The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

July 1, 2021

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

Mia Eliot is an English starlet looking for her break-through role. She has had some success in England and her agent arranges for her to audition for several potential roles during pilot week in Hollywood. While at one of the auditions, she meets another actor named Emily, who leaves some personal items with Mia and then disappears. Mia is the last person to have seen her and the more she tries to track her down, the more she begins to wonder if Emily really exists or if it is all a hoax.

This one had an interesting premise and usually I really like books about missing persons, but I had problems with the plot almost from the start. The main character is TSTL (romance novel-speak for Too Stupid To Live). She makes the worst possible decision at every turn. Yes, I realize that if characters in novels made sensible choices, there would be no story and the book would be four pages long. But come on - characters need to exercise SOME brain power for the reader to feel something for them - you have to feel like they're trying. For example: if you knew someone intended to kill you, would anyone agree to meet that person at a remote location and then follow them to a place where there is NO chance anyone can help you or even hear you? I mean, seriously, suspense is one thing, pure undiluted stupidity is another.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Actors waiting to audition