A truly chilling psychological thriller that I could not put down. The need to find out the truth will draw you in to the main character's mind and keep you wanting more. Very disturbing look at the possibility of evil within humanity.

I really enjoyed this book. A very twisted thriller from an author who is quickly becoming my go-to for twisted thrillers. The premise seems very simple at the beginning, but by the middle of the book it morphs into something completely bonkers. But this was good bonkers, so I'll allow it. What I like most about the author is that her female protagonist is not a moron- Nina makes the same kind of decisions that a normal person would make. If I had a criticism, I would say that the ending felt a little rushed. But overall this was a very enjoyable ride and I will recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC!

This suspense/thriller starts with Nina discovering after her father dies that he has left her a house in the British Virgin Islands that she had no idea he even owned, and she needs to travel there to do the paperwork and to try to find out more about it. Her chapters are interspersed with chapters from the perspective of Maria, who shows up to a short term nanny job at a fancy house only for the family not to be there. I don’t want to say any more so as not to spoil things, so let’s just say things only get crazier from there. And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY - what starts out very slow burn turns into a crazy thriller with even some elements verging a little on horror.

I am torn on rating this book - it felt very original and I couldn’t put it down. But at the same time, it just becomes so cuckoo crazy that it becomes a little too preposterous. Still, I enjoyed it and will continue reading whatever Catherine Steadman writes.

3.75 stars

3.5 stars
Definitely a page turner, and lots of twists. I enjoyed seeing how the two women's stories connected. Lots of nuances and details. Another great thriller from Catherine Steadman.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I devoured this psychological thriller, eager to see where the twists and turns would ultimately lead. There are two storylines that ultimately connect and I was intrigued by both. Ultimately the payoff felt a bit silly but overall this was a solidly entertaining read.

Thriller

What a ride!
I loved this novel. Told from multiple perspectives, this book takes the characters on quite an adventure - an escape room where the player's life is on the line.

Nina has just lost her father and inherited a house on a tropical island that she knows nothing about. This makes no sense to her, as she and her father were very close. But the name of the house and the plans tie the house to him. Shortly after arriving at this new house, she starts receiving notes warning her to leave and stay away from the basement. The basement is a mystery and is locked, for some reason. None of the passcodes or security features seem to work for her. One day the door unlocks, and Nina finds herself in the midst of a deadly game. This cannot have anything to do with her father, right? If so, she didn't know him at all.

In another POV, Maria has been hired as a nanny. She flies to the island and is escorted to an amazing house. She is told the family will soon arrive. Days go by and there is no family, but her curiosity grows about what the basement holds. She, too, eventually enters the basement and is in a fight for her life.

The intricacies required to write this novel are just - special. The pacing is great, and I couldn't wait to see where the story was going to take me. Another stellar thriller from Steadman!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

This was a fun read! Crazy, but fun.

I truly enjoyed the idea of a deceased father leaving his home to his daughter in his will - especially since she didn’t know it existed, and it was in the British Virgin Islands! Wish my parents had one of those surprise vacation homes. 😂

I was thoroughly confused for about half the book (in a good way), but once I realized what was going on, it made so much sense.

The story is told from several points of view, which definitely made the plot better. I liked Maria, and thought she was so courageous and smart. I didn’t really like Nina much, which made it easier to read, I think?

I really liked the ending - even though I think I already knew it long before. It was still nice to know I was right!

After reading the synopsis of LOOK IN THE MIRROR, I was intrigued. Right from the beginning I was sold and I started to get some hints as to where this was headed. I thought the overall story was pretty good. It did remind me of a mix of different movies that I've seen. With that said, I would not be surprised if this was adapted into a film and I think if you like scary movies, it would be for you. I did enjoy the author narrating the story, she did a wonder job.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) shortly.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
#fiftyninthbookof2024 #arc

CW: death, murder, kidnapping, torture, trafficking

Nina’s dad has just died and left her a house in the British Virgin Islands that she didn’t know existed. She’s determined to get to the bottom of why he kept it a secret and what else he was hiding. Maria is a nanny for wealthy families, and while waiting for her new family to show, she’s told not to enter the one locked room in the basement. What are they hiding?

This book was a wild ride. I enjoyed the two main characters, and both halves of the story were equally entertaining. Often, there is one perspective that’s more compelling but in this case, they were both very enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as stories of secrets, lies, and torture can be.

No spoilers, I won’t say how the stories come together but the first three quarters was super tight. The last bit where everything starts coming together and is seemingly explained is a little less put together as I would have liked. I’m still not completely clear about the why of it all, but even so, the story was well written, and my heart was beating quite quickly for a lot of it. This won’t be for everyone, especially the physical tasks ahead of the characters, but it was an interesting way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you to @randomhouse - Ballantine
and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 7/30/24)

#lookinthemirror

A pow of a page turner! How are Maria, a med school drop out working as a nanny and Nina, a British professor who inherited a house on Virgin Gorda from her father, linked? That won't be obvious for a while in this fast paced and tense thriller. These two, and Joon-gi, an electrician tell the story of what happens when Maria finds herself in a trap, caught in a nightmare, when she goes into a room she was warned not to enter. Nina's baffled by her father's gift and in trying to understand the house, she meets Joe (not a romance, btw, but he's critical to the story). This very much deserves to be read without spoilers. Yes, I know it's over the top in spots, implausible in others, and at times difficult to visualize but wow did it keep me reading thanks to the storytelling and the sympathetic characters. I've been a fan of Steadman from the beginning- this is one of her best. Thanks to netgalley for the Arc. Great read.

Wow! This was quite different than the previous books from Ms. Steadman that I have read. Not in a bad way, just different! I love the surprise and versatility! The mystery of the house, the two women that interact with it, and the outsiders that are looped into what is happening all combined for a great engaging read. The tech involvement and twists reminded me a lot of the Jolvix Episodes series by Faith Gardner! If you like those, this will definitely be a great read for you!

I was hooked on this one until about 58% when I realized I had no idea what was actually happening. It's almost as if a chapter or two was omitted. There needs to be a great deal of suspension of disbelief for this book to work.

A fun twister thriller that was different than I expected. Told from 3 alternating POVs, we follow Nina, Maria, and Joon-gi. Nina’s father passes away leaving her a beautiful vacation home she didn’t know about. When she arrives Maria is there and Joon-gi is the electrician. There’s a mysterious basement door that may never be opened and of course curiosity takes over and things unravel. The end was a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed It!

I absolutely loved Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman, but this wasn't my favorite. I found the two female voices sounded way too similar. I was constantly having to backtrack to see who was narrating. It was a fun suspense, but nothing really new.

Catherine Steadman is the queen of pacing, and this book did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down and the alternating POV chapters kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime. We meet Nina who is grieving her father's death when she unexpectedly learns that he has left her a property in the British Virgin Islands she knew nothing about. Then we meet Maria, nanny to the super rich, who think this final high paying gig will have her set for her future. The two women have no idea what they are getting into when the arrive at the property in the BVI, only that there is one rule; don't go into the basement room. As the story unfolds we discover that things are what they seem and Steadman takes us for a whiplash inducing ride of twists and turns. If you're looking for your next twisty thriller, this one is for you. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced reader copy.

Special Thanks to NetGalley, Ballentine Books Imprint of Random House and Catherine Steadman

This is my third book of Catherine Steadman, and I absolutely adore her. I love her writing, her storylines and the twists she fits in thought out her books. And let me tell you, this has to be one of my favorites as I live for the TV show Big Brother. And in my opinion this books goes through all the twist and turns of Big Brother for a party of one!

Nina has just lost her father, she is still grieving when the legals tells her she has inherited a state of the art house in the British Virgin Islands. But this can't be right. She is close with her father and to keep an house in the BVI a secret from her is just ridiculous. She decides to head there and see for herself. After getting to the remote house, she notices inside, things around the house that only her and her father knew. Inside secrets just between them, so it must belong to her late father. It's described as a beautiful house, stunning views, matching with resort style living. There is just one rule... DON'T GO IN THE BASEMENT! Well what's a great heart pounding book without a little rule breaking? And this is where the similarities come in with Big Brother for me. Without any spoilers, find out who is behind all this mayhem and why? Who would do such a thing?
5 bright shining stars! Highly recommend!

Sigh. This book had me hooked for a bit and then it just got…messy? Not sure if that’s the word I’m truly looking for. 🧐

The timelines kept jumping around between two different characters, Nina and Maria. I couldn’t tell if they were in the house at the same time or not! 🤔 I did like Maria’s character and thought her story was going to take a different arc from how it ended up. 😔

The ending seemed rushed and a few things seemed pretty far-fetched, but I won’t get into that so I don’t give spoilers out! 🤐

The house definitely was giving some creepy vibes, which I’m always here for!! 👀🙌

I always say every book isn’t meant for everyone, so feel free to still give this one a try!! 🤓 I still plan to read more from this author as well!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for this ARC. I absolutely loved Catherine Steadman’s creepy don’t go in the basement page turner! I wouldn’t trust an escape room after reading this book. Highly recommend reading.

3.25 stars

This was really difficult to rate, because while I binged it in a few hours and was really caught up in parts, some of the reveals and motivations did not work for me and I ended up wondering what the heck I'd just read once I finished. I had a lot of fun theorizing, and obviously this is a biased take, but I'd have preferred some of my guesses to what actually happened. 

This is a multi-POV book that mainly follows Maria and Nina. Maria's POV is entirely third person, and Nina's for some reason begins as first person and then switches to third. Weird. Maria has been hired as a live-in nanny for a family's vacation in their state-of-the-art house in the Virgin Islands. Only the family doesn't show up when they're supposed to, leaving Maria living alone in this house and wondering what's going on. The most important rule she's been given is not to go into the basement. So obviously, this book is about her going into the basement. Nina's father just died and left her a mysterious vacation home in the Virgin Islands she didn't know existed. What a coincidence, guess which house it is! And there's a basement that isn't on the blueprints...

I found Maria's POV more compelling than Nina's, because she's thrown into the action more quickly, but I wish there had been more info on...everything, really. Like I said, the reveals were off for me, but it was a fun read and reminded me of a few movies I've liked, but I won't say which since that would fully reveal the twist. A fun thriller with a cool setting to pass the time that will make you question every character. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Catherine Steadman and loved her book The Family Game. I am thankful to have received Look In The Mirror as an eARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing. This thriller drew me in from page one. I loved the dual timelines and points of view of Maria and Nina. Maria and Nina are both drawn to a beautiful ocean side house under false pretense. When they are there they are lured into a deadly escape room style type game. This book combines escape rooms, literature, and evil people doing evil things. I was so engrossed in this book I loved it. The only thing that threw me for a loop were the back and forth timelines at certain chapters in the book. Highly recommend!