What a fun ride! Look in the Mirror is the perfect quick thriller for a beach or patio. I went in not knowing anything and that’s what made me like it more. I truly didn’t know what to expect or what would happen next. It gets right to the action and doesn’t stop. The end wrapped up a little too quickly though. It builds to a climax which I felt was just cut short. I definitely recommend this one for your summer reading list. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

I have to say this book took me by surprise. Revolving around Nina and Maria who both have weird experiences in a house in the British Virgin Islands, things are not what they seem!

This thriller had me flipping the pages so fast trying to figure out what was going on. I loved how the chapters were short and ended on mini cliff hangers. I thought this was very well done. What a fun and exciting read!

That ending also had me like 😳

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-copy in the change for my honest review.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.***

From the author of “Something in the Water” comes a book just as unique and exciting, “Look in the Mirror”. Under the guise of an estate to be collected following her father’s death, Nina is seeking an inside look at the father she thought she knew. What she ends up finding is a whole lot more than she bargained for.

What I loved about this book:
🫶🏼 Quick read!
🫶🏼 Unique plot
🫶🏼 Relatable main character
🫶🏼 Intertwined stories

What I could have gone without:
❌ Loose threads left untied
❌ Random love story
❌ Villain’s change-of-heart felt abrupt

Overall, if you’re a fan of Catherine Steadman, you won’t want to miss this thrilling read!

This novel tells the story of a mystery house on Virgin Gorda that is part panic room, part home automation nightmare. It is told from the POV of two women who inhabit the house at different times, which you don't really figure out until later in the book. I don't think I am spoiling things here. The two women are there under somewhat different circumstances: one is the daughter of the person who built the house, the other a nanny who has been hired to attend to an absent family. Their trials and tribulations drive the novel's plot. The mystery becomes more annoying as you read about their circumstances, and while I mostly enjoyed the book, I thought it became more and more unbelievable which detracted from the situations portrayed. I still recommend the book for mystery lovers.

⭐️ 3.5

This was a good psychological thriller that kept my attention until the very end! I really liked how at first glance, you think the characters have nothing to do with each other, but you discover quickly how their lives become intertwined.

I felt that the pacing was a bit off towards the end and I would have loved to have spent some more time wrapping up details and specifics before it was over. That being said, I still did like the ending and did not see some some things coming.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a creepy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!

I am a huge fan of Catherine Steadman and this one didn’t disappoint. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this whirlwind.

The multiple points of view, stakes that kept getting raised, and the subtle plot twists kept this book moving so well. I didn’t put it down, I read it in a few hours! The idea of the house was unique but I think my favorite part was the ending, more specifically the epilogue. I won’t say anymore but usually the end is where you’re disappointed with thrillers, so I am pleasantly surprised. 10/10 recommendation from me for this one.

3.5 stars. I’m not really sure how I felt about this one. I did read it very quickly and was hooked on finding out what happened. But it was a little underwhelming for me.

I love Steadman's books and this was excellent! When Nina's father dies, he leaves her his elegant house in the British Virgin Islands. She never even knew this home existed so she's excited, albeit very curious about why he kept it a secret. When she gets there she is delighted to see it is beautiful and the scenery is amazing...until odd things begin to happen. And in an entirely different scenario, Maria is "invited" to a home as a housekeeper but when she arrives, it seems to be deserted as she awaits the guests she is sure will appear any moment. The novel vascillates between these two women as they each navigate their way through very odd circumstances that neither understands. This is one of those great books that keeps you on your toes as just when you are certain you've figured it out...you immediately know you are wrong! This one kept me awake at night as I had to get through it quickly (and I may never go on vacation again--well, for sure not alone)!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book. It was a tour de force of a book, and I had to stay awake a couple nights to read a few more pages. I loved the way the characters were woven together in this story. It was so well told that it was very easy to visualize everything taking place. This book will stay with me for some time. Props to Catherine Steadman!

Thank you Netgalley, Catherine Steadman, and the publisher for this e-ARC.,

Wow! This book was excellent! It is such a clever, unique concept and I was on the edge of my seat for about 75% or more of it.

It alternates chapters among a few different characters, each chapter ending on a cliffhanger, which made it difficult to stop reading. I was up late a few nights because I couldn't wait to see what would happen to each character.

The suspense, and intensity was giving me anxiety, in that perfect way a good thriller does. I feel like so many thrillers are alike these days, so I was very pleased to read this one and get a new experience.

This is a story I went into with no expectations and that made it even better. The middle to end is where it got really good but the build up until then was more than enough to keep me interested.

Catherine Steadman has done it again! Another really enjoyable, quick read! Her writing is always descriptive and engaging. While the plot was a bit predictable and also a bit odd, it was truly unique and a fun read. I wish that there had been a bit more tied together in the end - with one of the characters in particular. Otherwise, this is one that I would HIGHLY recommend.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Look in the Mirror
By: Catherine Steadman
4 🏡 🏡🏡🏡
Published: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Ballantine books

Imagine getting call that your father left you another home in another country in his will. Nina had no idea her father left her a huge home in the British isle. When she arrives the games begin. She had no idea her father was this wealthy.

Maria has answered an ad for a nanny to small children. However, when she arrives there is no one there and she questions what happened to the man and children. She starts to make herself comfortable.

How do Maria and Nina’s lives intersect. This novel goes us a house filled with secrets, alarms, warnings, and locked doors! What is behind this facade?

I love everything this author writes and I was thrilled to get an advanced copy.

Look In the Mirror is a mystery thriller that will have you wanting to know how it ends. This is my first Catherine Steadman book and it was entertaining. 3.5 stars! Review will be posted to Goodreads and The StoryGraph and will be posted March 28, 2024.

This book is told in multiple POVs at different times and all slowly become intertwined. One of our main characters is Nina, a 30-something year old university professor who has just gotten news of the inheritance of a house she had no prior knowledge of. While dealing with the grief of her father, she's now thrown into a new mystery of what other side her father possessed. Our second main character Maria is a struggling medical student who has taken time away in order to save up money from nannying jobs. Throughout the book we try to figure out how these two women are connected with the mystery of this house being the key point.

This book gives more mystery vibes then thriller as this book takes a turn in a direction I was not expecting. The role this mysterious house plays in the lives of our two main characters was more of a third main character rather than the setting in which this story takes place. There were a few questions I had that were either left unanswered or revealed in a way that felt unreal, but the ending was wrapped up nicely with hope for a better future for some characters. I also wanted to let everyone know that if I were in this situation, I would've died the second the first door closed.

If you're looking for a fast paced, architectural focused descriptions, multiple POVs, escape room type mystery plot, this ones for you. Also, if you judge a book by it's cover this one is definitely a winner because the cover is stunning.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Catherine Steadman for this ARC!

Look in the Mirror is a fast paced locked room thriller. Nina inherits a Caribbean home from her father and finds there are tons of mysteries in the house. She does not know who she can trust.

Look in the Mirror falls under the category of … buy the premise buy the bit. I struggled with the over all concept of what was happening in the story. It was just a little too far fetched and convoluted . That being said … I did want to finish it to see how it all wrapped up. Neatly with a bow , I would say.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This novel by Steadman was a riveting page turner. I loved Nina‘s character development and felt I knew her well by the end of the book. It was so excited to see it all unfold and couldn’t wait to see how it concluded, I was not disappointed.

The story revolves around two seemingly unrelated women. Nina, a 34-year-old Cambridge professor who unexpectedly inherits a mysterious house in the British Virgin Islands following her father's passing. The house is a modern marvel, shrouded in mystery and secrets that kept me guessing with each turn of the page. And then there's Maria, a medical student working as a nanny with ambitions and a penchant for adventure, who finds herself embroiled in a web of enigma when her latest gig takes an unexpected turn.

Look In the Mirror is by far the creepiest story I have ever read! If you like thrillers, look no further. This is one of a kind and will haunt you even in broad daylight!

Ugh, I'm not excited to leave this review. Catherine Steadman is one of my favorite authors. I have MULTIPLE copies of The Family Game, because I loved it so much and often gift it. But this book just missed the mark for me. In addition to having an unremarkable cover, this book was just meh, and at times boring and bordering on offensive (white woman saves the day, persons of color do not).

The first 20% had me riveted: When Nina's father dies, she learns he had another house (and maybe another life?) in a warm island somewhere. She goes to check it out and is flabbergasted. Did she really know her father at all? There were a couple clever twists/inserts but the two storylines didn't really help each other out (the secondary one could have been left out all together). At no point did I really feel connected to the character, nor did I care if she survived. In the end it kind of felt like one of those 'it was just a dream!' books.

I'll definitely read Steadman's next book--I've loved everything up until now--but this was a huge miss for me.

Thanks @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC of Look In The Mirror by @catsteadman in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Look In The Mirror is a juicy, multi person point of view novel that you will not want to put down! In the depths of bereavement, Nina must face her father’s death through the discovery of his hidden life… a secret home in the British Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, Maria is a struggling med student who is working to cover her debt as a stand-in nanny, far from the dreams she had for herself. These two women’s lives collide in paradise in a beautifully woven manner, so many twists and turns that will keep you engrossed until the very end.

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram soon!