Madison James will do anything to be famous… but will her disappearance make her infamous?

Madison James was going to be the next big thing in Hollywood but her career tanked and she disappeared into obscurity. Even missing the world doesn’t take notice, until her purse is found discarded in a place Madison would never go by a wannabe TikTok influencer. Can the media that’s been an influential player in Madison’s downfall save her in time? Or will ex-homicide detective Sarah Delaney be too late in solving her first missing persons case?

The final act focuses on the cut throat Hollywood industry and is a riveting, fast paced thriller with twists and turns that will keep you guessing everyone’s motives. Seeped with real life references from pop culture, movies, actors and the Me Too movement, the writing focuses attention in a way that aligns the reader into the storyline itself. The clever use of media clippings further situates the audience within the story, divulging salacious gossip about Madison at every plot twist.

Alternating between Madison’s POV and that of detective Sarah Delaney, the reader follows the police work that is involved in uncovering a missing person, while simultaneously learning pieces of Madison’s past that influence those around her and showing that anyone could be the person responsible for Madison’s disappearance.

Lisa Gray anticipates the readers thought processes and coordinates plot twists that you will never see coming. The final act will not disappoint.

The structure of this book was really interesting. Usually, I would expect to get to know the detective best as the main character but, in fact, the people involved in the case she was working seemed to gain the most prominence. Yes, the detective was key and there was plenty of substance to her, but it was clever how her focus on the “victim” of the crime led to the reader getting know that person just as well as she did. The book addresses such a relevant theme, with the concepts of abuse of power, misogyny and sexual exploitation featuring strongly. And it is also just a gripping thriller. Well written, as always by this talented author, and well paced.

You know you’re in for a good time if you get a Lisa Gray novel!

Her latest book THE FINAL ACT is brilliant! The chapters flip between Madison (leading up to her disappearance) and Sarah’s perspective (as she investigates her disappearance). Which in itself is not unique but the way in which these two narratives interact provides a real mystery that is thrilling and exciting to read.

I love Lisa Gray’s work. Every book, no matter the synopsis, I can guarantee I’ll be hooked by the first chapter and whizzing through the book in no time at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty years ago, it looked as if Madison James was all set to become one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood film industry. However, after three movie roles she dropped off the scene and didn’t appear in any more film productions. Now she works as a waitress at The Jones restaurant and tries to get by. One day she heads out to an audition and disappears, her purse found by a hiker on a trail in the Laurel Canyon. Detectives Delaney and Moreno are assigned to the case from Missing Persons, sifting through tips from wannabe detectives and examining Madison’s past to find clues to her whereabouts. What has happened to Madison James and is she still alive?

The Final Act tells Madison’s story from two periods – her early days in Hollywood in 2004 and her current reality in 2024. The reader experiences all the excitement and promise of Madison’s introduction into the movie industry and her dreams of landing a good role in the next audition. This is contrasted with the darker side of the industry that takes Madison’s innocence away – the drug use, cutthroat competition, and sexual exploitation of young women. There is also a macabre fascination around young women that are assaulted and murdered in Hollywood, in which their deaths are fetishized and glorified as entertainment.

This novel had me in its grip! I turned pages feverishly all day and could not stop until I knew what happened. I love the way that Lisa Gray was able to peel away the layers and show the dark side of Tinseltown and the showbiz dream, without dimming its perpetual sparkle. A fantastic thriller and destined to be one of my top reads in 2024. Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC. I am thrilled to be a part of @ThrillerBookLoversThePulse and tell you that this should be on your list when it is published on 1 July 2024!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sarah first case in her new position is a missing woman named. Madison. Madison has dreamed of making big as an actress and is excited about her next audition. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

Time to read less than a day

Stars 3

Review

Have never read any by Lisa Gray before

This was ok. It kept my attention but not sure I liked the characters.

I am not sure I will actively seek out th authors books to read

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to review.

The team @thrillerbookloversthepulse is reading Lisa Gray’s upcoming thriller, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒄𝒕 and it’s getting all the buzz!

Great for fans of:
📚dual timelines
📚dual POVs
📚Hollywood mysteries
📚Detective series

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing the #gifted digital review copy!

I have really enjoyed other books by Lisa Gray so I was excited for this one and it did not disappoint. The plot felt very modern with online element which added to the suspense and tension as we delve into the search for Madison and uncover the truth about her disappearance.

A huge thank you to @lisagraywriter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of The Final Act. As a thriller lover and reviewer with the team @thrillerbookloversthepulse this book was everything you love in a Hollywood mystery.

Madison James is dying to be famous. Arriving in Hollywood as a young woman, she has her heart set on becoming the next it girl. When she’s cast in the latest horror film, Madison is convinced this is the first step of an illustrious career as a working actress. The movie does well and Madison is given rave reviews for her acting. Her next film, a comedy, does less well, and when she auditions for a final-girl role in the latest Hollywood thriller, she knows this will put her back on top. After a casting-couch experience fails to deliver the role she was promised, Madison is dropped by her agent. Blacklisted by the Director, the acting roles soon dry up and Madison is forced to accept waitressing gigs to make ends meet. Now, over a decade later, Madison James is missing. Last seen walking to her latest audition, she has disappeared without a trace. No CCTV footage and no witnesses. Then, her handbag is discovered with a mysterious note and Detective Sarah Delaney of the Missing Persons unit is sent to investigate. Did Madison give up on her Hollywood dream and return home or is something more sinister at play?

I love a good Hollywood mystery and this one had me right on the edge of my seat. Add in the seedy side of Hollywood and a Harvey Weinstein-type Director, and you have all the makings of a great thriller. I left this book wanting more and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for another story about Detective Sarah Delaney.

3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this book, and I thought the story was pretty original and relevant with it taking place mostly in 2022 - which was interesting to see how a more “modern” thriller / mystery would take place in Hollywood.

I found the pacing overall was pretty good, however I found I wasn’t really into the story / plot until around 60% of the way in. After that, I found the story started to develop a lot more and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

A minor critique, is I found that acronyms were used in this book pretty frequently, with never explaining what they stood for. Some of them you can easily decipher on your own, but there were a couple that I found myself thinking “I have no clue what that means”.

The dark side of Hollywood, misplaced power and privilege, and far reaching consequences hidden by wealth. How far would you go to get the dream? A solid mystery with plenty of red herrings, twists and turns!

The Final Act by new to me author L. Gray, published by Thomas & Mercer is a full length stand alone.
A thriller of its finest that had me in suspense from start till the very unexpected end.
Madison is a has been actress who's gone missing. She becomes the latest case for the Detectives Sarah and Rob of LAPD Missing Person Unit. But Tinseltown has his very own flow.
A captivating read full of twists and unexpected turns, a great read. I recommend the book.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, kidnapping, a sort of who done it, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! All she wanted was to see her name in lights. Now, her disappearance has made her front-page news. It’s been twenty years since Madison James had any kind of success in Hollywood. Now she’s disappeared and a TikTok sleuth has found her purse discarded in a Los Angeles park. The news spreads like wildfire across a nation hungry for celebrity tragedy, and the struggling actress’s mysterious disappearance quickly becomes a national obsession. Detectives Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD Missing Persons Unit take the case. But truth is a rare commodity in Tinseltown; some people will stop at nothing to get what they want and Delaney and Moreno soon find themselves mired in Hollywood’s dark underbelly with little in the way of clues!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

In 2002-4 Madison James appears in three movies, but then drops out of sight and reverts to waitressing and going to auditions. Nearly 20 years later she goes missing and her purse is found beside a trail. This is told from the perspectives of Sarah the missing persons detective in the present day, and Madison back in 2002-4.

I found this a page turner and the police procedural sections were excellent. The Madison sections were less compelling to me, but then, I don't understand why anyone would want to work in Hollywood. This was good on what people are willing to do to be famous, and the author gradually revealed Madison's full character - she was not who I thought she was at the beginning.

Recommended.