Steadman's Look in the Mirror is a compelling dive into mystery and suspense, perfect for those who love a good psychological thriller. The novel expertly weaves together the lives of Nina, who inherits a mysterious vacation home, and Maria, a nanny enticed by forbidden secrets. Steadman builds tension masterfully, keeping readers guessing with each twist and turn. If you enjoy stories that combine lush settings with dark, hidden truths, this book is a must-read.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: thriller/mystery 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such a suspenseful and wild ride! I didn’t want to put this one down

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Suspenseful reads
Locked room mysteries
Multiple POVs
Twisty puzzles
Fast paced and entertaining thrillers
British Virgin Island setting
Psychological thrillers

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Kind of gave me Saw vibes

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I still had a few questions at the end

Just finished *Look in the Mirror* by Catherine Steadman, and wow, what a ride! Imagine escape rooms meeting *Squid Game*—full of mystery and suspense! I couldn't put it down. The twists kept me hooked, especially the mystery of why Nina's father left her a house she never knew about. If you're into mysterious houses and tropical getaways, this one's for you!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed most aspects of this book! It’s about a girl whose father passes away and she inherits a house she didn’t know he had on a remote island. Everything is definitely not as it seems and she soon finds out there’s much more to the story. I loved the setup and multiple female characters points of view, I only wish I had gotten a little more backstory of Nina’s relationship with her father, even if it was through flashbacks. If you like psychological thrillers and mysteries, you should try this book out!

If you enjoyed The Family Game, you will like this one too!

It is a bit of a slow burn in the beginning. Nina’s father dies and she learns she has inherited a second home he has on an island that she had no clue about. Exciting right? When she gets there, things seem off. Especially the one room in the house that remains locked. What is in there you ask? You will have to read to find out, but let me tell you…. It is a crazy ride with something a WHOLE lot bigger going on than you could ever imagine!

This was such a fun ride! I love a closed door mystery, and I really love when an author finds a way to make that trope fresh and new. In this story, we follow two different story lines and I tried so hard to figure out the connection before the reveal, but I was way off. This book gave me whiplash it was so twisty!

Nina, 34, is a professor who has been busy dealing with the loss of her father. He had been a well-respected engineer and lecturer. The two of them met every week to enjoy dinner together and work on their favorite puzzles and games.

Today, Nina finally opens a letter that she has been remiss in getting to. It turns out that her father left her a house in Virgin Gorda that he had had built. This is news to Nina as her father had never mentioned the house. So, she flies out there to take possession of the house. It’s a glass house high up on the island with outstanding views. It is completely furnished along with expensive paintings and the latest in security.

Maria is currently working as a nanny taking special jobs that pay well. She had been a medical student but she did not have the funds to continue her studies. Therefore, she decides to take on these nanny jobs for a while and save up enough money to then return to her studies.

Her latest job is in a nice home. The rules are that she will be caring for two children who will arrive soon. She is welcome to enjoy the amenities the home has to offer. However, she must not leave the premises on her own and she must not enter a special area of the house. But as a couple days pass and the children do not appear, she decides to snoop around and hopefully not get into trouble.

As I got deeper into this book, I became more and more irked at the entire story. The thought of watching someone being cruelly treated as a viewer might munch popcorn is a huge turn-off to me. I hate violence and cruelty. Had I known I would be reading something like this, I would have given it a huge pass. I cannot apologize for not liking this book. It’s too gross for words.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the eARC.

Dual POV
Multiple timelines
A gripping mystery
A focus on houses
Two storylines that intersect in a wild way.

4/5 stars. What a great read!

What starts out as a slow burn thriller about a daughter mourning her father and a nanny waiting for her mysterious client goes from 0 to 100 in the middle. I loved Maria and her story and the middle of the book was a wild ride.

But while the first half is decent and the middle great, the second half sputters and seems over the top. I wasn't really satisfied with the reveal or the end with its unnecessary misdirections.

I think this would've worked better as a novella. Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the e-copy.

2.5/5

I love Catherine Steadman. I have read all of her books, and they never disappoint. This was just as good as the others.

I loved the dual POV/timeline. It kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept telling myself just one more chapter but then I couldn't put it down. I read this book in less than 24 hours.

I have really enjoyed Steadman’s previous books, but this one was difficult for me. It’s definitely bordering on horror more than suspense, which is not my favorite. It was well paced until the ending, which seemed rushed. I’ll still read Stradman’s books and recommend them for thriller/suspense fans, but this is not at the top of my list.

What a wild, wonderful ride this book is.

Nina has recently lost her father, who left her a massive property she knew nothing about. Now, as she’s visiting the house for the first time, she’s discovering she has far more questions than answers.

Maria is a nanny whose client hasn’t showed. So instead she relaxes around the house and pool. But she’s struggling to follow the one rule-stay out of the basement.

This book is so good. It in no way ever goes where you expect it to go. Every twist is intense and surprising, and the chapters are packed with so much drama. I also loved the surprising romance, and the really strong female characters. I won’t say anything else so I don’t give anything away. I definitely recommend this book.

What a whirlwind of a book! I could not put this down until the very end. I was honestly surprised when it ended because I was so wrapped up in the story I was wanting more.

This was my favorite Catherine Steadman novel. Just like in her other books, I always feel frustrated with the actions of the main characters. It always takes me out of the story because their actions are so unbelievable. Why would they do that? If someone told me to lay on a beach for 10 days and the only thing I had to do was leave the basement alone, I would comply, no questions asked. Regardless of the idiocy of the characters, the storyline kept me wondering what was going on for most of the book, like the main character Nina, and clues were revealed at a timely pace. The overall story made sense, but if things were more fleshed out and given more explanation it would have made for a tighter story and upped my rating. Overall, it was a fast and enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman focuses on several characters and their role related to an expensive house near the island of Tortola. At first it’s very difficult to see how the various POV fit together. Overall, this book was an interesting lot, but VERY different from what I expected.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new thriller by Catherine Steadman. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Nina, a college professor, is grieving the loss of her father when she discovers that he left her property in the British Virgin Islands - a home she knew nothing about. The house is completely state-of-the-art and Nina has trouble understanding how her father could afford it. Was he hiding something? Maria, a medical student who dropped out to earn money as a nanny for wealthy parents, is assigned to watch children at a home but the family never shows up. She is told to relax and is given only one rule - don't go into the basement.

How are these two stories connected? Told from both their POV, along with that of an electrician assigned to maintain the house, this book will keep you on your toes. Yes, it's over-the-top but I couldn't put it down. It's creepy, suspenseful, tense, atmospheric and will have you holding your breath and keeping you guessing until the very end. Go into it as blind as possible so that you can experience it just like the subjects! Another great thriller by Catherine Steadman!

4.5 stars
I’ll admit that I was unsure about “Look in the Mirror” when I first started it. The author is the narrator so that’s usually a bit cringe. I hadn’t listened to her first novel, which she also narrated, and wasn’t sure what to expect. I did love “The Family Game”, so I gave it a try. The first chapter heavily used second-person language (you) & that was another potential sticking point but it was just the first chapter. After that, we were off to the races. Nina arrives in the British Virgin Islands to claim her inheritance after her father’s passing- a house she never knew he’d built and owned. We’ve also got another POV who has also been to this same house. We don’t know whose timeline is first and what’s going to happen to either of them. It’s most definitely an edge of the seat suspense/thriller. I wish I’d started the book earlier in the day because there was a 0% chance I was going to bed before finding out what happened. Yes, I finished it in one sitting so I could go to bed!
A book like this lives or dies by the ending. I’m glad to report that it did stick the landing for me. Definitely recommend!
*Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ebook copy

4.5⭐️! Thank you to #netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc for review purposes. I loved The Family Game, and I also am happy to say I loved Look In the Mirror! I ate up this psychological, action-packed thriller that was full of puzzles & games. Not the fun kind though. The scary kind. I read this within 24 hours. I absolutely couldn't get enough.

After a single woman that works in acadamia loses her father, she feels like she has lost her whole world. She comes upon some mysterious papers that show her dad had a secret hideaway in the Virgin Islands and the property has been left to her in his will. She goes to explore this house and her steadfast dad's possible secret life. As she stays on the property, not all is what it seems. Everyone is a suspect, and the author did such a good job of making your psyche scream the whole time as I looked for the "why" of it all. The multiple viewpoints worked so well. I can't wait to see what Steadman does next!

Inventive and creative as always, Steadman brings another round of intensity and adventure in Look in the Mirror.

I had a really fun time reading this. I enjoyed the different narratives and all of the twists and turns.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own..
I enjoyed this book for the mystery, intrique and well crafted characters. It takes the reader on a journey that keep you turning pages into the night. I tire of the inheritance stories theme in womens fiction of today but this is quite a different outlandish inheritance turned to mystery that saves the story . I enjoyed the sleuthing and the location of a extravagant beach island home.