This is an unhinged popcorn thriller that I could not put down! Catherine Steadman has a dark, twisted imagination, and she knows how to write a fast-paced story. Although the plot is fluffy, this is also a bloody and violent popcorn thriller so readers should be aware. Look In the Mirror follows 34-year-old Nina, a Cambridge professor who inherits a mysterious house on the British Virgin Islands after her father's death. When Nina arrives at the house, she soon discovers that her father, a life-long lover of games and puzzles, has left one final puzzle for her...and it has dangerous, deadly stakes. Meanwhile, a young woman named Maria, normally a nanny for rich families, finds herself alone in the BVI in a pristine summer home. Maria's warned not to go into one room in the basement of the house...but Maria can't resist. And when she pushes a mysterious button in the basement, she's left to contend with a deadly puzzle of her own. Of course, Nina and Maria's stories are connected.

While some of the twists in the book were predictable and others were far-fetched, I couldn't put this down! This moved lightning fast, so Catherine Steadman gets major points for that. As with some of her past books, though, I thought some of the plot points hinged on entirely ridiculous backstories; some of the rationale in the book was flimsy, though perhaps that's not so important when suspension of disbelief is key to enjoying the entire plot. Also, I will say, even though Maria and Nina are supposed to be intelligent, they both choose to push the button in the basement...and if we've learned anything from horror films, it's never push the button! If neither of them took that action, there would be no story — but it's inconsistent with their characters.

Still this is a book to read for the story and not the character development and what a story it was! This is a fun, bloody, twisty ride...and you'll want to look in the mirror after reading it to make sure no one is there, watching you.