and sweet, and Emily herself appears to be friendly and open. The fact that there are so many young females in this novel who look enough alike to be confused for the other make the plotline seem a little unbelievable to me, although I have never faced the acting scene of LA, so perhaps there is some truth to it.
I enjoyed the glamorous backdrops and the surreal depiction of the LA lifestyle, and the plot had enough twists and turns that the ending was completely unexpected, but also entirely satisfying. The story was well-researched, having obviously come from Steadman’s personal life experiences with the acting world, and I found the plot to be well-developed, and the characters to be affable and likable. “The Disappearing Act” offers a full blown escape, while maintaining an air of mystery and intrigue that kept me engaged from page one.
April 16, 2021
First, thank you Ballentine Books and Netgallery for this ARC.
I have never read Steadman's work until this novel. I was tickled by the blurb and had to get my hands on it. I'm not a big fan of Hollywood or celebrities in general, but boy do I love a good jaunt in solving crime--especially a missing person case.
This story takes readers back stage, behind the scenes of the Hollywood we are privy to as fans and onlookers. That intrigued me and pulled me into this story. A lot of things pushed me back out--weak and unbelievable characterization, implausible happenings, a plot that both fell flat and was full of holes, and an ending the left too many things unanswered.
I wish I had better things to say about this novel, but unfortunately, I didn't much enjoy it. I don't think I'll be picking up any more of Steadman's works.
I have never read Steadman's work until this novel. I was tickled by the blurb and had to get my hands on it. I'm not a big fan of Hollywood or celebrities in general, but boy do I love a good jaunt in solving crime--especially a missing person case.
This story takes readers back stage, behind the scenes of the Hollywood we are privy to as fans and onlookers. That intrigued me and pulled me into this story. A lot of things pushed me back out--weak and unbelievable characterization, implausible happenings, a plot that both fell flat and was full of holes, and an ending the left too many things unanswered.
I wish I had better things to say about this novel, but unfortunately, I didn't much enjoy it. I don't think I'll be picking up any more of Steadman's works.
July 18, 2021
First off, I would like to say that I really like Catherine Steadmans writing style. It's easy to follow and flows well. I absolutely loved Something In The Water by her. This one just fell a little short for me. The storyline was good, and I really liked Mia. But I also felt a little cheated because there was no huge surprising twist at the end. At times the story was intense and other times it seemed to drag on endlessly. I would have loved for Mia and Nick's story to be more developed than it was. Overall I am glad that I read this.
June 20, 2021
2.5 stars 😒
So the first third was VERY promising, but then the trope of unreliable characters just became too circular and too cliche. The end was predictable.
In all honesty, it read more like a domestic drama than thriller. So if you go into this expecting a focus on feelings and inner monologues, then you will be okay.
So the first third was VERY promising, but then the trope of unreliable characters just became too circular and too cliche. The end was predictable.
In all honesty, it read more like a domestic drama than thriller. So if you go into this expecting a focus on feelings and inner monologues, then you will be okay.
December 22, 2021
Mia Eliot is a London-based actress who is now in LA for pilot season. She's ready for her big break in Hollywood. At an audition she meets another fellow actress, Emily. After she agrees to help Emily out, things take a turn, and suddenly Emily is missing, with Mia the last person to have seen her. Mia thinks all is well when Emily shows up, but the person who shows up claiming to be her... isn't Emily. Why would someone claim to be Emily? Worried for her own mental health, Mia goes on a quest to find Emily and soon uncovers some very dangerous and worrisome answers.
This was a pretty decent page-turner. I had to get past the fact that Mia seemed somewhat obsessed with Emily: the whole situation was a bit contrived. It would have been a bit easy for her to be like, okay, this was weird, but the police are handling it. (It was also a little interesting to think what I would have done in a similar situation too, though.) If you can move past that, the book is full of twists, especially once it really gets in full swing. It has a lot of surprises and truly kept me guessing until the end.
Sadly, I didn't really love the resolution--I wish the ending had been a little different. Still, the presentation of the #MeToo theming and overall insights into acting are presented quite well. Mia is an interesting character, as well, her obsession not withstanding. 3.5 stars.
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This was a pretty decent page-turner. I had to get past the fact that Mia seemed somewhat obsessed with Emily: the whole situation was a bit contrived. It would have been a bit easy for her to be like, okay, this was weird, but the police are handling it. (It was also a little interesting to think what I would have done in a similar situation too, though.) If you can move past that, the book is full of twists, especially once it really gets in full swing. It has a lot of surprises and truly kept me guessing until the end.
Sadly, I didn't really love the resolution--I wish the ending had been a little different. Still, the presentation of the #MeToo theming and overall insights into acting are presented quite well. Mia is an interesting character, as well, her obsession not withstanding. 3.5 stars.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
June 21, 2021
Competition for coveted roles turns deadly in this dark Hollywood-based drama by actress/author Catherine Steadman.
How far will an actress go to get a role?
When British actress Mia Eliot arrives in LA for pilot season to begin a series of auditions, she meets an actress named Emily while waiting for a casting call. When Emily's name is called, Emily asks Mia (a complete stranger) to hold her keys and her wallet (Huh?). Emily disappears and leaves Mia with her keys and wallet. (Huh?).
Mia unsuccessfully tries to locate Emily and focuses all of her efforts on trying to find her. (Huh?) Several days later, a woman claiming to be Emily contacts Mia and even though Mia is sure that this woman is not Emily, she gives the woman Emily's keys and wallet . (Huh?). Since Mia is convinced that the woman who now has Emily's wallet and keys is not the real Emily, she becomes determined to find the real Emily. (Huh?)
Although the book was well-written and provided interesting information about the entertainment industry, plot holes were plentiful and the pace of the book was very, very slow. In addition, many aspects of the book were implausible; creating a situation where the book just lacked credibility.
I listened to the audiobook that was read by the author. I usually don't like it when authors read their own books (unless it's a memoir), but since author Catherine Steadman is also a trained actress, she was able to pull this off and her narration of the book was excellent.
Two stars rounded up.
How far will an actress go to get a role?
When British actress Mia Eliot arrives in LA for pilot season to begin a series of auditions, she meets an actress named Emily while waiting for a casting call. When Emily's name is called, Emily asks Mia (a complete stranger) to hold her keys and her wallet (Huh?). Emily disappears and leaves Mia with her keys and wallet. (Huh?).
Mia unsuccessfully tries to locate Emily and focuses all of her efforts on trying to find her. (Huh?) Several days later, a woman claiming to be Emily contacts Mia and even though Mia is sure that this woman is not Emily, she gives the woman Emily's keys and wallet . (Huh?). Since Mia is convinced that the woman who now has Emily's wallet and keys is not the real Emily, she becomes determined to find the real Emily. (Huh?)
Although the book was well-written and provided interesting information about the entertainment industry, plot holes were plentiful and the pace of the book was very, very slow. In addition, many aspects of the book were implausible; creating a situation where the book just lacked credibility.
I listened to the audiobook that was read by the author. I usually don't like it when authors read their own books (unless it's a memoir), but since author Catherine Steadman is also a trained actress, she was able to pull this off and her narration of the book was excellent.
Two stars rounded up.
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