The Disappearing Act

A Novel

By: Catherine Steadman

Narrated by: Catherine Steadman

From the New York Times best-selling author of Something in the Water and Mr. Nobody comes “an unputdownable mystery about the nightmares that abound in the pursuit of Hollywood dreams” (Caroline Kepnes, author of the You series).

“Stylish, riveting, hugely atmospheric - I couldn’t put it down.” (Lucy Foley, author of The Guest List)

A woman has gone missing. But did she ever really exist?

A leading British actress hoping to make a splash in America flies to Los Angeles for the grueling gauntlet known as pilot season, a time when every network and film studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows entice a fresh batch of young hopefuls - anxious, desperate, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it.

Instead, Mia Eliot, a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning, discovers the sinister side of Hollywood when she becomes the last person to see Emily, a newfound friend. Standing out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow aspiring stars, Emily mysteriously disappears following an audition, after asking Mia to do a simple favor. But nothing is simple. Nothing is as is seems. And nothing prepares Mia for a startling truth: In a city where dreams really do come true, nightmares can follow.

©2021 Catherine Steadman (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Page-turning...tackles the dark side of Hollywood.” (Entertainment Weekly, The Best Thrillers)

“Ethel Barrymore described Hollywood as ‘a glaring, gaudy, nightmarish set erected in the desert’. That hasn’t changed much, as we see in this engrossing thriller.... Steadman, both an author and an actress, deftly brings her talent for characterization to her writing, combining an engaging mystery with a meaty look at the question of what is real in a land of make-believe. This glittering narrative with a totally beguiling protagonist makes for an absolutely perfect beach read.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Auditions, screen tests, cutthroat competition: Catherine Steadman is familiar with the challenges of the acting biz.... Her perspective as an actress and a writer bring realism to this novel, as she dips into Hollywood’s murky waters.... In any good noir novel, an atmospheric locale is vital, and Steadman richly evokes Los Angeles ‘in all its monstrous glory’.... Reading The Disappearing Act is much like watching a suspenseful film.” (The Washington Post)