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A review by hayleybeale
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
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