The Disappearing Act
- Downloads：5872
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-09 22:31:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Catherine Steadman
- ISBN：B08R96N1TB
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
*Running Time => 8 hrs。 and 30 mins。*
From the New York Times best-selling author of Something in the Water and Mr。 Nobody comes Catherine Steadman's latest riveting novel。
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 favor 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？
©2021 Catherine Steadman （P）2021 Random House Audio
From the New York Times best-selling author of Something in the Water and Mr。 Nobody comes Catherine Steadman's latest riveting novel。
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 favor 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？
©2021 Catherine Steadman （P）2021 Random House Audio
Reviews
Liz
，
Parts of it I loved。 A few I was waiting the twists and turns。 Overall good 2。5/5
Tiffany
，
I hesitate to call something gothic when it takes place in the LA sunshine and also is a great beach read， but there is something a bit gothic about this。 The main character's sense of isolation I guess and the fact that she is an actress best known for playing a famous gothic heroine。 Anyway， another "sucked it down in a day" suspense/mystery outing from Catherine Steadman。 Great literature？ Not really。 But a super fun read。 I hesitate to call something gothic when it takes place in the LA sunshine and also is a great beach read， but there is something a bit gothic about this。 The main character's sense of isolation I guess and the fact that she is an actress best known for playing a famous gothic heroine。 Anyway， another "sucked it down in a day" suspense/mystery outing from Catherine Steadman。 Great literature？ Not really。 But a super fun read。 。。。more
donna
，
Thank you Random House for the free arc via netgalley。 I loved the author's debut novel。 Did not care for the followup。 With this one the author is back in the groove。 I am a sucker for the movie industry so that certainly helped。 Interesting story with a denouement I did not see coming。 Thank you Random House for the free arc via netgalley。 I loved the author's debut novel。 Did not care for the followup。 With this one the author is back in the groove。 I am a sucker for the movie industry so that certainly helped。 Interesting story with a denouement I did not see coming。 。。。more
Krista Hajjar-Nejad
，
I thought the beginning of this book was a bit slow， but I’m glad I kept reading。 I needed to find out if Mia was going to thrive in LA after her breakup with George。 The middle was filled with twists and turns and the mystery of Emily Bryant was creative and made me question Mia even meeting her in the first place。 The ending was a bit predictable。 Very enjoyable and fast read！ Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC！
Jill
，
Actress Mia Eliot has been working in London for years， and things are about to break open for her。 Her latest role in the film Eyre （she played Jane） has put her on the map。 There is even talk of a BAFTA nomination。 So her agent tells her that this is a good time to take her act on the road， to spend some time in Hollywood for the big pilot season， which is when producers film television pilots to try to sell to the studios。 Mia’s agent in England has been in touch with an agent in the states， Actress Mia Eliot has been working in London for years， and things are about to break open for her。 Her latest role in the film Eyre （she played Jane） has put her on the map。 There is even talk of a BAFTA nomination。 So her agent tells her that this is a good time to take her act on the road， to spend some time in Hollywood for the big pilot season， which is when producers film television pilots to try to sell to the studios。 Mia’s agent in England has been in touch with an agent in the states， and they already have several auditions lined up for her， as well as an apartment and a car。 All she has to do it pack her bags and fly across the ocean to California。 Mia finds the idea of that easier than she expected when she realizes that her longtime boyfriend has a new acting job that’s about to start in New York City。 He hadn’t even told her that he’d been cast in anything new， but Mia realizes that he didn’t say anything about it because it also stars his new girlfriend， a younger actress who is also a social media star。 Mia loves the idea of getting out of town for a while， to get away from everyone who knows George and who would want to talk about the breakup。 When she lands in Los Angeles， her drab London life is whisked away。 She is given an Audi to drive for the time she’s there。 She’s given an apartment to stay in with a parking valet and 24/7 security。 The apartment has a view of the whole city， including the iconic Hollywood sign， where an actress once jumped to her death after being rejected for a film role she had wanted。 Mia prepares for her auditions， swims in the rooftop pool， and tires to stop Instagram stalking her ex and his new girlfriend。 She nails the first audition and feels confident。 She goes to her second audition， and she strikes up an easy conversation with another actor up for the same role， Emily。 Emily is worried about her parking meter， thinking it’s about to run out of time， so she tells Mia that she can head in to the audition first。 But Mia wants a few more minutes to prepare， so she offers to add money to Emily’s meter while Emily goes in to audition。 Emily agrees to this and hands Mia the keys to her rental car and her wallet。 Mia uses Emily’s credit card to feed the meter， and then gest ready to head in to the audition room。 She doesn’t see Emily before she goes in。 But the audition goes well， in part because she took those extra minutes to prepare。 And when she walks out of the room， she still doesn’t see Emily。 She looks around， she goes to the car （still in the same parking spot）， asks the receptionist—still no Emily。 Mia leaves a note at reception with her cell number so Emily can contact her to get her wallet and keys back， and heads to her own car。 On the way， she stops by Emily’s car one more time， and that’s where she meets the handsome American who asks her if everything is okay。 He says his name is Nick and that he’d seen her acting strangely from the office he’d been in。 Mia explains that Emily had disappeared earlier from the audition and she was wondering what to do with her things。 She finally decides to add more time to the meter and head home for the night， hoping to hear from her soon。 Emily spends the next couple of days getting ready for more auditions and meeting up with a couple of friends who were in L。A。 She talks to Nick about the situation and he ends up asking her out for dinner。 And then finally， Emily contacts her。 She apologizes for disappearing and sets up a time to come pick up her keys and wallet。 Mia is so relieved， and can’t wait for her to come and gather her things。 There’s just one problem with the young brunette actress who comes to pick up Emily’s car keys and wallet。 The woman isn’t Emily。She looks a little like her。 She definitely acts like her。 But it’s not the same woman that Mia had met days ago at that audition。 Mia hands over the keys and wallet anyway， not at all certain what to do。 Mia tries to focus on her career， especially for the very important meeting with a producer who wants to talk to her about a movie that could change her life。 But she’s distracted。 She tries to call the police， and they do a welfare check on Emily， and they report back that they talked to her and she’s okay。 But then Mia realizes that she doesn’t know if they talked to the Emily she had met at the audition or the woman pretending to be Emily who picked up the keys from her。 Then her emails start disappearing。 Things in her apartment are moved from where she put them。 She can’t tell if this is really happening to her， or if she’s somehow losing her mind。 Just how far will she have to go to put her mind to ease about an actress she met for just a few minutes one day？ The Disappearing Act is the third novel from Catherine Steadman， and the first one where she relies so heavily on her own experiences as an actor。 The Hollywood scenes in this novel feel authentic， like someone really in the know about show business is offering us a peek at the experience of auditioning and preparing and dealing with the drama of the town。 I absolutely loved this novel。 I loved that inside look at the life of an actor， but even more than that I was so impressed by Steadman’s ability to create a sense of tension throughout this story， a sense of possible danger at every turn， the anxiety of possible danger from one chapter to the next。 There is really not all that much violence in most of this story， but that sense of suspense was so prescient that I had trouble putting the book down。 I needed to find out what happened。 And I was not disappointed by the ending。 The Disappearing Act is a classy psychological thriller， cashmere and luxury and constant disquiet， and I am all in。 Get yourself a big bowl of popcorn and some wine and take a trip to Los Angeles， to find out what it’s really like inside show business， how dangerous it can be just to show up for an audition in a roomful of actors who look remarkably similar to you。 Egalleys for The Disappearing Act were provided by Random House Publishing Group—Ballentine Books through NetGalley， with many thanks。 。。。more
Emma
，
Mia Eliot has made it in the world of British theater， and now she wants to tackle Hollywood。 She flies across the Atlantic to take part in pilot season and crazy auditions schedules in a sea of talented actresses also trying to make it。 One day， at a big audition， she meets Emily， someone also from out of town and seemingly a kindred spirit。 Mia offers to do her a simple favor， but this quickly goes awry when she becomes the last person to see her before she goes missing， and the woman who knoc Mia Eliot has made it in the world of British theater， and now she wants to tackle Hollywood。 She flies across the Atlantic to take part in pilot season and crazy auditions schedules in a sea of talented actresses also trying to make it。 One day， at a big audition， she meets Emily， someone also from out of town and seemingly a kindred spirit。 Mia offers to do her a simple favor， but this quickly goes awry when she becomes the last person to see her before she goes missing， and the woman who knocks on Mia’s door the following day claiming to be her isn’t the Emily Mia remembers at all。 With an ever growing feeling of dread that something terrible has happened to Emily， Mia tries to enlist the help of the police， who don’t seem to believe her。 Even with all these roadblocks， Mia just cannot let Emily go。 She is even wiling to risk a role that could be her big break to uncover the truth， but what she discovers is far darker than she could have ever imagined…I don’t want to say too much about this book because al the twists and turns in it were what made it so enjoyable！ I really resonated with Mia， who was in a strange environment far from home but still willing to risk everything for a girl that seemed to need her。 This story touches on a lot of important topics in a beautiful way that I really appreciated。 I truly did not see the ending coming and I was going crazy the whole time trying to put the puzzle together in my mind！ In the end， Catherine Steadman did a beautiful job piecing it all together and wrote a great book I’m glad I read。 There was just one piece that didn’t work for me， which is why I’m giving this 4 stars。 This is a fun summer thriller with a little bit more depth and I truly loved it！ Thank you so much for Random House Ballantine for gifting me an ARC of this book to enjoy！ 。。。more
Jan
，
This is the second book I have read by Catherine Steadman， and for the most part it was an enjoyable experience。British actress Mia Eliot is in Hollywood for pilot season， when L。A。 is full of aspiring and well known actors all trying out for the various parts in upcoming TV and movies。 While at an audition， Mia starts chatting with fellow actress Emily， who realizes her parking is about to expire and she needs to feed the parking meter。 Mia offers to do that for her， but on her return， Emily ha This is the second book I have read by Catherine Steadman， and for the most part it was an enjoyable experience。British actress Mia Eliot is in Hollywood for pilot season， when L。A。 is full of aspiring and well known actors all trying out for the various parts in upcoming TV and movies。 While at an audition， Mia starts chatting with fellow actress Emily， who realizes her parking is about to expire and she needs to feed the parking meter。 Mia offers to do that for her， but on her return， Emily has disappeared， leaving Mia with her car keys and wallet。Mia attempts to track down Emily in various ways， and when Emily reappears at Mia's apartment to collect her belongings， Mia realizes that the person in front of her is not the Emily she met。。。What I enjoyed about the book was the inside view of the Hollywood pilot season， and the cut throat way that LA works。 Not surprising that this was written so well， given that Catherine Steadman is herself an accomplished actress。 I also could really feel the despair of Mia as she begins to realize that no one else is looking for Emily。 I found some of Emily's behavior incomprehensible however。 While I understand she was naive， she continued to put herself in danger and behave in ways that didn't seem to make much sense， to try and find someone she hardly knew。 There were several twists and turns towards the end that I didn't see coming， and overall it was a good read。 。。。more
Becky
，
I've just finished reading this and loved it！ This was a fast paced psychological thriller that gripped me from the start。The story is about a young actress called Mia who leaves London to audition in LA after a long term relationship comes to a sudden end。 Whilst waiting to audition she meets a girl called Emily who leaves her with her wallet and car keys。 A few days later Mia arranges to return these to her but the person she gives them back to is someone else claiming to be Emily。 Is Mia imag I've just finished reading this and loved it！ This was a fast paced psychological thriller that gripped me from the start。The story is about a young actress called Mia who leaves London to audition in LA after a long term relationship comes to a sudden end。 Whilst waiting to audition she meets a girl called Emily who leaves her with her wallet and car keys。 A few days later Mia arranges to return these to her but the person she gives them back to is someone else claiming to be Emily。 Is Mia imagining it？ What has happened to the real Emily？ Was she the last person to see Emily alive？I really couldn't guess the twists in this book and the tension builds until the final gripping scenes （albeit slightly far fetched） which had me on the edge of my seat！ I found life inside the acting world very interesting and the knowledge and detail that the author has of the industry come through very clearly。 I really liked the character of Mia and found her a very relatable character。 This book would make a fantastic film and this is a book I would definitely recommend。Thank you to Jess Barratt at Simon and Schuster for this proof。This is the first book I've read by Catherine Steadman but I'm definitely going to be reading her others。 。。。more
Alexa Altman
，
Mia， an actress from London， is new to LA and auditioning for various roles。 Her boyfriend just left her for someone else， and she’s immersing herself in work。 While at an audition， Mia meets a woman named Emily。 The two of them talk， and Emily reels Mia into helping her out by giving her her keys and wallet to pay her meter while she auditions。 After Mia helps out this stranger， she can’t find her。 Finally she manages to reach out to Emily days later， and when she comes to pick up her belonging Mia， an actress from London， is new to LA and auditioning for various roles。 Her boyfriend just left her for someone else， and she’s immersing herself in work。 While at an audition， Mia meets a woman named Emily。 The two of them talk， and Emily reels Mia into helping her out by giving her her keys and wallet to pay her meter while she auditions。 After Mia helps out this stranger， she can’t find her。 Finally she manages to reach out to Emily days later， and when she comes to pick up her belongings， it’s not the woman Mia remembers from the audition。 This twisty psychological thriller follows Mia’s path to finding who Emily really is， and what happened to her。 I absolutely loved this book and was totally engaged throughout！ A highly recommend this novel！ Happy Pub Day！！ Thank you Net Galley， Catherine Steadman， and Ballantine Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
，
Steadman follows Something in the Water and Mr。 Nobody with a psychological thriller about a British actress who comes to Hollywood to audition for some movies。 She recently broke up with a long-term live-in boyfriend and needs something new in her life。 What she gets is not only great auditions but also worry about an actress who left Mia holding her wallet and car keys at an audition。 And now someone is sneaking into Mia’s very secure apartment。 Not only is it creepy for Mia， it will send shiv Steadman follows Something in the Water and Mr。 Nobody with a psychological thriller about a British actress who comes to Hollywood to audition for some movies。 She recently broke up with a long-term live-in boyfriend and needs something new in her life。 What she gets is not only great auditions but also worry about an actress who left Mia holding her wallet and car keys at an audition。 And now someone is sneaking into Mia’s very secure apartment。 Not only is it creepy for Mia， it will send shivers down the back of readers as they try to puzzle out what happened to the missing actress。 And in finding the solution， not only does Mia find Hollywood to be very cutthroat as aspiring actors aspire for stardom， but she finds love。 。。。more
Natalie [genreneutralreader]
，
The Disappearing Act is Catherine Steadman's third novel。 I have now read all three and have enjoyed each one to varying degrees。 The Disappearing Act is a fun novel that held my interest well。 In fact， I read the whole second half in one sitting just because I was dying find out what was going on。 I love that because the author is already a successful actress， this novel's setting-the movie/tv acting world- FEELS like the reader is getting a real peak into that world。。。。a place we typically onl The Disappearing Act is Catherine Steadman's third novel。 I have now read all three and have enjoyed each one to varying degrees。 The Disappearing Act is a fun novel that held my interest well。 In fact， I read the whole second half in one sitting just because I was dying find out what was going on。 I love that because the author is already a successful actress， this novel's setting-the movie/tv acting world- FEELS like the reader is getting a real peak into that world。。。。a place we typically only see through tabloid news shows and magazines。Mia is an up-and-coming British actress who has just had a breakout role in a rendition of Jane Eyre。 Unfortunately， just as she is achieving professional success， her personal life has taken a very public， embarrassing blow， when her long-time boyfriend leaves her for another successful actress。 This event gives the public plenty to talk about， but unfortunately he only send Mia a briefly worded text to explain。Embarrassed and lonely， Mia decides to head to America， specifically the entertainment mecca of Los Angeles， during premier season to try to get a role away from the drama in London。 At one audition， she meets another actress named Emily， who she seems to connect with enough that when Emily asks Mia to go put money in her meter for her car， Mia does so， if a bit hesitantly。 After doing that favor， Emily seemingly disappears， leaving her car keys with Mia。 Mia gets a bit obsessed with trying to track Emily down and in the process finds herself in a mystery when a few days later， someone shows up at her apartment claiming to be Emily， but whom is clearly NOT the same Emily Mia had met at the audition。 The more Mia looks into the situation， the more tangled the web becomes。。。。involving a #MeToo storyline， and the dark side of Hollywood。To be clear， there are MANY implausibilities in the plot of The Disappearing Act。 However， I didn't feel they were so distracting as to rob me of any of the fun of the story。 It is fast-paced and intriguing。 It would be a perfect beach read。 。。。more
Phyllis Mahoney
，
Mia Elliot， a British actress， is in Hollywood to try out for a part in a new pilot。 Los Angeles is a far cry from her home in London。 While at a tryout， she strikes up a conversation with another actress， an American named Emily。 When Emily has to go into an audition， her car may be towed so Mia volunteers to feed the meter。 When Mia returns， Emily has disappeared。 Now things take a very dark turn for Mia。 It’s。 “No good deed goes unpunished” kind of story。 And Catherine Steadman is a master at Mia Elliot， a British actress， is in Hollywood to try out for a part in a new pilot。 Los Angeles is a far cry from her home in London。 While at a tryout， she strikes up a conversation with another actress， an American named Emily。 When Emily has to go into an audition， her car may be towed so Mia volunteers to feed the meter。 When Mia returns， Emily has disappeared。 Now things take a very dark turn for Mia。 It’s。 “No good deed goes unpunished” kind of story。 And Catherine Steadman is a master at plotting events where Mia gets deeply involved in the mystery。 Is it all ready or a bizarre kind of illusion？ Another great one from Steadman！ I could not put it down！ Highly recommend。Thank you to NetGalley， RandonHouse/ Ballantine and Catherine Steadman 。。。more
erica
，
A thrilling story and a book absolutely guaranteed to keep you up too late reading。 Strangely enough it’s not a ‘who done it。’ And I think that’s actually refreshing。 The storyline is fresh， and fun。 And an insider’s look at LA is interesting， in and of itself。 I think this book will be a huge success and I thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC。 I feel lucky to have had the chance to read this。
Peg
，
I liked this book a lot。 It drew me in immediately and kept me reading all day until I finished it。 Mia is a likable character yet niave to a fault。 I had to suspend belief at times （would a person go to such lengths to help out someone she didn't know， and how did she know which was the real Emily） but yet I had to keep reading to find out how it ended。 Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reader copy in return for a fair review。 I liked this book a lot。 It drew me in immediately and kept me reading all day until I finished it。 Mia is a likable character yet niave to a fault。 I had to suspend belief at times （would a person go to such lengths to help out someone she didn't know， and how did she know which was the real Emily） but yet I had to keep reading to find out how it ended。 Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reader copy in return for a fair review。 。。。more
Shellie Zeigler
，
This a fun， thrill ride。 But it always made me， as a reader， uneasy， as I was reading it。 In this story we meet Mia， a British actress who has come to Hollywood to read for some movies/tv shows。 During one of her auditions she meets Emily。 This is when the book takes a turn…things with Emily are weird。 She ends of disappearing， but then showing back up。 BUT…Mia doesn’t recognize this new person that claims to be Emily。 From there this plot picks up and grabs the reader by the throat。 This is a p This a fun， thrill ride。 But it always made me， as a reader， uneasy， as I was reading it。 In this story we meet Mia， a British actress who has come to Hollywood to read for some movies/tv shows。 During one of her auditions she meets Emily。 This is when the book takes a turn…things with Emily are weird。 She ends of disappearing， but then showing back up。 BUT…Mia doesn’t recognize this new person that claims to be Emily。 From there this plot picks up and grabs the reader by the throat。 This is a perfect summer beach read！ I also can’t help but note some parallel of the character Mia to the author Steadman herself。 There is also a hint of mysterious “Muholland Drive” vibes in this novel。 Overall， this is an eerie， fun read。 I think this will be a home run for the author。 Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Vicki Parsons
，
3。5 - 4 starsWhat an interesting book。 The Disappearing Act reads like some sort of strange hybrid of chick lit （I hate that term， but it is convenient shorthand for a certain sub genre of women's fiction） and noir。 The protagonist of “The Disappearing Act” is a British actress named Mia Eliot， who just as she is starting to achieve some real success finds out that she has been ghosted by her live in love for a much younger woman。 In an attempt to run away from her troubles， Mia decides to head 3。5 - 4 starsWhat an interesting book。 The Disappearing Act reads like some sort of strange hybrid of chick lit （I hate that term， but it is convenient shorthand for a certain sub genre of women's fiction） and noir。 The protagonist of “The Disappearing Act” is a British actress named Mia Eliot， who just as she is starting to achieve some real success finds out that she has been ghosted by her live in love for a much younger woman。 In an attempt to run away from her troubles， Mia decides to head off to Los Angeles and lose herself in the craziness that is pilot season。 It's rumored that she will be nominated for a BAFTA for her starring role in “Eyre，” a series based on the Charlotte Brontë novel。 Mia hopes the publicity will pay off in Hollywood。 Mia sees herself as something of a modern day Jane Eyre， don't we all， and she does show some of Jane's directness， fortitude and curiosity as the story evolves。 Unfortunately， she also exhibits her naivete as she is pulled deeper and deeper into the tangled mystery。at the center of the book。 The mystery involves the disappearance of a young aspiring actress， Emily Bryant， who Mia meets at one of her many auditions。 How Emily is linked to Mia and what happened to her is the what drives the action and for the most part， it's handled well。 As Mia delves into the dark heart of LA and the film business， she is determined to solve this mystery。 The opening of the book had a much lighter tone than the ending。 I almost felt that I was reading two different stories。 Mia's joy at her success and her devastation when she finds out about cheating boyfriend are relatable to anyone who has read women's fiction but don't really have much impact once she gets to LA。 I enjoyed the insider's look at LA during pilot season。 The desperation with which aspiring actors， writers， and directors approach the business felt very genuine and certainly added to the atmosphere in the story。 The end of the novel takes a very dark twist。 It made sense and was in keeping with the rest of the action， but to plunge into this dark place after the lighter tone of the earlier chapters felt a bit jarring。 Per usual with suspense these days， there is a twist after the twist， so I was left with a real sense of unease about the future for these characters。 In the end， likable and intriguing characters and lots of twists and turns kept this book interesting。 Overall， I enjoyed the book and would recommend。 。。。more
Stuart Rosen
，
I love books that take you into a world you didn't know well and speak with inside knowledge。 When I read mysteries， I read those that can do that for me。 I've read books about locksmiths， about diamond dealers， about casinos - it's fun to follow the mystery but even more fun to get an insider's perspective into a closed-off world。 This is one of those great books。 Author Steadman speaks with authority and knowledge， and is a great guide though the jungles known as pilot season。 That a compellin I love books that take you into a world you didn't know well and speak with inside knowledge。 When I read mysteries， I read those that can do that for me。 I've read books about locksmiths， about diamond dealers， about casinos - it's fun to follow the mystery but even more fun to get an insider's perspective into a closed-off world。 This is one of those great books。 Author Steadman speaks with authority and knowledge， and is a great guide though the jungles known as pilot season。 That a compelling mystery is interwoven is even more delightful。 。。。more
Kindle Worm
，
When Mia leaves London for LA for pilot week， she walked in to way more than she was expecting。 Expensive cars， free giveaways， a beautiful apartment and the role of a lifetime。 When she runs into Emily at an audition， there was an instant connection。 When Emily disappears leaving Mia with her wallet and keys， Mia turns into Nancy Drew， determined to find out what happened to Emily。 Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie！ While a bit on the implausible side， this book was well written and When Mia leaves London for LA for pilot week， she walked in to way more than she was expecting。 Expensive cars， free giveaways， a beautiful apartment and the role of a lifetime。 When she runs into Emily at an audition， there was an instant connection。 When Emily disappears leaving Mia with her wallet and keys， Mia turns into Nancy Drew， determined to find out what happened to Emily。 Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie！ While a bit on the implausible side， this book was well written and completely unique。 A captivating and enjoyable read。 Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Nicole
，
3。5 stars rounded down to 3 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Disappearing Act。 I was looking for a page-turning book after a particularly heavy read and this was definitely that。 I feel like the story began and ended really strong but kind of lost me in the middle。 I enjoyed reading about Mia and her visit to LA to find her next big role as an actress after a breakup， but the real meat of the story was a bit convoluted for me- I wasn’t clear on what each of the c 3。5 stars rounded down to 3 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Disappearing Act。 I was looking for a page-turning book after a particularly heavy read and this was definitely that。 I feel like the story began and ended really strong but kind of lost me in the middle。 I enjoyed reading about Mia and her visit to LA to find her next big role as an actress after a breakup， but the real meat of the story was a bit convoluted for me- I wasn’t clear on what each of the characters real role was in the disappearance of Mia’s acquaintance Emily。 This confusion is what lead to the 3 star review。 。。。more
Kim {pourmeaplottwist}
，
Excerpt from my full review at: Bookstagram:@PourMeAPlotTwistI’m a big fan of when a book demands my attention from the jump and this one started pretty slow for me; I am glad I stuck with it though because about a third of the way in， it felt like the stage lights came on and didn’t dim until the very end。 Let me let y’all in on a little secret， the plot of The Disappearing Act was so mind-boggling that it had my brain feeling like a soup sandwich。 Some parts felt a bit far-fetched to me but be Excerpt from my full review at: Bookstagram:@PourMeAPlotTwistI’m a big fan of when a book demands my attention from the jump and this one started pretty slow for me; I am glad I stuck with it though because about a third of the way in， it felt like the stage lights came on and didn’t dim until the very end。 Let me let y’all in on a little secret， the plot of The Disappearing Act was so mind-boggling that it had my brain feeling like a soup sandwich。 Some parts felt a bit far-fetched to me but being that I am nowhere near the status of an L。A。 celebrity， I’ll chalk that up to ignorance。 This star-studded thriller was made for reading with your toes in the sand and a cocktail in hand but make sure you stay seated for the entire performance because it will rock your world！ 。。。more
ABC_Ashleysbooks
，
Don’t trust anyone。 What the heck is happening？ Those are the vibes of this book。 Mia is the probably most reasonable person in book world。 There are events in this book where Mia reasonably talks herself through it， while I’m internally saying “what？？ 。。。 Hell no！ 。。。Run！。。 NO。。。 oh girl！” rinse and repeat。 I definitely enjoyed this read more than Something In The Water。 This one kept me on my toes and wanting。 NO， needing to know what happens。 I got to the end and thought “Oh。 I don’t know if Don’t trust anyone。 What the heck is happening？ Those are the vibes of this book。 Mia is the probably most reasonable person in book world。 There are events in this book where Mia reasonably talks herself through it， while I’m internally saying “what？？ 。。。 Hell no！ 。。。Run！。。 NO。。。 oh girl！” rinse and repeat。 I definitely enjoyed this read more than Something In The Water。 This one kept me on my toes and wanting。 NO， needing to know what happens。 I got to the end and thought “Oh。 I don’t know if I love it， but it was definitely a ride！ Solid 4stars” If you enjoy a mysterious， on your toes thriller I highly recommend this read。 Thank you @Netgalley and Ballantine books for the opportunity to read this eBook in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Lauren Archer
，
Catherine Steadman brings a new thriller about Mia Eliot， who is the new it girl in London after receiving a BAFTA nomination for her role in Jane Eyre。 Mia decides to try her hand in the US and goes to Los Angeles to see if she can land her dream role。When the book opens Mia’s long term partner George has taken off and has had a moving company take his stuff without ever talking to Mia， which leavers her very frazzled。 When her agent approaches her about the possibility of some lead roles for m Catherine Steadman brings a new thriller about Mia Eliot， who is the new it girl in London after receiving a BAFTA nomination for her role in Jane Eyre。 Mia decides to try her hand in the US and goes to Los Angeles to see if she can land her dream role。When the book opens Mia’s long term partner George has taken off and has had a moving company take his stuff without ever talking to Mia， which leavers her very frazzled。 When her agent approaches her about the possibility of some lead roles for movies in LA， Mia decides to take a chance and go。Mia arrives in California and given a luxury car and nice apartment for her stay。 At one of her earlier auditions， she meets Emily， who asks her to feed her meter so she can audition。 She leaves Mia with her wallet and keys。 When she returns Emily is gone， but without those items。This leaves Mia completely unsettled， and when strange things start occurring， she cannot leave it alone。 This sets up this propelling story that had me turning the pages as fast as I could。Steadman knows how to engage readers and leave them wanting more。 I was a little disappointed with the reveal， but overall， this was a solid read。 I was left wanting more of this new protagonist and though unlikely， I would love to see additional books with her as part of the storyline。Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brynn | readyourworriesaway
，
Thank you @randomhouse for the gifted book！ British actress Mia Eliot heads to Los Angeles to audition during pilot season。 While there， she meets another woman named Emily at one of her auditions。 When Emily disappears， Mia can’t help but try to put the pieces together。 Creepy occurrences begin to take place， and Mia starts to think something terrible has happened。 A book set in Hollywood with a character trying to make it in the acting world？ Count me in！ The Disappearing Act has just enough t Thank you @randomhouse for the gifted book！ British actress Mia Eliot heads to Los Angeles to audition during pilot season。 While there， she meets another woman named Emily at one of her auditions。 When Emily disappears， Mia can’t help but try to put the pieces together。 Creepy occurrences begin to take place， and Mia starts to think something terrible has happened。 A book set in Hollywood with a character trying to make it in the acting world？ Count me in！ The Disappearing Act has just enough twists to keep you on your toes。 I really wanted to love this one， and while I did enjoy it， there was just something missing。 There were some parts that really drew me in and others that had me losing interest。 Also， some things seemed too unrealistic to me and there were a few plot holes。 The Disappearing Act was a quick read with shorter chapters， and I always love when authors include text conversations。 Catherine Steadman is a great writer and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick， entertaining read。 。。。more
JM Spade
，
I really enjoyed this book， but have to admit I was disappointed by the ending。 What started out strong， just didn't feel twisted enough at the end。Mia has traveled from London to LA to audition for some movie roles。 Unfortunately， she finds herself smack dab in the middle of craziness not long after she arrives。There were some storylines that didn't feel completed - like the posting to Instagram。 The book did a fabulous job leading up to the end， but the ending felt almost too rushed with not e I really enjoyed this book， but have to admit I was disappointed by the ending。 What started out strong， just didn't feel twisted enough at the end。Mia has traveled from London to LA to audition for some movie roles。 Unfortunately， she finds herself smack dab in the middle of craziness not long after she arrives。There were some storylines that didn't feel completed - like the posting to Instagram。 The book did a fabulous job leading up to the end， but the ending felt almost too rushed with not enough time to allow the reader to fully grasp the twists before more were added。 I would definitely recommend this book， however， as it was enjoyable。Thank you for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion。 。。。more
Owen Hollifield
，
This is my first time reading Catherine Steadman and wow what an introduction！This book is so well written and utterly compelling I finished it in one sitting。 A real page turner with a gripping story， everything you need in a great piece of fiction。Brilliant！
Karen
，
I have mixed feelings about Catherine Steadman’s The Disappearing Act。 I was immediately drawn into the story with actress Mia Eliot’s stalker。 Then there was George， her live-in boyfriend， an actor who has not had a job for eight months。 He disappears with his new girlfriend and says nothing to Mia。 As a reader there is immediate sympathy for Mia and I kept waiting to see how these two plot lines would develop in the story。Mia has had a successful streak as an actress。 Her role as Jane Eyre and I have mixed feelings about Catherine Steadman’s The Disappearing Act。 I was immediately drawn into the story with actress Mia Eliot’s stalker。 Then there was George， her live-in boyfriend， an actor who has not had a job for eight months。 He disappears with his new girlfriend and says nothing to Mia。 As a reader there is immediate sympathy for Mia and I kept waiting to see how these two plot lines would develop in the story。Mia has had a successful streak as an actress。 Her role as Jane Eyre and a successful run in a theater production of The Doll House has brought attention to her career。 Her agent， Cynthia， arranges a trip to LA to be considered for many roles during pilot season。 In the back of my mind， I keep wondering how the two plot lines of the stalker and George would reappear in Los Angeles。 They don’t。 I think they could have been left out completely。I also felt it was unbelievable that Mia would have had a rental car immediately upon arriving in LA。 I did think that the main plot of meeting Emily at an audition and Mia ending up with Emily’s wallet and charge card and everything that ensued after this was an interesting plot。 For me， I thought this book needed a lot of streamlining of the plot。 So for me， it would be an ok weekend read。 My thanks to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
，
Actor Mia Elliott is known for period dramas in England and is rumored to be a BAFTA nominee。 Her agent sees this as the perfect time to promote her in Hollywood。 In L。A。 she is scheduled for several auditions and at one of them she meets Emily。 As Emily’s turn to audition nears， she realizes that it is time to feed her parking meter。 Mia volunteers to help and armed with Emily’s card and wallet she runs off to take care of it。 When she returns， Emily is nowhere to be found。 Her car rental agree Actor Mia Elliott is known for period dramas in England and is rumored to be a BAFTA nominee。 Her agent sees this as the perfect time to promote her in Hollywood。 In L。A。 she is scheduled for several auditions and at one of them she meets Emily。 As Emily’s turn to audition nears， she realizes that it is time to feed her parking meter。 Mia volunteers to help and armed with Emily’s card and wallet she runs off to take care of it。 When she returns， Emily is nowhere to be found。 Her car rental agreement provides contact information for Emily but when she shows up at Mia’s apartment two days later to claim her items it is not the same woman that Mia met at the audition。Mia’s encounter with Emily was brief and the woman calling herself Emily bears a strong resemblance but she is sure that it is not her。 Even though she turns Emily’s possessions over to her， she is driven to discover what happened to the Emily that she met。 Soon after she begins making enquiries she notices items that have been moved or are missing from her apartment。 Someone has gotten access to her phone records and her key card is lost。 Reception also confirms that they have let Mia’s assistant into the building， but Mia has no assistant。 Mia discovers that Hollywood has a dark side that she is being dragged into。 The bright side of her visit to L。A。 is meeting Nick， a well-known producer。 He offers support in her search for Emily， but as a part of the Hollywood scene can she really trust him？Catherine Steadman’s The Disappearing Act has all of the twists， turns and excitement of a roller coaster ride。 Each time Mia makes a discovery and believes that she is on the right track， her search takes her in a new direction and leads to a nail-biting ending。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for providing this book for my review。 。。。more
Jen Ryland
，
This book annoyed me AND I enjoyed reading it。 Go figure。Mia is an up and coming British actress who gets dumped by her husband and decides to head to Los Angeles to audition for some roles。 Soon she's caught up in the case of a missing person。What I did enjoy about this book: Mia's overall narrative voice， which was the chatty chick lit kind of British voice I like。 It was fun to watch Mia navigate Hollywood with her British sensibility。What I did not enjoy: that I wanted to shake Mia on nearly This book annoyed me AND I enjoyed reading it。 Go figure。Mia is an up and coming British actress who gets dumped by her husband and decides to head to Los Angeles to audition for some roles。 Soon she's caught up in the case of a missing person。What I did enjoy about this book: Mia's overall narrative voice， which was the chatty chick lit kind of British voice I like。 It was fun to watch Mia navigate Hollywood with her British sensibility。What I did not enjoy: that I wanted to shake Mia on nearly every page。 For someone who lives in a big city like London， she has ZERO street smarts or common sense。 （view spoiler）[ At an audition she meets Emily and， because the auditions are running long， offers to put money in Emily's parking meter。 Okay， very thoughtful。 But then when Mia goes to feed Emily's meter， she takes Emily's wallet and keys with her。 （Huh？？ Okay， I am an East Coaster but out here all you need to feed a meter is either some quarters or， more likely， a credit card。） To make matters worse， Mia leaves her own handbag sitting in the audition waiting room， unattended。 （Uh， no。 The #1 rule of handbags is that you either carry them with you or leave them with a trusted person。） （hide spoiler）] This made NO sense and was clearly just a plot device。 Mia tries to contact Emily to give her the wallet and keys back， but Emily doesn't respond。 At this point， Mia becomes capital-O Obsessed with Emily。 As she tries to convince the police and some random guy she just met that Emily must be in danger， Mia is oblivious to the fact that there are creepy things going on， like someone messing with/stealing stuff from her temporary apartment。 But Mia continues to leave important things there。 Rinse and repeat。 Loved Mia's narration but the plot was a little too convoluted and confusing for me。 I would have preferred Mia in a gossipy， chatty kind "British actress goes to Hollywood" story。 As a detective， Mia just perplexed and irritated me。Read more of my reviews on JenRyland。com！ Let's be friends on Bookstagram！ Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review！ 。。。more
Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Rampling
，
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 crank 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！ 。。。more
Daphne Manning
，
The first part of this puzzle that will intrigue you is the inside look at lives of actresses on the verge。 Mia an actress coming off a bit of success in featured dramas in England is here to audition and snag the role of a lifetime。 Auditioning she meets a kindred spirit in Emily。 Emily disappears and the confusion begins。 Mia is living in a place that’s monitored and provided by the powers that be。 Powers which can make or break a career。 As the mystery of Emily’s disappearance evolves into a The first part of this puzzle that will intrigue you is the inside look at lives of actresses on the verge。 Mia an actress coming off a bit of success in featured dramas in England is here to audition and snag the role of a lifetime。 Auditioning she meets a kindred spirit in Emily。 Emily disappears and the confusion begins。 Mia is living in a place that’s monitored and provided by the powers that be。 Powers which can make or break a career。 As the mystery of Emily’s disappearance evolves into a maze of more questions than answers， Mia begins to question her own reality。 Trying to find a reality in the place of dreams pushes Mia to a point of no return。 Happy Reading 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Disappearing Act
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Disappearing Act&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Disappearing Act&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0