I have read two other books by Catherine Steadman, so I was excited for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of her latest novel! Look in the Mirror kept me guessing and turning the pages, wondering what would happen, and where the story would go. The multiple perspectives and suspense were the strong points, along with the beginning of the story. But then things got a bit too unhinged and uncomfortable for me. I found the pacing to be a struggle, and the lack of character development left me feeling uninvested. I wanted to care about Nina and Maria, but they both felt one dimensional.
The premise ended up being unique but somewhat disturbing, and the twists were mostly far-fetched. There were definitely some heart racing moments and intrigue, but I was hoping for a more satisfying ending and overall execution.

As a whole, it was an entertaining read and a wild ride, and I will continue to pick up future titles from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine Books for providing a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Book Review 📚

Title: Look in the Mirror
Author: Catherine Steadman
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Rating: ⭐️

This is a story about Nina and Maria, two women unrelated to each other who find themselves trapped in a mansion in the British Virgin Islands, but at different times, and for different reasons. This book is told from multiple points of view in differing timelines, which was a little confusing.

It’s unclear what’s happening or why until about 75% into the book, although I had a vague idea of what was going on. By the time you find out what’s actually happening, you’re beyond caring about how it’s going to end. This entire story was far-fetched and poorly executed. The ending is unsatisfying, much like the entire book. This was a huge flop for me.

*Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advanced copy. Pub date: 7/30/24.

This book will have you turning the pages!! I definitely had to figure out what the heck was happening. The constant cliffhangers and perspective shifts kept me engaged. However, the entire premise of the book (especially as you get farther in) is really uncomfortable and hard to grapple with. Even the ending left me with kind of an icky feeling.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy of Catherine Steadman’s latest book. When Nina’s father dies and leaves her a beautiful home in the British Virgin Islands, she is shocked! She knows her father didnt have the kind of money it would take to buy this home on the beach. When she discovers a locked basement door her curiosity gets the best of her. Once you are inside there are several escape rooms that will kill you if you dont solve the puzzle presented. She isnt the first to have to go through these rooms of torture, but will she survive? Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman gets 4.5 stars. Book to be released July 2024.

I love how the author switched perspective on this engaging new thriller! Books like this are always hard for me to put down and Catherine Steadman hit this one out of the park!

I’ve been a Steadman fan since Something In the Water, and while I enjoyed this book, it is not my favorite. I felt like the pace was a little slow and the last 25% of the book was awesome! There were some twists that I definitely didn’t expect, so I loved that!
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this ARC.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman

This book was a little hard to follow as it seemed there were two separate stories running side by side here.

Nina is a professor from Cambridge whose father passes away and she inherits his estate that she’s never heard of located in the British Virgin Islands.

Maria is a medical student who is a nanny and has found the experience of a life time on a Fabulous island.

On both accounts it was an intense story that led you into the rabbit hole of chaos and looking over your shoulder. I was constant yelling at the characters myself and saying “don’t do it!” It’s like a murder mystery why the person is doing something that common sense with say oh heck no!

It was a great read and page turning none the less! I couldn’t put it down until I knew what would solve the predicament of these two insane characters!

Thank you NetGalley and Random house publishing -Ballantine!

Catherine Steadman’s latest venture into fiction helps solidify her as one of the best suspense writers today. Steadman writes smart, edgy prose with characters that are believably drawn and, while flawed, likable. Like all of her work, this novel is intelligent, fast-paced, and edgy, with enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman. This book started off with a bang. It is mysterious and fast paced. There are a lot of twists and turns. The majority of the book, the reader doesn’t know if the characters will@live or die. In order to make the book work, the reader has to suspend their disbelief quite a bit. There are some parts that don’t match up, like the characters haven’t eaten in days, but do things that take a lot ofphysical effort. The whole premise is a bit preposterous. The characters also made some questionable decisions, but were necessary for the plot. However , if you are looking for a page turner this is for you.

Nina is left a house by her father after. His death. She discovers that it is not as good as it seems. Alternatively, Maria is hired to watch over the house with the only stipulation to not go into the basement. Can she survive?

3.5 stars/rounded up

Thank you so much to Catherine Steadman, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC of Look in the Mirror. Some spoilers ahead!

This book was WILD. I went in not at all knowing what to expect. I have read previous work of Steadman and enjoyed it so I requested this book. This book was very much Hunger Games meets Squid Games. I understand that Nina is a medical school dropout but you’re told lots of medical information that seems far fetched. Also, how do you have lunch with a person one time and feel like you know them so well that you’re willing to risk your life for them and then go into witness protection with them??? Otherwise, this book was really good! I enjoyed reading it. I even teared up a few times in the last chapters. 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4. Again, some things were just a little too far fetched for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced ebook. I had a very enjoyable reading experience with this book. I have really come to enjoy Catherine Steadman’s stories

I love "Something in the Water" and "Mr. Nobody" by this author. I wasn't in love with this book, but it was a solid 3. I would give the other two books a 4.5/5 for their twists and pacing. For this book particularly, I just found it okay.

It starts with two alternating stories and you are trying to figure out how the two stories connect. Usually I love this type of book and I am okay knowing I'll be confused for a while until the pieces start to connect, but I just found one story way less interesting than the other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Look in the Mirror is a gripping thriller as expected from Catherine Steadman. When Nina's father passed away, she is shocked to have been left a fancy vacation home that she wasn't aware her father could afford. As she looks into the details of her inheritance, she comes across Nina, a medical student/nanny who uses her babysitting jobs to enjoy tropical vacations. As their paths collide, they uncover many unexplained things such as what else Nina's father was hiding and what is locked in the basement. Fans of Steadman's Something in the Water will enjoy her new offering.

I really hated reading this book. It was not what I expected and once I realized what it was I had to finish it to find out what happened. But I hated reading it. That’s not to say it’s not well written. It’s not badly written, although all the characters read identically despite their vastly different backgrounds. But it’s just so unpleasant and cruel. Not my thing, but others are likely to enjoy figuring out what is going on and following along with the poor characters.

I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

4.25 stars. Compelling premise with what starts as two alternating stories (additional POVs are introduced later) - each compelling in and of itself (each time we switched, I wanted to both stay with the prior story and find out what was going on in the other storyline).

How are the stories connected? What is going on here? I enjoyed the puzzle aspect to the book - reminded me of a deadlier Inheritance Games. Definitely need to suspend a little disbelief, but I thought things tied together well and found the ending to be satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Steadman's previous books but wasn't in love with this one. It took some real effort to get into it in the beginning. The story was okay, but the twists weren't satisfying and some of the action-based parts felt hard to follow.

Although this one wasn't for me, Steadman remains on my automatic read list.

I discovered Catherine Steadman last year when I was going through as many thrillers as I could. I love her prose, and this book kept me up all night. Even though some parts of me could tell where it was heading, I still was excited to see what unfolded and why because I was invested in the characters. Nina, whose father has passed away recently, has left her a ridiculously expensive house on an exclusive island, and she has to figure out why it was left to her and for what purpose. There are several other characters who play important roles and are interesting in their own right, but I won't spoil anything here. I do believe this may be my favorite thriller of the year so far.

The story revolves around two seemingly unrelated women. Nina, a 34-year-old Cambridge professor who unexpectedly inherits a mysterious house in the British Virgin Islands following her father's passing. The house is a modern marvel, shrouded in mystery and secrets that kept me guessing with each turn of the page. And then there's Maria, a medical student working as a nanny with ambitions and a penchant for adventure, who finds herself embroiled in a web of enigma when her latest gig takes an unexpected turn.

Steadman weaves a complex tapestry of multiple narrators and timelines, leaving me utterly spellbound. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, she'd throw in another twist that left me gasping for breath. However, I couldn't help but feel that some of the plot points relied a bit too heavily on implausible backstories.

Characters, Nina and Maria leap off the page with their intelligence and flawed humanity. Sure, they may have made some questionable choices (cough pushing the button in the basement cough), but isn't that what makes them all the more relatable? It's like watching a horror movie and yelling at the characters not to go into the dark basement—except in this case, curiosity wins out, and the consequences are deliciously spine-tingling.

"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.

Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
Release date: 30 July 2024

For fans of The Family Game and locked room mystery thrillers.

A Cambridge professor inherits a mysterious house in the British Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, a young nanny for the wealthy finds herself alone in this BVI mansion.

This story is told from multiple POV’s and with somewhat confusing timelines with minimum actual character development.

The first third of this book had me hooked, but it soon became quite repetitive and boring.

Slow burner that I had to force myself to finish to a far fetched and unsatisfactory ending.

Catherine Steadman has done it again with her latest novel, "Look in the Mirror". She gives you chills, thrills and a book you can quickly devour.