Reviews

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

ja3m3's review against another edition

4.0

This psychological thriller is all about location - location -location. It takes place in LA during pilot season when actors from all over the world swoop in on Hollywood to compete for new tv shows and movies. It's an interesting suspenseful read about how Hollywood works and the lengths that actors will go to get that coveted part.

I was hooked from the start when Mia, a British actress who is on her way to stardom, goes to LA to audition for a few parts and get tangled up in another actor's disappearance. Mia is a bit naïve and some of her choices left me scratching my head, but the storyline kept moving and there were enough twists and surprises to keep my head in the book and not move. Loved the ending.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 rounded up - This one had been getting some mixed reviews and I wasn’t a huge fan of her first book but I found Disappearing act full of entertaining twists and enjoyed the deep dive into LA acting life as seen through the eyes of an ambitious British actress. Also really loved that the author IS a British actress and she narrates the audiobook herself. If you want a compelling beach read this is a fun one to add to your bag.

serafinapekkala's review against another edition

4.0

Entertaining. Just the right amount of twisty so i was neither bored nor confused. Fun behind the scenes on entertainment industry in LA. Net net - filled the need for an easy fun summer read

kimbly's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

nina44's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

shannonsreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

katerintree's review against another edition

4.0

Catherine Steadman reliably keeps me on the edge of my seat. I can never put her books down. I liked this more than Mr Nobody, almost as much as Something in the Water. The plot was excellent, even if there was more Hollywood insider drama than I’m particularly interested in, and I tore through it in 2 days because I desperately wanted to know what happened. Imo, that gets 4 stars for a thriller

maralyons's review against another edition

5.0

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman is an engaging, interior mystery that grabbed me from the first page. The story is told by Mia, a rising British actress who received critical acclaim for her role as Jane Eyre. She recently went through a humiliating public break up with her long-term boyfriend and is happy to be sent by her agent to Los Angeles for auditions for her next big role.

While at one of her first auditions, she meets and connects with Emily, a fellow actress. During their encounter, Emily disappears leaving her belongings with Mia. Mia makes it her mission to find Emily, becoming increasingly fascinated by and scared for her. I loved the unexpected twists and Hollywood setting which compels actors to pursue fame and success at great cost. I really enjoyed this isolated, interior novel and could not stop reading. This is one of my favorite mysteries of 2021.

Thank you Ballantine Books/Random House and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

blogginboutbooks's review against another edition

3.0

An intriguing premise is what drew me to this book as well as the fact that I've enjoyed Steadman's previous two psychological thrillers. As an actress, Steadman is adept at bringing the glitz and glamour of the business to life, although her depiction of Hollywood in THE DISAPPEARING ACT is less than complimentary. It's an atmospheric setting, nonetheless. As far as the cast, Mia is likable although not very original or memorable. The rest of the characters are less likable and really sort of bland. I have the same problem with the plot of THE DISAPPEARING ACT that I have had with Steadman's other books—it's not as intricate or twisty as I wanted it to be. Also, (THIS MAY BE SPOILER-Y, so beware) a lot of the story relies on the fact that Mia leaves her purse unattended at an audition, which makes no sense. Why would she do that in a room full of strangers? Didn't make sense to me. In spite of all this, I did want to know what was going to happen to Mia and the story did keep me guessing (although I could see where the plot was leading). All in all, then, I'd call this one an average read. I liked it enough to keep reading, but I didn't love it.

annied25's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the dark secret dealings of Hollywood sprinkled into the plot. This book kept me drawn in, as most all from this author do. The twist was a bit confusing and I had to keep rewinding the audiobook to fully process the connections, but still a fairly good read overall.