Kinda freaking out over here …

I pray I can do this book AND Catherine Steadman, justice with my book review .

I’m a huge fan of Catherine Steadman, in case you can not tell. I have read them all, Mr. Nobody, The Family Game, Something in the Water, The Dissappearing Act, to now, Look in the Mirror.

I literally squealed in delight when my approval email came in. How did I get so lucky ?

I will tell you one thing, Look in the Mirror, does not disappoint . Not that a Steadman, book ever could but just WOW! This book exceeded my already high expectations and left me in udder disbelief.

The character development was on point, the storyline was narrated with precision and the twist? Well, you are going to have to read it to find out but I promise you, it will leave your jaw on the floor .

In true Steadman, fashion, there is no way you could rate one of her books less than 5 stars without it being considered criminal. So here it goes, Look in the Mirror, breaks the 5 star scale and soars to my number one spot for thrillers.

Teaser:

When Nina’s father dies, she is left something in his will: a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise.

She’ll find out the hard way that what you inherit from those you love can end up costing your life in this heart-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water.

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.

Thank you so much for this ARC! Catherine Steadman is an auto request for me, don't even look to see the premise.

Sadly, Look In the Mirror was just not up to the same standard as previous novels. The first third of the book was SO good and I was more intrigued with each page. Once the "action" started, it was all downhill for me. I had a hard time following Maria and what happened to her. The action was not exciting. If it was more suspense and thriller it would be have been perfect, but this was not that at all.

The point got lost within the poor random character development. And the epilogue? Just so unrealistic.

HOWEVER, although this was not for me, I will forever read every new book and hope for a five star each time.

I enjoyed the unique premise of this book and figuring out what was happening, and why. The twists and turns were good, though I felt the book lost some steam around 75% as went back and forth between the characters. Things wrapped up nicely in the end, though.

Overall, a good read and one I would recommend for the uniqueness!

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

LOOK IN THE MIRROR
BY: CATHERINE STEADMAN

About 4 Solid Stars!

I was first introduced to Catherine Steadman's, novels back in 2018, when I read her debut called, "Something in the Water." I gave it four stars and enjoyed it. Since then she has written three more that I haven't read. After reading this newest one that is also a thriller called, "Look In the Mirror," I'm excited that I have three of hers that I can read next, because I really loved this one. Are there certain aspects that are a bit Over the Top? Actually, yes! Did it detract from my overall enjoyment of this latest locked room thriller? No! The reason why I still was able to enjoy the adrenaline high is because except for a few rare exceptions, most contemporary thrillers setting the trend today, also are ones that you have to be willing to suspend disbelief. In this novel, I took that point into consideration, so it didn't detract from me really enjoying it. It was a high octane adrenaline rush that I appreciated.

There isn't going to be the rich character development that usually embodies literary fiction. For some reason that wasn't a problem with this latest one by this author. It's most likely because I don't expect it in this genre. The plot was pure suspense driven through at least the first 70%. Then it starts to slow down with revelations for why things happened the way they did. There are answers to the mystery that starts out with a bang from the first page. I loved this enough to intrigue me to want to read this author's back list. It is haunting and left a lasting impression on me to be more cautious and careful in this crazy world that we live in. Maybe I'm easy to please. It pulled me out of the awful reading slump that I was in, so I'm grateful for that. What it lacks in character development is made up for in the setting. Picture silky sand private beaches with emerald green ocean in the Caribbean. The house is a character in and of itself and is developed with such vivid descriptions I'm easily able to visualize it in my mind.

Nina is just getting by grieving her father's death who she misses greatly, since he was all that she had of family and they were close. She's a thirty four year old Professor at Cambridge University of which her father also went there I believe. Nina thought her father was a genius and quite brilliant who they both included in their free time games and puzzles. Nina's mother died a couple of months after she was born from complications from childbirth. She has no other siblings or extended family so it's understandable why she had such a close relationship with her dad. This leaves her the task of settling his estate in London. She is on bereavement leave from her teaching responsibilities at Cambridge. She doesn't seem to have any friends or significant other on the romantic front. Her father devoted his life to raising her alone and never remarried or even went on a date or did he?

As she is nearly finished carrying out with her father's final wishes she notices that she has overlooked a letter addressed to her. When she opens it she learns that it's from a firm of which they are the executor of her father's estate in the British Virgin Islands, thousands of miles away from where she grew up in London. She calls the number right away and talks to a man named James who informs her that their firm has contacted her because her father has named her as sole beneficiary to a substantial home built into a cliff that looks out to her own private beach. She virtually has nothing better to do and James asks her when would be a good time for her to fly out there to tie up loose ends. Her father's estate that James is acting executor tells her that her flight would be paid for out of the money that was left in her father's will there. Nina agrees to fly out there since James has told her that the expenses are already paid for, and he really would like to see her in person in regards to this exclusive home.

Nina wants to learn more about this home that her father never told her about. She never knew about this property that her father designed. She's still longing for her father and this visit to his vacation home offers her a chance to solve mysteries about her father that she is shocked to learn exists. When she sees the house it is a beautiful marvel made out of glass, steel, concrete and marble. It's just been cleaned by a professional service with a fully stocked refrigerator and cabinets with all of her favorite food. She can't imagine her father cooking let alone this state of the art smart home with minimum security. It has something akin to Amazon's alexa, except this one you say another name that had significance to her father, where you only have to speak and it plays your favorite music, turns lights on and off, etc. The locks are electronic and after they take the tour of the house which is three stories there's one glitch. The bottom floor or basement is locked and James tells her that if she would like to fix it, that it can be addressed when she decides whether or not to keep or sell the house. All she has to do is to just call him and let him know if she needs further assistance. The reason James firm didn't get it unlocked was because it would cause structural damage and they didn't have her permission. James tells Nina that it's something that there's money to fix it, if she decides to keep the house. As he's leaving, he tells Nina to just call him if she decides to sell it and his firm will take care of it. In the meantime, as James is leaving he tells Nina to call if she needs anything.

Maria went to Cornell Medical School and is from New York City, where she left after her first year of her residency to be a nanny to super rich clients to help pay off her student loans. She earns more at these private gigs and hopefully this one will be her last one. She'll be able to resume her medical residency and she'll be able to buy her own apartment in Manhattan. She is in a lush, tropical paradise with both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, sauna, a private beach in the Caribbean with pink and white sand. The woman who dealt with Maria tells her that her contract is to fill in for the family's nanny for ten days while their nanny is on vacation. She has been dealing with a woman who she calls, "the lady with the too-tight-chignon."

Maria is told by the woman with the too-tight-chignon that Maria is to be working for a father and his two young children who are due to arrive. Maria has been told to feel free to use all of the home's amenities in this opulent home, but she is not allowed to enter the home's locked basement. She's not to leave the property except with excursions with the family that she is going to be the fill in nanny. There's an electrical problem that causes her to have to call the woman with the too-tight-chignon who sends an electrician the next morning. It's been two days and the two young children and their father still haven't shown up and Maria is starting to feel like something is off. She doesn't want to not get paid for her time there and the woman assures her they have been delayed and are still coming. When the electrician arrives the next morning he fixes the problem. Before he leaves she shows him the locked room in the basement which is now unlocked from the electrical problem. They see an empty room in all white with a green button lit up on the far wall. They both wonder what the green lit up button is for. The electrician tells Maria there's no electrical panel for the basement hence he can't fix the door so it can be locked again like it was initially. After he leaves Maria's curiosity gets the better of her and she goes down to the basement where she notices that the electrician dropped his red pencil. She goes into the room since nothing happened to the electrician and the electronic door slams shut.

Publication Date: July 30, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, Ballantine Books for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#LookIntheMirror #CatherineSteadman #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley

I have read two other books by Catherine Steadman, so I was excited for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of her latest novel! Look in the Mirror kept me guessing and turning the pages, wondering what would happen, and where the story would go. The multiple perspectives and suspense were the strong points, along with the beginning of the story. But then things got a bit too unhinged and uncomfortable for me. I found the pacing to be a struggle, and the lack of character development left me feeling uninvested. I wanted to care about Nina and Maria, but they both felt one dimensional.
The premise ended up being unique but somewhat disturbing, and the twists were mostly far-fetched. There were definitely some heart racing moments and intrigue, but I was hoping for a more satisfying ending and overall execution.

As a whole, it was an entertaining read and a wild ride, and I will continue to pick up future titles from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine Books for providing a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Book Review 📚

Title: Look in the Mirror
Author: Catherine Steadman
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Rating: ⭐️

This is a story about Nina and Maria, two women unrelated to each other who find themselves trapped in a mansion in the British Virgin Islands, but at different times, and for different reasons. This book is told from multiple points of view in differing timelines, which was a little confusing.

It’s unclear what’s happening or why until about 75% into the book, although I had a vague idea of what was going on. By the time you find out what’s actually happening, you’re beyond caring about how it’s going to end. This entire story was far-fetched and poorly executed. The ending is unsatisfying, much like the entire book. This was a huge flop for me.

*Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advanced copy. Pub date: 7/30/24.

This book will have you turning the pages!! I definitely had to figure out what the heck was happening. The constant cliffhangers and perspective shifts kept me engaged. However, the entire premise of the book (especially as you get farther in) is really uncomfortable and hard to grapple with. Even the ending left me with kind of an icky feeling.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy of Catherine Steadman’s latest book. When Nina’s father dies and leaves her a beautiful home in the British Virgin Islands, she is shocked! She knows her father didnt have the kind of money it would take to buy this home on the beach. When she discovers a locked basement door her curiosity gets the best of her. Once you are inside there are several escape rooms that will kill you if you dont solve the puzzle presented. She isnt the first to have to go through these rooms of torture, but will she survive? Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman gets 4.5 stars. Book to be released July 2024.

I love how the author switched perspective on this engaging new thriller! Books like this are always hard for me to put down and Catherine Steadman hit this one out of the park!

I’ve been a Steadman fan since Something In the Water, and while I enjoyed this book, it is not my favorite. I felt like the pace was a little slow and the last 25% of the book was awesome! There were some twists that I definitely didn’t expect, so I loved that!
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this ARC.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman

This book was a little hard to follow as it seemed there were two separate stories running side by side here.

Nina is a professor from Cambridge whose father passes away and she inherits his estate that she’s never heard of located in the British Virgin Islands.

Maria is a medical student who is a nanny and has found the experience of a life time on a Fabulous island.

On both accounts it was an intense story that led you into the rabbit hole of chaos and looking over your shoulder. I was constant yelling at the characters myself and saying “don’t do it!” It’s like a murder mystery why the person is doing something that common sense with say oh heck no!

It was a great read and page turning none the less! I couldn’t put it down until I knew what would solve the predicament of these two insane characters!

Thank you NetGalley and Random house publishing -Ballantine!

Catherine Steadman’s latest venture into fiction helps solidify her as one of the best suspense writers today. Steadman writes smart, edgy prose with characters that are believably drawn and, while flawed, likable. Like all of her work, this novel is intelligent, fast-paced, and edgy, with enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman. This book started off with a bang. It is mysterious and fast paced. There are a lot of twists and turns. The majority of the book, the reader doesn’t know if the characters will@live or die. In order to make the book work, the reader has to suspend their disbelief quite a bit. There are some parts that don’t match up, like the characters haven’t eaten in days, but do things that take a lot ofphysical effort. The whole premise is a bit preposterous. The characters also made some questionable decisions, but were necessary for the plot. However , if you are looking for a page turner this is for you.

Nina is left a house by her father after. His death. She discovers that it is not as good as it seems. Alternatively, Maria is hired to watch over the house with the only stipulation to not go into the basement. Can she survive?

3.5 stars/rounded up

Thank you so much to Catherine Steadman, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC of Look in the Mirror. Some spoilers ahead!

This book was WILD. I went in not at all knowing what to expect. I have read previous work of Steadman and enjoyed it so I requested this book. This book was very much Hunger Games meets Squid Games. I understand that Nina is a medical school dropout but you’re told lots of medical information that seems far fetched. Also, how do you have lunch with a person one time and feel like you know them so well that you’re willing to risk your life for them and then go into witness protection with them??? Otherwise, this book was really good! I enjoyed reading it. I even teared up a few times in the last chapters. 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4. Again, some things were just a little too far fetched for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced ebook. I had a very enjoyable reading experience with this book. I have really come to enjoy Catherine Steadman’s stories

I love "Something in the Water" and "Mr. Nobody" by this author. I wasn't in love with this book, but it was a solid 3. I would give the other two books a 4.5/5 for their twists and pacing. For this book particularly, I just found it okay.

It starts with two alternating stories and you are trying to figure out how the two stories connect. Usually I love this type of book and I am okay knowing I'll be confused for a while until the pieces start to connect, but I just found one story way less interesting than the other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Look in the Mirror is a gripping thriller as expected from Catherine Steadman. When Nina's father passed away, she is shocked to have been left a fancy vacation home that she wasn't aware her father could afford. As she looks into the details of her inheritance, she comes across Nina, a medical student/nanny who uses her babysitting jobs to enjoy tropical vacations. As their paths collide, they uncover many unexplained things such as what else Nina's father was hiding and what is locked in the basement. Fans of Steadman's Something in the Water will enjoy her new offering.

I really hated reading this book. It was not what I expected and once I realized what it was I had to finish it to find out what happened. But I hated reading it. That’s not to say it’s not well written. It’s not badly written, although all the characters read identically despite their vastly different backgrounds. But it’s just so unpleasant and cruel. Not my thing, but others are likely to enjoy figuring out what is going on and following along with the poor characters.

I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

4.25 stars. Compelling premise with what starts as two alternating stories (additional POVs are introduced later) - each compelling in and of itself (each time we switched, I wanted to both stay with the prior story and find out what was going on in the other storyline).

How are the stories connected? What is going on here? I enjoyed the puzzle aspect to the book - reminded me of a deadlier Inheritance Games. Definitely need to suspend a little disbelief, but I thought things tied together well and found the ending to be satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Steadman's previous books but wasn't in love with this one. It took some real effort to get into it in the beginning. The story was okay, but the twists weren't satisfying and some of the action-based parts felt hard to follow.

Although this one wasn't for me, Steadman remains on my automatic read list.