I could not put this book down! I finished it in one day. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It was the first novel I've read by Catherine Steadman, but it certainly won't be the last.

After not vibing with Catherine Steadman’s debut, I was a little hesitant to pick this one up, but another bookstagrammer’s glowing review had me intrigued. Look in the Mirror was nothing like I expected it to be which is probably why it worked for me. I was drawn into the mystery of the situation and found myself invested in piecing together parts of the puzzle. Yes, it was a little far fetched at times, but honestly it was just a fun read. I suggest other readers go into this one blind as well and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an e-ARC through NetGalley.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for this advanced copy.

I’ve read every one of Catherine’s books (save one), and “Look in the Mirror” is my new favorite! You know the suspense movies where the idiot character is doing something stupid and you just want to yell at the screen? Yeah, well, Steadman is a genius when it comes to writing these characters.

How great, you ask? So great, in fact, in the first couple of chapters I was feeling leery about this new novel — honestly worried it might actually become a DNF. I was thinking “oh no, I’m not sure about this one, but I love Catherine Steadman, what if this one doesn’t work for me, etc.” You know that feeling. The one where you adore the author and everything they write, but unfortunately, there’s just one that doesn’t quite work for you the way the others do — for whatever reason. Yeah, I was worried that was gonna be this one for me. But let me tell you … right about the time I was feeling that … BAM!

Steadman absolutelyyyyyyyyy HOOKED me! I could not stop until I knew how everything fit together. The way the multiple storylines tie together is brilliant! How you don’t truly know the full connection until the final pages. I absolutely INHALED this novel in one sitting. It’s a quick 8 hour listen at standard speed, so those of you who kick it up higher than 1.5 will fly through this one. And the best part … it’s narrated by the beautiful, British voice of Steadman herself. An audiobook narrated by the author who is an actor … *Chef’s Kiss*

If you one to squeeze in one more summer thriller before the season changes, this is the one for you! If you’re looking for a thriller to kick off spooky season, this one is for you. If you just like twisty stories that keep you on your toes, this is definitely one for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This was a wild ride. This dual-narration follows two women. Nina is grieving her father and learns that she has inherited a Caribbean mansion from him. Maria is working as a nanny in said mansion, in a slightly different timeline. Both women discover that the house is not as it seems. I can't say more about the plot here, because it would otherwise spoil it. This was a gripping suspense novel that had me on the edge of my seat. Sometimes it was a very nervous grip, and I was worried about where the plot was going. But, it didn't get as dark as I feared.

4.5 stars rounded up! Nina receives a call after her father’s death, letting her know that she has inherited a house on an isolated island that she never knew existed. When she travels to stay in the house, things begin to go very wrong. I really liked this one! It was very fast-paced and really kept me interested (like I could not figure it out and I HAD to know what was going on immediately). I liked that we got multiple POVs; it really added to the mystery. I also liked the conclusion and how even the epilogues were a little twisty. If you liked the movie Escape Room, I think you’ll like this one (and that’s all I’ll say)!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. LOOK IN THE MIRROR is out now!

Wow, I loved this book!!! It turned so much darker and twisted than I thought it would be. I will read anything Catherine Steadman writes!

Look in the Mirror is one of those stories that, as a woman, I find so creepy and terrifying. It would be difficult to write about it without giving away spoilers, so I will keep it brief. Nina receives a surprise inheritance from her father after his death, a vacation home in the Virgin Islands. There is also a woman at a Virgin Islands house that is experiencing very mysterious circumstances. As the reader learns more about what is happening, the more alarming the mystery becomes.

The theme of this book has been done before, but it never fails to get a reaction from me. I enjoyed the book and read it super quickly as I couldn't put it down until I knew what the resolution was going to be. Would recommend to both thriller fans in general, and fans of Catherine Steadman's previous books.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Catherine Steadman does it it again! We follow two characters, Nina and Maria, as they find themselves in a beautiful vacation home with a troubling basement. Both are warned not to enter the basement, but how can they not!! With the two perspectives, we get to see how each woman came to be in this home and how they handle the mysterious house's basement. Thank you, NetGalley!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman in exchange for an honest review. Note: I received this book pre-publication but it’s out now so you can get it!

Nina, an Oxford professor, is mourning the death of her father when she learns from his estate attorney that he has left her a home in the British Virgin Islands - a home she knows nothing about. Maria is an ex-medical school student who drops out when she learns she can earn much more money nannying for the super rich than practicing emergency medicine in New York. The only thing the women are told when they each arrive at their sumptuous digs are “don’t go in the locked basement room.” But, like countless young women in thrillers before them, they ignore the warnings.

This is Steadman’s fifth novel and it’s creepy, fast-paced and well plotted with a killer (!) reveal. Four stars.

When Nina’s father dies, Nina is shocked to find out she has inherited a house. A house she knew nothing about. A beachfront mansion in the British Virgin Isles. When Nina travels to view the home and sign papers with solicitors, she quickly surmises that all is just a little off. When she starts receiving warning notes, she has no idea where they are coming from as the estate has top of the line security. While the basement has her interest, it’s locked with no apparent way in. What could possibly be so important?
Marie is a high paid nanny, she needs one more gig to raise funds to restart her medical schooling. When she’s invited to an island estate, she jumps at the chance, but her clients never show up. Left to her own devices, Maria becomes obsessed with the locked basement, the only room she is told to stay away from.
Curiosity just might kill the cat!
While an intriguing plot, this wasn’t my favorite Steadman book. Told in two slightly different timelines, Steadman takes us on a wild ride, one that leaves the reader guessing until the last few chapters. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I wanted to love Look in the Mirror, but, while filled with suspense, it felt a bit like if a conspiracy theory were turned into a thriller. It felt implausible enough to take me repeatedly out of the story, even as I felt compelled to finish.

Thank you Catherine Steadman, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book had such great potential! Weaving the life-or-death puzzles with the personal background of Nina and her father was brilliant. I think the book needed a clear direction, less POVs, and more context on the puzzle rooms and its previous victims. Also, I felt that the plot was bogged down by method. I grew confused as more POVs were added and didn't realize the events were more linear than initially thought. I enjoyed Steadman's previous book, "The Family Game" which was thrilling and so well-done that this falls a little flat for me. I will still read more of her titles in the future.

Maria is saving money for medical school by taking on temporary nanny jobs for the wealthy. When she arrives on Gorda in the British Virgin Islands she is informed that the family is delayed. She has the use of all of the facilities while she waits, but has no access to a room in the basement. When her curiosity gets the best of her and she finally enters the room it is a fight for her life. Nina Hepworth recently lost the father who raised her. She is surprised to learn that he has left her a home on Gorda. When she arrives, she finds an exclusive estate built into the side of the island. She has access to the entire estate with the exception of a locked room in the basement. When she requests the plans for the home from the construction company she finds that someone posing as Nina has had them sign a non-disclosure agreement. After proving her identity and receiving the plans, they reveal a series of rooms beyond the locked door. Her father was an engineer who loved puzzles and codes. There are touches of him everywhere, but gaining access to the rooms beyond the locked door means solving puzzles in each room to survive. Her father never would have gone this far, so who is really controlling the house?

Maria was hired by a woman with a tight chignon who is never identified by name. It is a description that fits the woman who visited Nina’s father before his death. This woman, Lucinda, ultimately has the power to save Nina but it comes at a cost. While Nina’s father designed the labyrinth, it has been adapted for a more vicious game. As Maria and then Nina navigate these rooms the tension continuously ramps up and will keep you turning the pages. Catherine Steadman is a must read for thriller fans. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

Nina Hepworth inherits a prime piece of real estate in the British Virgin Islands, she flies there and is beyond thrilled to see a stunning glass steel mansion overlooking a private beach. Soon after she finds the house has been rigged with surveillance equipment. Then it flips to another storyline where we meet the newly employed live-in nanny Maria, who arrives at this same house only to find she’s been ghosted by her not-yet-met employers. The only instructions she was told was not to open the basement door. Oh what an unsettling story of the filthy rich making bloody sport with those beneath them. I’ve never read anything remotely resembling this, but wow was the premise ever so creative and interesting.. AND TWISTED. Yes it was completely nuts and exciting with its riddles, cat and mouse games with life or death on the line giving you chills + eerie feels. All in all I enjoyed this and its unpredictability even though I did have to suspend belief. And holy moly that ⚠️house was a character in itself. If escape room thrillers are your jam this is for you. 3.5 stars — Pub. 7/30/24

I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR was a pulse pounding, action packed thriller. I see why people have said to go into it blind. Based on the synopsis I already felt that I was going into it blind, but I couldn’t imagine what kind of wild ride this book had in store for me.

Nina has lost her dad and has found out that she has inherited a house in the British Virgin Islands that she knew nothing about. Then we have Moriah, who is a nanny for wealthy families and has arrived in the British Virgin Islands to work for a new family.

Going into the book you have no idea what if these two have to do with each other if anything. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say when they arrive at the house, strange things happen.

I read this book really fast because it was just so fast paced, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The chapters were short, which is my favorite and each chapter left off on a cliffhanger. I love it when thriller authors do this because it makes turning the pages effortless and it makes it hard to put the book down.

This was a satisfying thriller that kept me on my toes and kept me guessing and I think thriller book lovers will enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Catherine Steadman for an advance copy of Look in the Mirror in exchange for an honest review. Ok you all, this one was wild!! I don’t want to give to much away but if you like the idea of escape rooms or locked room thrillers- you need this book in your life. I devoured this in less then a day because I just had to figure out how all the chess pieces were going to fit into the master game. Parts may seem far fetched to some but scarily I think this scenario could be a reality in the future (maybe I’m paranoid?!). Pick this one up today because Steadman has done it again! 4.5 stars, rounded up for GR!

This thriller brought all the thrills. The suspense had me literally holding my breath multiple times. Steadman’s books always leave me thinking….how did she come up with that? 😂 This one was no different. I was hooked from the very beginning and it had me flipping pages so fast to figure out what the heck was going on! If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller with multiple WTF moments…try this one!

Read if you like:
▫️dual POV & timeline
▫️nail biting suspense
▫️complicated families
▫️things aren’t as they seem

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I have enjoyed books from this author in the past. They are always unique. Different. If you want a sold fun mystery, I recommend.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Catherine Steadman has written an insane thriller that has literally blown my mind! This started slow, just moving along nicely and then all of a sudden boom! We have a crazy intense page turner that I couldn’t get through fast enough. All because we went into the basement when we knew better. Typical.

But seriously, I did not see this coming and once it got going it did not stop, it was quite intense, and I had no idea how it was going to end or how we even ended up where we did but it was quite the wild, satisfying ride. All the stars for this one, do not miss it if you like thrillers with perhaps a slight dash of horror!

This was sadly a little to slow for me I wanted more action and thrill but it didn’t deliver. I will give the author another chance though.