This book turned out way better than what I expected. It gets you hooked right from the beginning and even though it slows down a little in the middle I was still intrigued of where the story was going. Most of it is told in two POVs and it had me guessing and wondering how the two characters were connected.
I loved the setting – mysterious secluded mansion on a tropical island in the Caribbean.
This is a great summer read.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was off to a good start, slow but good, before it took a nosedive.

I did suspend disbelief while reading this, and you’ll have to if you don’t want to have a headache and pull all your hair out, but even then, I just found myself pushing through and not really enjoying how things were progressing.

Too far-fetched at times and just not my cup of tea!

This is unlike any thriller I’ve ever read. (And dark!) I couldn’t put it down. Thanks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman is about two women, Nina and Maria, who are trapped in a basement, at separate times. The book alternates POVs between the two women, whose stories run parallel.

This book totally gripped me for the first 25% or so. Then, the story seemed to drag on and I began to lose interest. I typically love alternating POV, but in this case, it didn’t add much to the story since Maria and Nina were encountering similar situations. I was hoping for a giant twist to redeem the book but was disappointed with a lackluster ending.

Overall, I rate the book 3 stars. It was just ok for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Went into this one totally blind, and it took me to places I did not expect! If you love thriller books, you know sometimes they start to get repetitive. This thriller was very different from any others I’ve read recently. Highly recommend if you are looking for something fast paced, stressful, and borderline horrifying.

Nina’s father just passed way. While grieving and lost, she is shocked to discover her dad owned a home in the British Virgin Islands. She immediately departs to check out her new property….from there things begin to get weird.

4 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water comes "an utter white-knuckle ride that took me into a heart of darkness" (Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment).

Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands - a vacation home she had no idea existed, until now. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? And what else was he hiding?

Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the super-rich. The money's better, and so are the destinations where her work takes her. Just one more gig, and she'll be set. Finally, she'll be secure. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There's just one rule: Don't go in the basement. That room is off-limits. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she'll wish her only worry was not getting paid."

Dood, with the super rich, NEVER go where it's off-limits.

“The letter must have sat unopened for a month on your abandoned hall table as things carried on around it, the correspondence inside quietly waiting for me to find it. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Family Death - After Nina’s father’s death and the arrangements have all been made
Inheritance - she gets word that she has inherited a house from him in the British virgin islands
Secluded Island - The island and the house are very secluded with private security. And it leaves Nina with no idea when or how her father acquired it.
Basement - especially when she starts getting messages that she should leave the house, and above all, don’t go in the basement.

The minute I started reading this book, I was sucked in. You don’t know what is going on or why for a good chunk of it. While we do primarily follow Nina, there are other people’s storylines that are included, although how they all connect is jaw dropping. This book was such a wild ride, and so satisfying to read. I had a few issues with some plot holes, but overall this book was a mind trip!

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Catherine Steadman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Look In the Mirror coming out July 30, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read another book by this author and loved it. So I was excited to receive this from NetGalley. I love when people inherit creepy houses. It’s one of my favorite tropes. I think the writing was really good. I love that she puts a lot of crazy things into her books. The mystery surrounding the house was really good. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. Some of the twists were a little far-fetched for me. But overall, I really enjoyed it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys locked room thrillers!

It’s no secret if you look at my reviews chronologically that I’ve been struggling with thrillers lately. It seems to be the same regurgitated plots and tropes with minor changes thrown in there. While Look in the Mirror lost me a bit with the plausibility aspect, it was a well written page turner of a thriller for me.

I went into this book blind and kind of rolled my eyes at the plot unfolding in the beginning. But once certain elements are revealed and connected this book becomes an entirely new beast. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are well written and don’t fall into typical stereotypes. I did have a hard time visualizing the house and its extensions, but it didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

I’d definitely recommend this to those looking for a fast paced, well written thriller that deviates away from the usual domestic drama.

A terrifically intriguing set up with a less than compelling resolution.

Nina’s warm and loving father has just died and she discovers he owned a house in the British Virgin Islands; not only did she know nothing about but it seems extremely out of character as he was a respected and well-liked academic, comfortably off but not BVI coastal home rich. Out of a deep longing to find out more about this unknown side of her father, Nina flies out to the islands and decides to spend some time in the house. But then she finds a note saying “You need to leave. Now.”

In a second (maybe temporally shifted - I love that!) strand, Maria has been employed on a short term contract as a nanny for a rich client. She goes to the luxurious beach house but the client never shows up. Meanwhile, down in the basement is a locked room which she is told she must not enter - will curiosity get the better of her?

As you would expect from an author with the skills Ms Steadman clearly has, it’s all very atmospheric and sinister as these two narratives develop and we get pulled into the fast-paced mystery. Sentient houses are not unique in this genre, but this one definitely gives off an disturbing vibe. There are unsettling thrills along the way, once we find out what’s behind the mysterious door, and Nina gets to find out more than she wants to know about her father.

But the resolution [spoiler} is of the rich people can do anything/know everything variety which I just don’t find particularly compelling. It’s basically using magic to solve an otherwise insoluble mystery and I don’t find that particularly satisfying [end of spoiler]. There’s a great build-up but, as is so often the way, the ending doesn’t quite live up to it.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

So thankful to netgalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced e-copy!!

I’ve enjoyed all of the Catherine Steadman books i’ve read and this is no exception. Although this one had moments of predictability, the overall plot had me stumped as to what would happen next. It was different than any other book I’ve read. The ending seemed a little rushed, but still a solid 4 stars.

Eh. I was hoping for more from Steadman. It is an interesting premise, and had some great moments within the story. But overall, it was just an okay read for me. While the differing POVs kept the story moving along nicely, the storyline felt forced. And at some point the end was looking and came abrubtly and rushed. It was entertaining and a quick read, but not one that will stay with me or anything.

I do appreciate Netgalley and Ballantine Books giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Nina inherits a house she knew nothing about from her father. Maria takes a nanny job where the parents never show up. The only rule? Don’t go in the locked room.

What is the connection between these two women? You’ll have to read this thrilling mystery to find out!

Oh goodness gracious! What a roller coaster ride! This book was high octane tension that just never let go. Characters were really great and kept me totally invested in the story. What a nail biter. And I had no clue who to trust. Well done, high energy and somewhat frantic.
Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy!
I usually really enjoy Catherine Steadman’s books - they’re always good thrillers with interesting characters. This was a real let down though - sort of Squid Game meets escape rooms, which is an interesting concept, but sadly not well executed. I enjoyed the description of the house, but overall the writing felt repetitive and didn’t seem to move the plot along. I’ve finished the book and I’m still confused as to who was behind everything and why.

Didn't like it. Didn't finish.

Imagine your father, your only relative, dies and leaves you a house on a Caribbean island that you never heard about from him. He never visited there that you are aware of and never mentioned it. Now it is your surprise to hear the estate people want you to go visit it, like now, to decide what you will do with it.

It wasn't bad while first visiting the house/island, but then it got weird. ****************** spoiler alert************* would you stay in a vacant house on an island in the middle of nowhere alone? To wake up and find a note saying danger, leave? How about when you come back to the house and find a message on the bathroom mirror? How long would you stay?

Still spoiler alert for the rest of this review. Who is Maria and why was she being tortured? Who was the woman who pretended to be the daughter for months and what did she do to the house?

I read just about 50% and said nope, not for me. Torture is not what I want to read. I skipped to the last couple of chapters and even then had no temptation to go back and finish.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

I was excited to read this novel as I love psychological suspense. Nina, a thirty-something Cambridge college professor, grieving the recent loss of her brilliant father, learns that he left her a property in the British Virgin Islands. Intrigued, she flys out to find out more and discovers a futuristic cold house, which is the total opposite of her fathers cozy cluttered house in London. Did her father have a secret life? It would appear so..

In another chapter we read about Maria, also staying in the same house. A medical school drop-out, she works for an agency taking care of the ultra rich's children. Day after day, Maria finds herself on her own waiting for the family that will never materialize. Slowly she starts to unwind and relax, pondering about the basement door's glowing buzzer and the admonishment to not go in there. Will curiosity win out?

On the whole, I thought this was a fine novel, although I must admit I found the first half of the novel more intriguing than the latter half, even though the latter half was more fast paced. I felt that Luncinda's, Maria's and Nina's characters were well fleshed out but that the other characters Joe and Joon-Gi with the way they thought were a little cardboard. The concept of this novel was original and this is what kept me turning the pages. Overall, I recommend this novel.

My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Note to Netgalley: I will leave a review on Amazon once the novel publishes on July 30 2024.

"Look in the Mirror" was such a fun read. I tried to read it in one sitting as I could not put it down. Although this is a thriller, it had alot of action as well and I could see this book being turned into a movie since it was so fast paced and interesting. I loved the two points in time being reflected as I was trying to see how they related to each other and I have to say the twist caught me off guard. Great, fun, read overall!

This story gave me so much anxiety! What an unexpected roller coaster ride full of twists, turns, and adrenaline fueled suspense! Readers who loved the author's last book, The Family Game, will find a lot to enjoy with Look In The Mirror.

When settling her deceased father's estate, Nina discovers the man she believed she knew had a secret life of which she was totally unaware. She has inherited a mystery property in the British Virgin Islands and immediately heads there to search for answers about who her father actually was and why he kept parts of his life from her. Shortly after arrival, it becomes clear that the seaside home is keeping sinister secrets.

I won't comment on the actual plot beyond the initial setup because almost everything I could say would be spoiler territory, and the story is so good that it'd be criminal to spoil it for others. This book is best approached blind and with no expectation of where the story may go. There were so many twists and whats-happening-here moments that caught me by surprise and had me pausing just to appreciate the pure fun excitement of this clever thriller. It was the very best kind of crazy.

Grab your snacks, get comfortable, and prepare to lose a few hours within these pages. This tense, gripping thriller offers up a puzzling plot and sustained suspense and is a perfect summer beach read.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I did enjoy this atmospheric thrillerand had a hard time figuring out how everything connected. Unfortunately, when the explanation was revealed, it was less than satisfying. While I won’t spoil it here, it reminded me of several books I have read of late. It was a stretch, but so was The Family Game and I enjoyed that. The suspense and horror of this thriller does make it quite a page turner, which I'd what what bumped my 3 1/2 star rating to a 4. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!