The Disappearing Act - Catherine Steadman

This is my first time reading a Catherine Steadman book and I doubt very much it will be the last, I was hooked from the start and finished it in one sitting, I just had to know the outcome. I really enjoyed the Hollywood/ Film industry theme of this book, as it's not something that gets used very often in phycological thrillers, and I thought it was totally riveting. The pace was great, there didn't feel like any unnecessary filler material, and I was really invested in finding out the truth, Many thanks NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the approval for this book.

A tale about an actress written by an actress ( best known role in Downton Abbey ) so it was good to feel you were getting the ‘inside story’ on some things throughout the book, I particularly loved the ‘Gifting Suite’ where a floor of a hotel is taken over by top brands who want to gift the rich and famous their wares according to the colour you are allotted, Platinum being the best, depends on the gifts you get ( yes it’s morally dubious and excessively crude but double yes I would love to go to one 😁)
Most of the story is based in L.A. and around a fairly complex plot involving 3 women, one of who goes missing, complex can also be interchanged with nonsensical at times, parts of it at any rate but it’s a quick read, some great descriptive writing re Hollywood and all that goes on there and even though a medium to large pinch of salt was needed it was enjoyable to a point

6/10
3 Stars

When British actor, twenty-eight-year-old Mia Eliot, is heartlessly dumped for a younger woman by her boyfriend of six years, she decides to take up an invitation to go to LA for pilot season. When she arrives she is stunned to be housed in a spacious apartment & given a brand new car for free - all she needs to do is promise to Instagram them.

Mia's agent has booked her a photo shoot & several auditions, but at one of them Mia meets Emily, an actor from New York, up for the same part. Despite this the women get chatting & when Emily is called into her audition, Mia offers to feed the meter so Emily's car isn't towed away. After doing so, Mia returns to the reception room but the person coming out of the audition room isn't Emily - in fact she seems to have disappeared altogether. When Emily won't return her calls, & the police don't want to know, Mia starts a desperate search of her own to find out what really happened to Emily, but when it looks like someone is gaining access to her emails & even entering her apartment in the middle of the night, it seems Mia may have put herself in terrible danger.

For 80-90% of this book I was absolutely hooked, the MC was fairly easy to like, the pace was blistering with some excellent twists & turns. I literally couldn't put it down & found myself a third of the way through in the first hour. I think the ending felt rather rushed though & it didn't quite do justice to the rest of the book in my opinion, but I enjoyed the rest of it so much that it deserves 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thanks to Catherine Steadman, Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for the ARC of The Disappearing Act.

Wow, this book had me well and truly hooked and I read this from cover to cover in a day, I simply couldn't put it down!

Mia is an actress who should be celebrating her success (after all she is rumoured to be nominated for a BAFTA), however her parter leaves her without even a proper goodbye and she is left feeling lost. She is given the opportunity to head out to LA for pilot season and audition for some of the biggest leads of her life and with nothing else to lose, she grabs it with both hands.

Whilst waiting at an audition she meets fellow actress Emily who is up for the same part. They get chatting but when the audition starts to run late Emily starts to worry that her parking meter will run out. Mia offers to top up the meter for her whilst she goes in, so Emily trustingly passes over her wallet and keys and heads off to her audition.

What starts as a simple favour turns very dark as Emily never returns and Mia was the last person to see her She appears to have vanishes with no money and no car.

When Mia finally manages to track Emily down, she arranges to comes and collect her stuff, except the woman that arrives isn't Emily but someone pretending to be her! Who is the 'fake' Emily and where has the real Emily gone?!

With the police unwilling to help her, Emily finds herself becoming deeply inthralled in something far deeper than a missing person!

This book has a way of drawing you in completely and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, suspecting various characters but never quite predicting how this was going to end. A really great psychological thriller from the author of Something in the Water. 5 stars from me! x

After intensely disliking Mr. Nobody I hadn’t high expectations for The disappearing act so I’m the first one surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. Sure, I’m a sucker for anything movie/Hollywood/film industry related but, unlike another recent release with a movie theme, this managed to hook me from page one. Maybe the plot is a bit over the top and Mia doesn’t always make the smartest choices but it was so fast paced and so engaging that it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

Now I surely have to give the author’s debut a chance and I’ll be anxiously waiting for her next book.

The Disappearing Act is a thriller twisted with something a little different. Taking readers into the world of the LA pilot season, the mystery and suspense soon begin to take over.

Described as a psychological thriller, I was worried that the story wasn’t going to get there, as there’s a lot of setting up the scene. It’s not until around the 40% mark that you begin to see where the story is going. But then when the action finally comes, it really picks up speed.

Although it has a slow beginning, I did really enjoy Steadman’s character development and the detail of this actress’ experiences during pilot season. It’s not something we often get an insight into, so I love that Steadman has used her own experiences as an actress to show us something different.

She also uses the opportunity to address some controversial issues at the same time, because we all know about the pressures that up and coming actresses are often placed under, especially when they’re in a new city and away from any support, so I appreciate that Steadman takes the time to address this important topic at the same time.

While I wasn’t completely gripped by the story, it was easy to sit and read in a few hours and I really enjoyed experiencing something a little different. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Steadman.

The Disappearing Act is a riveting and engrossing thriller about the dark side of Hollywood and asks the question: how far would you be willing to go to achieve your desires? Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized, stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out. British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily is friendly and genuine and reassuringly doesn't seem to be taking any of it too seriously. She stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees.

But a simple favor turns dark when Emily disappears and Mia realizes she was the last person to see her, and the woman who knocks on Mia's door the following day claiming to be her new friend isn't the woman Mia remembers at all. All Mia has to go on is the memory of a girl she met only once and the suffocating feeling that something terrible has happened. Worse still, the police don't believe her when she claims the real Emily has gone missing. So Mia is forced to risk the role of a lifetime to try to uncover the truth about Emily, a gamble that will force her to question her own sanity as the truth goes beyond anything she could ever have imagined. This is a compulsive, tense and twisty psychological thriller about fierce competition, intense jealousy, obfuscation and obsessive ambition fuelled by the cutthroat world of Hollywood. It's a highly addictive read with the mystery of Emily’s disappearance at the centre and Mia is an interesting and engaging protagonist to follow; as with all of the cast she is well developed. As the book progresses, the twists serve to immerse you in Mia’s world, and Steadman ratchets up the tension to produce a thoroughly unexpected ending.

This book surprised me, I’ve never read any of the authors previous books but I’ve now added them to my Amazon basket. I really enjoyed it!

Mia, has upped and packed her stuff, heading to the land of Stars and Stripes to further build her acting career. At an audition she meets Emily, kindly offering to go update her parking as she’s called into her audition. However, Mia can’t find Emily again after this, so leaves her details so she can get in contact and collect her belongings that Mia had kindly held on to for her. When Emily does finally get in touch, all is not as it seems and as the story progresses many twists and turns come about, gripping you and reeling you in, creating a fabulous, tense page-turner that you will not want to put down!

Dark in parts, with some contents that may be triggering for some, this psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, and reading chapter after chapter, trying to work out what’s going on! Well recommended read and I can’t wait to get stuck into some of the authors previous works :)

**I received an advanced copy of this ebook to read and review. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me this opportunity **

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is about an actress called Mia, who has had great success in her home country (UK), and now flies out to L.A. to audition for other roles, in the hope of grabbing that one big role. Previous to her leaving, her then boyfriend, George, leaves her. He doesn’t even tell her he’s leaving, he just arranges for a removal van to go and pick up his stuff.
After Mia gets to L.A. and arrives at an audition, she connects with another actress called Emily. They go outside for fresh air, and Emily is called in for her audition, but she also needs to extend the parking on her car. Mia offers to sort the parking out and Emily gives her car keys and wallet. Mia goes back to the audition suite and Emily has disappeared. Mia leaves a note for her to get in touch. Emily doesn’t get in touch straightaway. Eventually, after testing Mia, she arrives at Mia’s hotel to collect her things, and then Mia realises this person is pretending to be Emily. It isn’t actually her. This starts off a whole mind bending scenario for Mia, and she tries to find the real Emily and find out what is going on.

I really liked the storyline, but also felt it was missing something. Something that gives it that jaw dropping quality. There were some good twists in the story but I feel the story could have had more, nevertheless, I did enjoy it. I liked the character of Mia, she had layers to her personality that everyone could relate to on some level. And you definitely go through the story rooting for her, especially after the appalling way she was treated at the beginning by her ex. The book was highly descriptive of the settings, which was great to really picture the story in your minds eye. Overall, I enjoyed it.

After stumbling across, and loving a previous book from Steadman, Mr Nobody, I was so excited to read an ARC of her newest book. And boy this doesn’t disappoint. I should point out that there are some trigger warnings in this book, which are potential spoilers - so check out the end of this review if you want to know more!

This had me hooked from the start as you follow Mia as she navigates her way through Hollywood and all the trappings associated. I know it’s a work of fiction but there were insights into the filmmaking process and it helps makes you realise the effort, hopes, dreams and disappointments that go into the industry. I really found it fascinating how Mia prepares for roles. I really liked Mia, she was feisty, intelligent (although some choices in this story were a little questionable!), and had heart.

This latest thriller had me trying to guess where the story would end up (spoiler alert - I didn’t!) and I genuinely didn’t see the twists and turns coming. This had echoes of The Lady Vanishes and it was such a ride as Mia tries to figure it all out.

Steadman is becoming my favourite thriller writer as I’ve loved all her books that I’ve read so far - if you’re new to Steadman, you really need to rectify that!
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⚠️ Trigger warning and potential spoilers!⚠️ Deals heavily with rape and sexual assault, so affected readers beware

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster UK, and Catherine Steadman for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The premise for The Disappearing Act really had me intrigued: A woman has gone missing, but did she ever really exist?

How good does that sound?!

Well, not as good as I anticipated, sadly. I really enjoyed the first half; plenty of suspense, red herrings and twists and turns, but unfortunately it just fell a little flat for me.

Mia, the main protagonist makes some ridiculously questionable decisions, and some parts of the book are completely implausible.

I also found the ending somewhat of a disappointment; I turned the page expecting more, just to be faced with the acknowledgements section. There are too many questions that remain unanswered.

That being said, it was a quick, well written, easy read, and I did thoroughly enjoy parts of it, so it’s a solid three stars from me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow... Catherine Steadman really knows know to write an engrossing thriller. This novel had me glued to the pages with so many twists and turns, it will have your head spinning.

A modern psychological thriller set in the cut throat world of Hollywood, with well developed characters and a captivating plot that keeps you guessing the entire time. An absolute must read!

Superb!

Mia is a British actress, famous for a previous film and now hoping for her break in Hollywood, quite a normal dream you would think, but things take a sour turn when she meets another actress who needs a favor. After that favor she completely disappears.

I don’t want to give away too much so that’s as far as I will go but I cannot recommend this book enough.

After loving both Something in the Water and Mr Nobody this new book by Catherine Steadman was again quite the rollercoaster ride. A real tense page turner.

I revelled in the settings of LA/Hollywood and the mixture of glitz, glamour and the dark side of the industry. I couldn’t decide what was real and what wasn’t throughout!

I was gripped by this book and so would give it 4.5🌟 (rounded up to 5)

I enjoyed the premise of this book and felt that it lived up to the "Blurb". I enjoyed the setting of the book, and intrigued by the plot around those who are trying to make it in the entertainment industry. It feels very relevant at the moment with many of the recent news stories. Definitely one to read.

This was a great read and kept me guessing throughout! Right from the first few chapters I was intrigued by the dilemma Mia found herself facing when attending an audition of her life. It left me questioning what really was the truth. The false, competative, pretentious and almost sinister backdrop of Hollywood provided enough to fuel this. This was a quick page turner for me with plenty of OMG moments!
Thank-you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC copy of The Dissapearing Act by Catherine Steadman.

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.

This book has a great premise and starts off really well too. However, I thought the drama and intrigue somewhat fizzled out as the book progressed. It felt like Steadman built an atmosphere and a sense of mystery and it never really went anywhere. Initially I found myself hooked but there was a lack of twists and I lost interest in the plot.

The one great strength of this read is obviously, Steadman knows her industry and this comes across in abundance. Steadman perfectly captures the glitz and drama of Hollywood and I did find myself transported to new, glittering heights. I enjoyed immersing myself in the world of acting and screen tests and I thought this brought something different to a thriller.

I also thought the characters were good in this. I liked Mia as a character and again, I enjoyed immersing myself in her world. She is likeable and carries the story very well. The other characters are not as developed but that is their purpose. There is a mix of likeability and intrigue around the characters and I liked what they brought to the plot.

Overall 'The Disappearing Act' has a strong start and an intriguing premise but sadly, as the book progressed, it lost oomph and I found myself losing interest. Still this is worth a read to get transported to Hollywood alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for an advance copy.

Thank you to Jess Barratt at Simon and Schuster UK for my first ever paperback copy ARC to review! I love getting book mail!
This was brilliant. Steadman really embodied the acting industry. The blood, sweat and tears literally oozed from the pages!
Great leading lady Mia, who frustrated me at times with her decision making, but was a solid character who had a slight modesty about her which helped the reader like her and root for her.
There were a few points where the pace slowed, but when it cranked up I couldn't stop reading! I'd have raced to the end after midnight if I didn't have to work!
The last few chapters were heart stopping scenes, absolutely perfect for a film adaptation! I'm hoping the rights get bought soon!
Fantastic stuff!

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<p>Mia is an interesting character and I have loved the journey through this one with her. </p>
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<p>This is a well-written novel which is filled with mystery. The setting is great, the author has made me feel as though I have been right there with Mia throughout this one. </p>
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<p>Within this novel, we see a spotlight placed on the film industry. This has really peaked my curiosity and kept me completely captivated by this novel. </p>
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<p>The Disappearing Act is well paced and exciting. You cannot predict where this is going at anytime soon the rollercoaster you embark on as a reader of this novel is tense. </p>
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<p>Stead man has created an atmospheric and suspenseful read. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author. This is a novel that I have devoured in one sitting and completely adored. </p>
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When up and coming actress Mia meets Emily at an audition, she agrees to look after her belongings whilst Emily goes in first, but Emily never comes back out and no-one seems to have seen her or heard of her. Even more confusing is that when she eventually makes contact with Emily to return her property, Mia is convinced that the woman that turns up is not Emily. Mia finds she can't concentrate on anything until she discovers the answers to the mystery surrounded Emily and so she sets out to find what really happened.

This book is really well written. The descriptive style of the author is enough to conjure a picture without un-needed waffle. The characters are believable and likeable and the plot has enough intrigue throughout without needing to rely on constant twists and turns. Great story. I was impressed by this author