I have always found Catherine Steadman's books to be extraordinary. I read MANY thrillers, so after some time they do become predictable. This book took such a sharp turn that I think it will be impossible for anyone to foreshadow anything! I felt so much suspense the last 60% of the book, it was impossible to stop reading. The overall premise is excellent, I enjoyed the characters, and the conclusion left me reeling for a couple days. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Look in the Mirror in exchange for my review.

Ooh, this was such a fun and chilling read! So creepy!

I don’t want to give away any surprises, but Nina is grieving her dear father’s death when she is contacted by a law firm in the Caribbean who tells her that she has inherited a home there. When she goes to visit the property, she realizes that her father has left her one more riddle to solve. But this one has life or death consequences.

This is the perfect summer read. The characters are relatable and the plot unfolds at a satisfying pace. I read the book in a couple of days and found the ending left me feeling relieved and it lived up to the rest of the story. Check it out!

I have enjoyed previous books by Catherine Steadman so I was excited to get my hands on this one. Her style of short chapters and slightly unhinged plots are right up my alley. The first part of the book had me confused and curious which is my sweet spot for thrillers.

Then it just got nutty. The final reveal left me terribly unsatisfied. I like crazy but this passed that and landed straight on silly.

On one hand you have Nina who lost her father and inherited property in the British Virgin Islands. On the other hand Maria, taking a break from medical studies to earn money by house sitting. At first I thought the timeline was the same for each and they were in comparable homes as the author takes you back and forth between their experiences. Soon I figured out that Nina’s visit came second. The description of the book made this an automatic read, but if I’d known it was an escape room thriller I’d likely not have selected it. It’s not in my wheelhouse of thriller/suspense reading. Yet, I couldn’t stop reading for fear of the character’s lives, yet often confused by the storyline. If you like escape room fiction, love thrillers, and like to be on the edge of your seat with the suspense, this book is for you. Just remember when there is advice to not go into a room, take it, as both women find out. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I read this book on a cross country flight all in one sitting. I am a huge fan of Stedman and I was very excited for her next release. This stays true to her themes of thriller mystery and a bunch of puzzle pieces you have to put together.

Nina‘s father just passed away and left her a mysterious house in Gorda a British Virgin Islands, where she’s never been. This timeline mirrors a story about a woman named Maria who is a housesitter on this island and the family never shows up and she begins to question and feel trapped within this gorgeous house. There are some deep secrets hidden and puzzles to be solved. Nina feels excited and curious all in once she always felt her single father had everything he wanted but there was so much deeper quite literally within this house.

The pacing was so fast and easy to follow, there’s so many questions you have throughout and it just makes you want to keep turning the pages. I really like this author style and the title is very fitting!

If you want a book that grabs you from the first page to the very end, this is it! If you are alone in a house and you have been warned not to go into a locked room down in the basement, what are you going to do?? Of course you are going to figure out a way to get into it! This book is full of surprises, twists, turns, scary parts and everything else that makes for a great read that will keep you reading way past your bedtime.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this super suspenseful book that I could not put down.

This is a fast paced locked room thriller that had me flipping the pages wanting to know what the hell was going on. I went into this book pretty blind and it’s definitely the best way to go into it to maximize the tension. I had no idea where this story was going. Character development is lacking but in a fast paced thriller, I don’t think it’s always needed. The plot drives the story.
I’m knocking a star off is because the ending was very abrupt.
If you read Something in the Water and wasn’t a fan (like me), I think this book is worthy of giving the author a second chance. I’m glad I did.

I was excited to read this one since this is an author I really enjoy. This one fell flat for me. I was really invested until about a third of the way into the book and then the lack of character development, weird pacing, and rapid character changes made me feel more and more disconnected. I think the escape room premise was unique and intriguing. After reading it, I still don't understand completely what was going on in that house. This one fell flat for me. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I really don’t know what to say about Look in the Mirror. Did I like it.. yes I think so. Was I confused for much of the time… yes I was. Was it nuts…absolutely. It was nothing like the book that I thought I was reading, but in a good way. If you liked The Family Game, you will love this crazy ride.

We read about 2 women in the same house on a remote island in the British Virgin Islands. Maria, a worker and nanny, and Nina, whose father built the house and has left it to her in his will. But this is no ordinary house. Strange things start to happen and both women fear for their lives.

It is a faced paced and shocking story that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Ballantine for the advanced copy to read. Publishes on July 30th.

This felt like a short story expanded into a wheel-spinning novel. It's alternately dull and absurd, with chapters routinely navigating away from the action to give us more introspection and questioning, until we arrive at an ending so out-there, so unbelievable, so silly that it almost didn't matter what came before. There are some likeable characters here (more Maria!) and the writing doesn't suck, but I just wanted the plot to make more sense and be more consistently thrilling.

There were a lot of elements of the Escape Room films, and it was very similar to Will Dean's The Last One (which I hated).

I was caught up in Look in the Mirror from the beginning when it became apparent early on there were two stories taking place centered in the same house. A suspenseful vibe is built at the expense of one woman trapped in the house and the other inheriting it. I frequently was brought to mind the movie The Game with Michael Douglas, which I loved.

Look in the Mirror could also be classified as horror-light. Suspenseful, and at times, propulsive, I ate this book up. I also love a book when you genuinely don't know who to trust and who will make it out alive.

My only caveat was the ending which was a bit chaotic for me, if not confusing. But the suspense and spooky vibe more than made up for that.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an early e-copy. All opinions stated are my own.

Catherine Steadman writes dark, twisty thrillers. Her novels are well-written and entertaining and take readers to unexpected places. When this reviewer began reading Look In The Mirror, I thought the story from Nina's point of view was headed in a particular direction, but found sharp turns that led the book along entirely different paths. Maria's story led to equally surprising turns of events. Both women are thrust into life-threatening danger in what otherwise seems to be a peaceful island retreat.

The novel's seemingly disjointed cover art became clear when I realized the picture represents the overarching plotline perfectly. Nothing in this novel is as it seems at the beginning. I can't say more without spoilers, so you'll have to read the book to find out what happens to Nina and Maria on a remote spot in the British Virgin Islands.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

[Snack-Size Review] Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman

Quick Bite: Solidly OK.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: Nina, grieving the recent death of her father, is shocked to learn that he owned a mansion in a tropical paradise. Maria, at another point in time, stumbles on the house’s horrific secret.

A Word From The Nerd: This book was good. Not great, not terrible. The characters were all right, and although it didn’t go exactly in the direction I was expecting, it relied on far too many tropes & cliches to get there. Mostly predictable, but enjoyable enough.

The Nerd’s Rating: The Nerd’s Rating: THREE HAPPY NEURONS (and some Morse Code water.)

This was another great thriller from Catherine Steadman. It was very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

If you are looking for a binge-read sit by the beach page turner, look no further than Look In The Mirror. I could not put this one down and the action was non-stop. At no point did I really know where the story was going, which made it unique and FUN.

We have two different characters, Nina and Maria and the whole time you spend trying to put the puzzle pieces together and figure out their connection. Nina, grieving her father, discovers he owns this secret, beautiful home in The British Virgin Islands and travels there to figure out what this is and why he hid it from her? Maria arrives to The British Virgin Islands working as a nanny in a secluded home that has plenty of amenities, as long as she doesn't enter the locked basement.

This story is fast-paced suspense, a puzzle that continuously unravels, short chapters that keep you engaged and (I'll admit) some far-fetched explanations, but overall I enjoyed this wild, unique ride.

I wish we got a little more information as the story concluded- a lot happened in the last 20% and I would've liked a more depth explanation after such build up, so landing at 4 stars for this one!

Definitely a great summer beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing / Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Pub Date 7/30!

Genre: Escape Room/Mystery and Thriller
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: July 30, 2024

“Look in the Mirror” is a dark, escape room horror thriller. The story revolves around two seemingly unrelated women: Nina is a 34-year-old Cambridge professor who unexpectedly inherits a mysterious, luxurious house in the British Virgin Islands. In alternating chapters, we meet Maria. She’s taking time off medical school to save money by working as a nanny for the ultra-wealthy. When she arrives at their home, which is more like a vacation hotel, she waits for the two kids she will be babysitting to arrive. But as days pass and they’re still not here, she begins to enjoy herself and hangs out at the pool, overlooking the magnificent ocean views. There is a blurring between illusion and reality. The reader understands that both of them share a similar terrifying experience, but the reader does not know whether they are taking place in the same house or in an alternate reality. The premise is interesting enough; however, the far-fetched twists bothered me. Yet, not enough so that I didn’t want to keep reading to figure out what was happening to Nina and Maria. This is a good beach read if you don’t mind the creepiness.

This book was SO cool. It’s going to be hard to put together a spoiler free review. More than just your typical thriller. As a big puzzle person, this was right up my alley. Alternating between different POVs can be tricky, but it was done well and I was able to get invested in each of our main characters. Once the story hit 40%, it went WILD. I really enjoyed this one. The irritating people that expect every book to be “believable” will probably not like this one as much as I did, however.

Honestly....why are billionaires the worst?

Don't read any further if you don't want spoilers.

[
Nina is full of daddy issues. Maria is a survivior. Yang Joon-gi just wants to move to Miami. But they are all stuck in a SAW nightmare. Is this torture porn-y? A little. I've read/seen worse. Is there a point? Is there ever? Regardless, this is a story about a house and people who want to torture people.

That's it. That's the premise.

(hide spoiler)]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved “The Family Game” by Catherine Steadman, so to get her new one early was an absolute treat! This book was not what I expected in all of the good ways. She actually puts her hat into the horror ring a bit for this one, and I loved it.

This story is told from a couple of point of views, but mostly the story is told from the perspectives of Nina and Maria. Please be forewarned here - I’m giving nothing away in my review here - that would take the fun out of this one.

Nina just lost her father, and she is a university professor. She is lost in the world, and then she finds out that her Dad left her a beautiful vacation home that she knew nothing about. Maria is a former medical student, and is now a nanny to the super-rich. What could these two women possibly have in common?

This story is wild! I flew through the pages because I had to know how it all turned out in the end. Throughout this story I was scared, confused, claustrophobic, relieved at times, and always on high alert. This book is a puzzle to be solved and it was fun.

The house is a character all by itself. I love when that happens. This book is so descriptive and atmospheric. It truly is the perfect beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this one! It releases on July 30th. If you love puzzles, mysteries, and a little bit of horror, this one is for you. I highly recommend it!

The middle half of this book is great-- a really fast-paced mystery with lots of questions and surprises and mysterious characters. Unfortunately, it really fell apart in the end. As we're racing to the finish, suddenly everything stops and we're in the future, completely skipping the denouement. What the heck? I get that it's often the least interesting part of a book, and might feel like a waste of time and energy, but it's simply so unsatisfying to be taken through, moment by moment, only to reach the pinnacle and then get shoved out of the world. Also, small quibble but... every male character's name started with J. Very confusing.