I discovered Catherine Steadman last year when I was going through as many thrillers as I could. I love her prose, and this book kept me up all night. Even though some parts of me could tell where it was heading, I still was excited to see what unfolded and why because I was invested in the characters. Nina, whose father has passed away recently, has left her a ridiculously expensive house on an exclusive island, and she has to figure out why it was left to her and for what purpose. There are several other characters who play important roles and are interesting in their own right, but I won't spoil anything here. I do believe this may be my favorite thriller of the year so far.

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.

Steadman weaves a complex tapestry of multiple narrators and timelines, leaving me utterly spellbound. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, she'd throw in another twist that left me gasping for breath. However, I couldn't help but feel that some of the plot points relied a bit too heavily on implausible backstories.

Characters, Nina and Maria leap off the page with their intelligence and flawed humanity. Sure, they may have made some questionable choices (cough pushing the button in the basement cough), but isn't that what makes them all the more relatable? It's like watching a horror movie and yelling at the characters not to go into the dark basement—except in this case, curiosity wins out, and the consequences are deliciously spine-tingling.

"Look In the Mirror" is a daring story of secrets, lies, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. So if you're looking for a read that'll keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew, do yourself a favor and dive into this book. You won't regret it.

Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
Release date: 30 July 2024

For fans of The Family Game and locked room mystery thrillers.

A Cambridge professor inherits a mysterious house in the British Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, a young nanny for the wealthy finds herself alone in this BVI mansion.

This story is told from multiple POV’s and with somewhat confusing timelines with minimum actual character development.

The first third of this book had me hooked, but it soon became quite repetitive and boring.

Slow burner that I had to force myself to finish to a far fetched and unsatisfactory ending.

Catherine Steadman has done it again with her latest novel, "Look in the Mirror". She gives you chills, thrills and a book you can quickly devour.

What a wild ride! This story is full of suspense and short chapters, making it really easy to gobble up in 1-2 sittings. I was super confused and anxious about where the story was going until about the halfway mark, and then things began to make sense. Fans of this author will enjoy!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of Catherine Steadman’s latest #mysterythriller, Look In The Mirror, in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Steadman has firmly secured her place among the authors whose annual releases I eagerly anticipate. While her previous novel, #TheFamilyGame, exhibited a more cohesive story and cast of characters, #LookInTheMirror presents a riveting plot that will keep readers engaged well after midnight.

Told through alternating perspectives of just about every character introduced, with Nina and Maria at the helm, the novel unfolds against the backdrop of a luxurious cliffside house in Virgin Gorda, BVI, harboring a mysteriously locked room in the basement. Much to their misfortune, both women succumb to the allure of the unknown and encounter a challenge unlike any they have ever experienced.

Steadman’s descriptive prowess shines as she meticulously crafts the house and its surroundings, immersing readers in a palpable atmosphere of dread. As countless other reviewers have already mentioned, the twists are genuinely suspenseful and ensure readers are kept guessing until the gory end. My only critique lies in the abrupt and somewhat disjointed conclusion. Given the epilogue, however, that choice may have been intentional since it indicates the potential spawning of a new and promising #series.

I look forward to reading Ms. Steadman’s next #thriller, as she demonstrates a remarkable knack for building tension, and her mastery of horror elements proffer a bone chilling ride.

Look In the Mirror gets 5 stars from me. This is another stellar twisty thriller from Catherine Steadman. She's a favorite author and this book didn't disappoint. There are a lot of unseen twists and turns and I'll speak generally to avoid spoilers. The story is told from two female points of view.. I found it confusing at first as I couldn't figure out the timeline and in what way the two characters would fit together. Nevertheless, the individual stories were compelling and kept me reading faster to figure it all out. A little over half way into the book it became clearer and continued to build the suspense until the end. I did not see the twists coming, yet they made sense. I love thrillers with a lot of hidden twists and a conclusion other than what you thought was coming. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to #netgalley for a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review.

This was addicting. It took a little while to get there but once it did, wow. I truly had no idea what to expect. The relationship with Joe seemed very rushed and unnatural though.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

This is my 3rd Catherine Steadman book and this one is by far my favorite. I don’t want to give any spoilers but the plot twist was pretty unique and executed wonderfully. If you told me what the book was about I might have thought “oh that’s not for me” but I was pleasantly surprised! Read this one in 24 hours.

This was not my favorite thriller by any means. I enjoyed the premise but I found the characters to be unlikeable and the book did not really have redeeming qualities. However, the rest of the book I definitely enjoyed and I would read more by this author in the future.

This book was riveting! I love Catherine Steadman books and this one didn’t disappoint. Well paced, interesting characters, and very atmospheric. I highly recommend!

Look in the Mirror is a satisfying page-turner. When a young woman learns that her father had a secret house in the Virgin Islands, she finds a twisted secret that connects her to more unfortunate people. Catherine Steadman is masterful thriller writer. I would’ve liked a little more detail on the epilogue, but I’m also curious if this has the potential to become a series. I would definitely read a sequel. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the ARC! This wasn’t my favorite Catherine Steadman novel, but it was still pretty good. Very action packed and suspenseful!

Release date - July 30, 2024 ☀️

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #netgalleybooks #arc #catherinesteadman #ballantinebooks #lookinthemirror #mystery #thriller

I couldn’t put down “Look in the Mirror”, Catherine Steadman’s latest thriller. Set in the British Virgin Islands, the main character, Nina, inherits a beautiful glass house carved into the cliffs on the beach in Virgin Gorda. Also in Virgin Gorda, a young woman is a nanny waiting for a wealthy family who hired her on a temporary basis to show up at their stunning beach house. These two women are strangers but a similar adventure awaits for both of them. You will not anticipate the twists and turns of this story, it’s so unique and surprising.

I absolutely loved Catherine Steadman’s book Look in the Mirror. After the loss of Nina’s beloved father, she is stunned to learn he has willed her a home in the British Virgin Islands. Having no idea he owned this property, she immediately travels there to investigate. Told from multiple points of view, it’s a thrilling ride and one that I read in one day. I cannot recommend this dark, suspenseful, twisted thriller enough.

Publication date: July 30th, 2024
Page count: 320
Genre: domestic thriller
Setting: British Virgin Islands
POV: multiple

Nina’s father dies and leaves her a surprise- a state of the art tropical home. She does not understand how her father could afford it. She takes a trip to visit the house.

Maria is a vacation nanny for the super rich. The family never shows for one of her jobs, so she enjoys the luxury of the house. The one rule is that she is not supposed to enter the basement. Yet she does when there is an electrical issue that opens the basement. And that changes everything…

Twists, turns, fast paced. 2nd half more action packed than the first.


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

What a great thriller! I was on edge the entire time reading this. It switched between different perspectives and I was wondering what the connection would be. When everything starts to come together, it is just mind blowing. This book is dark and treads the line between suspense and terror. If you like locked room thrillers, cat and mouse games and lots of action, check this out.

Thank you Random House Publishing, Ballantine and NetGalley for an early copy. Look In the Mirror comes out July 30, 2024

Loved this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next. Catherine Steadman doesn’t disappoint

I didn't know where this was going for a good chunk of the beginning, but the anticipation of figuring out what was happening behind the locked door kept me reading. Without giving too much away, I felt that the thing with Nina's dad and Lucinda seemed a bit clunky and I wanted more answers.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.