I went into this book totally blind! I usually listen to audiobooks, but I read this on my kindle and I just couldn’t stop! I loved that there were few characters, the pace was fast but the whole thing was a puzzle that I needed to solve - seriously - what in the what was going on

The story revolves around two seemingly unrelated women

Nina, struggling with imposter syndrome, inherits her beloved father’s secret Caribbean house - still in mourning and full of curiosity, she travels to inspect her new house

Meanwhile, live in nanny Maria waits impatiently for her new client and his children to arrive at their house. She’s told by the agency to wait and make herself at home, but not to go into the secret room in the basement

I would class this book as a fast paced action thriller - exciting and unpredictable

I enjoyed both women and I relished in their strength and determination. There’s a lack of depth to all the characters, with the focus on the locked door in the basement - this isn’t a horror but it definitely kept my heart racing

I found the reveals unpredictable in some respects and disappointing in others, but unlike Steadman’s previous book, this wasn’t insanely unbelievable (although I did find The Family Game entertaining)

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys puzzles, action, kickass women and a batcrap crazy, unrealistic ride!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for access to this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review

Okay friends, so I went into this one super blind and that may have been a mistake because I had no idea what was going on for the first 25% or 30% of the book (I really hope I'm not the only one, ha). But once I started connecting the dots, I was hooked.

Squid games meets survivor meets a very deadly escape room. Look in the Mirror takes a locked room thriller trope to a whole new level and it genuinely scared me in some spots. And the main characters weren't completely stupid which was utterly refreshing. If you like games and riddles, I think you'll really like this one.

The writing style/narration wasn't my favorite but the plot was still well-done in my opinion and I finished in just a few settings. I appreciated the multiple POVS which added depth to the overall plot and it was fun seeing how it all tied together. Again, I was confused at first but once you get into the story, you begin to figure everything out which was fun in of itself. The twists were expertly revealed and weren't so farfetched that it made the story more satisfying.

3.75 stars rounded up

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

Don’t go in the basement.
Well, surely, someone’s going to go in the basement.

That’s really all I can tell you about the plot, because you need to go in blind. Read this wild ride for yourself, and then come back to discuss it with me because wow!!! I was so stressed while reading this one. I enjoyed the various characters we got to explore and the settings as well. This had all the great makings for a very isolated location thriller. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This was an interesting book. Lends a whole new definition to escape rooms. Well developed story that had you rooting for Nina and Maria. They had already experienced losses in their lives and I wanted to seem them win. I especially liked Maria's character. She had a strength and determination to her that was raw and gritty. This story would make a good movie. Good psychological thriller.

4 ⭐️ Page turner! Had me on the edge of my seat! Wow! Well written thriller, great plot and I loved the ending! Told from several POV, it’s fast paced and engaging!

Nina is grieving after the death of her very successful father. To her surprise in addition to all his wealth she inherited, is an expensive estate in BVI.
All is not what it seems and the tale unfolds alternating between the different characters!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing group, Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was nothing like what I expected, and I simply could not put it down! Catherine Steadman has become a must read thriller author for me. I adored this insanely dark, twisted thriller and honestly wish I could experience for the first time again. Thank you Random House & NetGalley for my copy.

This is a thriller/horror story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As Nina is questioning her entire relationship with her father, the reader is trying to figure out what he was hiding.
The two lead women, Nina and Maria are strong, intelligent and human. It is hard to determine what is an illusion and what is real. The horrors of a real-life escape room with live or die consequences makes a great story. Both characters are likeable, and the reader is rooting for them to win.
Chock full of major twists and suspense. I could see this being made into a terrific horror movie.

Originally thrilling! So many times authors fall back on the same old story, but this tale was in a category of its own. Great build up of tension and slow burn of understanding!

I don't want to say too much about the premise of this, because it will give away key surprises, but I absolutely loved it. It felt a bit more like horror than thriller (although not in a gory way), which is completely my thing.  It took a minute to get into the meat of this, but once I did I absolutely could not put it down. *
I did think a few of the plot points felt a tad forced, and the ending was abrupt (both in how it played out but also trying to figure out why it happened as it did), so that's why I couldn't get to 5 stars, but I still very much enjoyed this!

This started out kind of good and went to crazy real fast! Not what I was expecting. Not in a bad way but just not how I thought it was going to go. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I really like the thriller genre, and this one was unlike anything else I’ve read before. I was completely invested in trying to figure out what in the world was going on! I was very slightly disappointed in the ending, which felt a bit rushed to me. But, still a very enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!