3.5/5 ✨ rounded up

This book has so much that I know a lot of readers will enjoy, but I just didn't love how some of the characters played out in the end.

There are multiple POVs in the book and I feel like some of these perspectives did not really add anything to the overall storyline. It could have gone deeper into other characters' roles in the book that got them where they were. That being said, make sure to read the epilogue. I wish the character POV in this section was mentioned more.

Overall, I liked the house situation in the story line, BUT I wanted more.

Thanks to Ballentine and NetGalley for the chance to read this eArc for an unbiased review.
I was excited to pick up Look in the Mirror as I was a fan of Something in the Water.
I was definitely not expecting this plot line or the book to have so many twists. This was enjoyable the whole way through and I read it in one sitting without putting it down.

Nina is grieving the loss of her father, a well known professor, when she find that he has left her a house in the British Virgin Islands. Nina is confused, as she's never heard of this house. She flies to the islands to clear things up, and finds that the house has many secrets, including a mysterious empty room in the basement.

This book was pretty crazy! It's mildly on the "i like to solve puzzles" scale of books because of the nature of the house, but I wish that Steadman had explored that aspect a bit more. We don't get to see Maria solve any of her puzzles, and only a couple of Nina's. It would have been super neat to see their thought processes, and to have the puzzles be a little harder. I have loved books I've read in the puzzle sub-genre of thrillers, they really just seem to up the stakes when you have to think fast under pressure.

This one kept me guessing for a long time!

Wow this book was not what I was expecting at all!!
It gave me whip lash in a good way! it was not super twisty, but the suspense was what kept me turning the page long after I should have been asleep. The plot was good and it all wrapped up in the end, but the main characters started to annoy me a little bit in some parts. I also felt like some parts were a little bit over the top, but then it all evened out in the end. I did love that the dual time lines and POV helped add to the story and give it the extra turns and suspense that it needed. In the beginning I was a little skeptical because I thought "oh this will be some haunted house that will be a bust," but boy was I wrong!! If you like dual POV and suspense thrillers, this is a book for you.

Some awkward moments with the flow, but overall very engaging thriller.

The premise of this book is great--Nina Hepworth's beloved father has recently passed away. She finds out that he owned a house in the British Virgin Islands that she knew nothing about and she has inherited it. When she gets there she is astounded but knows that her father must have designed it for a reason. There's a locked door that no one seems to be able to breach--until it opens. In an alternate timeline, Maria is hired to be a nanny to two children. When she arrives at the house, there is no one else there. As the days pass, she too finds a door that is locked and then opens. How are these connected?

Although I really liked the premise, I found the dual timelines to be more confusing than helpful to further the plot. I get where the author was going with it, and ultimately I did like how everything came together, but there were some awkward parts in the middle and at the end that felt forced.

I loved the escape room feel to the book and those parts were my favorite, but I wanted more about the reasons and person/people behind it than I got. The whole thing got weirder and stranger and more cuckoo the longer it went on. If you liked this author's book The Family Game, this is along those same whacko outlandish lines.

If you can take your disbelief and throw it right out the window, you will probably like this one. I just went with it and had an enjoyable time, although I would have liked it more had it made a bit more sense.

This book really worked for me. I was so sucked in to this book that I flew through it at breakneck speed. I was gathering clues and doing puzzles in my head like some sort of video game detective. Even though some of the reveal is a bit....unbelievable, and you have so really suspend your belief at times, I still loved this. The escape rooms, the twists, the mystery the clues, it was all so well done and even though I didn't necessarily connect to the characters on a deep level, I was so compelled by the story at large that I didn't even mind at all.

When Nina inherits a beach house from her father after he passes away, she is shocked at this unexpected gift since her father never mentioned the house. However, all is not what it seems when Nina arrives at the house. Between a mysterious and locked room and threatening notes, Nina isn’t sure if this house is her saving grace or her worst nightmare.
This book started out a bit slow and jumped perspectives at the beginning and I almost stopped reading a couple times. I’m glad I didn’t though because if you can make it over the first hurdle the books comes together in a satisfying way.

I really wanted to pick up this book as The Family Game was a hit for me and I had high hopes for her latest release. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down by this book. It took 65% for anything to even happen and then when the plot unfolded it felt extremely lackluster. I would have liked to feel more engrossed in the final scenes but found myself skimming the pages to get to the end. It also took me almost two months to complete this read.

I do not want to give too much away as this book is thriller and I feel it's best to go in with very little expectations. If you like slow burn thrillers then you may really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an early copy.

Thank you to the publishing team and PRH audio for free review copies of Look in the Mirror. I really liked the premise of this book, a creepy house, a sense of unease and dread about what was in the house/what was awaiting the protagonists but the story went a little flat for me. I was here for something really creepy/unsettling but the book became an amalgam of plot tropes, a puzzle/locked room story, at times it felt cat and mouse, the idea of a double life... it never quite came together for me even though the atmospheric writing was well done. I couldn't find myself quite cheering for Maria though I was intrigued by her character and Nina felt as though she was taking steps that went against what an almost 40 year old might do,
The pieces never quite came together for me despite hints at a strong set up and intensely engaging plot, though for me some interesting themes on why two women ended up in this position perhaps at the expense of male behavior... that would be worth probing more in depth.

I'm a fan of Catherine Steadman's mysteries, and although nothing for me beats Somethings in the Water, Look in the Mirror was a mystery that kept me guessing. The two person point of view and different timelines added depth to the mystery. Good character development and an interesting plot. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this fun thriller. 3.5/5 ⭐️

Twisty puzzler of locked room thriller that dips a toe into horror territory. Without spoiling the surprises, the book follows two primary narratives Nina, whose father passed and left her an unexpected beach house inheritance and Maria a nanny to the wealthy clients that haven’t arrived yet. Action packed chapters and jump scares abound. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC.

This was a mind f*ck in the best way possible. Though there were parts of it that dragged a bit, at the end of the day this was an awesome mystery to unravel and I'm definitely going to check out what other books Catherine Steadman has written!

This is probably my least favorite book by the author. I LOVED "The Family Game" so I couldn't wait to read this. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the book and didn't love any of the characters. Maria, was probably the exception. I was rooting for her from the start. She was so smart and level headed. She was the only one I was really sad about and not really invested in Nina. This was the house from hell. Everything about it was scary and deranged. It was a horrible haunted house that came to life. Why would people pay to watch stuff like that? I would have failed miserably at all the challenges. The book was definitely not what I expected. At the end, I kept wondering about Lucinda's dog and if she was OK. (I wasn't thinking about Nina, Joe or Nina. Just the dog) The real hero of the book was definitely Yang Joon-gi. There were many twists and turns. I kept wondering why Nina's dad would put her through this. Did he hate her??

Definitely recommend giving the book a try, especially if you enjoyed the author's previous books. This one just wasn't for me. I was a bit shocked when the truth about who was behind the house was finally revealed. I really hope there aren't actual houses like this one. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not put this book down. I was so intrigued with Nina’s father’s house and how she did not know about it before he passed away. The description of the house and the island brought it to life for me as I read. I could picture the large glass windows, the steep staircase to get to the house, and the glamour of the house itself. I enjoyed that I was taken on a room to room tour so as the story went on, I could picture exactly what Nina and Maria were seeing.

The other characters in the book are all small parts of the story but needed to make the story work. As each one was introduced, I tried to figure out what their parts in the story would be. Most of them, I did not figure out until the author wrote it. But once I knew, I could not go back and unsee who they really were.

Look in the Mirror is the first book of Catherine Steadman’s that I have read but I am already looking forward to reading more. I will recommend this book to any thriller reader.

I always enjoy Catherine Steadman's books and this one was no different. Nina's journey after her father's death and the instructions he gave her after were a puzzle and I was keen to see where it would lead her. This was a shocking thriller with so many twists that it left me reeling. I devoured this one greedily - if you know me, you know I love my disturbing books!

It’s really hard to decide what to say about this story. It’s horrifying, scary, suspenseful…and completely engaging! I couldn’t put it down. I had no idea how this would end. The journey was unbelievable!

3.5 stars. After Nina’s father dies, she receives a letter stating that he owns a three- bedroom Beachfront Estate in the British Virgin Islands. Nina and her father were very close (or so she thought), and she never knew that he owned this property. Nina now has to go to the Islands and visit this beautiful house that she knew nothing about. When Nina arrives to the house, she learns that the house (mansion) is called Anderssen’s Opening - which is a chess move that her father taught her about many years ago.
We then have Maria, who is a nanny that works for the very wealthy. She gets to the house where the family never shows up. She only has one rule at the mansion that she is staying at- Do not go into the locked door in the basement.

*(Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-arc.*

3.5 rounded up to 4. Look in the Mirror is the latest novel by Catherine Steadman. It is a suspenseful novel told from multiple viewpoints. Nina, whose father recently died, is surprised to find out she inherited a house in the British Virgin Islands. Maria, a nanny to the super rich, accepts a temporary contract for an unknown client.

I thought the first half of the novel was more interesting and full of tension. Ultimately I found the story of Maria to be more engaging. For me, the story lagged a bit about 3/4 through but did come to a satisfying conclusion with a good epilogue.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

3 out of 5 Stars!

When Nina’s father dies, secrets come to life. He was the owner of a house in the British Virgin Islands, one she was unaware of. This house is incredible, it is hard to believe it was kept a secret for so long. How did he come into so much money?

Maria is a nanny for the super-rich. Once a medical student, she dropped out to pursue nannying. It pays much more, and she gets to travel to tropical destinations. So when she is dropped off in paradise, alarm bells start to ring when the family doesn’t show up. She was told she could just relax, just don’t go into the basement.

“Look in the Mirror” by Catherine Steadman is a thriller that kept me up at night. I was not expecting the horror that I was reading! The first half gave me goosebumps, with crazy twists and horrific scenes. I will admit, this novel wasn’t what I was expecting in a good and bad way. This was a very fast-paced novel with multiple POVs, but left me very confused. This was a thriller more than a mystery, which bummed me out.

I wasn’t really a big fan of the main characters, Nina and Maria. Maria had the easiest job in the world, but fell for something I’m not sure if I would have. There were plenty of red flags for Nina, but she kept moving forward. Both characters were making decisions that left me frustrated, so it was really hard to like them.

The second half really cleared everything up for me, so if you are feeling confused in the first half I would recommend going! Not only was the ending worth it, but it was really shocking and thrilling!

Pick up “Look in the Mirror” by Catherine Steadman on July 30th, 2024!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, Catherine Steadman, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This one was so fast paced to me! I was definitely spooked, and I think it was perfect for a quick summer thriller. I was looking over my shoulder at times because it had me so hooked. To be honest, I had no idea what was going to happen / how everything would play out for a majority of the book. Usually that bothers me, but I think it was really well done this way. I was so invested in the different trials and multiple storylines we were trying to solve that I didn’t think too hard about what was going on and really fell into the story. I think since there were a few different things at play here it got a little jumbled at times and would’ve had a bigger impact if they tied together earlier on rather than later in the book. But since I enjoyed the experience & ending, it felt like a 4 to me!