THE DISAPPEARING ACT (2021)

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say? I loved this book! For one thing it's the first time I've seen the word 'hoicks' used, as in "He hoicks the sleeve of his immaculate evening suit and checks his watch." British Actress/writer Catherine Steadman's third book is a fascinating insider's view of Hollywood attached to a page-turning plot.

PROLOGUE: "Have you ever asked yourself what kind of story the story of your life is?"

FIRST LINE: "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't disappear."

THE STORY: Actress/writer Catherine Steadman is the perfect choice to tell this story of a British actress who comes to Hollywood to audition for the pilot season where she meets another actress, who then disappears without a trace. "How far would one go to land the perfect part."

WHAT I THOUGHT: A likeable heroine, Mia has become known for her role as Jane Eyre in a British production and is up for an award. When she's stuck she asks herself "What would Jane do?"

Her agent has arranged several auditions for her in Hollywood and it's fun to see her discover this new world. Social media was woven into the story in a relatable way.

I easily suspend disbelief for a good story but The Disappearing Act strained credibility for me. Mia's behavior often seemed irrational, unpredictable, and even dangerous.

Mia is like a split personality. In her professional life, she is in control. In her personal life she is a hot mess. It bothered me that a professional actress, who has signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), wasn't concerned about finding an important script missing; wasn't concerned that someone might have been in her apartment considering her 'lost' room key; isn't worried when she thinks the cleaners might have taken the script.

You should probably forget all that and just enjoy the story. It's a great roller coaster of a ride!

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Ballentine Books /Net Galley for an honest review. 

Publisher : Ballantine Books (June 8, 2021)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10 : ‎ 0593158032
ISBN-13 : 978-0593158036

Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London, UK. She is best known in the United States for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey. Her debut novel, Something in the Water, was a Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick and a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award and shortlisted for the Macavity Award and the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel, and it has been optioned for film by Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s production company. 

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