The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Fox: An unforgettable twisty time-hop mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood

Hotel Hollywood #3

by Lisa Hall

From best-selling author Lisa Hall, winner of the CWA Whodunnit Dagger 2025

A missing starlet.

An unsolved mystery.

Can Lily save Hollywood's next big movie star?

Lily Jones is thrilled to find herself in the 1950s. She misses her 21st century life but has a blossoming romance with her musician friend Louis and her dream job working on a movie set.

The lead actress Kitty Fox is a rising star, yet Lily recalls that after this movie she goes missing, her disappearance an unsolved mystery that barely makes a ripple in Hollywood history.

But as Lily begins to understand the brutal studio system of Hollywood in the 1950s she wonders if there might be something sinister at play behind Kitty's vanishing.

Whatever happened to Kitty Fox? Can Lily save her and change the course of history?

An unforgettable, twisty time-hop mystery perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and movie-lovers everywhere.

Readers can't get enough of The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Fox:

'As twisty and glamorous as the lemon peel in a martini... pacy, page-turning...will keep you guessing to the very final reel.' Joanna Dodd

'This mashup of mystery, time-bending fantasy, and a touch of classic noir will keep readers up all night dying to find out whodunnit. This mightjust be your next favourite book.' Elena Taylor

'Wow another great book from Lisa Hallhard to put down.' Reader Review

'So exciting and suspenseful. I really hope there's more in this series.' Reader Review

'There is history, heart, mystery and friendships in these books. Loved it.' Reader Review

'A proper whodunnit I can't honestly tell you how much I enjoy these books. Farewell for now Lily and 1950's LA hurry back!' Reader Review

'A brilliant plot where the character can travel back in time to solve crimes.' Reader Review

Praise for the Hotel Hollywood

'A fabulous, sweepingly glamorous book I was completely caught up in 50s Vegas and the mobsters, movie stars and murder that kept me turning the pages until the small hours.' Amanda Lees

'Brimming with wonderful characters, cracking dialogue, exquisite description and an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing all the way quite simply a joy.' A.A. Chaudhuri

'Crime, glamour and love - Lisa Hall's latest time-slip novel is an absolute joy' Annabel Kantaria

'Full of Las Vegas glamour, thrills, nostalgia and vivid characters. I loved it!' Louise Swanson

'Fresh, fun and full of suspense. Crime-solving, time-hopping Lily Jones is a brilliant character and 1950s Vegas, in all its glamour and seediness, springs to life through her eyes.' Joanna Dodd

'Put Las Vegas mobsters, a couple of showgirls, and a sexy musician into a shaker, pour that into a martini glass and add a plot twist. Lily Jones is back in her latest time-hopping mystery guaranteed to knock your bobby socks off.' Elena Hartwell

'A brilliant timeslip novel...the setting is beautifully imagined and compelling a page turner and a joy to read.

352 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2025

About the author

Lisa Hall lives in Fall Branch, Tennessee with her husband, daughters and their pets. In addition to “The Cutie Pie Chronicles” series, Hall is the author of numerous short stories.

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Gemma · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The third book in the Hotel Hollywood Mysteries, The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Fox brings Lily and her friends back as she takes on another mystery case. Lily is working as an assistant on Leonard’s movie set when she remembers the disappearance of Kitty Fox and does everything she can to stop it. This is such a wholesome series and I loved being back with these lovable characters in the fabulous 1950’s Hollywood setting.

This is an interesting new plot for the series as not only does Lily have to worry about looking after Kitty to ensure she doesn't disappear, there are also other unknown girls being murdered in the streets of Hollywood at night and no one seems to care. The more Lily, Tilda and Louis dig in to these murders, the more it looks like they connect to Kitty in some way and what follows is a race against time as they try to figure out the culprit and save Kitty once and for all.

There is a lot more drama in this story including a shooting at the Oscars ceremony, a kidnap and a petty feud between the lead actresses which makes for a fun and enjoyable read and I never knew where it was going to go next! There were also a few suspects throughout the story which made it a lot more interesting, including Art, the leading man, Jeremy, an old friend of Kitty’s and Doctor Astor and they were all very suspicious so I couldn’t trust any of them.

I thought there was a bit of repetition throughout with Lily and her relationship with Louis. The constant mention of how they can’t be together does get a little annoying as I can’t see why she doesn't just go for it and live in the moment and stop worrying about the future. However this does add more depth and complexity to their characters.

It did feel a little slower than the previous books as the majority of the novel was about Lily’s job and getting to know Kitty more as she gathered information and clues, but it really ramped up in the last 15% as the truth is revealed. Even when I thought it was all wrapped up nicely, there was an even bigger shock twist to come that I didn't see coming. Overall, this is a brilliant addition to this series and I am always looking forward to the next mystery with these characters.

[Kayl_may · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 and I’m still loving the Hollywood adventures of Lily, Louie and Tilda. Another easy and entertaining listen on audio. I hope Lisa Hall writes a 4th, I can’t get enough of them!

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for The Strange Disappearance Of Kitty Fox by Lisa Hall

I really enjoyed reading this intriguing, addictive, time-slip cozy mystery which sees Lily Jones managing to travel back in time from the hectic present day where she has two jobs so she can afford to live in Los Angeles to the more laid back 1950s. She goes from watching the old black and white screen stars that she truly loved seeing in films to mingling with them and if she’s really lucky, she's actually introduced to them. She managed to get a job as an assistant to acclaimed film director Leonard Langford at the film studio. She was looking after Kitty Fox and she remembered that she suddenly disappeared without trace, perhaps that was why she had stayed around. She really liked Kitty and they had a great rapport with an element of trust between them. There was a strange atmosphere between Kitty and Camellia with a lot of back-biting and winding each other up. Lily had to try and keep Kitty under control as well as safe. If she could, she wanted to stop Kitty disappearing with the help of her loyal friends Louis and Tilda. Can she pull it off?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery read which I found really hard to put down as the story was superbly written and such a gripping read. It was an intriguing plot which had been superbly thought out. There is great attention to detail with a very detailed description given explaining everything. There are details of hotels and restaurants that existed in the 1950s and what is there now. I like Lily a lot as she has a lot of determination and grit which makes her act rather rashly at times without thinking. She has her friends Louis and Tilda as well. They make a great team. I find this to be a great series with an interesting twist that has hooked me from the start.

Synopsis :

From best-selling author Lisa Hall, winner of the CWA Whodunnit Dagger 2025
A missing starlet.
An unsolved mystery.
Can Lily save Hollywood's next big movie star?
Lily Jones is thrilled to find herself in the 1950s. She misses her 21st century life but has a blossoming romance with her musician friend Louis and her dream job working on a movie set.
The lead actress Kitty Fox is a rising star, yet Lily recalls that after this movie she goes missing, her disappearance an unsolved mystery that barely makes a ripple in Hollywood history.
But as Lily begins to understand the brutal studio system of Hollywood in the 1950s she wonders if there might be something sinister at play behind Kitty's vanishing.
Whatever happened to Kitty Fox? Can Lily save her and change the course of history?
An unforgettable, twisty time-hop mystery perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and movie-lovers everywhere.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that I am a fan of the golden years of Hollywood, but, I am completely enthralled by this series, now into book three.

Lisa Hall has managed to capture the drama and intrigue in producing the movies with more infighting and threat than in a boxing ring. I am captivated by the glamour, the sense of entitlement and the shameless name dropping around the sets. The Golden Years of Hollywood.

Lily has the ability to time travel; in the two previous episodes she had somehow slipped back in time to make a difference and save something terrible from happening.

In this third novel, it begins with her already in 1950 wondering why she is still there and not back home to her drab life, working two jobs, seventy years into the future, her own present.

In 1950 Lily has the role of personal assistant to the director. She is basically on the film to ensure everything runs smoothly, stays on budget and other secretary tasks. In addition she is asked to keep the two leading actresses apart. Principally to save Kitty from getting into trouble; but as the title suggests she seems unable to accomplish that.

While I found the concept again quite magical and unusual, I did start to feel the story was too close to the first book. I felt the author did well to link this story into her previous novels featuring Lily. Good repeat characters and development of their lives sufficient that you could pick this book up without having read the others.

The book finishes stronger in the final 20% of the narrative when the plot lines come together.

I really like the glamour in this time in Hollywood, the scope for fun with the studio setup and that behind the scenes feel. I also found the elements of being out of time interestingly pursued. Including attitudes to women, stalking and unwanted pregnancies. It was also troubling to contemplate that deaths of young aspiring women drawn to stardom in Beverley Hills could be seen as unimportant.

How the author can stick to her own time travelling rules and progress this series is an issue going forward. If a fourth book is published I will look forward to it coming to a bookstore near me.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

After coming back to this series after a little pause, I now find myself racing through straight into this third book in the Hotel Hollywood Mystery series after reading book 2 - The Case Of The Singer And The Showgirl.

 

Now, I don't know if it's because I read this literally straight on from book 2, but I definitely felt that I loved this one even more.

 

The character development arc over the 3 books has really cemented these characters into my heart and spending time with them all in another case just felt so natural.

We do see a few new characters pop in through this book - some nicer than others, but essentially, we're back with the old gang and it was lovely.

 

This was another complex case as Lily remembers the stories about missing Hollywood starlet whose case was never solved.

Now working within the industry, she wonders if she can prevent her disappearance especially now seeing the underhand nature of what goes on behind the scenes.

 

Once again, we're whisked away to the glamour of a 50's Hollywood and again we see the huge contrast between the outward glitz and glamour portrayed by the whole industry and the darker side to its nature and much of the terrible way some people were treated there.

 

I love this mix of the mystery with the time slip and the hints of romance throughout.

This all works so wonderfully put together and the characters have really embedded themselves into my heart.

 

I already have book 4 ready to go and cannot wait to see what this book holds for us all - I'm a little worried about whether this is the final book in the series and what that means for Lily - watch this space ....

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Fox is the third in a time hop mystery series. I would seriously recommend reading the series from the beginning - it is well written so you don’t have to, but honestly this series is so enjoyable you’d just be crazy not to want to read them all and by reading them in order you really get to know and love the main characters of Lily, Louis and Tilda.

I always think that time travel books are difficult to do well but Lisa Hall is brilliant at bringing alive the glamour of old Hollywood and the modern Lily. I’ve never really been interested in old films and the life stories of the actors who played in them, but I love reading the Letter from Lisa - make sure you listen to them at the end of the books.

I’m so delighted to have found this series. All the stories have been well written with fascinating characters and a great mystery. Let yourself be drawn into Lily’s world and enjoy the descriptions of a golden age gone by.

I have previously listened to this series on audiobook and would highly recommend if you enjoy listening to books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for an eARC of this book.

[Helena · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

‘The Strange Disappearance of Kitty Fox’ is another fabulous novel added to this series, it was slightly more predictable for me than the other two books but that isn’t a bad thing at all.
I’m really loving the 50s theme, it takes me into a different world as a reader and it’s an accurate representation of the 50s especially with the fashion and the way the novel shows the darker side to Hollywood and the lengths they go to look a certain way.

Lily is acing her detective skills, I’ve noticed through each book, she is strengthening and becoming more determined and more confidence and her friendship with Tilda and Louis is stronger than ever and I absolutely love this trio! In general I loved the characters in this one, they are a lot more dramatic and they really added to the already action packed read!

As a whole book three definitely did not disappoint me, the time hopping is definitely my favourite element and this book has left me with a lot of questions this time!

If you’re looking for a cozy time hop mystery series, then add this to your TBR!

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving the Hotel Hollywood series and reading this straight after book two was a real treat. I love Lily but I also love the whole gang we have here. Hall does a great job at keeping the characters consistent but also introducing new ones while we go along the way. I really love the way the mysteries work out and how we see Lily work to solve the cases. These are absolute must reads for those who love historical crimes but also timeslip novels. I  cannot wait to start book four.

As always thank you to ZooLoo’s Book Tours and author for the free copy to review. My review contains only my honest opinions and is freely given.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous two, not least because the plot only really heated up about 90% of the way in! I also thought that Jeremy would turn out to be Kitty's secret husband which I think would have worked slightly better than the actual plot!

Still, I love Tilda and Louis, and there's such a warmth that comes through. Though I really hoped that Louis would propose to Lily in this one, which I'd love to see in another book. Lily deserves her perfect man! I'll be looking out for the next one as soon as it's available!

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

The third book in Lily’s time travelling mysteries and I found myself completely gripped by this series again.
I love these characters it’s like catching up with their lives every time I pick up a book.
Kitty Fox - what a great name, lots of intrigue around this investigation and such a great plot and twists.
This is such a great story, the glamour of the times set amongst the dark parts of Hollywood.
I’m hoping this series will go on forever because I never want to say goodbye to Lily and friends.

[Pops Holden-Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah woah woah!! Lisa hall done it again. With Lily helping kitty disappear and understanding that was the right choice for kitty as she wasn’t happy was nice to conclude. With Lisa’s other books we see them oppose the danger and continue the story with them living their lives.
This book had me gripped, gagged and more - different from Lisa halls first two books in this series but again without fail Lisa didn’t disappoint

[Kacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 in the series, I don’t think this one is my favourite of the 3. I do wish that the characters in the last 2 made an appearance again. The story is mainly about the moving shoot more than kitty fox until the last 100 pages I would say. I would have liked there to be a might more about Louis and lilys relationship in this one.

[Sylvana Siddique · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[Kimmi B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot wait to see what happens next, absolutely loved reading this series 😍

[Toby Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up at Crime Central after a great evening listening to the author.
The third book in the series and my first foray into Lily's world was a fun and thrilling read. As a huge movie fan I was very interested to see how this fits into the old school Hollywood era, the answer is really well. The world building and sense of place is fantastic and draws you in the story and allows you to get used to the golden age setting with a modern mindset from our protagonist.
I enjoyed the twists throughout and wish I'd read the previous books so I could have a deeper understanding of the characters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this time hop series set in the golden age of Hollywood. This one is a clever twist on her previous books. I think this is my favourite one.