Nina is grieving the loss of her father when she discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands. It's an extraordinary home she had no idea even existed, bringing up more questions than answers. Maria is a former medical student turned nanny for the super-rich. When her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home at the vacation house, enjoying the space. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. When curiosity wins out, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.

We start with Nina's POV, with her grief and discovering there was even more to her father than she knew. Her job in England is on pause anyway as she processes her grief, so she's able to see the high-tech house for herself and discovers the locked door in the basement and the fact that someone doesn't want her there. With Maria's POV, she enjoys several days of time relaxing in a house awaiting two children who don't show up. Curiosity killed the cat, however, and soon enough, she's in the basement room anyway. Whoever set it up knows her real name and likely her history before she left medical school, an unnerving thought.

The two main POV threads each have a compelling mystery for the reader to figure out. In one, we want to figure out who Nina's father was as much as she does, especially when things about the house don't quite add up. In Maria's, we want to know why she was chosen for the locked room, and what her past is really like. The tension in the story threads keeps us turning pages, racing to know what happens next. They come together and we find out exactly what the house is for, and why these women were chosen. In the final third, everything becomes far more dire, and the intensity continues to ratchet up. Cameras, automated rooms, and armed security guards are everywhere, and only a slim chance of survival. I kept racing through the pages, rooting for these ladies to win, and to find out the truth. This is such a compelling story and a great summer thriller.

Damn! This was good! A quick, easy read that was fun & kept you guessing. Nina's dealing with the aftermath of her brilliant father’s death when she is contacted by a solicitor in BVI. Left her house on an island in BVI. Nina knows nothing about this house, but she heads to Paradise, and find a very elegant home. However, this home is the location of a sick game. And escaped the room where death is the final outcome.

As I said, very enjoyable and fun with a number of different perspectives. Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Catherine Steadman for an advanced copy of this book

I wish this one was a bit more straightforward I was hooked but then it changed genres and became too much of a puzzle for me to really enjoy.

I really enjoyed this thriller. The writing had good flow and I found myself immersed in the world of the Nina.
My main complaint is adding Maria's character. Her situation was set up well but felt a little opaque.
I enjoyed the end and how the character's were fully explained in the end.

This book reminded me of a current-day Agatha Christie with the nail biting and multiple suspects.

This story is told in the voices of two women - Nina and Maria. Maria is a medical student who is working as a fill-in nanny for uber-wealthy clients. The woman from the agency takes her to the home and shows her around, tells her she has access to everything until the clients show up except for a locked room in the basement, and she is not allowed to leave the property unless accompanied by the client until her stay is up. Maria is curious about the room, but decides it is probably a test to see how reliable she is, and refuses to give in to the urge to explore. Nina is still grieving the loss of her father, when she discovers that she has inherited a vacation home in the British Virgin Islands - one she knew nothing about. It seems completely out of character for her father to own something like this, but the lawyers fly Nina down to take ownership of the property. As much as she enjoys the pool, sauna, and private beach, she is curious about the basement that is off-limits. What exactly is down there, and how do you access the room?

I always enjoy this author's books, and this one did not disappoint. It was different from her usual books a little bit - it was still a psychological thriller, but it also reminded me a little of some of Dean Koontz' s books, with the locked room, and the men in suits. It was definitely a thrill ride, and it kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the entire book. It made it pretty clear from the beginning that both women were living in the same house, but what wasn't clear was the timeline, so that kept me wondering how their timelines fit together. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, you are going to want to put this at the top of your TBR pile. I highly recommend it!

Maria drops out of college and is a nanny for the rich. She has a job in the British Virgin Islands but no one shows up at the house. Nina has lost her father and finds out he had a house in the British Virgin Islands. How could he afford it? Both women with no ties to family end up in these houses. There is a room in the basement where they are told not to enter. You can just guess what that means.

This book is a thrilling ride. What happens in the secret rooms? Will they be trapped forever? Does anyone get out if they enter the room? This book has many twists and turns. What is going on? You will keep turning pages to see what happens to the two women? What an exciting read!

Thank you to #netgalley, @catsteadman, and #BallantineBooks for a copy of this book.
#LookintheMirror

Wow - this one kept me reading later than I should have. It follows two different women in similar experiences. I enjoyed both stories. However, I wish there had been something linking them to each other, rather than just the unusual experience they both had. Despite that, I really enjoyed this one.

This was a fun twisty tale, I wasn’t always sure where it was going but it was good! There were a few loose ends I feel weren’t tied up well. I feel the Joe storyline could have used a bit more development to make the ending more believable, but overall a fun read.

I really did not understand this book and the plot. It was very hard to follow. It was not a mystery/thriller in my opinion. It needed a little more plot for me.

You might think you know what this book is about, but you have no idea. This book was so twisty and not at all what I thought it would be... in the best way! It was so fun to read a unique thriller that doesn't fit the usual mold.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but I will say that I found both of the female characters, Nina and Maria, to be strong and likable protagonists. There were several POVs in this book, but they worked well for the story and helped everything come together. The first half of the story can feel a little confusing and it was a bit slow for me, but stick with it because it definitely pays off!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My biggest advice on this one is to go in super blind. Don’t even read more than that snippet of the synopsis. Look In The Mirror was sooo twisty and shocking and once it all came together - my jaw was on the floor.

This was my first book by Steadman and I absolutely loved the writing, character development, and multiple POVs/timelines. The way everything came together made for an amazing reading experience.

I ended up listening to this one on audio and the narrator crushed it as well. I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers, mysteries, nail-biting action, and vacation homes!!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC of this title!!**

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.