This book was really scary and unsettling at times. When I reached halfway through, I couldn't stop reading. It took a while for me to get a sense of what could be going on. This was definitely not your average thriller and I really enjoyed it.

This is actually a 3.5 star review. I have enjoyed Catherine Steadman’s previous books and although this was really well paced and written well, I found parts of it too far fetched and lacking in credibility. It will not put me off reading other works by Catherine Steadman as I really like her writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher’s Quercus for this ARC

A page turner that made me think of Bluebeard and wish I had an unknown relative who's going to present me a villa like the one in the novel
Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, twisty and entertaining. I liked the good storytelling
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nina's father has passed away recently, and  surprisingly, she got another call from a lawyer about his additional will. Nina's father inherited a luxury beach front estate in Gorda, British Virgin Island. Nina has never known that his father owned this property, why he kept this house a secret, what it was for, and who lived there with him.

Maria is a live-in nanny and currently assigned a new job in a high-tech house with good pay. While she can definitely make herself at home, there are a couple of rules that she needs to obliged. There's one room that she's not allowed to access, and she will need to be accompanied by someone if she wants to leave the house.

This book is impossible to put down, full of suspense action, and throughout the story, you'll be wondering what's the relation between Nina and Maria is.
This plot reminds me of The Squid Game korean series.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for this eCopy to review

Look in the Mirror is a captivating psychological thriller which masterfully intertwines suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. Full of intricate plots and compelling characters, I was hooked from the first page to the last.

The story revolves around two main characters, Nina and Maria. After the death of her father, Nina inherits a luxurious vacation home in the British Virgin Islands, a place she never knew existed. As she delves into the mystery of how her father acquired such a property, she uncovers secrets that challenge her understanding of her family and herself.

Meanwhile, Maria, a nanny for the super-rich, finds herself in the same house, awaiting her employers who never arrive. With strict instructions not to enter the basement, Maria’s curiosity leads her into a web of danger and intrigue.

Nina’s journey of discovery and Maria’s struggle with her past create a dynamic narrative that keeps readers engaged. The secondary characters add depth and richness to the story, each contributing to the unfolding mystery. I enjoyed the duel narrative as it highlighted the differences between Nina and Maria’s experiences. Full of secrets, I was kept guessing throughout.

This was one not to read home alone at night - not that thankfully my house is anything like the house of horrors 'Anderson's Opening'. The concept is great, and similar (but different) to the author's last book #TheFamilyGame. As is often the case I really enjoyed the telling but was a little frustrated after the reveal. Some things or people were never really explained, as in why they did the things they did. I would have liked more depth or backstory otherwise it's just murder for the sake of it. I also would have liked Maria's story to pan out differently but then she was favourite of the two main characters. Anyhow definitely worth a read.

I was hoping for more with this book and unfortunately I didnt get it. It just didnt do it for me. The writing was over the top and too confusing.

Look in the mirror by Catherine Steadman is a fun and fast paced thriller set in the British Virgin Islands. This is a great holiday read which I thoroughly enjoyed reading in the sunshine. This 'escape room' mystery is interesting and will have you hanging off the edge of your seat at times. The characters are well depicted and flawed enough to be relatable and enjoyable to spend time with. There are certainly points within this story that are incredibly far fetched and require a huge suspension of disbelief, while I didn't enjoy some of the elements of this story and found some parts a little preposterous this didn't affect my overall enjoyment of this fun and twisty story.
Thanks to Quercus Books and netgalley for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book in exchange for an honest review.

Look in the Mirror is an adrenaline fuelled puzzle. The mixed perspectives worked so well for the two lead women, I was turning the pages so quickly to discover how they were connected and what significance they had to the mysterious house bequeathed to the Nina. I've read Catherine Steadman before so my expectations were high. Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this, particularly the 'dungeon games' element of the house, even if the layout was confusing to visualise! My only qualm was the romance, I felt it needed a bit more building in the beginning to make the progression feasible, but it didn't take away from the action. Suspense wise it's a 10/10 for the first half, brilliant craft!

Thank you Quercus Books & Catherine Steadman for this amazing read!

This book is so thrilling and nerve wracking. I absolutely LOVED it. There were twists and turns I didn't expect, strong protagonists and a shocking ending!

It's fast paced and a speedy read with multiple POVs that tie together to make this such a great reading experience.

Highly recommend this book! A solid 4.5/5

This had me hooked from the first page. Thrilling and fast paced. I devoured the story in a few hours.

I read and enjoyed this authors previous novels but I think Look in the Mirror is my now my favourite. A perfectly atmospheric unsettling read with two storylines which eventually intertwine . I thought the writing was so assured and felt confident from the opening chapters that this would be a satisfying read and it really was. I enjoyed the settings, pace and twists, while I did see the final twist coming, it didn't take from the book at all. Enjoyed this one from the first page till the last, Catherine Steadman is such a strong and distinctive voice in this busy genre, looking forward to her next book already.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR" is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller set on a luxurious but remote island in the British Virgin Islands. The story unfolds through three different perspectives and dual timelines, revolving around a state-of-the-art smart house with a single ominous rule: don't go into the basement.

👀

I'm a big Catherine Steadman fan and have read just about all of her books! She is always so good at creating that eeie, something's not quite right atmosphere, but this one definitely stands out for its darker tone (which we love!).

This book is so bingeable! I felt a real sense of urgency and claustrophobic intensity throughout the story. My pulse was racing because I had no idea where it was heading! I was absolutely hooked.

I would have loved a deeper exploration of the events depicted in those concluding chapters, simply for added insight into the mechanics of the 'story', but with that said, the unexpected twist in the epilogue is a standout moment and caught me completely off guard.

A big thank you to Quercus, and Netgalley for letting me read an ARC of LOOK IN THE MORROR. You can grab your copy NOW!

I’ve really enjoyed reading all of Catherine Steadman’s books so far and Look in the Mirror is no exception. Each depicts a familiar version of modern life but with a dark side; there’s always something sinister lurking just out of sight. We meet Nina still floored by the death of her beloved father, a brilliant man whom she thought she knew well. But he had hidden from her the house he designed and had built in the British Virgin Islands so when she receives a letter from a solicitor there, she is flummoxed.
Nina is not the only young recently bereaved woman of substance who has received a too-good-to-be-true offer to travel to the house. The story’s timeline is not linear but as we read on, it becomes clear who is in the house and when, and what happens to them. When is an escape room not an escape room? When it’s designed so that you don’t stand a chance of escaping and the real players are watching you fail.
Who has put all this in motion? What were her father’s intentions? There is a late reveal and misdirection right to the end. Look in the Mirror is another cracking read from Catherine Steadman, that never goes where you think it might and keeps you reading breathlessly to the last page.

What an incredibly clever plot this book has! I really didn’t guess any of the twists until the story revealed them which is exactly what you want from a thriller.

Nina’s beloved father has passed away, when she finds out he has a secret mansion on the British Virgin Islands. But all is definitely not quite what it seems…

Told across multiple PoVs and timelines, once you sit down with this book you won’t want to put it down! I felt like the ending could have given slightly more, but otherwise an almost perfect thriller for your TBR!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I was hooked right away by this book, it was full of secrets that kept me wanting to know more, such a suspensful read.

Look in the Mirror is a thrilling mystery with two seemingly unconnected strings coming together for some excellent twists. Kept me guessing the whole time!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This is a thriller with a surprise twist.

Nina’s father died and she inherited a luxurious house on a tropical island she didn’t know existed. She has no idea how her father got that money to build this kind of house. The whole thing is a complete mystery to her but she is curious and she wants to find out what er father has been up to. But when she arrives nothing makes sense and something seems off about the house.



There is a second narrative about a woman named Maria. She is hired as a nanny for a superrich family. But when she arrives at the house nobody is there. She is told the family will arrive soon and she should just relax and enjoy the amenities of the house. But as the days pass by and nobody arrives Maria gets suspicious. When the power gets off one day and opens a room she is not allowed to enter, things get weird.



At first I thought that I knew what was going on. But this is Catherine Steadman and she is full of unusual ideas. This is my third book from her and I can only repeat what I said in my two other reviews. This is a page-turner which was written to entertain. And that it does. It is maybe a little bit more serious than her previous books. I will not say more about the story because it is better to go blind into this book. I usually hate it when reviewer say that but it is true in this case. I liked both characters, maybe Maria a bit more. The author did not fail to entertain me, again, and I liked the more serious tone of the book. It was not as over the top as her other books.

What a riveting page turner this one was! I could not and did not want to put it down. I was glued to the pages! In fact, I went rogue on a buddy read with @bookish_tk because I was not sleeping until I was done.. I needed to see this wild ride through to its final destination! Insane and wild! Exactly how I love a good thriller! 

Now I'll put it out there because not everyone can suspend belief the way I might and there's a couple parts where one might question could that really happen? For me, I'm here for the story to take me to another place, where one's imagination can run wild and Look in the Mirror certainly did that for me! 

So, we have Nina, who has just lost her father, is still grieving, but just found out she inherited a house, a very expensive house in the British Virgin Islands. One that she has no idea her father would ever be able to afford. So, how did he have enough money for something like this? And why keep it a secret from Nina?

Then there is Maria, a once ambitious medical student who has become a nanny for the super-rich. The latest gig is in a house that is amazing, a single father and two kids.. the only rule.. dont go in the basement.  But when the man and his kids dont turn up and Maria gets bored indulging in all its luxury by herself, the temptation to check out the basement might just get the better of her. Will it be worth it? 

Seriously, this was one of those books where you didn't realise how far in you had actually read! Fast paced, with short chapters (that we all love right?) and absolutely thrilling! Steadman has certainly delivered my psychological thriller seeking needs with this one!

Really enjoyed the layout of this book, thatbot jumped between characters, time and perspective.
Was hooked to this book from the get go, something about it, the feeling of not knowing exactly what's going on and why.

I did find myself getting a bit annoyed here and there, mostly with Nina's constant going ons about her dad, who was he? did he love her? Did she know him... Yes she did? No she didn't?! The note finding... Literally says "don't go into the basement" so typical teen horror movie... What does she do.... Yes.... Yes she does, this is where my sympathy ended with her, just listen to the note!

The plot was very squid game ish, escape room or die, it wasn't too bad, Maria kicked ass fair play! But I felt the end was rather rushed and skimmed over just to create a quick happy ending. The extra twist however, didn't see that coming at all.

All in all an okay read, didn't hate it, was rather fun and I did find myself wanting to read on and find out what the deal with the house was.