TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . .

Discover 2024's most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession . . .


'GRABS YOU FROM THE OPENING LINE AND WON'T LET YOU GO' ALEX MICHAELIDES, AUTHOR OF THE SILENT PATIENT

'MASTERFULLY PLOTTED' ERIN KELLY

'A FIRST-CLASS THRILLER' DAILY MAIL

'A BARNSTORMING PERFORMANCE' THE TIMES

*****

At long last, Adam Sealey has an Oscar within reach. Working with his controversial former mentor, Jonathan, he's given the performance of a lifetime, and he almost believes it might be worth the cost.

Because Adam subscribes to "the method". It's the secret that the world's greatest actors swear by - digging into their darkest, most personal traumas to bring a role to life.

And Adam's greatest trauma is worse than most. Losing his mother when he was just a boy. A forced choice between the success he craved and the girl he loved. And that night back in drama school, the night of Adam's darkest secret, when everyone knows about the dead body, but nobody suspects the truth.

And then he gets a message: someone knows. And if they tell, everything Adam's worked for will come crashing down.

-----------------------------

'Both a compulsive thriller and a fascinating insight into the world of method acting. Very, very moving, packed with characters both lovable and entirely detestable. I adored it' Abigail Dean

'Ego and ambition, guilt and redemption collide in this masterfully plotted and beautifully written psychological thriller. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page' Erin Kelly

'A darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller' Chris Whitaker

'Brilliantly twisting (and twisted) tale of method acting, madness and Hollywood glamour. I loved it' Mat Osman

About the Author
Chris MacDonald is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor, who attended a top UK Drama School whose alumnae include Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender. His debut play Eye of a Needle played at the Southwark Playhouse and as an actor he's worked for the BBC, the RSC and Amazon Studios among others. His screenwriting includes social horror This Merrie Land for Agile and his band Playground Champions have soundtracked the ITV show Buffering.

Reviews
Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller * Daily Mail *
This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won't let you go. Fascinating. -- Alex Michaelides
A barnstorming performance * The Times *
Twisty, compulsive fun * i *
The Actor is both a compulsive thriller and a fascinating insight into the world of method acting. Chris MacDonald's writing captures it all, and beautifully: from the glamour of Hollywood to the grunge of 90s Camden. It's also very, very moving, packed with characters both lovable and entirely detestable. I adored it. -- Abigail Dean
Ego and ambition, guilt and redemption collide in this masterfully plotted and beautifully written psychological thriller. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page. -- Erin Kelly
A darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller. Take a bow, Chris MacDonald. -- Chris Whitaker
What an incredibly tense, immersive debut. I was completely absorbed by this window into the world of method acting and the dark, twisted consequences of such intense commitment. A bravura performance from MacDonald - I didn't want it to end. -- Amy McCulloch
An intense, absorbing read about the danger of sacrificing everything for your art, with echoes - in its fascinating depiction of the relationship between student and mentor - of The Secret History and Black Swan. -- Mark Edwards
Brilliantly twisting (and twisted) tale of method acting, madness and Hollywood glamour. I loved it. -- Mat Osman
If you are interested in the world of acting, this is one for you. If you like to be kept at the edge of your seat, this one is for you. If you like classy, unique thrillers with richly-drawn characters at their heart, then, you've guessed it - this one is for you. I loved it! -- Emily Koch, bestselling author of If I Die Before I Wake
A blistering story of obsession and where it can lead; a crackling whiplash of a book -- Lou Morgan
An unsettling, all-encompassing read that explores obsession and ambition. So sharp, so visceral, I just couldn't look away. -- Jo Jakeman
I was obsessed. Laughing one moment, absolutely speechless the next, I was completely swept away in Adam's story. This book lives up to expectations - and then exceeds them -- Sam Holland
Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying -- Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
Enthralling and unsettling, The Actor will get you wondering how far one would go for recognition and acceptance -- Laure Van Rensberg
A masterful thriller that keeps you guessing until the final twist. Exploring a group of drama students in thrall to a toxic tutor and methodology, it has echoes of The Secret History. MacDonald skilfully treads the line between taut, suspenseful thriller and a layered exploration of method acting, with a very moving ending -- Alice McIlroy, author of The Glass Woman



Book Information
ISBN 9780241658222
Author Chris MacDonald
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Michael Joseph Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 611g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 35mm