Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick

Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick

I'm not a heroine -- I just play one.

Also psychotics, vamps, orphans, hookers, housewives and -- on one memorable occasion -- a singing rutabaga. It was never my ambition to utilize my extensive dramatic training by playing a musical vegetable. However, as my agent is fond of pointing out, there are more actors in New York than there are people in most other cities. Translation: Beggars can't be choosers.

This explains how I wound up painting my body green and prancing around stage half-naked the night Golly Gee, the female lead in the off-broadway show "Sorcerer!" disappeared into thin air. Literally.

Now other performers are also vanishing, and a mysterious stranger is warning me: There is evil among us. But the producers want me to take over Golly's part.

Looks like I'm going to need a little magical help if I want to keep my starring role . . .

I read this one while I was sitting in a library waiting for my husband to get some research done. As it took him exactly two hours and I started and finished the book in that time, this isn't a long, involved book. In fact, it's downright light and fluffy. Which isn't always bad, just not what I was expecting.

It's told in first-person by Esther Diamond and luckily her head isn't a bad place to be. She handles everything very well, especially when she learns that magic is actually real. There's also a bit of romance in here with a detective investigating the disappearance of Golly Gee, but it's not a big part of the story. Actually, I'm not quite sure what the whole point was. I mean, yeah, people are disappearing and all, but in the end, what's up with Esther? WHy her as a character and not someone else? I suppose I just wish I had an inkling of what makes her special. That's what was missing. Perhaps we'll learn more in future books. So while this isn't a keeper, I do think I'll try to read more.