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A Disappearing Act
From the bestselling author of The House of Now and Then comes a taut and twisty psychological mystery, perfect for readers of Sally Hepworth and Nicola Moriarty.
Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne — but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé. Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career... but this time the allegations go further... Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?
As the days unfold, it becomes clear that time has pulled the women apart, and that perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. And when long-buried secrets and resentments rise to the surface, tensions spiral out of control.
And then one of them disappears.
No one can survive the harsh elements of a Tasmanian winter for long, and soon panic sets in. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far more sinister at play?
And does it have anything to do with what happened twenty-five years ago, when the four of them lived together in a rambling warehouse, fuelled by ambition, and where nothing — absolutely nothing — mattered more than being part of the group?
From the bestselling author of The House of Now and Then comes a taut and twisty psychological mystery that asks how well do we really know our closest friends?
Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne — but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé. Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career... but this time the allegations go further... Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?
As the days unfold, it becomes clear that time has pulled the women apart, and that perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. And when long-buried secrets and resentments rise to the surface, tensions spiral out of control.
And then one of them disappears.
No one can survive the harsh elements of a Tasmanian winter for long, and soon panic sets in. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far more sinister at play?
And does it have anything to do with what happened twenty-five years ago, when the four of them lived together in a rambling warehouse, fuelled by ambition, and where nothing — absolutely nothing — mattered more than being part of the group?
From the bestselling author of The House of Now and Then comes a taut and twisty psychological mystery that asks how well do we really know our closest friends?
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2025
43 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Jo Dixon
4 books112 followersJo writes stories full of imperfect characters dealing with unsettling situations, and making fatal mistakes. There is intrigue and mystery, the moodiness and underlying threat of the wild environment, and provocative twists and turns.
Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals, and is attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She's learned to be somewhat useful at lambing (thank you YouTube), to plant trees, and to grow raspberries and rhubarb. She can also (sometimes) recall the botanical names of perennials and know which ones the wallabies will devour and which ones they ignore.
Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals, and is attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She's learned to be somewhat useful at lambing (thank you YouTube), to plant trees, and to grow raspberries and rhubarb. She can also (sometimes) recall the botanical names of perennials and know which ones the wallabies will devour and which ones they ignore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
October 21, 2025
This is a tale of four women who house shared in Melbourne in 1999 and still regard themselves as best friends 25 years later. When they gather together for a holiday in Tasmania it turns out they are not quite the besties they thought they were since two of them are virtually blackmailing each other, another has a serious addiction and the fourth is living in her van. All with only a little or no help from the others. When one of the group mysteriously disappears a whole new can of worms is opened.
This was an easy read with interesting characters despite most of them being totally unlikeable. There was not a lot happening much of the time but the second half of the book was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed guessing what had happened to the missing person but felt the final reveal fell a little flat. An interesting but unexciting story. Three stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was an easy read with interesting characters despite most of them being totally unlikeable. There was not a lot happening much of the time but the second half of the book was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed guessing what had happened to the missing person but felt the final reveal fell a little flat. An interesting but unexciting story. Three stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 17, 2025
3.5★s
When Marnie Elliott was invited to "house share" with Poppy, Sarah and Xanthea (Zanny) at the warehouse they'd name Ellezon, Marnie was thrilled. The three women were all artists of some kind and when Marnie said she was writing a book, the start of a trilogy, she was welcomed with opened arms. The four women partied hard as often as they could, inviting friends to join them; living life to its fullest was their motto.
Twenty five years later, Marnie, now living in London, and a wealthy woman, invited her three old friends for a get together in Tasmania, where they could catch up on each others lives and continue the support they'd always had for each other. But it was quite obvious, only days in, that each of them were hiding secrets. And when one of the women disappeared on a bush walk, the police were involved and the three worried women watched and waited. Would she return? Was it a devious plan, or had someone ambushed her?
A Disappearing Act is the third novel by Aussie author Jo Dixon and while I loved her first two, I was a little disappointed in this one. A very slow burn, it took until almost 50% before the action began. And even then it wasn't riveting. It's marketed as a psychological thriller, but I'd call it a family drama. I found it hard to like any of the MCs as well. But never mind, I'll definitely read the author's next :) Recommended to fans.
With thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Enterprises AU for my digital ARC to read and review.
When Marnie Elliott was invited to "house share" with Poppy, Sarah and Xanthea (Zanny) at the warehouse they'd name Ellezon, Marnie was thrilled. The three women were all artists of some kind and when Marnie said she was writing a book, the start of a trilogy, she was welcomed with opened arms. The four women partied hard as often as they could, inviting friends to join them; living life to its fullest was their motto.
Twenty five years later, Marnie, now living in London, and a wealthy woman, invited her three old friends for a get together in Tasmania, where they could catch up on each others lives and continue the support they'd always had for each other. But it was quite obvious, only days in, that each of them were hiding secrets. And when one of the women disappeared on a bush walk, the police were involved and the three worried women watched and waited. Would she return? Was it a devious plan, or had someone ambushed her?
A Disappearing Act is the third novel by Aussie author Jo Dixon and while I loved her first two, I was a little disappointed in this one. A very slow burn, it took until almost 50% before the action began. And even then it wasn't riveting. It's marketed as a psychological thriller, but I'd call it a family drama. I found it hard to like any of the MCs as well. But never mind, I'll definitely read the author's next :) Recommended to fans.
With thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Enterprises AU for my digital ARC to read and review.
October 4, 2025
Marnie Elliott is a bestselling author based in London, she’s sold millions of copies and she invites her three oldest friends Sarah, Xanthea and Poppy to a secluded holiday home on the South Coast of Tasmania.
All three women have secrets and are hiding things about themselves, Marnie's writing career is on the brink of collapsing and she could lose everything, Sarah is dating a guy and she broke his heart once before, Xanthea has an addiction and her partner has no idea and Poppy is broke and sleeping in a van.
The narrative has a dual timeline and is set in 2024 and 1999 and remember the Millennium Bug and the whole world was going to be shut down and blacked out at the stroke of midnight.
Twenty five years ago they used to share a house in Melbourne, nicknamed “Ellenzon” and here they threw wild parties, invitations were coveted and Sarah was the popular one.
After being together for one night, the women notice that everyone has changed, perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought, are they jealous of Marnie’s success and the atmosphere is tense. When one of them goes missing, at first the three remaining ladies wonder if she's lost, took a wrong turn or had an accident, they call the police and have to consider if she's ran away or staged her own disappearance or been involved in foul play?
Set in a remote area in Tasmania, during winter and when it's cold and wet, muddy and boggy, without the proper clothes and equipment, no one will survive long in the elements and the clock is ticking and time is running out.
I received a copy of A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A mild psychological thriller with lots of twist and turns and a story about secrets and mystery, greed an ambition, wanting to be cool and fit in, peer group pressure and maybe you don't know your friends as well as you thought you did.
I felt each character added to the suspense and drama, but it's not too scary and I'm not a fan of those kind of books. Five stars from me and I highly recommend, and I promise you will still get a decent night sleep and unless you stay up late reading!
All three women have secrets and are hiding things about themselves, Marnie's writing career is on the brink of collapsing and she could lose everything, Sarah is dating a guy and she broke his heart once before, Xanthea has an addiction and her partner has no idea and Poppy is broke and sleeping in a van.
The narrative has a dual timeline and is set in 2024 and 1999 and remember the Millennium Bug and the whole world was going to be shut down and blacked out at the stroke of midnight.
Twenty five years ago they used to share a house in Melbourne, nicknamed “Ellenzon” and here they threw wild parties, invitations were coveted and Sarah was the popular one.
After being together for one night, the women notice that everyone has changed, perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought, are they jealous of Marnie’s success and the atmosphere is tense. When one of them goes missing, at first the three remaining ladies wonder if she's lost, took a wrong turn or had an accident, they call the police and have to consider if she's ran away or staged her own disappearance or been involved in foul play?
Set in a remote area in Tasmania, during winter and when it's cold and wet, muddy and boggy, without the proper clothes and equipment, no one will survive long in the elements and the clock is ticking and time is running out.
I received a copy of A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A mild psychological thriller with lots of twist and turns and a story about secrets and mystery, greed an ambition, wanting to be cool and fit in, peer group pressure and maybe you don't know your friends as well as you thought you did.
I felt each character added to the suspense and drama, but it's not too scary and I'm not a fan of those kind of books. Five stars from me and I highly recommend, and I promise you will still get a decent night sleep and unless you stay up late reading!
October 31, 2025
EXCERPT: She plucked the bottle off the coffee table and began topping up the glasses. 'Here's to us,' she said. 'Four fabulous women with amazing skills and talents. And to Ellezon, the perfect place for us to bloom and blossom and to become the best we can be.'
Marnie raised her glass, joining the whoops and cheers, smiling as wide as any of them. The sense of belonging that she had always craved filled her almost to the brim. Only the crow whispering in her ear held total joy at bay, reminding her over and over that she was nothing but a liar.
ABOUT 'A DISAPPEARING ACT': Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne — but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé. Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career... but this time the allegations go further... Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?
As the days unfold, it becomes clear that time has pulled the women apart, and that perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. And when long-buried secrets and resentments rise to the surface, tensions spiral out of control.
And then one of them disappears.
No one can survive the harsh elements of a Tasmanian winter for long, and soon panic sets in. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far more sinister at play?
And does it have anything to do with what happened twenty-five years ago, when the four of them lived together in a rambling warehouse, fueled by ambition, and where nothing — absolutely nothing — mattered more than being part of the group?
MY THOUGHTS: A Disappearing Act focuses on the friendship between four women, a friendship that has lasted for many years, and asks the question 'Just how well do you know your friends?'
Be prepared for the slow burn. In the previous two books I have read by this author, the suspense and tension have been present from the start. It takes far longer to get to that point with A Disappearing Act which is more focused on the shifts in the dynamics between the four and the shifting alliances. The revelations and exposures are more measured, less shocking.
Although remaining 'friends' over the years, these women have been keeping secrets from one another and maintaining the friendship on a superficial level. They really have no idea what is going on in each other's lives and nor are they in any hurry to reveal their own truths until one of them goes missing and forces their hands.
I loved this author's previous two books but I'm a bit more ambivalent about this one. I didn't really like nor connect with any of the four women. And sorry, but I just wasn't riveted like I was with the previous two books.
I liked, but didn't love, A Disappearing Act. But I will still be excited and first in line when Jo Dixon's next title comes out.
#ADisappearingAct #NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐.5
MEET THE AUTHOR: JO DIXON writes stories full of imperfect characters dealing with unsettling situations, and making fatal mistakes. There is intrigue and mystery, the moodiness and underlying threat of the wild environment, and provocative twists and turns.
Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals, and is attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She's learned to be somewhat useful at lambing, to plant trees, and to grow raspberries and rhubarb. She can also (sometimes) recall the botanical names of perennials and know which ones the wallabies will devour and which ones they ignore.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Marnie raised her glass, joining the whoops and cheers, smiling as wide as any of them. The sense of belonging that she had always craved filled her almost to the brim. Only the crow whispering in her ear held total joy at bay, reminding her over and over that she was nothing but a liar.
ABOUT 'A DISAPPEARING ACT': Bestselling author Marnie Elliott has invited her three oldest friends to a secluded holiday house in Tasmania. On the surface it’s an excuse to catch up and drink champagne — but really, Marnie’s there to escape the fallout from an upcoming exposé. Sure, she’s told some lies over the course of her career... but this time the allegations go further... Did Marnie even write the books that made her millions?
As the days unfold, it becomes clear that time has pulled the women apart, and that perhaps they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did. And when long-buried secrets and resentments rise to the surface, tensions spiral out of control.
And then one of them disappears.
No one can survive the harsh elements of a Tasmanian winter for long, and soon panic sets in. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far more sinister at play?
And does it have anything to do with what happened twenty-five years ago, when the four of them lived together in a rambling warehouse, fueled by ambition, and where nothing — absolutely nothing — mattered more than being part of the group?
MY THOUGHTS: A Disappearing Act focuses on the friendship between four women, a friendship that has lasted for many years, and asks the question 'Just how well do you know your friends?'
Be prepared for the slow burn. In the previous two books I have read by this author, the suspense and tension have been present from the start. It takes far longer to get to that point with A Disappearing Act which is more focused on the shifts in the dynamics between the four and the shifting alliances. The revelations and exposures are more measured, less shocking.
Although remaining 'friends' over the years, these women have been keeping secrets from one another and maintaining the friendship on a superficial level. They really have no idea what is going on in each other's lives and nor are they in any hurry to reveal their own truths until one of them goes missing and forces their hands.
I loved this author's previous two books but I'm a bit more ambivalent about this one. I didn't really like nor connect with any of the four women. And sorry, but I just wasn't riveted like I was with the previous two books.
I liked, but didn't love, A Disappearing Act. But I will still be excited and first in line when Jo Dixon's next title comes out.
#ADisappearingAct #NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐.5
MEET THE AUTHOR: JO DIXON writes stories full of imperfect characters dealing with unsettling situations, and making fatal mistakes. There is intrigue and mystery, the moodiness and underlying threat of the wild environment, and provocative twists and turns.
Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals, and is attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She's learned to be somewhat useful at lambing, to plant trees, and to grow raspberries and rhubarb. She can also (sometimes) recall the botanical names of perennials and know which ones the wallabies will devour and which ones they ignore.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
October 29, 2025
This one is definitely a slow burn, but I was immediately invested in Sarah and Marnie and their initially mysterious connection, and really wanted to see what it was all about and what would happen to them in the end.
When you begin a dual-timeline story about four women who have known each other for a long time, you already know it's not going to be champagne and roses all the way! In this case there is actually quite a bit of champagne lubricating the reunion of Marnie, Sarah, Poppy and Isabel (hang on, is that even her name? Probably the least well-drawn and least memorable character), former housemates and long-term friends. You'd think in this situation the four would know everything about each other, but when one goes missing they soon discover that they are all hiding secrets.
To be brutally honest, for the first half of the novel I felt like I had seen all these ideas before - either in other books or in the news. There's nothing wrong with that if it's done well. In this case it's well-written, but there was nothing really explosive or sensational about it that would make it a pageturner or even particularly memorable weeks after finishing. But an excellent holiday read, I'd say.
With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for an eARC to read and review.
When you begin a dual-timeline story about four women who have known each other for a long time, you already know it's not going to be champagne and roses all the way! In this case there is actually quite a bit of champagne lubricating the reunion of Marnie, Sarah, Poppy and Isabel (hang on, is that even her name? Probably the least well-drawn and least memorable character), former housemates and long-term friends. You'd think in this situation the four would know everything about each other, but when one goes missing they soon discover that they are all hiding secrets.
To be brutally honest, for the first half of the novel I felt like I had seen all these ideas before - either in other books or in the news. There's nothing wrong with that if it's done well. In this case it's well-written, but there was nothing really explosive or sensational about it that would make it a pageturner or even particularly memorable weeks after finishing. But an excellent holiday read, I'd say.
With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for an eARC to read and review.
October 22, 2025
A Disappearing Act by Jessica Mansour-Nahra
★★★★
Marnie Elliott is a best selling author who invites her three oldest friends to a remote Tasmanian retreat, old secrets and rivalries resurface just as an exposé threatens her career. But when one of them disappears in the harsh winter, the women are forced to confront what really happened twenty-five years ago.
Captivating from beginning to end, this story drew me in with its layered characters and slow-building tension. While it took a little while for the action to kick in, once it did, it was game on. This book was full of twists, emotional revelations, and the kind of suspense that keeps you reading late into the night. The dynamics between the women were gripping, with so many secrets, lies, and buried resentments bubbling to the surface. Each chapter peeled back another layer, revealing just how tangled their past truly was. A dark, atmospheric read about friendship, ambition, and the haunting power of long-held secrets. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to recommend it to all my thriller loving friends.
📖🌧️💔🕵️♀️
Thanks to @betterreadingau for the opportunity to read this book.
Pour a hot drink, it’s book talk time.
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★★★★
Marnie Elliott is a best selling author who invites her three oldest friends to a remote Tasmanian retreat, old secrets and rivalries resurface just as an exposé threatens her career. But when one of them disappears in the harsh winter, the women are forced to confront what really happened twenty-five years ago.
Captivating from beginning to end, this story drew me in with its layered characters and slow-building tension. While it took a little while for the action to kick in, once it did, it was game on. This book was full of twists, emotional revelations, and the kind of suspense that keeps you reading late into the night. The dynamics between the women were gripping, with so many secrets, lies, and buried resentments bubbling to the surface. Each chapter peeled back another layer, revealing just how tangled their past truly was. A dark, atmospheric read about friendship, ambition, and the haunting power of long-held secrets. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to recommend it to all my thriller loving friends.
📖🌧️💔🕵️♀️
Thanks to @betterreadingau for the opportunity to read this book.
Pour a hot drink, it’s book talk time.
TikTok
December 6, 2025
My favourite Jo Dixon book so far. This book had me hooked, I do love a story about female friendships, especially when they don’t really know each other as well as they thought they did.
Set in Tasmania, a part of Australia that I would love to visit one day, the location plays a big part in this story. The women are staying in a remote part of the island state, during winter when it is cold, wet and stormy. Picture bush walks, cozy fires and lots of bottle of wines. Marnie Elliot is the most successful of the 4 close friends, who used to live together in a warehouse in Melbourne 25 years ago. From early on it is clear that they are all hiding big secrets from each other, and there are some unresolved tensions between the women. And then one of them goes missing.
I loved that back and forth timelines, seeing how the women were in the past and what happened when they lived together, and now, when they are older and wiser. I really enjoyed trying to put all the pieces together. None of the women were particularly likeable, the more you got to know each one. There was jealousy and resentment clearly displayed.
This was a great choice for HQs Thrillerinfluencer book of the month for November. Very addictive and clever until the very end.
Set in Tasmania, a part of Australia that I would love to visit one day, the location plays a big part in this story. The women are staying in a remote part of the island state, during winter when it is cold, wet and stormy. Picture bush walks, cozy fires and lots of bottle of wines. Marnie Elliot is the most successful of the 4 close friends, who used to live together in a warehouse in Melbourne 25 years ago. From early on it is clear that they are all hiding big secrets from each other, and there are some unresolved tensions between the women. And then one of them goes missing.
I loved that back and forth timelines, seeing how the women were in the past and what happened when they lived together, and now, when they are older and wiser. I really enjoyed trying to put all the pieces together. None of the women were particularly likeable, the more you got to know each one. There was jealousy and resentment clearly displayed.
This was a great choice for HQs Thrillerinfluencer book of the month for November. Very addictive and clever until the very end.
November 24, 2025
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
🪞A Disappearing Act is a bingeable, sharp and unsettling thriller from Jo Dixon, a writer who resides in rural Tasmania. A tale of secrets, friendship, tension and a mysterious disappearance of a high-profile woman marks this oh so fabulous read.
🪞Jo Dixon’s latest sees four women converge at a secluded Tasmanian location, each holds their own secrets that they wish to keep concealed. As old feuds and issues surface, one of them disappears, sending the others into a state of fear and suspicion. Will the friends be reunited or will they lose one forever?
🪞 I read A Disappearing Act as a buddy read with @indoor.g1rl and @bmichie31 (thank you so much for your discussions) and it made the whole experience even better because we were able to talk through our thoughts, theories and plot twists together. This is the second novel I’ve read by Jo Dixon and it was so good that I was immediately reaching for my copy of A Shadow at the Door. In this latest novel, Jo Dixon gives her readers another intense psychological domestic based thriller which was stuffed full of tension, hidden pasts and complicated female friendship issues that have you on tenterhooks.
🪞The beauty of this story and my favourite aspect of the book was the remote Tasmanian retreat setting base. I loved how this stage was the place where central character and bestselling author Marnie Elliott brings three women together for what initially appears to be catch up. From the onset the setting feels isolated and uncertain from the start. It soon becomes apparent that every woman has something they would rather not confront. As night draws in and Tasmania’s well known cold temperatures set in, the old secrets bubble to the surface and one of them vanishes. This was a defining feature of the story and the aspect that kept my eyes glued to the pages.
Dixon is an expert in terms of her suspense line. She is able to draw out many unsettling and creeping moments, as well as create many narrative hooks that stopped me closing the book. I loved coming up with theories, situations and eventualities for the disappearance and other acts in the novel. Thanks to the layered cast, their suspect actions and difficult relations, I was never quite sure what to expect and what the final twist would be to the core case of Marnie’s disappearance. Themes of Hidden pasts and buried secrets, toxic friendship, female interactions, rivalry, greed, ambition, jealousy, betrayal, vulnerability, isolation, Identity and reinvention, past choices, fear, paranoia and justice round off the pages of this book in a fitting crescendo.
A Disappearing Act is a first class read and I’m so glad I was able to indulge in this one through one a super fast buddy read experience with two amazing fellow readers. It’s also one book that I was willing to give up my sleep for as I read way too late into the night! Jo Dixon is a home grown talent and her work in the domestic fiction mystery field has put her in my full sights.
✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️ 5 stars
Thank you to @hqfictionau for the copy.
🪞A Disappearing Act is a bingeable, sharp and unsettling thriller from Jo Dixon, a writer who resides in rural Tasmania. A tale of secrets, friendship, tension and a mysterious disappearance of a high-profile woman marks this oh so fabulous read.
🪞Jo Dixon’s latest sees four women converge at a secluded Tasmanian location, each holds their own secrets that they wish to keep concealed. As old feuds and issues surface, one of them disappears, sending the others into a state of fear and suspicion. Will the friends be reunited or will they lose one forever?
🪞 I read A Disappearing Act as a buddy read with @indoor.g1rl and @bmichie31 (thank you so much for your discussions) and it made the whole experience even better because we were able to talk through our thoughts, theories and plot twists together. This is the second novel I’ve read by Jo Dixon and it was so good that I was immediately reaching for my copy of A Shadow at the Door. In this latest novel, Jo Dixon gives her readers another intense psychological domestic based thriller which was stuffed full of tension, hidden pasts and complicated female friendship issues that have you on tenterhooks.
🪞The beauty of this story and my favourite aspect of the book was the remote Tasmanian retreat setting base. I loved how this stage was the place where central character and bestselling author Marnie Elliott brings three women together for what initially appears to be catch up. From the onset the setting feels isolated and uncertain from the start. It soon becomes apparent that every woman has something they would rather not confront. As night draws in and Tasmania’s well known cold temperatures set in, the old secrets bubble to the surface and one of them vanishes. This was a defining feature of the story and the aspect that kept my eyes glued to the pages.
Dixon is an expert in terms of her suspense line. She is able to draw out many unsettling and creeping moments, as well as create many narrative hooks that stopped me closing the book. I loved coming up with theories, situations and eventualities for the disappearance and other acts in the novel. Thanks to the layered cast, their suspect actions and difficult relations, I was never quite sure what to expect and what the final twist would be to the core case of Marnie’s disappearance. Themes of Hidden pasts and buried secrets, toxic friendship, female interactions, rivalry, greed, ambition, jealousy, betrayal, vulnerability, isolation, Identity and reinvention, past choices, fear, paranoia and justice round off the pages of this book in a fitting crescendo.
A Disappearing Act is a first class read and I’m so glad I was able to indulge in this one through one a super fast buddy read experience with two amazing fellow readers. It’s also one book that I was willing to give up my sleep for as I read way too late into the night! Jo Dixon is a home grown talent and her work in the domestic fiction mystery field has put her in my full sights.
✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️ 5 stars
Thank you to @hqfictionau for the copy.
December 26, 2025
Four friends, Sarah, Poppy, Xanthea and Marnie, lived in an old converted warehouse in Melbourne known as Ellzon in the 1990’s meet up again in 2024 for a trip to Tasmania and nobody saw what was going to happen but secrets from the past start to unravel, how will it all turn out?
Marnie Elliot is now a bestselling author who lives in London she has not seen her friends for many years and decides to invite them all for a week long holiday, is it to drink and have fun or does Marnie have another reason to be here with them, could it be something about the exposé that is just about to be released, she knows she has not always told the truth but this could blow her career sky high along with her life.
Sarah, loved her life back in those years being young and living the good life but things changed and a vow of secrecy taken soon everyone moved on from Ellzon and made new lives, Sarah marries and has a daughter, Poppy marries but not happily and Xanthea married her girlfriend and has two sons.
Now one night together in Tasmania and three of them are keen for monetary help from Marnie but what happens is those secrets start to unwind and soon one of them is missing, who and why?
This is a twisty story of friendships secrets and the past erupting, will they get the truth? I did very much enjoy this one a bit slow to start and the characters are all good although I don’t think I was fond of any of them but for me the story line was really good and I did not see what was coming in the end, I do highly recommend this one to any lover of a good twisty mystery.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
Marnie Elliot is now a bestselling author who lives in London she has not seen her friends for many years and decides to invite them all for a week long holiday, is it to drink and have fun or does Marnie have another reason to be here with them, could it be something about the exposé that is just about to be released, she knows she has not always told the truth but this could blow her career sky high along with her life.
Sarah, loved her life back in those years being young and living the good life but things changed and a vow of secrecy taken soon everyone moved on from Ellzon and made new lives, Sarah marries and has a daughter, Poppy marries but not happily and Xanthea married her girlfriend and has two sons.
Now one night together in Tasmania and three of them are keen for monetary help from Marnie but what happens is those secrets start to unwind and soon one of them is missing, who and why?
This is a twisty story of friendships secrets and the past erupting, will they get the truth? I did very much enjoy this one a bit slow to start and the characters are all good although I don’t think I was fond of any of them but for me the story line was really good and I did not see what was coming in the end, I do highly recommend this one to any lover of a good twisty mystery.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
October 4, 2025
Four friends that lived a rather bohemian lifestyle in their teens reunite many years later for a getaway in Tasmania. Marnie the successful author organises this retreat then goes missing when taking a bushwalk. Is this a genuine disappearance, has she been abducted, is it murder - no one knows. Each of these friends has secrets.
This was a relatively good paced novel and I really enjoyed it. Kept you guessing until the very end. This is the second book by this author I've read. Need to go back to read her other one. Another good Australian writer!
This was a relatively good paced novel and I really enjoyed it. Kept you guessing until the very end. This is the second book by this author I've read. Need to go back to read her other one. Another good Australian writer!
August 20, 2025
Big thanks to Harlequin and Jo for sending us a copy to read and review.
A mysterious mystery, an eerie presence, the power of female friendships, the haunting past, a bundle of locked secrets and a deliciously wicked plot.
Jo Dixon is back with a tense, robust and clever psychological thriller that will keep you up way past your bedtime.
A secluded home in the middle of the woods in Tasmania, is housing bestselling writer Marnie Elliott and her three other guests.
From the outside it looks like a celebration but there’s more going on behind the scenes than you would expect.
For all the four women, the past is creeping back and as the cold sets in and night falls, one of them will soon disappear.
A compulsive, unpredictable and seriously addictive book.
The very talented Aussie author has once again given her audience a page turning, on point, drama filled reading romp.
A permanent fixture on my reading list and going from strength to strength, Jo is a name that’s up there with the best and A Disappearing Act is an edgy, domestic drama book I couldn’t tear myself away from.
The plot and characters are masterfully crafted and well executed and the twist got me, good and proper.
Jo is a highly regarded writer and her books are monumental reads.
Get your hands on a copy of this book on release day and get ready to binge.
A mysterious mystery, an eerie presence, the power of female friendships, the haunting past, a bundle of locked secrets and a deliciously wicked plot.
Jo Dixon is back with a tense, robust and clever psychological thriller that will keep you up way past your bedtime.
A secluded home in the middle of the woods in Tasmania, is housing bestselling writer Marnie Elliott and her three other guests.
From the outside it looks like a celebration but there’s more going on behind the scenes than you would expect.
For all the four women, the past is creeping back and as the cold sets in and night falls, one of them will soon disappear.
A compulsive, unpredictable and seriously addictive book.
The very talented Aussie author has once again given her audience a page turning, on point, drama filled reading romp.
A permanent fixture on my reading list and going from strength to strength, Jo is a name that’s up there with the best and A Disappearing Act is an edgy, domestic drama book I couldn’t tear myself away from.
The plot and characters are masterfully crafted and well executed and the twist got me, good and proper.
Jo is a highly regarded writer and her books are monumental reads.
Get your hands on a copy of this book on release day and get ready to binge.
December 28, 2025
An atmospheric and taut psychological mystery.
When friends from long-ago reunite at a secluded holiday home in Tasmania, they are excited to be reminisce about the time when they lived together as young, ambitious and creative youth; when nothing mattered more than friendship. Unfortunately, after a couple of days together, tensions begin to rise, one of them goes missing and long buried secrets start to come to light.
I loved the Tasmanian setting for the present-day storyline, and the Melbourne location twenty-five years in the past. There was a creeping sense of dread as I read this story, right through to the surprising ending.
'There was no guilt to be found when an action simply balanced out the scales. Wasn't that the very definition of justice.'
I love Jo Dixon's writing and am looking forward to reading more of her stories.
4.5 stars (rounded up)
When friends from long-ago reunite at a secluded holiday home in Tasmania, they are excited to be reminisce about the time when they lived together as young, ambitious and creative youth; when nothing mattered more than friendship. Unfortunately, after a couple of days together, tensions begin to rise, one of them goes missing and long buried secrets start to come to light.
I loved the Tasmanian setting for the present-day storyline, and the Melbourne location twenty-five years in the past. There was a creeping sense of dread as I read this story, right through to the surprising ending.
'There was no guilt to be found when an action simply balanced out the scales. Wasn't that the very definition of justice.'
I love Jo Dixon's writing and am looking forward to reading more of her stories.
4.5 stars (rounded up)
October 17, 2025
A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon is one of those novels in which - secrets from the past - are revisited in the present... and of course it's far too late to do anything about past actions or behaviour. I read a lot of crime fiction and thrillers that are similarly themed, and almost always those involved have lived with regret and fear in the intervening years. Here, four friends gather 25 years after they became housemates in an eclectic warehouse. There are several precipitating factors - their former residence is for sale and Sarah (an architect) is keen to buy it but she needs financial support from Marnie - now a celebrated author. It is in fact Marnie who gathers the group, making all arrangements despite a threat looming over her head and struggling to replicate the success of her early work.
This opens with the disappearance of Marnie in the present, before going back to the events in the days prior. We're also taken back to 1999 when Sarah, Poppy and Xanthea live together in a warehouse and Marnie's introduced to them at one of their parties. She's immediately drawn to the group, particularly Sarah, and is thrilled when they invite her to move in. Desperate to fit in and be respected as a fellow creative, wannabe-author Marnie puts herself under pressure to be published. It's this desperate need that precipitates everything that follows.
Sarah is our narrator in the present and in 1999 our host is Marnie. It's a clever approach as it means we get to know Marnie without needing to be in her head (keeping secrets buried for as long as possible) and Dixon times the reveals well - the past meeting the present at the most pivotal of moments, creating a sense of taut anticipation. We have an idea of what transpires in the past, but can't be sure.
The group stay close over the years catching up to varying degrees but the bonds created as they were growing into themselves are strong and I could very much relate to this. I have a bunch of school friends I still catch up with. Mostly online nowadays and we have a permanent Facebook chat thread on the go. And then there are the friends I made at University and my early twenties who remain kindred spirits today.
Friendship and the need to 'belong' is a strong theme here. Our desperate need to be accepted and the lengths we're prepared to go. As an adult reading this I can't help but wish twenty year old Marnie understood that she'd be accepted into the group without having to go to extreme measures that trigger a series of events that continue to reverberate into the future.
A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon will be published in late October by Allen & Unwin.
I won a copy of this book from Better Reading.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
This opens with the disappearance of Marnie in the present, before going back to the events in the days prior. We're also taken back to 1999 when Sarah, Poppy and Xanthea live together in a warehouse and Marnie's introduced to them at one of their parties. She's immediately drawn to the group, particularly Sarah, and is thrilled when they invite her to move in. Desperate to fit in and be respected as a fellow creative, wannabe-author Marnie puts herself under pressure to be published. It's this desperate need that precipitates everything that follows.
Sarah is our narrator in the present and in 1999 our host is Marnie. It's a clever approach as it means we get to know Marnie without needing to be in her head (keeping secrets buried for as long as possible) and Dixon times the reveals well - the past meeting the present at the most pivotal of moments, creating a sense of taut anticipation. We have an idea of what transpires in the past, but can't be sure.
The group stay close over the years catching up to varying degrees but the bonds created as they were growing into themselves are strong and I could very much relate to this. I have a bunch of school friends I still catch up with. Mostly online nowadays and we have a permanent Facebook chat thread on the go. And then there are the friends I made at University and my early twenties who remain kindred spirits today.
Theirs was a connection born of having lived through all the shades of their selves: the self-discovery; the stuff-ups; the experiments; the good times; crap times; sad times. They'd forgiven each other for failings that, in a shorter-lived friendship, would have been the end. 14% through novel
Friendship and the need to 'belong' is a strong theme here. Our desperate need to be accepted and the lengths we're prepared to go. As an adult reading this I can't help but wish twenty year old Marnie understood that she'd be accepted into the group without having to go to extreme measures that trigger a series of events that continue to reverberate into the future.
A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon will be published in late October by Allen & Unwin.
I won a copy of this book from Better Reading.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
October 29, 2025
4.5 ☆
Wow. I devoured this!
This was a really fun mystery. Set in dual timelines and places in Australia, we hear the story of friendships throughout decades, secrets that should never come to light, and a missing woman that has the potential to change everyone's lives.
I loved the twists and turns so much, it kept me reading until the early hours of the morning just to find out what happened. I tried my best to be a detective and try and figure everything out, but I think I only accomplished that a few pages before the twists were revealed.
I highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone! If you're new to mysteries and thrillers, this is easy enough to get into as it's not too gory. If you're experienced in the world of mysteries and thrillers, it's an intriguing read that will suck you right in and keep you guessing until the very end!
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Australia, and Jo Dixon for this e-ARC. I was provided this ARC for review only, I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
Wow. I devoured this!
This was a really fun mystery. Set in dual timelines and places in Australia, we hear the story of friendships throughout decades, secrets that should never come to light, and a missing woman that has the potential to change everyone's lives.
I loved the twists and turns so much, it kept me reading until the early hours of the morning just to find out what happened. I tried my best to be a detective and try and figure everything out, but I think I only accomplished that a few pages before the twists were revealed.
I highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone! If you're new to mysteries and thrillers, this is easy enough to get into as it's not too gory. If you're experienced in the world of mysteries and thrillers, it's an intriguing read that will suck you right in and keep you guessing until the very end!
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Australia, and Jo Dixon for this e-ARC. I was provided this ARC for review only, I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
February 10, 2026
"With friends like these, who needs enemies?"I have to admit, reading A Disappearing Act, this quote attributed by the The Yale Book of Quotations to American comedian Joey Adams came to mind.
Sarah, Zannie (Xanthea) and Poppy shared a grungy warehouse as combined accommodation and workspace while in their early 20s in Melbourne, naming their artistic enclave "Ellezon". All three are creatives, Zannie and Poppy as visual artists, and Sarah as a designer of cultivated event, hospitality and retail spaces. Marnie joins the group as a latecomer in 1999, a aspiring writer who's struggling to find a sense of belonging in the big city. Desperate to fit in to this chic bohemian household, Marnie embarks on what starts as a minor deception, but grows into something she's unable to control.
Twenty-five years later, the women receive an invitation from Marnie, now a wealthy and celebrated author, to join her for an all-expenses paid week at a modern seaside house in Southport in Tasmania's far south-east. It's the location where Marnie spent her summers as a child and teenager, and not too far from the D'Entrecasteaux Channel where author Jo Dixon is based.
The narrative switches between the women's lives in 1999-2000, and the group's reunion in Winter 2025. Both timelines are related from Sarah and Marnie's alternating perspectives, a literary device often used to create a sense of uncertainty in the reader as to whose version of events is more reliable. However, in this case the structure works to build suspense as to the central mystery plot in the present, as well as to keep the reader guessing as to what the devastating secret between Sarah and Marnie is.
October 8, 2025
This is the first Jo Dixon book that I’ve read, and it didn’t disappoint! A Disappearing Act had me guessing at every turn, wondering what was going to happen. The characters were well developed, and I liked the dual narrative with Sarah as the narrator in the present, and Marnie telling the story 25 years prior. The book is full of mystery, suspense and drama, and raised questions about friendships and truth. Big thanks to Better Reading for sending me an advanced copy of this book! I’ll definitely be reading Jo’s other books soon.
January 21, 2026
A very strong 4.5 - suspense, twisty (I had it wrong right until the end!) and set in Tassie. Another cracker by Jo 👏🏼
December 1, 2025
I had to stop reading while I had a cold so I’ve really thought about this group of friends! That overwhelming need for love and acceptance in your 20s was just so well done here! I completely understand how Marnie had gotten into the mess!!!
Gosh I also really loved this middle of Tasmanian winter setting too!! I could feel that freezing in my 37 degrees reading bones!
Loved A Disappearing Act and can’t wait to read whatever Jo Dixon writes next
Gosh I also really loved this middle of Tasmanian winter setting too!! I could feel that freezing in my 37 degrees reading bones!
Loved A Disappearing Act and can’t wait to read whatever Jo Dixon writes next
December 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5
𝙰 𝚜𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛/𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍!
𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟿/𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟶 𝚝𝚘 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍.
𝚈𝚎𝚙 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛!
(𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭)
𝙰 𝚜𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛/𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍!
𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟿/𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟶 𝚝𝚘 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍.
𝚈𝚎𝚙 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛!
(𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭)
October 8, 2025
Four close friends meeting up for a holiday in Tasmania, organised by Marnie, a successful writer and far wealthier than the other three. After some revelations Marnie goes missing. This timeline is from Sarah’s point of view who has a shared secret with Marnie that is revealed in the other timeline set 25 years earlier (from Marnie’s point of view). I enjoyed this mystery, it was hard to put down with plenty of surprises along the way. The structure bouncing back and forward works well and it’s well written.
November 5, 2025
I have loved Jo Dixon's last two books, so I was very excited to get my hands on number three A Disappearing Act. This book kept me turning the pages as I delved deeper ands deeper into the characters as their development grew and grew. This book is about friendship, love, mystery and a suspicious disappearance.
Marnie has made good and treated her two friends to Tasmania to have some well deserved R & R, but when she goes missing the mystery deepens. What has happened to Marnie and is it tied to the past when the three shared a warehouse apartment together. Settle in and allow the time to devour this in just a few sittings. It will keep you engrossed and guessing right until the last chapter.
Another fine example of why I love Australian authors. A must read!
Marnie has made good and treated her two friends to Tasmania to have some well deserved R & R, but when she goes missing the mystery deepens. What has happened to Marnie and is it tied to the past when the three shared a warehouse apartment together. Settle in and allow the time to devour this in just a few sittings. It will keep you engrossed and guessing right until the last chapter.
Another fine example of why I love Australian authors. A must read!
October 8, 2025
I really love a slow-burn character-driven thriller and this third book from Jo Dixon delivers in spades.
Set mostly in Tasmania and Melbourne, it follows two timelines and four main women: one timeline follows Marnie, Poppy, Sarah and Xanthea as young artists living in a warehouse in Melbourne 25 years ago; the other follows them to Tasmania where they're having a week together at a holiday house.
The early parts of the book really focus on flawed characters and emotion as we hop through different points of view and timelines that expose unspoken tension from past and present events. It's very cleverly revealed bit by bit, with the sense of foreboding ramping very nicely throughout.
One thing that's hard to do as a writer is to make your characters a bit unlikeable, but Dixon has nailed it here, and the book is better for exposing their flaws – it makes all of them seem a bit untrustworthy, and lends them more believability.
It's hard to go into plot detail without spoilers. One of the major threads, however, revolves around a publishing deal, and I enjoyed the marriage of the crime genre and my industry! The Tasmanian setting is important too, lending an ominous air to the current-day story.
It's a bit different to Jo’s first two books, in the best possible way. I found greater character depth here, and more believability in the setup that leads to the current-day events. It also delves nicely into some important social themes: belonging, authenticity, and honesty. In our world of alternative facts, so-called fake news, and a tech industry intent on creating and disseminating misinformation, getting these aspects of our lives right has never mattered more. That's not to say the book is laden with whop-you-over-the-head social commentary; rather, these messages come through via the careful crafting of plot and character. It's deeply compelling, restrained and thrilling writing.
It's a big thumbs-up from me!
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Set mostly in Tasmania and Melbourne, it follows two timelines and four main women: one timeline follows Marnie, Poppy, Sarah and Xanthea as young artists living in a warehouse in Melbourne 25 years ago; the other follows them to Tasmania where they're having a week together at a holiday house.
The early parts of the book really focus on flawed characters and emotion as we hop through different points of view and timelines that expose unspoken tension from past and present events. It's very cleverly revealed bit by bit, with the sense of foreboding ramping very nicely throughout.
One thing that's hard to do as a writer is to make your characters a bit unlikeable, but Dixon has nailed it here, and the book is better for exposing their flaws – it makes all of them seem a bit untrustworthy, and lends them more believability.
It's hard to go into plot detail without spoilers. One of the major threads, however, revolves around a publishing deal, and I enjoyed the marriage of the crime genre and my industry! The Tasmanian setting is important too, lending an ominous air to the current-day story.
It's a bit different to Jo’s first two books, in the best possible way. I found greater character depth here, and more believability in the setup that leads to the current-day events. It also delves nicely into some important social themes: belonging, authenticity, and honesty. In our world of alternative facts, so-called fake news, and a tech industry intent on creating and disseminating misinformation, getting these aspects of our lives right has never mattered more. That's not to say the book is laden with whop-you-over-the-head social commentary; rather, these messages come through via the careful crafting of plot and character. It's deeply compelling, restrained and thrilling writing.
It's a big thumbs-up from me!
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2025
A Disappearing Act is the third book I have read from this author and I would say that this is my favourite. Another intriguing, twisty and hard to put down story.
I love a good now and then storyline. One where the details are drip fed to you and build the suspense and tension before revealing all.
In 1999, Marnie Elliot who is an aspiring writer, starts living in an eclectic warehouse with three other young women. Life is full of parties and good times. These four women, Marnie, Sarah, Xanthea and Poppy form a friendship that sees some of them reach the success they all dreamed of. Some of them are bound by secrets from their time in the warehouse.
In 2024 we find all the women together in a house in Tasmania and the veneer of perfect lives starts to crack. Marnie, now a world famous author fears an expose may bring her life crashing down. Sarah needs to find a backer so she can buy the warehouse they all lived in or questions will be asked. Xanthea has backed herself into a corner both personally and professionally, and Poppy has not been honest with her friends about her current life status.
Then one of them goes missing.
I loved how this story unfolded and was brought to it's conclusion. I was hooked and read this book in pretty much two sessions. Extremely well written and with characters that you hated one minute and loved the next.
Excellent book!
I love a good now and then storyline. One where the details are drip fed to you and build the suspense and tension before revealing all.
In 1999, Marnie Elliot who is an aspiring writer, starts living in an eclectic warehouse with three other young women. Life is full of parties and good times. These four women, Marnie, Sarah, Xanthea and Poppy form a friendship that sees some of them reach the success they all dreamed of. Some of them are bound by secrets from their time in the warehouse.
In 2024 we find all the women together in a house in Tasmania and the veneer of perfect lives starts to crack. Marnie, now a world famous author fears an expose may bring her life crashing down. Sarah needs to find a backer so she can buy the warehouse they all lived in or questions will be asked. Xanthea has backed herself into a corner both personally and professionally, and Poppy has not been honest with her friends about her current life status.
Then one of them goes missing.
I loved how this story unfolded and was brought to it's conclusion. I was hooked and read this book in pretty much two sessions. Extremely well written and with characters that you hated one minute and loved the next.
Excellent book!
September 29, 2025
Two timelines, one set in 1999, and one in 2024, are the backbone of this novel about four friends who all used to share a warehouse in Melbourne in 1999. They were all ‘artists’ of one kind or another with Marnie desperate to fit in but with a big secret. Meanwhile in 2024 Marnie has become a writer of international renown and has invited all three of the friends, Sarah, Poppy and Xanthea down to Tasmania for a catch-up. Marnie has been very successful but the other three now have their own secrets giving rise to some tensions. Then one of them disappears.
The characters are well-developed and the pace moves swiftly. As with Dixon’s other books, the plot is complex as she expertly reveals snippets of information that intensifies the mystery throughout the book. I certainly didn’t guess the culprit at the heart of the disappearance, but it all makes perfect sense once the reader knows the whole story. Dual timelines can be tricky, but Dixon knows what she is doing so that the reader doesn’t become lost or confused. This is a great read that I demolished in two sittings. Looking forward to her next novel.
The characters are well-developed and the pace moves swiftly. As with Dixon’s other books, the plot is complex as she expertly reveals snippets of information that intensifies the mystery throughout the book. I certainly didn’t guess the culprit at the heart of the disappearance, but it all makes perfect sense once the reader knows the whole story. Dual timelines can be tricky, but Dixon knows what she is doing so that the reader doesn’t become lost or confused. This is a great read that I demolished in two sittings. Looking forward to her next novel.
September 6, 2025
Jo Dixon writes a really good thriller. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, and this is no exception, though I did find it just a little slow at the start. However, as the story unfolded I became more engrossed and eventually stayed up too late just to finish it.
This book tells the story of four women who have been friends for many years, since sharing a home in their early 20s. It transpires that with friends of that length of time, there is plenty of baggage, and plenty of secrets. The friends are enjoying a secluded holiday catch up, and then one of them goes missing. There are many twists and turns as we come to understand what has happened, and why, and this is what had me hooked.
Jo Dixon certainly knows how to write a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, and guessing at the conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book
This book tells the story of four women who have been friends for many years, since sharing a home in their early 20s. It transpires that with friends of that length of time, there is plenty of baggage, and plenty of secrets. The friends are enjoying a secluded holiday catch up, and then one of them goes missing. There are many twists and turns as we come to understand what has happened, and why, and this is what had me hooked.
Jo Dixon certainly knows how to write a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, and guessing at the conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book
October 2, 2025
A Disappearing Act is a moody, character driven thriller set against the harsh beauty of Tasmania. When bestselling author Marnie brings her three oldest friends together for a getaway, old secrets and resentments bubble to the surface and then one of them vanishes. Did she get lost? Run away? Or is something far darker at play?
I actually really enjoyed how this explored the complexity of friendship, the loyalty, jealousy and old wounds that never quite heal. The setting added so much atmosphere and the mystery kept me guessing and yes it made me very anxious (which is a good book imo). It was a little slow at times but overall a gripping read with some clever twists and layered characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC!
I actually really enjoyed how this explored the complexity of friendship, the loyalty, jealousy and old wounds that never quite heal. The setting added so much atmosphere and the mystery kept me guessing and yes it made me very anxious (which is a good book imo). It was a little slow at times but overall a gripping read with some clever twists and layered characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC!
October 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jo’s best novel yet!
Set in Tassie in the present and Melbourne in the past, I loved the way the two timelines blended perfectly together, building the suspense and dropping tantalising clues along the way. The pacing of the story was perfect, you can easily devour it in a single sitting, and I dare say if you don’t it will take up residence in your brain until you get to the end.
A Disappearing Act is a work of brilliance in atmosphere, friendship, and secrets too dangerous to stay buried. Jo has delivered a compelling, brilliantly executed thriller that will keep readers guessing right until the end.
Releasing late October this is one you totally need to get your hands on, may I even suggest you pre-order a copy as I am tipping it will fly off the shelves.
Jo’s best novel yet!
Set in Tassie in the present and Melbourne in the past, I loved the way the two timelines blended perfectly together, building the suspense and dropping tantalising clues along the way. The pacing of the story was perfect, you can easily devour it in a single sitting, and I dare say if you don’t it will take up residence in your brain until you get to the end.
A Disappearing Act is a work of brilliance in atmosphere, friendship, and secrets too dangerous to stay buried. Jo has delivered a compelling, brilliantly executed thriller that will keep readers guessing right until the end.
Releasing late October this is one you totally need to get your hands on, may I even suggest you pre-order a copy as I am tipping it will fly off the shelves.
January 21, 2026
Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Thrillers have a tendency to, stretch possibility, in order to make certain narratives work. The best twisty tales though, are the ones where the events are so intertwined, you can’t see what’s coming and also can’t poke holes in the story, no matter how twisty the tale gets.
All the characters in this story were so well written and well thought out. Each person had a unique story and personality and all their actions made sense and fit with who they were as people. I loved reading this book and while I didn’t love the ending, it was the perfect way to wrap the story up.
I’ve read every book written by this author now and I’ve LOVED 2/3. Absolutely worth a read. Couldn’t recommend this highly enough.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Thrillers have a tendency to, stretch possibility, in order to make certain narratives work. The best twisty tales though, are the ones where the events are so intertwined, you can’t see what’s coming and also can’t poke holes in the story, no matter how twisty the tale gets.
All the characters in this story were so well written and well thought out. Each person had a unique story and personality and all their actions made sense and fit with who they were as people. I loved reading this book and while I didn’t love the ending, it was the perfect way to wrap the story up.
I’ve read every book written by this author now and I’ve LOVED 2/3. Absolutely worth a read. Couldn’t recommend this highly enough.
October 29, 2025
A Disappearing Act was a dual timeline novel which focussed on 4 artistic friends who used to share a house in 1999. We have the current timeline of 2024, where Marnie, who has made it big as an author, shouts the friends to a holiday in country Tasmania - this is from Sarah's point of view. Then we have 1999, when Marnie first meets the other girls and moves in where Sarah is Miss Popular - this is from Marnie's point of view. The shifting narrative between past and present gradually reveals how their relationships were formed and why they’ve changed over time.
I enjoyed both timelines and the way the story invites you to piece together what really happened. There are secrets, tensions, and several twists that show the friends don’t know each other as well as they once thought.
I enjoyed both timelines and the way the story invites you to piece together what really happened. There are secrets, tensions, and several twists that show the friends don’t know each other as well as they once thought.
December 9, 2025
I was excited to take this book to Tasmania with me to read while I was on holiday in Hobart for a week. I didn’t end up getting a lot of reading done and now that I’ve been home for a week, I’ve finally finished it.
I did find it a bit slow paced but halfway through it really gathered momentum and kept me guessing and involved until the final page. I got a kick out of reading about some places which I had only just visited, which was fun, and would definitely recommend readers persisting if they struggle with the beginning of the book.
I did find it a bit slow paced but halfway through it really gathered momentum and kept me guessing and involved until the final page. I got a kick out of reading about some places which I had only just visited, which was fun, and would definitely recommend readers persisting if they struggle with the beginning of the book.
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