⭐️⭐️⭐️ - thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early! I was so intrigued by the premise of this as I am a sucker for an island/vacation thriller so the idea of this was so promising! I really enjoyed the beginning, but lost a bit of that at around the 30% mark and then even more so at around the 60% mark. I enjoyed the ending, but something got lost for me in the middle? There was a lot of different perspectives, and perhaps that is what got me a bit muddled, BUT I would say this feels very Black Mirror-y to me, so if you enjoy that show, give this a try!

📜Look In The Mirror
✍️Catherine Steadman
📠Random House/Ballantine
📚Mystery/Thriller, Fiction
🗓️Pub date: July 30, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @randomhouse for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Nina is surprised to learn when her father dies that she’s the sole beneficiary of a house on a tropical island she knew nothing about. How did her father acquire all this money? Why didn’t she know this place existed?

✨Maria is a nanny to the rich and famous, and when she is called to a secluded mansion in the Caribbean, she arrives to find the family nowhere to be found.

✨As Maria has one rule—don’t go into the basement—and of course she does, this begins the trickle of a thrilling ride.

✨The story jumps back and forth between the two FMCs. I had a hard time with this book—the locked-room mystery was too unrealistic and sci-fi at times for me. I did love Steadman’s The Disappearing Act, however, and will continue to read her work.

#netgalley #lookinthemirror #catherinesteadman #randomhouse #summerreleases #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #ivegotbooks #killmewithwords #idratherbereading #thrillerfiction

“Look in the Mirror” will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up. The writing is so vividly graphic and immediately draws the reader into this creepy and disturbing thrill ride.

Nina Hepworth has been left an extravagant vacation home in the British Virgin Islands by her recently deceased father. But Nina is confused as to how her father could afford such a luxury and why he never mentioned it to her. When her curiosity gets the better of her, Nina travels to the estate to find a piece of her father she feels must be in the house.

Maria Yossarian is a nanny to the super rich. She left her medical education midway through to pursue a more lucrative career catering to the rich. When assigned a job in the BVI, Maria jumps at the prospect of making enough money to leave future jobs behind. But when she gets to the house, the family she is tasked to care for is nowhere in sight.

The story alternates predominantly between the two woman’s perspectives with a sprinkle of other perspectives as well. The two seemingly unrelated stories eventually intersect in a disturbingly spine-chilling revelation.

The beginning is extremely engaging and I could not dismiss the persistent urge to know more. I furiously flipped the pages until I didn’t. By sometime in the middle of the story I began to feel there was too much repetition. Reading about the disturbing “games” definitely played a key role in this story but also had my interest fading in some parts where I felt I had read enough. But the story did culminate into a quick ending that was both unexpected and desirable.

It is clear how amazing the writing is when an inanimate object feels like a character itself. The house was definitely multi-dimensional. I enjoyed the mystery and thrills related to the house.

If you enjoy suspense and a bit far-fetched scenarios (that actually could happen considering the world we live in), this book is for you. It will definitely catch your attention and keep you guessing.


Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books, NetGalley and Catherine Steadman for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.

Look in the Mirror was a twisty (though very unrealistic) thriller. I really don't know how to describe this story without giving away the plot, but it's told from the point of view of several of the main female characters. It revolves around a mansion on an island and the twisted, crazy things that happen there. Definitely an interesting read, but again, totally unrealistic. It kind of reminded me of a adventure movie. I enjoyed the book though and it was a fast read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6301784166

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing group for access to read Look In the Mirror before publishing date!

This story sucks you in from the start. A story that you can tell is not what it seems, but you just have no clue what to guess. Learning information slowly keeps you on the edge of your seat while reading this fun thriller.

Readers who also love The Family Game will love this one from Catherine Steadman too!

I could not stop reading this one. It absolutely blew me away with the wild, creepy premise; the dual story lines (I wanted more Maria!); and the amazing setting. Seriously just read it, go in blind like I did, and let it sweep you away. I’m stingy with my stars and this is absolutely a 5 star thriller.

I have enjoyed several of author Catherine Steadman's back-list and find her pretty reliable, and her latest "look in the Mirror" is just amazing - a very well written thriller with lots of short chapters and twists that kept me up flipping pages late at night. Two MC's - seemingly unrelated women on a tropical estate - you know it all comes together - but how?? This is a "locked room" type mystery that's a bit different & fresh - I highly enjoyed it, though a bit over the top at times. My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my complimentary review copy - my pleasure to review it.

What a ride! I think this is going to be one of my favorite thrillers of the year!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a huge fan of Catherine Steadman from her debut novel.l, Something In the Water. Once again she does not disappoint! From the very beginning of the book when Nina reads the letter about the secret house her recently deceased father left her, to the epilogue that I did not see coming, I was enthralled. The book takes escape rooms to a whole new level. I read the book I'm 24 hours since I didn't want to put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Westminster Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman due to be published July 30, 2024.
Look in the Mirror tells the alternating story of two women. Nina’s father dies and leaves her a beautiful home in a tropical paradise. He wasn’t well off so Nina wonders where he got the money. Maria, a nanny, has acquired a job in a luxurious home with one rule – don’t go in the basement.
The book goes back and forth between the two women, and I sincerely wondered how in the world these two women were remotely connected. It was interesting but confusing. About halfway through it all comes together and takes off from there.
It keeps building, with a few more characters built in, to an exciting finish that I did not see coming.
This is a good one for psychological suspense!
#NetGalley #CatherineSteadman #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #LookInTheMirror

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.