‘Look In The Mirror’ by Catherine Steadman is a disconcerting, suspenseful and gripping thriller which follows Cambridge professor Nina as she comes to terms with the death of her father - prolific engineer and polymath - and the unexpected news that he bequeathed to her a luxurious holiday home in the British Virgin Islands alongside his London townhouse. As she travels to the remote island the house sits on and explores the property, she soon realises all is not as it seems. When ominous notes turn into horrifying realisations, Nina realises it might be too late to reject her father’s last gift…

The twists in this novel were insane and unpredictable, so much so that I don’t want to say any more about the plot and I have to just recommend that you read it! The narrative style, where we also learn about the experiences of nanny Maria, electrician Joon-Gi and contractor Joe, is compelling and feels like a fiendish jigsaw puzzle.

I loved ‘The Family Game’ by the same author, and this book hits the same notes of unimaginable luxury and feeling like a fish-out-of-water while managing to be even more of a rollercoaster.

100% recommending this one, which may be my favourite thriller of the year so far! Absolutely a five star read!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Quercus Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When Nina's father leaves her a mysterious inheritance, she is utterly amazed to find that it is a luxurious home in a tropical paradise. After all, there was nothing about her very ordinary parent to lead her to expect anything of this nature to pop up after his death.

But heading there to check out the property, she is about to get an even bigger shock. And she's not the only one. Her father had
his secrets, and so does this house!

Maria's life has changed a lot since she went from being a promising medical student to a nanny for very wealthy families. Sent off to await the arrival of her latest charges, she is puzzled when they fail to show. But it seems a shame to waste the opportunity to enjoy her luxurious surroundings, so Maria decides to do just that.

But as both women are about to discover, any paradise usually comes with a serpent or two...

This is a gripping story with a twisty story line. Readers will find themselves engrossed and eager to find out more as the mysteries of this tropical Eden begin to reveal themselves. It gets 3.5 stars.

This seemed like a different kind of book for Catherine Steadman, but I enjoyed it nether the less!
A page turner for sure, full of mystery ans intrigue! When Nina's dad dies, she is left a house in the British Virigin Isles that she has no idea existed and, this kind of beach house seems so beyond who she thought her dad was, that Nina is completely flummoxed.
We follow Nina discover more about her dad than she expected and, we also find out about the mysterious Maria who has been 'living' in the house, seemingly whilst someone is pretending to be Nina!
Kept me engaged throughout. The family game remains my favourite by Steadman though.

Well this is a book and a half! This begins as quite a slow burn as we follow Nina and Maria and their experiences of this mysterious house. The sense of foreboding is strong and we know something is going to happen but we are not sure what. In the first half, the sense of unease grows and in the second half, Steadman lets it go and oh my goodness if there danger and drama aplenty. The house provides the perfect setting as who would have thought such a beautiful house could hold so many secrets.
The characters are very strong although just as mysterious as the house. However, I enjoyed my time reading about them and following them throughout the book.
'Look In The Mirror' is a scintillating read that will have you guessing until the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy.

Look in the Mirror by new to me author C. Steadman, published by Quercus, was a pleasantly surprise.
I was in suspnese fromn start till the very last page, loved the twists and unexpected turns, the pace of the story and the excellent writing.
Nina, just buried her beloved father when she gets a letter informing her of an inheritance at Virgin Islands.
And there's Maria, hired as nanny with no kids arrived to date. All a big mystery, only soon she'll wish her only concern would be getting paid.
" 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 "- I wholeheartedly agree. I recommend this gem of a story.