As I type this I'm wearing my "I read past my bedtime" t-shirt because Look in the Mirror is the reason these catchphrases exist. The book starts off with 2 seemingly unrelated narratives about Nina, a young woman navigating the recent death of her father, and Maria, a nanny for wealthy families just arriving at a new position. Told in alternating chapters, the stories start to connect in ways I didn't see coming.

I was drawn into the story right away, but it was the second time I picked up the book, when I was about a third of the way through, that really got me into trouble. "Let me just read a chapter or two before bed," I naively said to myself. Fast forward a few hours and I was gritty eyed, wide awake with adrenaline, and turning the very last page of this book. Look in the Mirror is everything that I could ask for in a thriller - twisty, fast-paced, and a little shocking. Catherine Steadman remains an auto-grab author for me when I'm in the mood for a riveting thriller!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to stay up half the night flying through this thriller prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

The first 3/4 of the book were soooooo gripping - I could not get enough. The entire book was gripping actually, but the last quarter of the book requires you to embrace the far-fetched a bit (however I did not care at that point because I was so invested in what the heck was happening). Up until the end, I was ready to make this a 5 star read! There is so much that happens right at the end, and I wish Steadman had done something different with the 2 years later section and the epilogue. In the end, I highly recommend this one, and reach out to chat because I definitely want to talk to others about this book!

I’ve never met a Catherine Steadman book I didn’t love, and more importantly, each one is quite a bit different than the last in my opinion so you really can’t anticipate the ride you’re about to go on. And this one might be one of the more strange, and you know you’re probably never going to get a traditional clean ending. It is an untraditional escape room thriller combined with a missing person whodunit. Two women - both alone - in an isolated villa on a remote island in the BVI. One lured by the promise of a lucrative nannying job, the other a grief-stricken daughter thinking she’s inheriting this home from her recently-deceased father. The villa is packed with technology, at first comforting, then threatening. You barely sense the tension creeping up on you until the moment strikes. Both women are lured into a subterranean series of puzzle chambers, where the only way out is through. The timeline between the women is unclear - who was first? Did she escape? How? What did she do after? As each woman’s journey through the rooms progresses, we begin to get bits and pieces of who is behind it all, but not enough to piece it all together in time to prevent tragedy. Fraught with tension and mystery, this is yet another unique thriller from Catherine Steadman!

This sounded like something I would enjoy, but it missed the mark for me. The pace was too slow, and I got bored quickly. Parts were just way too predictable or else confusing. I was never able to connect with the characters.

In Look In The Mirror two women (told in dual timelines) are trapped in a luxury home on an island. It’s a dangerous and mysterious escape room, but is it a game? The book is fast-paced and suspenseful. I easily flew through it, curious to figure it all out. I think thriller readers who enjoy books with games or puzzles will like this one, it’s a good way to pass an afternoon.

But, despite the high stakes and intensity of the plot, the book never truly sunk its claws into me. It’s undoubtedly a fast-paced, bingeable read and I enjoyed the book. But I never felt deeply about it. I turned the final page with a bit of ambivalence, okay, so that’s that. Meanwhile, in 2022 when I read Steadman’s previous book, The Family Game, it was 5⭐️ and almost made my top 10 of that year!

I feel like Look In The Mirror missed the mark because it could have leaned in beyond the superficial level of the hazardous game. It could have said a lot about wealth, violence for sport, violence toward women or the myriad of ways in which vulnerable people are taken advantage, forced into bad situations. But it just doesn’t. The truth of the vacation home is revealed, but not explored.

In the end I landed at 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4 because it was fun to read. I’m sticking with my initial reaction upon finishing the book, even though part of me believes it should be 3⭐️ after drafting this review.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Look In The Mirror will be out 7/30.

I absolutely loved this! Catherine Steadman’s books are always so brilliantly plotted, with amazing atmosphere, and twists and turns that I rarely see coming. Look In the Mirror had all of that and more! The feel was similar to The Family Game (while the plot was completely different), and this story kept me guessing until the very end! I read it in one day, I was so hooked!

This is my first Catherine Steadman book. Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity.

This is a riveting psychological thriller. Some readers feel it has a bit of horror genre. I do not read much horror. It didn't seem like it to me.

There are several points of view throughout the book. It is mostly Maria, a professional nanny for the affluent, and Nina, a Cambridge lecturer.

Maria arrives at her new job. It is a wonderful affluent home with over the top technology. She is encouraged to take advantage of the creature comforts until her wards arrive. Except, they are a no-show. But their lack of appearance is not the story. Maria's curiosity gets the better of her, and her life becomes terrifying.

Nina unexpectedly inherits a British Virgin Islands estate from her brilliant intellectual father. The concept of a house is so unusual that she decides to look into it. She is determined to learn more about this unknown side of her father.

She is further baffled and determined when she discovers just how strange the house is.

It was definitely a page turner. However, there were a few areas within the book that needed more clarification. But I would need to put in the spoiler alerts to explain.

I agree the ending needed more development.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman had me guessing what the heck was going on until the very end. Nina’s dad has recently passed away and he left her a huge mansion in the British Virgin Islands. Nina had no idea he had a house like that. Let the games behind! This thriller had me on the edge of my seat and I read it in a day! It was a nice surprise when they mentioned Charlotte, Belmont and Davidson, NC at the end since I live near there! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Almost publication day 7/30/2024.

I absolutely loved The Family Game so I was excited to read this one - however, it didn't quite deliver in the same way for me. I found this to drag on a bit and also felt somewhat confused about what was happening at different points. Not quite enough action for me but I will still read her next one. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for an advance copy!

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Genre: Thriller
Violence: 🔪🔪
Triggers: Death in the family, confinement, drowning, suffocation

Synopsis: Nina inherits an island vacation home she has no idea when or how her recently deceased father acquired. Now she worries what else he was hiding. Maria, former med student turned nanny, is hired for a short gig at a luxurious tropical getaway. She quickly discovers two weird things: 1) Her charges never show & 2) She’s instructed to stay out of the basement. Is the twist that the two houses are one in the same? Not even close. This newest psychological thriller from the author of 2018’s Something in the Water will keep you whipping through pages to piece together what the heck is going on.

Thoughts: I’m challenged to keep this spoiler-free because the mystery at the heart of this story begins unfolding from the very beginning. Stead devises a fiendishly clever premise then uses powerful storytelling to misdirect us—and I loved every second of it. The book explores the callus depths of the human heart when one has the power to do whatever they wish. But it also illustrates humanity’s goodness and the willingness to put oneself at risk to aid another. Steadman is an author who understands the grief of lost loved ones and the trauma inherent in surviving. That she could reflect this profound empathy in a page-turning thriller is a rare gift. And I absolutely did not see the final twist coming. The ultimate lesson: when someone says don’t go in the basement? Just..don’t. This is my first Catherine Steadman book but it certainly won’t be my last.

Thank you to @randomhouse and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Random House for the ARC!

I was so excited for this one! I really enjoyed her last book, THE FAMILY GAME and don't think that one gets enough hype!

While this one started out strong, it ended up becoming one that dragged on for me and I was confused what was happening a lot of the time. I think the plot was too simplistic and lacked enough action. I really wish I liked it more and am sad I didn't!

I'll still read what she writes next!

After losing her father, Nina is shocked to receive a letter about a house he owned that now belongs to her in the British Virgin Islands. When she arrives, the house is gorgeous, but how could her father possibly afford this, and why is someone leaving her notes to run? Meanwhile Maria has been hired to nanny for a family for two weeks. But the family never shows, so she has their home to herself for two weeks. There is only one rule, don’t go in the basement. When the security system goes on the fritz however, the basement calls.

Holy goodness! I went into this book fairly blind and I will tell you to do the same! I was incredibly confused as to what was happening for a good portion of this book, but I also could not stop reading because I needed to know more! I don’t want to say much else because this is one you really need to just start reading! There is no question this is a twisty, unputdownable thriller!

Thank you to @randomhouse for my gifted copy of this book!

Rounding up from 3.75 stars.

Read this if you like escape rooms, unsettling reads, dual narration, high-stakes, inheritance, secluded islands and puzzles.

I'm not sure I liked this book as much as I liked The Family Game, but it was very entertaining! You can tell the author has a passion for clues and codes and puzzles, and it is very fun to read. So many webs and twists. Her writing style is easy to read and so bingeable - I hope to read more of her work in the future!

A Look in the Mirror is a mysterious title which won’t be understood until much later in this confusing, propulsive, absolutely terrifying thriller. The chapters alternate between the voices of Nina, a universitynprofessor and Maria, a medical student turned nanny to the rich. Nina has inherited a home in Virgin Gorda, a striking glass structure set into rock. This is her late father’s gift to her although she has never heard about it. She travels to the island to settle the estate and stays in her new vacation home. Maria is in Virgin Gorda to be a vacation nanny to a single father and his two children. A concierge shows her around the luxurious rental home and explains the security system. She settles in for the arrival of her employer.

This is where I stop. As much as I would like to tell you what happens to these two women, there are no spoilers here. I’d also like to tell you that I had everything figured out but I didn’t. A Look in the Mirror establishes Catherine Steadman as one of the best thriller writers. This pilot is so unique, so perfectly woven together and so terrifying that she is in a class by herself. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Catherine Steadman for this ARC.

This book was an excellent, fast-paced thriller. I didn't want to put it down, and read it over the course of a few days. It was a unique storyline, that pulled my attention and had me guessing where it was going. I read all of Catherine Steadman's books, and this was just as enjoyable as the others.

Nina Hepworth is still grieving her father's death when she receives a letter notifying her that she's inherited his luxurious estate in the British Virgin Islands. A successful, intelligent, but fiercely-private man, Nina's father has managed to--even in death--make her question if she ever really knew him at all. With little else tying her to her lonely life in London, Nina flies out to the British Virgin Islands to meet James, the executor of her father's will, to learn about the home she's been left...and hopefully about the father who feels more and more like a stranger.

When Nina arrives at her father's estate, it's clear that not only has there been no mistake, but that her father is clearly trying to send her a message from beyond the grave: "Anderrsen's Opening," the house is aptly titled. A chess opening, and one that has a special connection to Nina and her father. As Nina explores more of the state-of-the-art island home she's been left, she finds its halls teeming with her father's memory; surely there must be something she's missing.

Like a locked basement. A home under the home, with white-walled rooms devoid of any art, life, or personal touch. Cryptic notes tucked within the nooks an crannies of the house. A threat--or an urging, perhaps?--for Nina to "get out." Whatever is going on within Anderssen's Opening, it's clearly much bigger than Nina could have ever anticipated.

With that, readers, Catherine Steadman's latest thriller (and my first by her, somehow) makes a monumental splash in the summer reading season. This was a layered, expertly-executed, binge-worthy read that I flew through in three sittings; and looking back on it, it's best to go in as blind as possible to really enjoy the wild ride that it is. Definitely one of the more unexpected great reads of the year so far, it's a thriller I'd recommend to anyone.

4.5 stars rounded down.

Great thriller with some super creepy elements thrown in. I had no idea what was going on (in a good way!) for most of the book and I really had no idea what the ending would be. I love when a thriller book does that for me! Super fast paced and enjoyed the multiple character POVs.

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
How I Read It: 📱

Synopsis
Nina’s father has just passed away and she is contacted by a lawyer from a British Virgin Island who tells her that she has inherited a vacation home there. But she had no idea existed. When did her father go to the Virgin Islands? There must be some mistake?

Maria is a nanny for the wealthy and takes an assignment where she spends her days living in luxury by the pool as she waits for the owners of the home to arrive, only she keeps waiting, and they aren’t showing up. There’s also one house rule: don’t go in the basement, but with the clients not arriving, her curiosity might just get the better of her. Is it a mistake to just peek and see what’s behind that door?

My Thoughts
Omg what the heck did I just read? I don’t think I’ve ever turned pages in a book so fast in my life! Wow, just wow! I went into this book completely blind. I saw Catherine Steadman had a new book out, and I just had to read it, and I made the right choice! This book is told in multiple viewpoints, the main characters of Nina and Maria and then a few other characters a little later in the book. In the beginning of the book, you’re wondering how Nina and Maria’s stories are going to connect, and you will soon find out, it’s the house. The house that is downright creepy. I was so terrified at one point, I was closing my eyes but, then I remembered I was reading a book, so I had to keep reading to see what happened next. The suspense and agita at that point were just super high. I don’t want to give away too many details, so I’m just going to say, this book was REALLY good, and some may think the ending was a little rushed, but honestly, my nerves and suspense were at such a high level from what was going on, that I couldn’t take much more at that point. It needed to be done! I felt like the suspense was going to kill me! So yeah, the ending was perfect. It ended where it needed to end. So if you want a heart-pounding thriller, pick this one up.

Final Thoughts
This is a wild book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything so intense. I’m still wowed by this book. I think you just need to read it!

❗️Of Note
Death
Kidnapping

Themes
👥 Alternating narrators
🫣 Suspense
🌪️ Twists and turns

Ratings
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Pace: 5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐️

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Wow I need a drink after reading this book! I’m out of breathe. Was unsure of what was going on for the majority of the book which was a surprise. Great, twisted thriller that made my heart pound.

One twisted book! What a horrifying thrill ride! You really don't know what's going on for most of the book. But you may have some suspicions, it's not *that* out of the realm of possibility which makes it even scarier. By far my favorite Catherine Steadman book though I do still need to read The Disappearing Act and Mr. Nobody.