This book was a thrill ride that was so hard to put down. Then when I put it down, I kept thinking about it. It's hard to say too much about it without giving away all the twists, and there were a lot of them in this book. It's definitely not what you expect.

There are 2 main characters - Nina, whose father has just passed away and finds out that he has a 'secret' house in the British Virgin Islands; and Maria, a nanny to the rich, who has is waiting for a family to show up to their swanky rental, but never does. As the story goes back and forth between the 2 women, you know there is a connection there, and the author does a great job of keeping the reader intrigued and reading.

It's a fast-paced book that was very unique. Some parts seemed a little unrealistic at the end, but I still really, really enjoyed this one.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR is an unsettling, twisty thriller. There are a lot of details in LOOK IN THE MIRROR that could be make it a slow burn or sluggish read, but Steadman's attention to detail lends itself to keeping the reader engaged - I couldn't put this book down and had to know more. The alternating POVs also lend to the exciting nature of LOOK IN THE MIRROR. I don't want to give away too much of the story, and suggest going in blind. Steadman wraps up the various plot lines in a very satisfying way. A huge thank you to Ballantine for the advance copy.

Nina is left a home in the British Virgin Islands when her father passes. She goes off to discover so much more than just a house.

Nina, an English woman, is surprised to find that her recently deceased father has left her a massive beach house in the Virgin Islands. When she goes to check it out, she finds that her father has left her one last puzzle to solve.

Maria is a nanny for the ultra-rich; her newest assignment takes her to a luxurious vacation home… but the clients never show up, and there’s a locked basement that she’s forbidden from going into.

How these stories intertwine is part of the mystery, and Steadman weaves a complex narrative with shifting perspectives and lots of disjointed pieces to somehow fit together.

This is just as much a page-turner as ‘The Family Game’, with an immediate sense of dread, intrigue, and suspense. I had so much fun guessing what was going on, and never would have surmised where it ends up. Definitely go in blind because even the slightest spoiler could ruin this one.

It did remind me of a horror movie that I watched (I won’t say which due to the aforementioned spoiler situation), and while I really enjoyed the concept and had a lot of fun with it, I do wish it had felt like a fresher take rather than somewhat of a remake. That said, I’m probably in the minority of people who have even seen the movie and would make that connection.

The last quarter of the book is not nearly as strong as the first 75%, with the ending plodding along to a somewhat predictable finish, but the first 75% is 5 stars for the suspense and action. If you like thrillers and suspenseful mysteries, you'll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such an interesting concept and I had no idea where it was going for the longest time.

In this book, we start with two points of view- Nina and Maria. Maria is working as a "nanny" in a super nice house, but the family and children never show up. Nina finds out that her late father left her a house that she never knew about. Later we realize, the two houses are the same and there's some type of escape room in the basement.

The premise of the book is incredibly interesting, but I found that there was a lot of "fade to black" in terms of the action. Because of that, the book seemed short and incomplete almost.

However, Catherine Steadman's thrillers are always intriguing and good reads. It was a great beach read (which is exactly where I read it) but I may not be reading it again to do a close reading.

I reallyyy enjoyed Steadman’s last book The Family Game so was excited to hear when she was coming out with something new! The beginning had me hooked however it fell flat along the way.

It's another great thriller by Catherine Steadman. This book has a lot of twists and turns. The short chapters kept me turning the page and guessing the next move! The play on an escape room was very different than any other book I have read. I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine Books for sharing this thrilling book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Happy reading everyone!

I’ve really enjoyed stuff from this author in the past but YIKES was this a stinker. It’s about a woman whose father dies and leaves her a mansion on a tropical island that she had no idea existed. Of course everything is not as it seems - which in this case means lots of riddles to solve, smart house technology, escape room style challenges… all things I find painfully boring to read about. I kept going in hopes of an interesting reveal or payoff at the end but nope.

I absolutely love Catherine Steadman books. This was an ARC for me and therefore the first time I’ve read one of her books instead of listening to the audiobook. She’s a fantastic narrator and I kind of hate that I didn’t get to listen to this book, actually, but that’s beside the point.
I enjoyed the story and I thought the ending was pretty good. I am sure the whole design of the house and ways to escape might be far fetched, but I was able to enjoy the plot without picking it apart too much. I thought Nina was resilient and quite relatable. I wanted to understand the why of it all just as much as she did. It turned out a little different than what I expected, but was still entertaining.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy unconventional locked room mysteries/thrillers. It felt a little bit like horror in some parts between the rooms and the overall feeling of being watched which I enjoyed and now I’m wondering if this is a new thing since The Family Game dipped its toes into some horror, too. I’m loving it!

A taut, competent thriller. Full of twists. I finished this quickly and felt the end was quite satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley, PRH Audio and Ballantine Books for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! I was lucky enough to receive an ALC from the Penguin Random House Audio Influencer Program. @prhaudio #PRHAudio #PRHAudioInfluencer
All opinions are my own.

This was a super twisty locked-room thriller. I had no clue what was going to happen. In fact, at some points of the story, I was down right confused. The first 3/4 of this book were pretty good, but the last quarter of this book left me a little unsettled. It wasn't necessarily scary, but it was without a doubt creepy and left me quite unsettled. However, I would say the book ended on a pretty good note and if anything left the reader wanting more, and with a lot of questions.

Like her previous works, Catherine Steadman herself narrates this book. She has a very beautiful and soothing British voice. I will say that is rare for fiction writers to narrate their own books, as this is probably more common in memoirs. However, Catherine is a great narrator and I think it is awesome that she narrates her own books.


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman is another absorbing novel!
I could not read fast enough to find out what would happen! This book gripped me from the very beginning and it didn't stop until the last chapter.
I zipped through this book over the weekend and absolutely recommend it as a gripping, clever and entertaining summer read!
I'm completely infatuated with her writing and style.
This gripping, heart throbbing, smart thriller will absolutely keep you on your toes and at the edge of your seat! I loved it! I highly recommend it!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House and Ballantine Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was totally creepy. It’s rare that a book will scare me and this one absolutely did. But the scare factor was psychological rather than horror movie gross. And as creeped out as I was, I really enjoyed the book. It was complex, original and an actually fun since I kept trying to guess what would happen next. — And I was wrong every time.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this novel.

This was my first Catherine Steadman novel and I enjoyed the book. It was a super quick, fast read with short chapters (my favorite) and interesting characters.

There were so many what is going on moments and I will say the first half the book left me questioning so much. Once we got to the 50% point of the book I had figured out the big twist but I still really enjoyed the book. It was a little over the top with the plot and a few too many unbelievable moments but overall it was a fun quick read. I also really enjoyed the last couple chapters but it all happened a little too quickly.

Overall, a solid 3.5/5 rounded up to 4 stars for me.

This was FRESH and different and thrilling in a unique way. Once I started this one, I could not put it down - I HAD to know what happened.

I found the pacing to be so well done. At times this was intentionally slow burning and at others it was a raging fire and I loved how Steadman kept us guessing.

I also LOVED the ending - it felt fitting without being a perfectly wrapped up present with a bow on top.

Wow what did I just read??? Having read two other books by Steadman I knew this book would be good but nothing could have prepared me for how good this book was. When Nina’s father passes away Nina feels lost and alone. To her surprise his lawyer contacts her to let her know that her father has left her a house she knew nothing about. When she arrives all seems well and perfect. But soon Nina realizes just how not well things are and she is in a fight for her life.

This book was such a fresh storyline that I never saw coming and quickly became immersed with. The characters were so complex and I couldn’t put this book down. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing group for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I thought this book was OK, but sometimes it was hard for me to follow. The beginning is rather slow, but I felt it picked up at about 50%. Nina and Maria are both brought to a house in the British Virgin Island. Only one rule: don't go in the basement. Several twists and turns, but not highly recommended by me.

I've enjoyed all of Catherine Steadman's books - it's unfair how talented she is! Look in the Mirror is the latest thriller, and it's filled with twists and turns,told in multiple timelines/perspectives, but as the reader you don't know what order they are happening in. I don't want to spoil anything, but the tone of the book definitely shifts as it goes on. There was some Squid Game influence, which I enjoyed.

The story begins with a deceptive calm, lulling me into a false sense of security. Initially, everything feels slow—the pace, the setting, and the characters seem pretty mundane. But as I delved deeper, an unsettling feeling crept in, almost like I was being watched. The plot’s cruelty hit hard, sending chills down my spine. Each twist pulled me further into its web, leaving me breathless and trapped.

I was drawn into the protagonist’s shift from innocence to terror. I felt their fear and desperation vividly. The antagonist’s cruelty was almost too much to handle, pushing my limits, but I couldn’t look away. It felt like watching a car crash in slow motion—horrifying yet impossible to ignore.

There were times I wished for more background or insight into the characters' motivations. In hindsight, the lack of a complete backstory only deepened the unsettling mystery. The ambiguity made the experience even scarier. The ending, though not perfect, left me pondering for days. It sparked intense debates with Marie and Farah during our buddy reads, each of us interpreting the conclusion in our own way.

This book masterfully creates suspense, weaving a psychological trap that is as engrossing as it is chilling. It took me on a dark, thrilling ride, pushed my limits, and left me eager to discuss every heart-pounding moment with my friends.

While I found this book entertaining, it was just too wildly over the top to be truly enjoyable. There were too many eyeroll moments that detracted me from the book. Overall, it felt like a mash-up of every wild thriller and reality show thrown together. I did finish it because I wanted to see how it ended.