Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Catherine Steadman for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Look in the Mirror.
This is a locked room mystery in a state of the art, modern home in the British Virgin Islands. As readers, we wonder if the main characters are playing a dangerous game or confused by advanced technology or being controlled by outside forces. This is just me but I am not interested in technology use to operate things in my home. I also am not interested in elements of escape room competitions. So it was hard for me to get into the plot of this story..
This is fast paced with some twists and turns but the characters are flat and dull. The ending is quick and confusing. I was disappointed that I couldn't be more involved in the action, I was watching it from a distance. I loved The Family Game by this author but my interest level in this one was lacking. I still want more from this author and hope to see more in the future.

I loved the last book I read by Catherine Steadman. This one really pulled me in. I felt like the story wasn’t anything new but the book really threw me for a twist. I do feel like there were some plot holes and some very irrelevant characters that somehow make a big impact but overall I really liked this book.

A woman is pulled to an unknown house her father owned that she has unknowingly l inherited. As she’s there, it’s nothing as she seems and things slowly start to unravel. Meanwhile, a woman is house sitting where she is told to never go into the basement, but can’t not explore what’s down there.

Nina’s father has recently died and has left her a vacation home in paradise in the British Virgin Islands. This is a home she had no idea even existed nor did she believe her father had the means for a second home. She goes there seeking answers.

Maria is a nanny who works for the rich. She’s saving her money to complete medical school and is so close to her dream. She’s accepted a job watching two young children for their father and has been given only one rule. Do not enter the locked basement door.

I found this to be an interesting premise with a lot of promise. Though it started slow, it picked up and held my attention. There were some very exciting parts and I really enjoyed the explanation at the very end but the main drama stopped abruptly and it felt like some things could have had better or more in-depth clarifications.

I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Intense! Your father dies of natural cause and leaves you his estate. You're wealthy, but there's a mystery house in the Caribbean. You visit it only to find it has a locked door and some malfunctioning, high-end technology. At the same time, chapters alternate, and readers learn about another woman who's visited what appears to be the same house at either a different time period, or a similar house at the same time period. Both women are trapped by the house, and different people try to save them. Look in the Mirror borders on thriller and horror, and as the story begins to unfold with its clues revealing the truth, the book becomes truly unputdownable. "Look In the Mirror" is a daring story of secrets, lies, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. So, if you're looking for a read that'll keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew, do yourself a favor and dive into this book. You won't regret it.
Highly recommend!

"Look In The Mirror" by Catherine Steadman is a gripping thriller with a touch of horror. The story alternates between the perspectives of Nina and Maria, who both find themselves in a mysterious house on a beautiful island. Nina inherits the house from her late father, while Maria, a nanny, awaits the arrival of her wards. The fast-paced narrative and suspenseful plot kept me hooked, with several heart-pounding moments. While the beginning and middle were strong, the ending felt rushed and slightly underwhelming. Despite this, it remains a compelling read that I recommend to thriller fans. I give it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read this was! I spent the whole book wondering what was going on!? It hooked the reader immediately and had a fast pace to it. The chapters alternated POVs but did not let the reader know the timeline or how or when they would intersect. The setting on a beautiful island with a mysterious house was excellent and ramped up curiosity and tension. There were several parts of the book that had my heart pounding and I was terrified. I had several ideas of what I thought could be going on, but none of them proved correct. I ended up surprised in the best way. The ending was a little rushed, but it was a satisfying ending that fit the book. I have read several books by this author and this one is my favorite!

Look In The Mirror was a fast paced thriller with a bit of a horror vibe. This book took an unexpected turn which kept me turning the pages. With this one I loved the beginning and middle, anticipating it would be a 5 star rare, but the end wasn’t my favorite so it only gets 4 from me. I would still recommend this book to thriller fans and definitely Steadman fans should give it a read!

Nina Hepworth inherits the house from hell from her father.
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 that will be released July 30, 2024!

It took me a HOT minute to get into this one. But once I did I loved it. I didn’t expect the book to take the direction it did. The books follows 5 different characters and their connection to a high tech house in the BVI. I felt Nina character was all over the place and had some major daddy issues. The suspense was held once you got past the first 30% of the book. The first part doesn’t have a lot of dialogue so it’s just a lot of backstory and descriptive writing about the area. Which was good, just very boring. I loved The Family Game and I give this one 3.5 stars rounded up. I look forward to Catherine Steadman’s future books as she is an auto read author for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read that kept my interest, though it became a bit predictable in the second half. The basic premise drew me in immediately and the first half had me thinking this was going to be one of the best thrillers I've read this year . Then it took a turn into a predictable tale told before in movies and books. I was a bit disappointed as the story revealed what was really going on. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Can a house be sinister or evil?
Nina has recently inherited a luxurious beach home in the British Virgin Islands from her father.
A house that she had no idea he owned.
Maria is an enterprising contract nanny for rich families. She is currently inhabiting the beach house awaiting the arrival of a family and children. There is only one rule for Maria. She is not to open the basement door.
Although decent, the book lagged and became unbelievable in places with a rushed ending. But overall if you are curious to know what these two women have in common, you must read this complex locked room thriller. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books.

Wow. Thriller from start to finish!! Such a quick read because I just HAD to know what happened!! The nitty gritty and development of the book was just meh but didn’t take away from the thrill!

This book turned out way better than what I expected. It gets you hooked right from the beginning and even though it slows down a little in the middle I was still intrigued of where the story was going. Most of it is told in two POVs and it had me guessing and wondering how the two characters were connected.
I loved the setting – mysterious secluded mansion on a tropical island in the Caribbean.
This is a great summer read.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was off to a good start, slow but good, before it took a nosedive.

I did suspend disbelief while reading this, and you’ll have to if you don’t want to have a headache and pull all your hair out, but even then, I just found myself pushing through and not really enjoying how things were progressing.

Too far-fetched at times and just not my cup of tea!

This is unlike any thriller I’ve ever read. (And dark!) I couldn’t put it down. Thanks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman is about two women, Nina and Maria, who are trapped in a basement, at separate times. The book alternates POVs between the two women, whose stories run parallel.

This book totally gripped me for the first 25% or so. Then, the story seemed to drag on and I began to lose interest. I typically love alternating POV, but in this case, it didn’t add much to the story since Maria and Nina were encountering similar situations. I was hoping for a giant twist to redeem the book but was disappointed with a lackluster ending.

Overall, I rate the book 3 stars. It was just ok for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Went into this one totally blind, and it took me to places I did not expect! If you love thriller books, you know sometimes they start to get repetitive. This thriller was very different from any others I’ve read recently. Highly recommend if you are looking for something fast paced, stressful, and borderline horrifying.

Nina’s father just passed way. While grieving and lost, she is shocked to discover her dad owned a home in the British Virgin Islands. She immediately departs to check out her new property….from there things begin to get weird.

4 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water comes "an utter white-knuckle ride that took me into a heart of darkness" (Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment).

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."

Dood, with the super rich, NEVER go where it's off-limits.

“The letter must have sat unopened for a month on your abandoned hall table as things carried on around it, the correspondence inside quietly waiting for me to find it. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Family Death - After Nina’s father’s death and the arrangements have all been made
Inheritance - she gets word that she has inherited a house from him in the British virgin islands
Secluded Island - The island and the house are very secluded with private security. And it leaves Nina with no idea when or how her father acquired it.
Basement - especially when she starts getting messages that she should leave the house, and above all, don’t go in the basement.

The minute I started reading this book, I was sucked in. You don’t know what is going on or why for a good chunk of it. While we do primarily follow Nina, there are other people’s storylines that are included, although how they all connect is jaw dropping. This book was such a wild ride, and so satisfying to read. I had a few issues with some plot holes, but overall this book was a mind trip!

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Catherine Steadman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Look In the Mirror coming out July 30, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read another book by this author and loved it. So I was excited to receive this from NetGalley. I love when people inherit creepy houses. It’s one of my favorite tropes. I think the writing was really good. I love that she puts a lot of crazy things into her books. The mystery surrounding the house was really good. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. Some of the twists were a little far-fetched for me. But overall, I really enjoyed it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys locked room thrillers!