This had an interesting escape room/survivor vibe to it. I did enjoy the multiple POVs. It was a nice quick read with short chapters which I love. I did feel the twists were a little too much, and didn’t work well with the story in the end.

I think that all authors (well, a lot of authors) should use Look in the Mirror as the example for how suspense should be written. There was no need for gore or substance abuse or infidelity or any of those things to cause conflict. It was pure tension with fast pacing, and just so good.

One of the best books of the summer for sure.

Nina has just lost her beloved father who raised her. She feels untethered and unmoored. Then she is notified that she has inherited a property in the British Isles that she knew nothing about. The house is amazing and very modern, but things started to get strange with all the technology that controls the house. And there’s a secret area that beckons to Nina to explore. Things get pretty wild from there! A terrific, enthralling read!!!

Thank you #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for an early copy of Catherine Steadman’s “Look In the Mirror”. I’ve considered Steadmans previous books before but I have never taken thr plunge to read one. I’m sorry to say my first experience was a little disappointing. The book started out very interesting. We are reading two points of view. Nina who has just lost her father and is finding out he left her a lavish property on a remote island in the British Virgin Isles, and Maria, a down on her luck live in Maid who arrives at the property only to find the owners haven’t arrived and won’t be there for a few days. She is told to enjoy the amenities but NOT to go in the basement. Interesting set up and the story starts out as a fun roller coaster ride but lacks the character development it takes to make you feel attached and concerned for either woman in the book. Then though it kept me entertained the ending was jumbled and thrown together and didn’t make enough sense for me to buy into the story.

Thank you to @BallantineBooks and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #LookInTheMirror. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I've read and enjoyed several of Steadman's novels. This is a decent thriller told from multiple POVs with enough suspense to keep you up late turning the pages. But the premise was a little too dark for me - unsuspecting people are tricked into an elaborate escape room/survivor type "game" as entertainment for the wealthy. For the record, I would not be smart enough to make it out alive :)

Dark than expected, but quick-paced and well written with main characters you can root for. Not may favorite title by this author, but I'll keep reading her stuff.

I have enjoyed previous Catherine Steadman books, so was so happy to get approved to read Look in the Mirror early! This book was a wild ride. Nina's father passes away and she finds out that he has a big, fancy vacation home in the BVIs that she's never known about. She goes to see it and things absolutely go off the rails. Nina's chapters alternated with Maria's, who was hired to take care of a rich family's vacation home but told to never enter a certain locked room in the house. Will temptation win out?!

The book kind of plodded along until the last ~25%, when it all of a sudden turned into breakneck speed. Some of the twists were absolutely far fetched and had some holes, and the story ended up being a cross between Survivor and an escape room. Things were pretty tidily wrapped up but the ending fell a little flat for me. Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to speed through it, and can't wait to see what the author comes out with next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A fantastic thriller!

Nina has just lost her father. Through the grief, an envelope is left unopened until, after all arrangements have been made and wishes executed, she recalls it. Her father, whom she was solely raised by and loved and knew like the back of her hand, left her a home in the British Virgin Islands. A place she never knew him to visit let alone own property. She inquires about this strange letter and is told to come down to BVI to see for herself. Everything has been arranged so, at no cost to her, she leaves London for blue waters and sandy beaches.

Maria is a fighter. A strategic thinker. When she realizes she can be a nanny for the Uber wealthy and completely fund her medical degree, she puts a pause on school and decides to save. She’s given an opportunity of a lifetime. Or, at least, one that will complete her school funding. She jets off to her next assignment. But the family she is to nanny for never arrives. And the mysteriously locked biometric door she was given explicit instructions never to enter is - suddenly - unlocked.

I was curious to see how these stories would intertwine and wasn’t the least bit disappointed. It was gripping and anxiety inducing in the best way.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was interesting enough and it’s certainly a unique one. Unfortunately, the genuinely cool idea behind the book doesn’t make up for the fact that this book is horrendously slow, only to become fast paced and confusing at the end. There were far too many POVs alongside a flash forward ending/epilogue to quick explain what happened. It didn’t feel concrete. Between this and the multiple grammar & typing errors, I felt like I was reading a first draft, rather than something that will be released shortly. I couldn’t find myself attached to the characters and it felt like the book was more focused on some elaborate twist than helping the writers enjoy the ride.

Turbulent waters give no reflections. Neither do shattered mirrors. All you see is a distorted Fun House jagged image.

Well, now. I felt like a victim of whiplash throughout Look in the Mirror. By my calculations, it gauged 3 Stars and then struck upwards at 4 Stars and then back again. Ebb and flow. Catherine Steadman succeeded in keeping her readers confused and clueless throughout. That's usually a sought after element in a topnotch thriller. But being constantly on the other side of those glass walls while looking in was a constantly shifting position. I liked it. I didn't. I liked it.

Nina Hepworth is sitting with her grief. She's lost her adored father. Now comes the news that she has inherited a luxurious glass domicile in the British Virgin Islands. Who knew? How could her father have kept such a long-guarded secret from her? She's on the next flight to peruse the property. And from the moment that she arrives, a billion questions settle before her.

Steadman flips the switch and we meet Maria. Maria is originally from Columbia and had attended Cornell Medical School. She's found that being a nanny to the rich and famous deposits more in her bank account. She happens to be on the island of Gorda the same as Nina in the present. Maria waits for the arrival of her new family in a fabulous gated glass mansion. They never show. Maria explores the house for clues. And yes: Don't go into the basement rings out.

Between Nina and Maria, Maria was definitely my fav. Different kinds of smart. Different kinds of actions and reactions. Catherine Steadman knows how to inject massive tension into her novels. She does that here. But the gong of confusion seems to ring louder. Look in the Mirror has all the elements of a reality show on steroids. The ending becomes rushed. But then a trip to the British Virgin Islands seems appropriate about now since this one is due to publish 7/30/24. Pass the sunblock and ice up those Margaritas.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books/Random House and to Catherine Steadman for the opportunity.

Ok so I had gotten to 75% of this book on my kindle and I had NO idea what was going on….but I was completely engrossed and could not turn pages fast enough! This was EXCELLENT! It has everything a good thriller has: confusion, a character you are rooting for, terror and a spooky locale! Nina’s father, a man she loved dearly, dies and she learns that he may have had a secret life that proves he is not the man she thought he was. Maria is a nanny for the Uber rich, living a transient lifestyle without anyone tracking her movements. Joon-gi is an electrician with dreams of moving to Miami. All find themselves in Gorda in the British Virgin Islands and then the game begins. This book was so good and this author rarely disappoints!

Way out there, but entertaining.

Nina, single and in her mid-thirties, a professor at Cambridge who has just lost her father whom she adored, is startled to learn that he owned property in the BVI and has left a „generous“ house to her. Desperate to hold on to any thread of him, Nina sets out for the BVI. But once she arrives at the house, she quickly realizes nothing is what it seems.

Maria, meanwhile, works as a short-term nanny to the uber-wealthy to put away money so she can finish med school. But when her latest employer and his two kids never show up, she begins to suspect something else is at work - and it might have to do with the locked room downstairs.

Alternating mostly between Nina and Maria‘s POV, the first third of the novel was very enjoyable. Nina‘s loss felt raw and real and very reminiscent of when I lost my own dad. More importantly, the pace was fast, and the mystery of the house - and Nina and Maria‘s connection - intriguing.

However, things started going south for me once we find out more about what‘s going on because while some things (the mirror, for starters) are extremely obvious, the mystery as a whole becomes more and more far-fetched, never more so than in its conclusion. While the story was definitely original, suspenseful and imaginative, it also developed more and more holes as it went on, focusing on thrills rather than a coherent story and ending in a rushed, unbelievable resolution. The characters also turned into caricatures with no real development, mostly Nina; all we know about her is that she acts like she‘s some old, sad spinster with nothing in her future despite being only in her mid-thirties, with a significant inheritance and a job at a very prestigious institution. Not helping her case: a completely unbelievable romance and the fact that her father, for all her idolizing of him, actually sounds like a pretty rubbish dad, although beloved by everyone and admittedly a genius.

That being said , I actually think this would make a great action movie because it is fast-paced, entertaining and twisted. A quick, easy summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballatine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

„Look In the Mirror“ is slated to be released on July 30, 2024.

YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!!! I have loved Catherine Steadman’s writing for years, especially The Family Game. This one was very scary, at times moving toward horror. It’s about a woman who learns that her father had a secret home in the BVI. She goes to the home and finds that it has all sorts of puzzles and games that lead to the truth about her father. Twisty and completely addicting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

This felt a bit messy and chaotic to me. Also I feel like there were some things just never explained and that made me feel meh towards the story. I wish there was more backstory.

This action packed story had me flipping the pages into the wee late hours of the night, desperately needing to know what happens next. If you’re looking for a book that will have your pulse racing, your palms clammy, and tearing your eyes from the pages a near impossibility, look no further.

It starts with a simple instruction: don’t enter the room in the basement. WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL THE NEED TO GO INTO A ROOM THAT IS FORBIDDEN?! It’s an obvious thing - if you enter a room that is locked for a reason (and the only locked room in a giant house), there will be consequences. It’s a given. Yet…

Enter Nina, Maria and the most diabolical escape room / torture chamber that I’ve ever read. These rooms are my nightmare. I wouldn’t last the first room. It was entertaining to play along with the puzzles, which is why I KNOW I wouldn’t make it!

While this story was fun, quick and unnerving, I did also appreciate the individual character stories. It made each of them more human, so when they were fighting for their lives, you wanted them to make it, you felt their pain and you wanted them to live to the next challenge.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this arc in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

We are following Maria and Nina throughout this story. Maria’s story happens three months prior to Nina’s. Maria is brought to the island and the house under the ruse of being a nanny and then after days of not meeting her new clients she finds a green button and is forced to play in escape rooms that are designed with a specific player in mind. Whoever is brought to the house is not supposed to survive. Maria escapes the island but ends up dying anyways by going to the women Lucienda’s house. Lucienda wants to get away from the game and helps to save Nina. Nina is brought to the house because her father originally built the house but with safeguards in place so that nobody died. Nina figures things out and wants to figure out why her father built the house and never told her. Lucienda goes to Nina’s house and her father gives Lucienda a way out and she rescues Nina. Turns out the older women Nina befriended her first day there is the one organizing the escape rooms and even built a new one after Nina escaped. Nina and Lucinda escaped as well as Joe and Joon-gi who are all in witness protection.

Steadman writes another super-suspenseful, twist-filled novel that kept me reading past my bedtime. The chapters are told from different points of view and at first it’s not clear how they fit together. Nina just lost her father and found out how he left her a fancy house in the Caribbean. Maria is a nanny waiting for her charges. Other characters pop up here and there, but these are the main stories, and both are equally engrossing. The house Nina inherited sounds wonderful, but the sense of dread slowly permeates every feature. Maria has an unexpected paid vacation in paradise, but her obsession with the basement of the house she’s staying in starts creeping into every waking second. The other characters are not what they seem. Which takes me to one of the issues I had with this novel: someone who suddenly changes radically and, even if this transformation is explained, it seemed a little too out of the blue. Also, the plot ends a little too suddenly. These are minor details that also show how much I was enjoying this novel, I didn’t want it to end. Nina and Maria are resourceful and easy to root for. The author clearly knows how to deliver a propulsive novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

I have read several previous books by this author and enjoyed them so I knew this would be worth the read. I was so curious about Nina’s dad and the house she knew nothing about and then this book quickly became a fast paced page turner. Near the end, I understood what was going on, but it was still a good read and I especially liked the final chapter with Oksana.

A well written, fast paced, psychological thriller that kept me engaged throughout. With interesting characters and a unique premise, it is told from multiple points of view and I couldn't stop reading. I read it straight through in one day. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed Steadman's "Something in the Water" and was excited to get approved for this ARC. This story felt much different, and I have mixed feelings about it. It is well written, intriguing, and certainly twisty, and the story moves quick enough that it kept me turning pages. In the beginning, I had lots of theories for what was going on and how it was going to come together, but they were all ultimately wrong. The fact that the two main POVs were not happening concurrently threw me off for quite a while.

However, the basic premise is pretty out there, and the rationale behind it felt a bit flimsy—both of which made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief. I also thought the big finale felt a bit forced, especially the heroes who come to Nina's rescue. Finally, about 2/3 of the way through the book, the chapters in Nina's point of view randomly switched from first person to third person....Hopefully this is caught in the final round of editing, because that felt pretty sloppy. I did enjoy the reunion in the end, even though the epilogue was a lot of info dumping.

All in all, an enjoyable read that kept me guessing. I give it 3.5 stars.

Deep in the throughs of grief over her dead father, Nina is shocked to find out he was the owner of a luxurious house in the British Virgin Island. Nina has never heard of this house before and is equally shocked to hear she is now the sole owner. Soon Nina is on a flight from London down to the Islands to speak with lawyers and take formal ownership over the house. At first things appear as normal as you’d expect in a situation like this. However, as Nina begins to explore the house and try to piece together why her father owned it, strange things start to happen. It begins with mildly threatening notes telling her to leave, and quickly escalate. As Nina begins to unravel more about the house she starts to fear she may never leave.

“Look in the Mirror” is one of the more unique concepts for a thriller novel out there. It jumps right into the action and doesn’t really slow does at all. For the most part, the reader is following Nina as she pulls back the layers of this unexpected inheritance. However, we are treated to other characters point of views that all come to a crux at the novel’s finale. There were a few plot holes not fully explained, but in the end still a a fun read with plenty twists and turns along the way.