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Disappearing Nightly (Esther Diamond #1)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 618 ratings · 109 reviews

The first book in the magical Esther Diamond mystery series...

When mysterious mystical disappearances disrupt her career, struggling actress Esther Diamond teams up with Maximillian Zadok, an eccentric elderly wizard whose day job is protecting the Big Apple from Evil. Meanwhile, the sexy NYPD detective investigating the disappearances fears that Esther and Max may be a...more

Paperback, 386 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by DAW (first published December 1st 2005)

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Oct 01, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-uf, bingo-round-6

3.5 stars, but I am rounding up. Why is this author not getting more attention? Laura Resnick is a recent discovery for me Fallen from Grace Fallen from Grace suffers from a really bad cover and not enough buzz -- I think the cover turns readers away (it shouldn't, the story is great). Disappearing Nightly suffers similarly. Apparently The Esther Diamond series has quite a few books in it (5!) and she has an epic fantasy series also. But I never see Resnick's books turn up on my GR friends' TBR...more 3.5 stars, but I am rounding up. Why is this author not getting more attention? Laura Resnick is a recent discovery for me Fallen from Grace Fallen from Grace suffers from a really bad cover and not enough buzz -- I think the cover turns readers away (it shouldn't, the story is great). Disappearing Nightly suffers similarly. Apparently The Esther Diamond series has quite a few books in it (5!) and she has an epic fantasy series also. But I never see Resnick's books turn up on my GR friends' TBR list. Why? Resnick is a talented writer -- she is funny and makes great observations about human beings. She knows how to slowly pull her writers in to her stories, there is no "bam" feeling with her stories and the reader is in. But that doesn't lessen the enjoyment.

Lately, urban fantasy is hit or miss with me. Disappearing Nightly held my interest through the entire book and that is saying a lot for me lately. The dialogue is witty, the characters are well developed, and the world is more urban than fantasy -- but still fun.

The setting is NYC among actors and various types of performers. The feel of the book is funny crime fiction that intersects with the magic world. The set up and scenes are funny and then the interactions with the characters is funny. There is a Stephanie Plum feel but with less slap stick and more substance. The characters are slowly introduced with time to get to know each one. Resnick builds her story slowly, nothing happens too easily or swiftly.

What is unique about Esther (the main character) is that she is not amazingly beautiful with mad fighting skills. She is pretty average in appearance and defense skills, yet somehow she is still appealing to the man she is interested in and able to survive some encounters she gets herself into.

For romance lovers there is a hint of attraction and romance, but no true satisfaction is had. This is a fun, quick read and I just don't understand why this series and author do not receive more attention. I definitely plan on reading the next one in this series. I don't have that desperate need to move on to #2, but it is nice knowing that #2 is there and I want to read it. I will leave you with a few funny quotes that demonstrate what a fun read this is:

"I looked between him and the fire. 'Did you .. did you .. Is that magic?' He seemed faintly puzzled as he waved a hand holding a remote. 'No, I've switched it on.' "

"Men can rarely resist a sultry beauty with tears in her eyes. Especially if they haven't yet realized she's got a penis under that tight red skirt."

" 'We confront Evil.' 'Well', I said. 'Uh-huh. I see.' If someone ever tells you he's a member of a worldwide club whose mission is to confront Evil, I defy you to come up with a pithy reply on the spot."

"I was letting a sexy, employed, straight single man whom I really liked leave my apartment with a brief wave and no plans for a date. It was just barely possible, I mused, that I wasn't running my life as well as I might."

Check out this review and others at www.badassbookreviews.com (less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Olga Godim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

This was my first Laura Resnick but it won’t be my last. I was wavering about this novel’s rating. Some chapters, I wanted to give it 5 stars. Others, my estimation slid to 3 stars. Average: 4 stars.
Mishaps of the disappearing acts plague the magicians of New York. Their assistants disappear. Seriously. Every time a magician performs a disappearing trick on stage, his assistant vanishes, never to be seen again. The magicians of the city are beginning to panic.
The protagonist Esther is a no-nons...more This was my first Laura Resnick but it won’t be my last. I was wavering about this novel’s rating. Some chapters, I wanted to give it 5 stars. Others, my estimation slid to 3 stars. Average: 4 stars.
Mishaps of the disappearing acts plague the magicians of New York. Their assistants disappear. Seriously. Every time a magician performs a disappearing trick on stage, his assistant vanishes, never to be seen again. The magicians of the city are beginning to panic.
The protagonist Esther is a no-nonsense young woman and a struggling actress, working for a magician’s show as one of the glittering, half-dressed nymphs of the chorus. She is an understudy to the star of the show, a B-list singer Golly, so when Golly goes missing during a disappearing act, Esther is ready to step up and finally grab her chance for a leading role. Unfortunately, she starts getting warning messages from an unknown source: “Don’t enter the disappearing box. You’re in danger. Evil is afoot.”
Esther doesn’t believe in Evil; she is an actress after all, but she believes in reality. Golly’s disappearance bothers her. When she learns that more than one magician’s assistant has disappeared in the city in the last few days, she decides to heed the messages and investigate. For that, she teams up with Max, a 300+ years old New York resident magician: after he convinces her of his identity and of the fact that magic exists. Other assorted magicians, real and theatrical, help Esther and Max in their efforts to find the villain who is causing the disappearances.
Max is a highly picturesque character, the linchpin of this story. He adds flavor to every scene, and most of his dialogues are so hilarious, I sometimes couldn’t see the pages behind my tears of laughter. When Max was young, still a sorcerer’s apprentice in the 17th century, his master fed him the Elixir of Life by accident, as a substitute for a fever medicine, so now Max ages very slowly, and all his considerable magical experience is dedicated to fighting the minions of Evil in New York. Max is also extremely truthful. Imagine a conversation, when a NYPD officer questions Max about the assistants’ disappearances.
The story hovers between mystery and urban fantasy, with enough absurdities (like a spell that works only on Lithuanians) to fill an entire magical prop shop. With reluctant Esther at the helm, the group investigating the disappearances includes, besides Max, a bunch of exotic drag queens, a millionaire condom manufacturer/amateur magician, and a son of a Wall Street financial mogul, also an amateur magician who is striving to make it professionally. Together, they enact a magic-imbued PI procedural worthy of the most ridiculous of CSI episodes.
The novel was a delicious reading fare, punctuated by my giggles and occasional whooping. The only problem I had with this book concerned its pace. While the first half of the novel, where Esther acquires her investigating crew, gallops with the speed of a racing horse, the second part, the investigation itself, is much more slow, practically crawling like a snail. The characters do nothing but talk, eat, and write their speculations on a blackboard. Until the very end, when Esther and Max at last spring into action and deliver all the disappearees safely back to their respective magicians.
Disappearees is a word the author coined for this book, and it seems very apt. This book made my blues disappear. Recommended to anyone who needs a lift in spirit.

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Feb 25, 2013 Niki Hawkes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Via www.nikihawkes.com

I have to say that I was really looking forward to reading this one, so it’s a bit disappointing that I found it a bit lacking. I now understand why the publishers were willing to put out books 2-5 before releasing it.

The whole thing was just… okay. The writing style was decent in the sense that I didn’t notice any flaws, and the basic plot was even a good one. Honestly, my main complaint was with some storyline decisions. There were just too many ridiculous and far-fetched...more Via www.nikihawkes.com

I have to say that I was really looking forward to reading this one, so it’s a bit disappointing that I found it a bit lacking. I now understand why the publishers were willing to put out books 2-5 before releasing it.

The whole thing was just… okay. The writing style was decent in the sense that I didn’t notice any flaws, and the basic plot was even a good one. Honestly, my main complaint was with some storyline decisions. There were just too many ridiculous and far-fetched elements for me to really enjoy it. I’m not even referring to the bizarre things that make Piers Anthony and Terry Pratchett so successful either. It was more of a bad series of decision that came across cliché and overdone. Now I’m not averse to whimsy in urban fantasies (and in fact expect a little), I even went with it at first, but Resnick lost me when she brought in the drag queens and condom-selling cowboys. It just went too far, especially since there are so many other fantasies out there that merge eccentric and mystery quite well (see list below).

My other complaint was characterization. There were a few really good characters that I definitely want to read more about, but for every one good character, there were five others that needed some work. You’ve probably gleaned from my mention of queens and cowboys that there were a lot of stereotypical fillers in this book. What’s sad is that she didn’t need them. If she had just taken the time to develop a well-rounded character in place of a couple of the fillers the story would’ve been a lot less silly and a whole lot more compelling.

I don’t usually post negative reviews, as I usually prefer to focus on the books I find recommend-worthy. The reason I made an exception here is that I’m almost positive I’m going to read the second book. I know that sounds odd, but based on the backwards publication circumstances of this novel, along with the promise I see in the story and the writing, I’m completely willing to make an exception to give the author a second chance. I guess we’ll all find out soon if the second book is any better (unless someone out there wants to save me some time by providing some feedback…).

Other books you might like more:

Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt
How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch
Storm Born by Richelle Mead
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Bridgette Redman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As if low wages, tight costumes, long hours, demanding bosses, and diva stars weren't enough to plague an actress, Esther Diamond also has to worry about a plague of magicians whose magic is anything but mundane or explainable.

It is this premise which Laura Resnick draws out into a delightful romp in Disappearing Nightly, a Luna novel due out in December 2005. Set on Broadway in modern New York, Disappearing Nightly is a first-person tale that banishes all the darkness found in Luna's other mod...more As if low wages, tight costumes, long hours, demanding bosses, and diva stars weren't enough to plague an actress, Esther Diamond also has to worry about a plague of magicians whose magic is anything but mundane or explainable.

It is this premise which Laura Resnick draws out into a delightful romp in Disappearing Nightly, a Luna novel due out in December 2005. Set on Broadway in modern New York, Disappearing Nightly is a first-person tale that banishes all the darkness found in Luna's other modern New York fantasy and focuses on fun and humor while unraveling a strange mystery.

Diamond is an understudy for a musical called "Sorcerer" when the lead actress suddenly disappears on stage. While this might be an understudy's dream, she receives warnings that she too is in danger if she takes on the role she's been dreaming of. Nor does it help with other people began truly disappearing in the midst of what are supposed to be mundane disappearing acts. A host of befuddled magicians, many of whom are broken up over the loss of their partners, began to gather around Diamond to pursue an answer to the mystery.

Resnick produces a wide variety of colorful characters--each one with his or her own energetic voice. It is perhaps the wide cast of characters that most make this novel an endearing one. There is the doddering ancient wizard, the diva barely talented rock star, the timid leading man, the cross-dressers, the Texan condom magnate, the mysterious magic shop owner, the stuttering apprentice, and the pragmatic cop. Their interactions and dialogue are so fascinating, one almost forgets to care about the plot.

Granted, there are a few holes in the plot. Otherwise sharp characters miss obvious clues for way too long, though Resnick does do a good job of making sure the follow-up doesn't turn out quite the way you expect it.

The tone is mostly light and humorous, though like a true fantasy novel, there are eventually several pages devoted to a big, bad evil nasty.

A short novel at 312 pages, Resnick manages to weave a small amount of romance through the story, though it by no means dominates. Like many of the Luna books, the romance is a spice thrown in, but rarely the main dish. The romance in this novel is perhaps the biggest stretch to credibility, but since when is romance rational?

In all, Resnick's Disappearing Nightly is charming and an entertaining quick read that provides perfect escapism. (less)

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Jun 20, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

Jennifer Crusie describes the series as "“A paranormal screwball comedy adventure. Light, happy, fantastically funny!" ... and I CANNOT AGREE MORE!! It has been awhile since I read a book that is so deliciously funny, I chuckle like crazy, even get stomachache because of it.

This book combines a feisty heroine, a bunch of over-the-top supporting characters (including a 350 years old magician and a bunch of drag performers), a sexy love interest, AND a crackling plot involving disappearances of p...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Leslee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is a fun little urban fantasy book, the start of a series about an aspiring actress named Esther Diamond who lives in New York City and ends up pulled into some otherworldly intrigue, and making friends with a 350 year old Dr. Zadok who happens to have drank a potion for immortality and is stationed in New York in a quest to defend the world from evil.

This first novel tracks the mystery of people who actually fully disappear when they are part of magical acts were they are supposed to be p...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006-release, urban-fantasy

*Rating* 3 maybe 3 1/2 stars
*Genre* Urban Fantasy

*Review*

Disappearing Nightly is the first book in the Esther Diamond series by Laura Resnick. I figured this would be an entertaining story since I’ve read blurbs about it being a paranormal screwball comedy with a magical twist. I've never read anything by this author before and I've tried to find as many new authors as I can to give myself a variety of books to follow, as well as a break from those I've found tedious. So, since I borrow books...more

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May 16, 2010 Lolly's rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-mys-suspense, urban-fantasy, part-of-a-series

They often say it takes a certain mixture of acting and alchemy to make it on Broadway. In Esther Diamond's case, this is a literal truth. In a refreshing change of pace in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre, the lead character, Ms. Diamond, isn't paranormal. Nor is she supernatural, preternatural, or anything other than a hard-at-work actress, tired of waiting tables and ready for her big break, even if that break means she's the understudy to a bubble-brained pop princess in a magic-themed sta...more

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May 05, 2010 faeriemyst rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, magical-hocus-pocus, library-loan

First off, while this could technically be called an urban fantasy, it doesn't really have the atmosphere of one and I'd be more likely to call it a magical mystery. Disappearing Nightly is a charming, wonderfully intriguing tale featuring the logical off-Broadway actress Esther Diamond, who through no fault of her own stumbles into the world of magic, and the path of Dr. Maximillian Zadok.

The author crafted a well-done, swiftly plotted yarn that left me pleased as punch. The characters went bey...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Loralee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You might think that the most interesting part of this book is the mystery of the disappearing magician's assistants. But it's not. While the mystery flows well, and is highly entertaining, the character interactions are even more fun. Such as when 350-year-old Max patiently tries to persuade the main character, Esther, that magic is real. Or even better, when the policeman Esther's interested in gleefully tells his grandchild-demanding Catholic mother that he's dating a Jew and who's a possible...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is the first book in the Esther Diamond series but it was published after several of the sequels by DAW since the original publisher had some issues. This made it interesting to read since I have read the other books which have references to what happens in this story, but that did not diminish the fun I had reading it.

Esther is a struggling actress in New York City working in a magic act/play as an understudy when the starlet disappears -literally. Soon she finds out other magic acts have...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Bren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Esther Diamond is a struggling actress trying to catch a break. When the lead actress for the off-Broadway musical Esther is in disappears during a performance, it looks like Esther might have finally gotten her lucky break yet for the fact that this is the only unnatural disappearance in town.

Disappearing Nightly is a different kind of urban fantasy where our heroine isn't some magic flinging protagonist capable of supernatural feats. For those looking for quick and fast action, this is definit...more Esther Diamond is a struggling actress trying to catch a break. When the lead actress for the off-Broadway musical Esther is in disappears during a performance, it looks like Esther might have finally gotten her lucky break yet for the fact that this is the only unnatural disappearance in town.

Disappearing Nightly is a different kind of urban fantasy where our heroine isn't some magic flinging protagonist capable of supernatural feats. For those looking for quick and fast action, this is definitely not the book for you, but for those that are looking at a funny, who-dunit this just might be the book for you.

Esther is trying to solve all these mysterious disappearance so she can finally have her chance to be a lead in a play, even if it's a poor off-Broadway musical. Part of the strength of the book is Esther. The book is told exclusively from her point of view. It is her wit, humour, strength and determination that makes it this a good read.

Now for a bit of the bad is that except for Esther, most of the other characters kind of one-dimension that stereotypical (ie. Dixie: the southern belle, who's beauty, kind, sweet and a bit naive or Max: the befuddled old man). As much as the secondary cast is flat, they're still written well. They serve their purpose well. My one other complaint about the characters is in regards to Detective Lopez. It's all right for one person to hit on another, but being a member of the police force and not a rookie either, it seems a bit out of character for him to go out to his way to be like that while on the job. Early on, those flirtatious interaction between Esther and Lopez felt a bit jarring to me.

When things are going right, Disappearing Nightly is a fun read. It's a mystery so it'd be a bit of a bore if everything was clear cut and obviously from the beginning. It's fun to see the characters trying to figure out what's happening, but things slow down to a crawl when it's just them sitting in a book store discussing other disappearance of the past and how they really weren't so supernatural after all. It felt like those scenes could have been trimmed down to help keep the plot of the book moving forward more.

In the end, Disappearing Nightly is a fun read. Will it blow your mind? Probably not. Will it entertain you? Probably a yes. It's a debut novel and does its flaws, but they can be overlooked. I'm willing to pick up the second novel in the series to see how the stories and writing improve.(less)

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Aug 30, 2007 Doina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

i picked up this book to read on a road trip, and it definetely provided a few hours of entartainment while riding in the back seat of a car (while you are trying to distract yourself from the fact that you have car sickness). the story line is easy to follow, the characters are hilarious, and i couldn't wait to get to the end. i think it might be the first one in the series, and it is definetely a good start.

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Sep 05, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, urban-fantasy, mystery, paranormal-thriller, beach-read

It took me a while but I finally found and read Disappearing Nightly, the first of the Esther Diamond series. I began reading the series with Doppelgangster first. When I read the fly, the series appeared to begin with Doppelgangster yet the story and characters often refer to prior adventures. My first thought was that maybe the series began as a short story. Goodreads showed me differently and I began the hunt for the first book.

I enjoyed the introductory chapters; I enjoyed learning how Esthe...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Ann aka Iftcan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cozy-mystery, fantasy, humour, magic, mystery, series-book, urban-fantasy

Think UF-light in this first Esther Diamond book. Esther, a starving actress in NYC finds herself thrust into the shoes of the star of her show, said star having disappeared from them while performing in a magic act for the off-off-off Broadway show "Sorceror!" The only problem is--the missing star was the first of several people to go missing--and now our fearless heroine is being warned not to step into the magic (crystal) booth. General strangeness occurs as Esther finds out that there really...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy

I can't find much to say about this book, I really enjoyed it but I'm drawing blanks here. This was just a fun, light read. And in a lot of ways it reminded me of the Stephanie Plum series with a paranormal twist to it. I think it’s because of all the odd ball characters running around in the story. Anyway, I really enjoyed Esther; she never crossed the line into annoying with her antics and managed to stay down to earth. I also really enjoyed Lopez (the cop working on the disappearances). And t...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ithlilian marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

As you may or may not know, I'm not a fan of fluff. This book is fluffy, and it's not funny to me. You just can't enjoy a book that is meant to be humorous, if you think the humor is irritating and completely unfunny.

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Apr 19, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Esther Diamond, a sometimes-(off)-Broadway actress, and a not-quite-immortal wizard search for the magician responsible for a series of disappearances. Light in tone with a (sometimes overwhelmingly) zany cast of characters, this is a mostly enjoyable, slightly romantic urban fantasy.

That said, the ending put a very sour taste in my mouth because of a scene in which the villain is raped. My perception is that the author set it up to be a scene of cosmic justice set against a laugh-track backgro...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Esther Diamond does not have a paranormal bone in her body. What she does have is a role in a play featuring magic. Everything changes when Golly Gee, the lead actress, disappears for real during a performance. As her understudy Esther has to solve the mystery before she has to take Golly Gee’s place and risk becoming another real disappearance.

Laura Resnick has written a funny paranormal mystery filled with quirky characters some of whom do have paranormal abilities. Along with a great plot th...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Darcia Helle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, suspense-thriller-mystery, paranormal-fiction

This book made me laugh, kept me interested throughout, and allowed me to step outside of the "normal" world just a little.

Esther is an aspiring actress who gets caught up in a bizarre mystery of disappearing people. In her quest to discover why and how these people are simply vanishing, she meets Maximillian Zadok and a host of characters whose names are as unique and memorable as their personalities.

The story has a slight paranormal edge and a magical twist. But there is nothing that you must...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Frustration. This little pill of an urban mystery novel looked like such a good time when I read the blurb on the back. Magicians and disappearing assistants, goofy characters and wacky hijinks aplenty. What's not to like? A lot, as it turns out.

To be fair, there were a few things about this book that I did enjoy. There were spots of zaniness (especially in the fairly large and colorful cast of secondary characters), and a few moments where I smiled, but Ms. Resnick felt the urge to wrap this wh...more Frustration. This little pill of an urban mystery novel looked like such a good time when I read the blurb on the back. Magicians and disappearing assistants, goofy characters and wacky hijinks aplenty. What's not to like? A lot, as it turns out.

To be fair, there were a few things about this book that I did enjoy. There were spots of zaniness (especially in the fairly large and colorful cast of secondary characters), and a few moments where I smiled, but Ms. Resnick felt the urge to wrap this whole story around the toxically obnoxious finger of her first person narrator Esther Diamond. UGH I couldn't have hated this narrator more. There seems to be a recent propensity for sassy female main characters, a cliche that's making a nice little spot for itself right between dotty old man and tragic lone wolf. Well, this sassy lady trend is fine with me, but this book does not handle it well.

Instead of spunky, she's bitchy; mundane, not quirky; bossy, not refreshingly independent; and annoying rather than likable. For the endless duration of this four hundred page novel, I felt like I was trapped in a cage with a maddeningly dictatorial, whiny, neurotic, and downright mean woman. Just being mouthy and bitchy doesn't make this Esther Diamond "delightfully sassy," it makes her terribly unpleasant. The example that comes to mind is a scene where a detective/possible love interest wakes Esther up around 10AM bearing bagels and coffee in search of some company and answers to the mysterious goings on that he's been investigating. For the duration of the scene (which lasts for an excruciatingly long time) Esther is rendered nearly speechless by the lack of coffee in her system. Rather than talk to the man who has brought her breakfast, she complains, all the while sliding in lots of "jokes" about her hair being terribly mussed as she drinks the detective's coffee in addition to her own. Sure, the no coffee joke is funny at first, but its been prolonged past its 15th or 20th page, Esther's becomes a braindead neanderthal apparently in danger of soiling herself if she doesn't have coffee intravenously pumped into her system. Coffee! Stat! For thirty pages! Pause for reader's endless guffaws.

I won't go on too much, I'm in danger of making self-indulgent Esther Diamond ramblings in search of humor but missing the mark terribly. I guess I should also mention that the plot left a lot to be desired. Lots of sitting around and making ridiculous postulations about what could've happened to the victims. I couldn't have cared less. I wanted to lock the door to the bookshop du quirk and set the place ablaze after the third or fourth time the characters had a snoozefest meeting of minds.

Okay okay okay, there's still a lot about this book that I managed to enjoy despite Esther and plot and co., and the last thirty pages or so were very nearly enough to convince me that the previous 370 had never happened, making me just a little teeny bit curious about the second installment Dopplegangster, but not that curious. I'm putting Esther in the dark recesses of my not-to-be-reread bookshelf, in desperate hopes of never seeing her again. Buh bye, mean lady.(less)

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Mar 15, 2013 Nerdycellist D rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombiedemonvamp

So far my favorites in this series are #2 and #4, but I'm glad they finally reissued this one, if for no other reason than to see the beginnings of her relationship with Detective Lopez. Resnick writes winning characters I always want to spend time with, so reading these books is a breeze, and I have to say they're doing a good job at filling the Sookie Stackhouse-shaped hole that appeared after book 4. The reason I think this wasn't as good as her later ones is that there seems to be a lot of t...more

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Nov 27, 2012 alana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guilty-pleasures, urban-fantasy

Esther Diamond is like Sookie Stackhouse's big city, struggling actress cousin just discovering that coincidences might be a bit more paranormal than she orginally assumed. This first installment of the series takes creepy shops and unfortunate performance venues, mixes in a few drag queens and eccentric professor-types, and adds a mama's boy cop on top. The motley crew join forces to explain the sudden disappearance of magicians' assistants across New York City.

I get the impression from other...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Chandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd read Doppelgangster first which stood well enough alone, but chanced onto the first one at the library. I read it so quickly I never actually entered in here as being on my reading list. The dialog is very snappy and the characters are such a bizarre mix to throw together that of course it works. This book is like a paranormal screwball comedy that has a rather deadly serious part towards the end before going back to being a comedy. It reminded me a lot of 1990s Hong Kong movies, especially...more

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Jun 16, 2009 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine if Stephanie Plum were involved in a supernatural plot...that's the feeling of this book. Esther Diamond is a struggling actress under-studying a B grade pop star in a musical about a socerer, when the pop star disappears for real in the disappearing act. Then Esther herself gets notes warning her not to do the same act.

Esther becomes involved in the investigation of evil magic when magician's assistants start disappearing. Ms. Resnic has given us a colorful cast of characters and a very...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Jennavier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The begginning of Disappearing Nightly is fast and sassy. I fell head over heels for the witty dialogue and crazy POV of Esther Diamond, barely in work actress. The cast of characters kept growing and each one was unique. Where it stumbled was the middle, and it went down hard. The plot tension just flat lined. There was no momentum at all and if I hadn't been so tired I might not have finished it all. The ending made up for it a bit by bring back the hilarity, but nothing can make up for comple...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Joshua Palmatier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book of Laura Resnick's that I've read and is the first book in her Esther Diamond urban fantasy series. The premise: Esther is a struggling actor in NYC but has a small part in a musical built around a magician's act. In the final scene, the magician makes one of the main characters in the muscial "vanish." The actors have rehearsed the scene an uncountable number of times, and have been performing it for weeks . . . but one night, Golly Gee, the lead, literally vanishes and t...more This is the first book of Laura Resnick's that I've read and is the first book in her Esther Diamond urban fantasy series. The premise: Esther is a struggling actor in NYC but has a small part in a musical built around a magician's act. In the final scene, the magician makes one of the main characters in the muscial "vanish." The actors have rehearsed the scene an uncountable number of times, and have been performing it for weeks . . . but one night, Golly Gee, the lead, literally vanishes and the magician can't bring her back.

Esther is ecstatic, because that means SHE gets the lead, but soon she begins to get warnings not to do the vanishing act. Terrified, she begins to investigate Golly Gee's disappearance and discovers that Golly Gee isn't the only magician's sidekick to have vanished recently. The deeper she looks, the more she learns about the magical world around her that she's never seen. Real magic, not the illusions magician's ply on stage. And unless she wants to risk her entire career, she needs to find out who . . . or what . . . is causing people to disappear during magic acts, or she may be the next victim.

The set-up is cool and the writing really captures and drew me into the novel. I enjoyed Esther's character and loved the fact that Esther herself doesn't have any magical powers that make her special in any way. She's exactly what she's portrayed to be: an actor who'd like to keep her job and not get killed. There's also some romance elements woven into the plot and, while generally I'm not really reading for this, I thought this romance was well done. I didn't feel the need to skip pages or paragraphs and was actually interested in the romance plotline because it struck me as realistic, not overdone.

My main complaint about the book is that there was a lull in the middle of the book where it felt as if the plot had stalled out. This is the section where the slew of interesting characters Esther has somehow gathered together to help her are trying to research what's happened to the vanished people in their lives. Having the characters hit a wall and not know where to go next or what to do is fine, but this dragged on too long in my opinion, and I wasn't interested in the many wrong possibilities that were "discovered" by their research. Too much time was spent on this part.

Also, while the tone of the novel was fun and fast-paced and, yes, a little over the top like Esther's character, I thought the events at the end of the novel were just a little TOO over the top.

In the end, a very fun read. Fast-paced, with a ton of interesting characters, most of whom I hope appear in the next book. And I'll definitely be reading the next book, because even though I pointed out a few "issues" I had with the book, they were far outweighted by the sheer fun of the adventure.

Just FYI, the version of the book I have was published by LUNA and is no longer readily available. However, DAW Books will be re-releasing Disappearing Nightly in paperback this coming June. Preorder your copy today!(less)

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Sep 11, 2011 Indiaskye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2011, urban-fantasy

I really had a lot of fun with this one! I read the German version on my Kindle - sadly the original English version (title: "Disappearing Nightly") was not available either for Kindle or as a "real" book ... :o(

Anyway, if you are looking for some light (but very good!) entertainment then you will probably enjoy this book! The story is told by Esther Diamond, a young actress working and living in New York - her voice is charming, funny and very sarcastic ... I loved it!

"Disappearing Nightly" is...more I really had a lot of fun with this one! I read the German version on my Kindle - sadly the original English version (title: "Disappearing Nightly") was not available either for Kindle or as a "real" book ... :o(

Anyway, if you are looking for some light (but very good!) entertainment then you will probably enjoy this book! The story is told by Esther Diamond, a young actress working and living in New York - her voice is charming, funny and very sarcastic ... I loved it!

"Disappearing Nightly" is not really a "Paranormal Romance" book. For one, both parties involved in the romance (and yes, there is one) are quite human! It could probably be categorized as "Urban Fantasy", although personally I think "Supernatural Crime" would be more fitting ...

About the story:
Esther Diamond plays a nymph in the chorus of a fairly mediocre Off-Broadway play. She is also the substitute for lead actress Golly Gee. Then one night Golly disappears during the grand finale of the show - a magic trick involving a glass box with a secret compartment - and Esther is expected to take her place. Before Esther can take the stage, though, an elderly man appears in her wardrobe to tell her that Golly's disappearance had supernatural reasons, and that several other people also recently disappeared on stage during similar tricks.

Even though Esther is skeptical at first she starts to work together with Max to find out what happened to Golly. Over the course of the next days a few other people join them, creating an illustrious group consisting of - among others - Esther, Max, two magicians and several drag queens. And then there's the handsome Detective Connor Lopez who seems to think that they have all lost their minds - at least a little. What follows is a turbulent and very entertaining whodunit with sometimes quite unconventional investigative methods ... ;o)
____________________________________________________________________

I really enjoyed this book - so much so that I downloaded the second book in the series for my Kindle before I was completely done with the first one! I can't say that "Disappearing Nightly" has a lot of substance but it's definitely entertaining and a lot of fun to read! I can't even count how many times this book made me laugh out loud!!!

Added to that the characters are quirky and likable, and I am really looking forward to meeting most of them again in the next book ... :o)
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Apr 07, 2011 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, urban-fantasy, mystery, humor

I would love to rate this book higher, because it really was an enjoyable read, much more enjoyable than a lot of my other 3-star reads. But, the flaws are too great to ignore, and, while I enjoyed it, I recognize that there are aspects that turned me off, and would turn off other readers, as well.

The biggest turn-off was that there's rape in it. The villain, as punishment for his evil ways, suffers a horribly violent fate. In and of itself, that's not terrible, except that it seemed that the au...more

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May 24, 2011 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was rated a top book on some list I downloaded-whoa I was shocked. This one took me 3 weeks to read and I usually read a book a week on a slow week. I didn't feel the characters. I didn't feel the plot. I didn't feel the urgency. I didn't even get into the mystical element. It all fell short in my opinion. A want to be actress gets the starring role on stage in a magic act because the leading lady disappears. It turns out leading ladies around the city have been disappearing in acts. A craz...more

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About Laura Resnick

Laura Resnick is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, the daughter of prolific science fiction author Mike Resnick. She was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction for 1993. She also writes romance novels under the pseudonym Laura Leone

More about Laura Resnick...

Books by Laura Resnick

In Legend Born (Chronicles of Sirkara, #1)

Unsympathetic Magic (Esther Diamond, #3)

The White Dragon (Chronicles of Sirkara, #2)

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Quotes from Disappearing Nightly

“I'm not a heroine, I just play heroines. Also psychotics, vamps, orphans, hookers, housewives, and ”on one memorable occasionâ ”a singing rutabaga. It was never my ambition to utilize my extensive dramatic training by playing a musical vegetable. However, as my agent is so 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.” — 5 people liked it

“And I want you to know," Max said kindly to him, "I don't hold you in any way responsible."
Lysander frowned. "For what?"
"For sending me an assistant who wanted to take over New York with the help of a virgin-raping,mundane-eating demon."
Lysander stiffened. "I am not 'in any way responsible' for that!"
"You did authorize the assignment," I reminded him.
"Well, I— I—" Lysander cleared his throat. "The decision was made at headquarters. All I did was sign
the standard paperwork.” — 1 person liked it

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Disappearing Nightly (Esther Diamond #1)

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