Member Reviews
It's so hard to talk about this book because of the way it develops, so just hear me out! This book definitely teeters into horror territory (not in the supernatural sense) than her other domestic suspense/thrillers. This book is definitely batshit crazy in all the best ways and I have the dark circles to prove it!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Ninas dad dies and she receives a mysterious house in the British Virgin Islands that she never knew he owned or even had enough money to purchase. Nina takes a flight out there to see the house and try to learn more about her father. Quickly after being there and doing some research of her own her nightmare begins. Will Nina ever escape this house? Read to find out. The plot was a little different then your typical thriller. Gave me some vibes from the Saw movies though not as gruesome. Four stars.
Nina’s father leaves her a surprise in his will: a glamorous vacation home in paradise. She has no idea the property existed in the British Virgin islands so what else is her dad hiding?
This is another pulse-pounding thriller from Steadman! The plot is WILD and the big reveal is even more TWISTED. There’s suspense, a little darkness and plenty of thrills. It’s definitely addicting and binge-worthy!
If you loved The Family Game by the same author, you’ll devour this! The audiobook narration is also excellent!
Catherine Steadman really knows how to keep you engaged in a story until the very end. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and how Nina and Maria were going to connect. I also love the characters of Nina and Maria. I think what I was lacking was the action at the end. It felt like there was a lot of lead-up to everything and then it all happened way too quickly. I was wanting more!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Look in the Mirror" is the 5th book by Catherine Steadman that I have read.
I have loved every book that I have previously read by her, "Something In The Water", "Mr. Nobody", "The Disappearing Act" & "The Family Game" so I couldn't wait to read her newest book.
This was an interesting & addictive thriller that had me racing through it's pages trying to guess what the heck was going on.
Everything wrapped up nicely in the end.
I can't wait to read what Ms. Steadman decides to write next!!!
I loved Catherine Steadman's past books so I was really looking forward to this one. It was not exactly what I was expecting, but still a great read. It's a fast paced, escape room style book. The mystery wasn't so much of what was happening, rather who was behind it and who can be trusted. The story is told from multiple POVs, and it takes a while to figure out how or when the two will connect. I enjoyed the short chapters and just enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The last time I was this captivated by a thriller was The Breakdown. This book had me reading all night, the concept is so interesting. I was hooked and had to make myself stop for a break. This book grips you from the first chapter but slowly unwinds as you are led to discover what is happening in this house.
Nina inherits a house, she didn’t know existed, after her father’s passing. The house is on a remote island. So many layers of security and secrets as she explores her new asset. Her story is told simultaneously to Maria’s who was hired as a nanny to stay at this house. Both women have to figure out what or who is keeping them from leaving.
I was captivated until the end of the epilogue.
I hope they make this into a movie.
Do you have a free evening and a copy of this book? Well, go ahead and cancel any plans you have for the next morning, because you will be staying up late to read this twisty mystery/thriller.
While settling her father's estate, Nina is astounded to discover that her father had a luxury home in the British Virgin Islands. As she travels to see the house and decide what to do with it, Nina can't help but be plagued with doubts as to whether she really knew her beloved father as well as she thought.
Meanwhile, Ivy-league dropout Maria has found that short-term nanny jobs for the ultra-wealthy might be her ticket to funding the rest of med school. She arrives at her latest client's vacation home, but he and his children have been delayed. Maria is invited to make herself at home while she waits, with only one exception: stay away from the locked room in the basement.
Told through multiple points of view, this novel will have you turning pages and wanting to read the next chapter to see how Nina and Maria's stories intersect. This book will not change your life, but it will absolutely get your heart racing. I think that this novel might top Taylor Adams' The Last Word in terms of popcorn thriller for me.
Bonus points: The novel begins with several lines from T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, and his poems are pivotal to the plot. I set the bar high when I see Eliot invoked (my oldest is named in his honor, after all), and Steadman managed to clear it. Please note that this is some of the highest praise I can offer anyone.
This review will be posted to Goodreads on July 24, 2024 and to Instagram (@goodquietkitty) on July 25, 2024.
A truly chilling psychological thriller that I could not put down. The need to find out the truth will draw you in to the main character's mind and keep you wanting more. Very disturbing look at the possibility of evil within humanity.
I really enjoyed this book. A very twisted thriller from an author who is quickly becoming my go-to for twisted thrillers. The premise seems very simple at the beginning, but by the middle of the book it morphs into something completely bonkers. But this was good bonkers, so I'll allow it. What I like most about the author is that her female protagonist is not a moron- Nina makes the same kind of decisions that a normal person would make. If I had a criticism, I would say that the ending felt a little rushed. But overall this was a very enjoyable ride and I will recommend it to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC!
This suspense/thriller starts with Nina discovering after her father dies that he has left her a house in the British Virgin Islands that she had no idea he even owned, and she needs to travel there to do the paperwork and to try to find out more about it. Her chapters are interspersed with chapters from the perspective of Maria, who shows up to a short term nanny job at a fancy house only for the family not to be there. I don’t want to say any more so as not to spoil things, so let’s just say things only get crazier from there. And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY - what starts out very slow burn turns into a crazy thriller with even some elements verging a little on horror.
I am torn on rating this book - it felt very original and I couldn’t put it down. But at the same time, it just becomes so cuckoo crazy that it becomes a little too preposterous. Still, I enjoyed it and will continue reading whatever Catherine Steadman writes.
3.75 stars
3.5 stars
Definitely a page turner, and lots of twists. I enjoyed seeing how the two women's stories connected. Lots of nuances and details. Another great thriller from Catherine Steadman.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I devoured this psychological thriller, eager to see where the twists and turns would ultimately lead. There are two storylines that ultimately connect and I was intrigued by both. Ultimately the payoff felt a bit silly but overall this was a solidly entertaining read.
Thriller
What a ride!
I loved this novel. Told from multiple perspectives, this book takes the characters on quite an adventure - an escape room where the player's life is on the line.
Nina has just lost her father and inherited a house on a tropical island that she knows nothing about. This makes no sense to her, as she and her father were very close. But the name of the house and the plans tie the house to him. Shortly after arriving at this new house, she starts receiving notes warning her to leave and stay away from the basement. The basement is a mystery and is locked, for some reason. None of the passcodes or security features seem to work for her. One day the door unlocks, and Nina finds herself in the midst of a deadly game. This cannot have anything to do with her father, right? If so, she didn't know him at all.
In another POV, Maria has been hired as a nanny. She flies to the island and is escorted to an amazing house. She is told the family will soon arrive. Days go by and there is no family, but her curiosity grows about what the basement holds. She, too, eventually enters the basement and is in a fight for her life.
The intricacies required to write this novel are just - special. The pacing is great, and I couldn't wait to see where the story was going to take me. Another stellar thriller from Steadman!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.
This was a fun read! Crazy, but fun.
I truly enjoyed the idea of a deceased father leaving his home to his daughter in his will - especially since she didn’t know it existed, and it was in the British Virgin Islands! Wish my parents had one of those surprise vacation homes. 😂
I was thoroughly confused for about half the book (in a good way), but once I realized what was going on, it made so much sense.
The story is told from several points of view, which definitely made the plot better. I liked Maria, and thought she was so courageous and smart. I didn’t really like Nina much, which made it easier to read, I think?
I really liked the ending - even though I think I already knew it long before. It was still nice to know I was right!
After reading the synopsis of LOOK IN THE MIRROR, I was intrigued. Right from the beginning I was sold and I started to get some hints as to where this was headed. I thought the overall story was pretty good. It did remind me of a mix of different movies that I've seen. With that said, I would not be surprised if this was adapted into a film and I think if you like scary movies, it would be for you. I did enjoy the author narrating the story, she did a wonder job.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my gifted copy.
This review will be shared to my account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) shortly.
Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
#fiftyninthbookof2024 #arc
CW: death, murder, kidnapping, torture, trafficking
Nina’s dad has just died and left her a house in the British Virgin Islands that she didn’t know existed. She’s determined to get to the bottom of why he kept it a secret and what else he was hiding. Maria is a nanny for wealthy families, and while waiting for her new family to show, she’s told not to enter the one locked room in the basement. What are they hiding?
This book was a wild ride. I enjoyed the two main characters, and both halves of the story were equally entertaining. Often, there is one perspective that’s more compelling but in this case, they were both very enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as stories of secrets, lies, and torture can be.
No spoilers, I won’t say how the stories come together but the first three quarters was super tight. The last bit where everything starts coming together and is seemingly explained is a little less put together as I would have liked. I’m still not completely clear about the why of it all, but even so, the story was well written, and my heart was beating quite quickly for a lot of it. This won’t be for everyone, especially the physical tasks ahead of the characters, but it was an interesting way to spend an afternoon.
Thank you to @randomhouse - Ballantine
and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 7/30/24)
#lookinthemirror
A pow of a page turner! How are Maria, a med school drop out working as a nanny and Nina, a British professor who inherited a house on Virgin Gorda from her father, linked? That won't be obvious for a while in this fast paced and tense thriller. These two, and Joon-gi, an electrician tell the story of what happens when Maria finds herself in a trap, caught in a nightmare, when she goes into a room she was warned not to enter. Nina's baffled by her father's gift and in trying to understand the house, she meets Joe (not a romance, btw, but he's critical to the story). This very much deserves to be read without spoilers. Yes, I know it's over the top in spots, implausible in others, and at times difficult to visualize but wow did it keep me reading thanks to the storytelling and the sympathetic characters. I've been a fan of Steadman from the beginning- this is one of her best. Thanks to netgalley for the Arc. Great read.
Wow! This was quite different than the previous books from Ms. Steadman that I have read. Not in a bad way, just different! I love the surprise and versatility! The mystery of the house, the two women that interact with it, and the outsiders that are looped into what is happening all combined for a great engaging read. The tech involvement and twists reminded me a lot of the Jolvix Episodes series by Faith Gardner! If you like those, this will definitely be a great read for you!
I was hooked on this one until about 58% when I realized I had no idea what was actually happening. It's almost as if a chapter or two was omitted. There needs to be a great deal of suspension of disbelief for this book to work.