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brendy_reads_'s review against another edition
2.0
I gotta be brutally honest this was tough to get through at points but it wrapped up well and was a good story overall. Was absolutely not a fan of the main character, she made some WILD choices and I feel like having an American viewpoint of Hollywood could be to blame. Also can’t remember the main characters name help
hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up.
As the author says in her afterword, it was only a matter of time before she brought her life as an actor into her second career of thriller writing. It makes for a very satisfying read though, in this case, I was more interested in the acting side of things than the thriller plot.
Actor Mia Eliot is dumped unceremoniously by her long term boyfriend at the same time as she discovers she’s up for a BAFTA. She decides to escape one and capitalize on the other by taking a trip to LA and auditioning for film and TV roles. But at an audition she offers to feed the meter for a fellow actor but that woman promptly disappears, leaving Mia with her phone and wallet.
Of course, anyone sensible would just dump these accoutrements and get on with auditioning for all the roles on offer, but that would be a different book. Instead, Mia gets all wrapped in the mysterious disappearance of this woman until she starts getting threatening notes telling her to leave things alone. Does she? No, of course not.
I loved all the details about pilot season, gift suites, and auditioning that the author brings from her experience. Similarly, Mia’s experience as a lone fish out of water in the heart of movieland feels very authentic. In fact, that was the book I wanted to read.
I found the thriller/mystery somewhat less interesting. Not that it was badly plotted, it just felt like a bit of an afterthought. There’s a half-hearted attempt to throw in some red herrings, however the climax is a delightfully Hitchcockian scene and the resolution is satisfyingly byzantine even if the epilogue feels extraordinarily unlikely.
I’m obviously truly envious of Ms Steadman’s talents in both her careers - it just doesn’t seem fair! But she remains one of the authors I’m excited to read every time she writes something new.
Thanks to Ballantine and Netgalley for the digital review copy
As the author says in her afterword, it was only a matter of time before she brought her life as an actor into her second career of thriller writing. It makes for a very satisfying read though, in this case, I was more interested in the acting side of things than the thriller plot.
Actor Mia Eliot is dumped unceremoniously by her long term boyfriend at the same time as she discovers she’s up for a BAFTA. She decides to escape one and capitalize on the other by taking a trip to LA and auditioning for film and TV roles. But at an audition she offers to feed the meter for a fellow actor but that woman promptly disappears, leaving Mia with her phone and wallet.
Of course, anyone sensible would just dump these accoutrements and get on with auditioning for all the roles on offer, but that would be a different book. Instead, Mia gets all wrapped in the mysterious disappearance of this woman until she starts getting threatening notes telling her to leave things alone. Does she? No, of course not.
I loved all the details about pilot season, gift suites, and auditioning that the author brings from her experience. Similarly, Mia’s experience as a lone fish out of water in the heart of movieland feels very authentic. In fact, that was the book I wanted to read.
I found the thriller/mystery somewhat less interesting. Not that it was badly plotted, it just felt like a bit of an afterthought. There’s a half-hearted attempt to throw in some red herrings, however the climax is a delightfully Hitchcockian scene and the resolution is satisfyingly byzantine even if the epilogue feels extraordinarily unlikely.
I’m obviously truly envious of Ms Steadman’s talents in both her careers - it just doesn’t seem fair! But she remains one of the authors I’m excited to read every time she writes something new.
Thanks to Ballantine and Netgalley for the digital review copy
vkoka89's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
Mia Eliot is an up-and-coming British actress and is well-known for her role as Jane Eyre. After her long-time boyfriend ghosts her for a much younger co-star, she hopes to take her success to the next level by flying out to LA during pilot season to land the role of a lifetime. There she meets aspiring actress Emily Bryant at a casting audition and what begins as a simple favor to help out a fellow actress turns dark as Emily suddenly disappears without a trace, leaving Mia with her car keys and wallet. Mia manages to track her down in hopes of returning her wallet and keys, but things get weird pretty quickly when a different woman shows up at her door claiming to be Emily. Mia could just leave it alone and move on with her life, but she can't shake the feeling that the real Emily is in danger.
While it's marketed as a psychological thriller, I found the story to be more of a suspense/mystery. Nonetheless, it was still a fun read and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and it's worth mentioning that the author was a British actress herself, so it was inevitable that she would write a story about the acting world. I found it to be a page-turner and I liked Mia, although she was pretty naive and could have easily avoided putting her own life in danger as well. As I was reading I thought I had the ending figured out, it seemed obvious to me, but after all the twists and turns I was genuinely surprised the direction it had gone. The author is a fantastic writer but for this particular story I wish there was more showing than telling. All in all, I still enjoyed it.
Special thanks to NetGalley, the author Catherine Steadman, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Disappearing Act is scheduled to be released on June 8, 2021.
Mia Eliot is an up-and-coming British actress and is well-known for her role as Jane Eyre. After her long-time boyfriend ghosts her for a much younger co-star, she hopes to take her success to the next level by flying out to LA during pilot season to land the role of a lifetime. There she meets aspiring actress Emily Bryant at a casting audition and what begins as a simple favor to help out a fellow actress turns dark as Emily suddenly disappears without a trace, leaving Mia with her car keys and wallet. Mia manages to track her down in hopes of returning her wallet and keys, but things get weird pretty quickly when a different woman shows up at her door claiming to be Emily. Mia could just leave it alone and move on with her life, but she can't shake the feeling that the real Emily is in danger.
While it's marketed as a psychological thriller, I found the story to be more of a suspense/mystery. Nonetheless, it was still a fun read and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and it's worth mentioning that the author was a British actress herself, so it was inevitable that she would write a story about the acting world. I found it to be a page-turner and I liked Mia, although she was pretty naive and could have easily avoided putting her own life in danger as well. As I was reading I thought I had the ending figured out, it seemed obvious to me, but after all the twists and turns I was genuinely surprised the direction it had gone. The author is a fantastic writer but for this particular story I wish there was more showing than telling. All in all, I still enjoyed it.
Special thanks to NetGalley, the author Catherine Steadman, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Disappearing Act is scheduled to be released on June 8, 2021.
robingibson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jellyjello's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
wordsbetweenlines's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really enjoyed this but like most thrillers, I just needed a bit more. The Hollywood story and the drive to find someone that seems to have disappeared was quite intriguing but then it got a bit convoluted. A lot do potential but I think I wished something had went differently.
bettys's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
alishakohn's review against another edition
3.0
I was not ready for how that story unfolded. It was slow in the beginning but worth it in the end
ashleysilver7's review against another edition
3.0
This is a hard book to review - I'll make it short and sweet. Mia is a British actress with a bright future ahead of her. She comes to LA fresh after a break-up (which never really gets discussed or resolved) to try to land some big roles. However, something weird happens at her first audition and TOTALLY takes her head out of the game...this part of the story is so far-fetched, but I guess without the weird audition we wouldn't have a story-line. Mia gets tangled up with "what happened to Emily?" Unfortunately, as she keeps asking questions, she puts herself in danger. The ending (and what all ensued) was just way too much...but it was entertaining.