Wow! This book grabbed me right away, and I couldn't put it down! It's a psychological thriller about a mansion on Virgin Gorda that incorporates escape rooms into the architecture of the house. While creepy, the plot kept moving and evolved into a whodunit as I raced toward the end to see what happened and who was responsible. Definitely a quick and exciting read!

The dual timelines were confusing and I found the plot too far fatched and with too many plot holes. I am a fan of the author's other work, maybe this one just wasn't for me.

4.5 stars! The story is told through the lens of multiple characters and skips around in the timeline a bit, but it all comes together to create the full, twisted picture.

Nina finds herself in a house that was built by her father on a remote island. Things aren’t what they seem, and a fast paced thriller unfolds. I don’t want to say too much about the story or anything about the ending aside from the fact that it’s as dark as you think it is as you get further and further into the story. There’s a bit of a surprise in the final pages that you may or may see coming in that wraps up the why.

This is a quick read that is hard to put down. I got through it in two sittings. If you like a thriller with a side of mystery, you’ll enjoy this!

This one caught my attention from the beginning. I’m a slow reader but finished this one in a few days because I had to know what was going to happen. Twists and turns till the end. Highly recommend if you like suspenseful, action stories.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman is a thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page turned. This is an escape room you don't want to be a part of.

Nina's father passes away, leaving her the only heir and she inherits a house and property in the British Virgin Islands that Nina didn't even know existed. Nina isn't even sure how her father could afford a secret property and decideds to go to the BVI to check it out and sign some paperwork. When she arrives, she finds the property to be nothing like her loving, academic father - the house is super modern, sleek, with lots of glass and marble and a secret room that she can't find on the blueprints.

Maria left her schooling at Columbia to become a nanny for the super rich - not a bad gig when she can stay at exotic resorts in beautiful locations around the world. When she takes a job for a wealthy client in the British Virgin Islands, she hopes it will be her last job. But strangely enough, the family doesn't show up at the home. Not to worry, she's told to just settle in and enjoy the accomodations until the family arrives. As she waits and makes herself at home, she gets more relaxed and explores the home. She was given free reign and can use the pool, spa, sauna - everything except the basement. But as she waits, her curiosity grows and she decides to explore more.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked how the two POVs and two timelines eventually lined up with characters in both POVs lining up. I enjoyed going along with Nina as she figured out the puzzle of the hidden rooms. I thought it got a little crazy, but this was an escape and I didn't mind it. I think if you enjoy a good thriller with puzzles and secrets, you'll enjoy this one. I have read a couple by Steadman and I think she'll be an automatic yes for me. I'm looking forward to picking up another of her twisty thrillers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

Look In the Mirror was a solid thriller. I was never bored. I was interested in the main characters. The mystery kept me intrigued until the end. This was my second experience with this author, and I will continue to read her books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. Book was fine, really good if you like the genre! I would read more from this author.

Steadman is an author that is really hit and miss for me. I really did not like Something in the Water, which everyone else seemed to love. But I did really enjoy The Family Game. Look in the Mirror fell somewhere in between the two for me. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. To be honest, this book was WAY different than I was expecting. Not in a bad way, it just went in a crazy direction that I wasn't expecting.

The book is told in alternating perspectives between Nina (who inherits a lavish vacation home in the British Virgin Islands), Maria (who has been hired to nanny for a wealthy family at the same home in a different time period), and Joon-gi (the electrician tending to the home). I didn't necessarily connect with the characters, but I still found their perspectives interesting.

Steadman successfully creates an unsettling atmosphere set against the beautiful backdrop of the British Virgin Islands. It becomes clear pretty quickly that not all is as it seems. The book also feels like a nod to The Family Game, in that there is a clear "game" theme to this one as well.

Look in the Mirror was a quick read, but the plot was a little over the top and unbelievable for me. I also felt like the end was rushed and didn't necessarily tie up all loose ends in a way that left me satisfied.

I loved this book, it was my first time reading anything from this author, and it will not be the last.
This was such a fun book, I highly enjoyed it

Catherine continues to be one of the most bingable authors in the thriller genre for me! The overall concept of this story was incredibly intriguing, but unfortunately the delivery fell a bit flat. Regardless, this was the perfect summer time thriller with a domestic twist!

Catherine Steadman's Look In the Mirror unfortunately lands as a pretty average psychological thriller. While it tries to be twisty, its central premise feels quite contrived.
The main issue is that the plot often stretches credulity, which makes it hard to get fully invested. It feels like the story is manipulated just to deliver twists, rather than the twists naturally emerging. If you don't mind a premise that asks for a lot of suspended disbelief, you might find some enjoyment. But for those seeking a truly believable or deeply engrossing thriller, Look In the Mirror might leave you wanting more. It's not bad, just a bit forced.

Two women, Nina and Maria, are drawn to the same luxurious, high-tech house in the British Virgin Islands—Nina through an unexpected inheritance from her late father, and Maria through a mysterious nannying job. But the house holds secrets, and both women are warned: don’t go in the basement! Naturally, they do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for this fun ARC!

This thriller is a masterclass in tension, with every chapter building to a pulse-pounding crescendo. The twists are smart and satisfying, woven seamlessly into a tightly plotted narrative. Its characters are vivid and believable, pulling you deeper into the danger with every page. A gripping, high-stakes read that delivers thrills from start to finish.

Look in the Mirror is a fast-paced thriller filled with an intriguing game of cat and mouse. The book starts out with alternating POVs and then it just takes off. After Nina’s father dies, she receives a letter stating that he owns a three- bedroom Beachfront Estate in the British Virgin Islands. Nina and her father were very close (or so she thought), and she never knew that he owned this property. Nina now has to go to the Islands and visit this beautiful house that she knew nothing about. When Nina arrives to the house, she learns that the house (mansion) is called Anderssen’s Opening - which is a chess move that her father taught her about many years ago. We then have Maria, who is a nanny that works for the very wealthy. She gets to the house where the family never shows up. She only has one rule at the mansion that she is staying at- Do not go into the locked door in the basement. The twist on human trafficking is one unique and disgusting but so many sick people in the world. Definitely pick up this thriller and flip through the pages as it keeps the reader engaged and up late reading. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author

Did not read. Have way too many books on my shelf - need to cut back. Hoping to get to it in the future though.

This was a different type of read. I enjoyed this one with the dual timeline and the game that was being played. I liked that some of the ‘bad’ characters found a way to help the good and innocent characters. There was a satisfying ending too which I appreciate. Catherine Steadman did a good job with Look In the Mirror.

NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine, thank you for the advanced copy.

Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman centers around two storylines of Nina and Maria, but really it's about a house that they both inhabit. The house has an "off limits" room in the basement that reminds me of both Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone and Squid Game. I was drawn in from the word go, which, to be fair, I have been with all of Catherine Steadman's books. This book had so many twists and turns down to the very end. I made all my friends read the book after so I could discuss it with them because I couldn't get over all the details. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of thrillers, and I highly recommend suggesting your friends read it with you.

Thank you Catherine Steadman, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I was so excited when I was approved for this one. The story sounded so intriguing and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. It’s full of secrets and mystery.

The story is told by Nina and Maria.

When Nina’s father passes away, she discovers he owned a house in the British Virgin Islands that she didn’t know about. She goes there and finds a very expensive house built on rock. The house is named Anderssen’s Opening, which is a Chess move her father taught her years ago. The mysterious name isn’t the only mystery she finds in the house. She soon discovers a locked room that’s off limits. What secrets could that room hold?

Maria is a nanny that was hired to take care of 2 children. She goes to the house where she is supposed to meet the father and children, but they aren’t there.

Two very different stories, how will they intersect? It’s a fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really enjoyed the mysterious way it was written. 4/5 stars.

This was a quick read by Steadman. Pace was good. The back and forth between the characters and with time but overall the plot moved.

Nina inherits a house from her father on an island. Nina goes to the house to check it out. The house has a strange room. Nina finds herself inside an escape room where she has to do multiple tasks to get out of the room. If she does not do the task she may be trapped inside the house forever or the house could even kill her because If you answer the clues wrong some consequences will be dealt out