I have a new author to love and her backlist to explore! Actress-turned-author Catherine Steadman (of Downton Abbey fame) delivers with her latest novel, The Disappearing Act, a suspenseful story about a British actress who was the last person to see a missing girl at a casting call in Los Angeles. The Disappearing Act is an absolute page-turner that I read in practically one sitting - I didn’t want to put this tautly-written thriller down. If you are a fan of the genre, I think that you will feel the same way because this book is positively 5-star good.
After a horrendous break-up (she was basically ghosted by her actor boyfriend of 6 years), up-and-coming British actress Mia Eliot heads across the pond to Hollywood for pilot season in the hopes of landing a role that will help her forget everything she left behind in London. At a casting call, she meets a friendly hopeful actress, Emily Bryant, who abruptly exits the audition to take an urgent phone call, leaving Mia with her wallet and keys. This action sparks a chain of events that leaves Mia mixed up in a mystery that feels like it was written for the big screen - just who is Emily Bryant and why has she disappeared off the face of the Earth?
I love going into novels blind, so I won’t give away too many details so as not to spoil any of the heart-stopping twists and turns of this book. Just know that there are quite a few packed away in this tense thriller, but that’s not the only thing that Steadman does exceedingly well. I really appreciated Steadman writing a novel about the experiences of an actress, as she works in the business herself. I found the showbiz components of this novel to be enticing and compelling, and found myself completely engrossed in Mia’s acting adventures in Hollywood. This is not even to mention the suspense storyline, which is also done really well. I was on the edge-of-my-seat for Mia as she tried to figure out what happened to Emily, all the while putting herself closer and closer to danger.
In all, The Disappearing Act is an electrifying, pulse-pounding read that is fast-paced and well-written. I recommend this book to any fan of women’s suspense, as well as to those who love books set against the backdrop of Hollywood and show business.
Availability: Book; eBook in cloudLibrary Rating: ***** Stars (I loved it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: First Person Narratives; Psychological Suspense TONE: High-Drama WRITING STYLE: Gritty; Richly Detailed CHARACTER: Well-Developed LOCATION: Hollywood, California SUBJECT: Actors & Actresses; Ambition in Women; Auditions; British in the United States; Competition; Extortion; Imposters; Missing Women; Murder; Police; Searching
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