I absolutely loved this book!! It was the perfect summer read. I was hooked from the first chapter and enjoyed every minute of it. I wanted to know what the heck was going on and once things were revealed, I was floored. It was fast paced, gripping, and satisfying in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for a complimentary copy of this novel!

Maria is a medical student who’s taken time off to earn money to pay for her education. So, she takes up short term nanny positions for the super-rich. While she is waiting for them to show up, she tours the place to familiarize herself with the house. She is told she my use all of the facilities, pool, sauna, etc. But one room is off limits...the basement!
Nina is a 34-year-old, who was raised by her father. When he passes away, she is shocked to find out he has left her a high-end vacation property in the Caribbean. She keeps questioning how he was able to afford such a place with his income. With too many questions and no answers, Nina goes to visit the property with the lawyer. She sees it is located atop a rocky cliff. Nina still cannot wrap her mind around how her father was able to afford such a place and why he never told her about it. Soon, notes begin to appear that warn her to leave the place.
Two women, Maria and Nina, seemingly unrelated have their stories told. How are they connected? Why is the basement where Maria is to babysit off limits? Will she listen and not try to go in or will she enter the basement? And what lies beneath? Will Nina get her answers and discover new secrets about her father? How are Maria and Nina connected?
This novel pulled me in from the very beginning!!! It was a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat wild ride!!! I finished it in 24 hours! 5 stars!! AVAILABLE July 30, 2024

Nina Hepworth inherits a house from her father that she knew nothing about.
Maria is a new nanny staying there waiting for the owner and kids to arrive and wondering why they are not. She has been warned to stay away from the basement but her curiosity eventually gets the best of her. They are in for the fight of their lives as they struggle to survive. This action packed story kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing.
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC.

Catherine Steadman wrote something unique, intriguing and utterly different in this book! The premise of escape is often seen in domestic thrillers - but actual escape, to save your life, is a new concept in the psychological thriller genre! I found I was unable to put this down because I wanted to know WHY? Without spoiling, readers need to be patient until the end in this one! Thank you so much for the advance copy - I will be looking for more from this author!!!

If Catherine Steadman writes a book, I'm going to read it. I have yet to be let down by her novels and Look In The Mirror was another fantastic book.

This one is packed with action, never a dull moment thankfully. There’s always something happening and with two characters, Nina and Maria. You know there is a connection between them but what is it? How will their stories come together?

I was hooked from beginning to end.

Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands — a vacation home she had no idea existed, until now. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? And what else was he hiding?

Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the super-rich. The money’s better, and so are the destinations where her work takes her. Just one more gig, and she’ll be set. Finally, she’ll be secure. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. That room is off-limits. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.

The buildup and backstory were very well done with a lot of information provided to the reader without dragging it out. A really enjoyed the out of the box thinking this book took to right. Offering readers a different style of mysteries, twists, and connections from other novels. I did feel however that the needed, for me, was rushed. Any book that ever uses the words, “and the rest is history” automatically takes down a star. Overall a great book I definitely recommend!

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 📚

If you like high-stakes action then this is for you. I prefer my thrillers more on the psychological side with more character development then we get in this story. That said, the premise of the book is a good one and it did keep me engaged and turning the pages. I enjoy this author's previous books better but will continue to read what she puts out.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book was such an unexpected surprise…in the best possible way! It totally was not what I was expecting, but I loved every minute of it. I always enjoy Steadman’s books, and this was no exception, except don’t go into it expecting it to be her typical domestic suspense or thriller. It definitely is on the fine line between being a thriller and horror book. The less you know about this one when you start to read it, the better…just trust me on that. Steadman creates amazing characters, a great premise, and so many wild and twisty surprises throughout. I really enjoyed the alternating POV’s and all of the craziness that unfolds throughout🤯😳 This book had me on the edge of my seat and once I started this book I did not want to put it down.


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Thrillers mixed with a bit of horror
✦Amazing characters with an awesome premise
✦Tons of wild, crazy, and twisty moments that unfold
✦Alternating POVs
✦A book that leaves you on the edge of your seat


𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫4.5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a netgalley copy.

Really enjoyed the cat and mouse game in this one. This and Steadman's last one, The Family Game, are so twisty and fun. I read this in two sittings in one day and honestly only put it down because I HAD to go out. The intricacy of Nina and her dad' s relationship played well into the plot as well.

The Maria interludes at some points felt like they were slowing the pace a bit, as her inner dialogue was super repetitive, but it wound up tying in nicely.

Go Catherine Steadman! This was something else. Really creepy and full of tension. Harrowing at times.

Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands—a vacation home she had no idea existed, until now. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? And what else was he hiding?

Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the super-rich. The money’s better, and so are the destinations where her work takes her. Just one more gig, and she’ll be set. Finally, she’ll be secure. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. That room is off-limits. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.

This book is dark. Quite the nail biter. And it simply clicks along. Varying POVs. It was smashing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy. The novel is available now!

Catherine Steadman is quickly becoming the reigning champ of fun, game centric, thrilling books for me.

In this book we are following two main characters, Nina and Maria, in two different time lines as they both navigate a super high tech secluded home that they suddenly find themselves occupying. The synopsis does not give you much more than that so neither will I but there is so much more to this book than what that synopsis gives. We are also introduced to the point of view of other characters through random chapters thrown in between Nina and Maria and that added so much more to the story. It is through those character chapters that we really learn more of the backstory of this house and explanations for the current events taking place while we watch Nina and Maria, in their respective time lines, try to survive.

At the heart I would classify this book as a psychological survival thriller with a game element. It was an adventure roller coaster from the first few chapters and definitely maintained a fast paced plot the entire time. I think it is interesting that this is the second book in a row that this author has put out that contains game elements to the plot. That seems to be a strong suit for them and I will continue to eat up any thrilling survival game books that they want to put out after this one. Listen, sometimes you just need a fun and thrilling book with no big mystery to solve and no crazy twists. This book gives you that. It is just two intelligent and badass women struggling to get themselves out of a dangerous situation that they never could have imagined being in and you just get to go along for the ride.

The only reason this is a four star read and not a five star read is because these kinds of books never become favorites for me. They are good times and fast reads that I really enjoy but am unlikely to revisit or take a big impact from. That said, if you love games then you should pick up this book. If you loved a certain movie that came out in 2019 and starred Taylor Russell and Logan Miller then you should pick up this book. I'm being vague about the movie title because I think divulging what kind of games are involved in this book could be spoiler-y so google can be your friend here. If you just want to get lost in a thrilling adventure for a few hours that requires no thought or analysis then pick up this book.

Nina has just inherited a house in the British Virgin Islands after her father dies. A house she had no idea he owned or ever visited. Nina travels to the island and finds a luxurious house with state of the art features. She tries to find out more about how the house came about and looks into the building of it. The builders tell her they removed huge amounts of rock underneath the house and she realizes the house goes down deeper with more rooms below than she was aware of. We also are introduced to Maria, a nanny waiting on the island for her new clients with children to arrive. She is waiting in the beautiful house, using the pool and enjoying the time waiting for the family to arrive - but they don’t show up. This was an interesting book that I can’t say much more about without giving the plot away. It was suspenseful and nerve wracking at times and really held my interest. The two main characters, Nina and Maria, were both well written. Although very different, both were smart determined women you really cheer on. I recommend this book for a fast paced exciting read. I give the book 4 stars out of 5, for the good characters and interesting plot - even though it’s a bit unbelievable in some spots.

Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an intriguing, fast-paced, "locked- room" mystery thriller!! I literally couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting because I had to get to the reveal. Even though I could guess some of the improbable twists and it was a bit convoluted, I still really enjoyed this suspenseful cat-and-mouse game. If you're looking for a totally creepy WILDLY CRAZY ride then this is the book for you!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nina is grieving the loss of her only remaining family member, her father, when she is notified he had a secret vacation house in the British Virgin Islands that she is now set to inherit. How could her father keep something like this from her? To try and understand why, Nina hops on the first plane to check out this house. The house itself is a work of art with everything modern and glass. As Nina searches the house she starts wondering is this just a house or a death trap.

I don’t want to give too much away because I love the craziness of what is really going on in this house. It was something I was really not expecting but enjoyed immensely. The multiple POVs in this book made the characters enjoyable and villainous!

Holy COW! This was probably the best book I've read in close to a year. I could not put it down!
The book starts from the point of view of 2 people; Nina who recently lost her father and found out she inherited a vacation home in the Caribbean, and Maria who is working a job that seems too good to be true.
I promise you, wherever you think this book is going, you are wrong. Every time you think you know what's going to happen next it takes a complete left turn.
I HIGHLY recommend this one!

After scaring the life out of me with sadistic, crazy, holiday-loving in-laws (“The Family Game”), Catherine Steadman is back with another family drama. This time, Nina is mourning the death of her father, a mild-mannered civil engineer, when solicitors contact her to say she’s the sole beneficiary of a property in the Caribbean — a place so out of character for her father to own, lest even visit. Curiosity spiked, Nina meets with the British Virgin Island lawyer who is settling her father’s will and discovers a tech-fortified home that’s been carved into the sea cliff with locked underground rooms. Only the unique name of fortress gives her a clue this may have been her father’s. But why? Was he overloading a criminal enterprise, dodging taxes, or installing a second family? And where did he get the incredible amount money for the houses’s construction? Nina eventually realizes the whoever the builder of the house was evil, “because awful, evil people have always existed and sometimes you can’t tell they’re awful and sometimes those people turn out to be someone’s lovely loving clever cuddly dad”.

Steadman terrifically builds the tension and you know in your heart that Nina is being drawn to a concrete Venus fly trap. There’s a second major POV to add that — Maria, a former medical student and now a nanny has been hired to wait for an unknown family to assist them during their stay at the same house. But no family appears and the house tries to swallow her up. You do not know if this storyline happened in the past or future and how it relates to Nina’s story, but it’s equally fraught with suspense and terror. Steadman delivers an amazing twist as the two stories converge. Again, I was terrified (this time with a person in a glass coffin; last time by a pregnant woman lying bleeding on the floor of her in-laws’ house). 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES None in the book, but look at the cover!
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The tropical beauty of the Caribbean is evoked, but never fully detailed.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honeys review. 3.5 stars for this book!
I'm not sure what I was expecting for this book but it sure surprised me. This was such a wild story. It was very fast paced and it kept me on my toes. I don't know how I feel about the ending; I think I wanted more. It felt a little too vague for me. Overall though, it was a crazy, heart racing read.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Look in the Mirror By Catherine Steadman
Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Random House Publishing | Ballentine

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded up to 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

What in the world did I just read?! 😳😳 This was my first Catherine Steadman book and now I need to read ALL her books so I can see if her books are always this wild and chaotic!

This story started off slowly, added in a little mysteriousness, and then TOOK OFF. Before I knew it, I'd already read half of the book... And I didn't want to put it down.

This book has multiple POVs in short chapters, and the way the story is written is utterly captivating. The tension and uncertainty for each character was palpable and my heart pounded as this story unraveled. The plot of this book really kept my interest and I was never sure what was coming with the start of each chapter!

I don't want to give away any spoilers, and I think it's safe to say this: I thought I had an idea about how this story might be going, and I even convinced myself that maybe it could just be a twisted way to create a kinda happy ending for the book. But NOPE. My idea was a laughable fail on my part. Instead, this book took a turn that I did NOT see coming and was utterly insane. Chaotically, wildly, intensely insane.

If you like fast-paced thrillers, that are a little edgy and a lot intense, I highly recommend you pick up this book when it comes out in just over two weeks.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing | Ballentine for gifting me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

#LookInTheMirror #CatherineSteadman #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerreads #booklovers #bookcommunity

I was on the edge of my seat while reading this action packed thriller. I will definitely read more books by this author!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book! I would like to start out by saying that I enjoyed the writing style and will be reading more by this author.

This is a locked door (literally) mystery that follows 2 women. The first is a housekeeper who is cleaning the property and the second is the daughter of the previous owner who has now passed away. In this house there is a locked door that the housekeeper gets trapped behind and the daughter Nina is trying to open… not knowing about each other.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book, but truthfully I quickly lost interest. It very much felt like the premise was too straightforward. I found it quite predictable and thus was hard for me to continue turning the pages. I was rather bored.