Some thrillers feel the same as the one before. NOT THIS! WOW!!! This was really great. I love this author’s writing style and the twists had me shook. 10/10! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Nina Hepworth is getting over the death of her father when she learns that he has left her a vacation home in the British Virgin Islands that she never knew about. It’s amazing and gorgeous but why would he keep it a secret?

Maria Yossarian is a former med student, now a nanny for the 1%. She is on her last job before being set for life, but the kids haven’t shown up. While she is waiting she takes advantage of the house but she isn’t allowed to go in the basement? Why? And how do Maria and Nina’s paths cross?

There are chapters narrated by Nina, Maria and some additional characters. I had no clue where this story was going for the longest time, and then when I did, that possibility had crossed my mind, but I had dismissed it. Good, twisted tale. Recommended.

Exciting, Invigorating, Terrorizing. This book captures a range of emotions.

Once you start this book, there is no escaping. It holds you tight and there’s no letting go until the end when your heartbeat finally slows down. It’s a rush.

Nina is shocked when she finds out she has inherited a luxury beach home in the British Virgin Islands. She thought she knew everything about her father as they were close but when she read the will, there was now another side of him that she was about to learn. It’s electrifying as she enters into a world which is foreign and frightening.

The timing of all the key elements makes this book flow perfectly. The characters certainly had my attention all the way through. I imagine it will be one book that will be talked about especially by those that love a good thriller.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 30, 2024.

Where, oh where to begin reviewing this solid 5-star read!? Ok, it's fair to say that I spent more than half the book wondering where the heck it was going. No clue. Never saw any of it coming! When I finally learned what was happening, it was SO far-fetched, and I was just like NO WAY this could ever happen. But it was just so dang much fun to read, and the characters all had so much heart and I ugly cried at the end and was just a huge ball of emotions and didn't want it to be over.... but I digress. The story opens with Nina inheriting an amazing beach house from her father that she never knew he had. We also meet nanny, Maria who has been hired to work in a beautiful beach house. What do these women have in common? As I said, it takes a while to figure it out, but you will not be able to put it down while you are getting to that point! And when it's all said and done and you are thinking how ridiculously unbelievable it all was and wiping away tears at the same time, you will think...hmmm.... with the way this world is going, maybe it could happen. Well I don't want to give anything away. Just see for yourself! Catherine Steadman has steadily grown to become a favorite of mine. I really think this is her best yet and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Catherine Steadman and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

I really enjoyed this one, perhaps my favorite by Steadman, who has rarely disappointed. The pacing in this was great and I loved how the stories weaved together (justice for Maria, though…). I do wish we got more as to why the father built the house/how it ended up being turned over. That felt a little underdeveloped and rushed. The epilogue was a nice little bow, though.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A bat-shit crazy, sadistic AF kind of thriller that you do NOT want to miss! Steadman has been knocking them out of the park lately with The Family Game and now this one. Her earlier books were good but nowhere near this new level of mind-blowing greatness. I was certainly not expecting where this story led at all. You will probably be a little confused at first, bouncing back and forth between Nina and Maria's POVs and feeling like things just aren't making sense. This is intentional and it will all become crystal clear to you eventually. My only gripe is that the ending felt cut short. I wanted a little more elaboration on the final moments. This book was pretty damn close to perfection in my opinion. I absolutely loved it and HIGHLY recommend!!

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This was a wild ride! I read it in one sitting. One does have to suspend some belief to go along with the story (wouldn’t there be some sign in England that your father owned a home in another country? Taxes, his UK will?) but the story was creepy and a lot of fun. I think what saves the book is that she is a very capable writer and the style is more literary feeling than you get with a lot of thrillers. Everyone feels like real people and the book reads like it’s for adults.

My big question (beyond why some main characters ended up in the US) is what happened to Lucinda’s dog, Penny?

I really enjoyed the book!

I loved The Family Game so I was very excited to get my hands on this. The book did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat biting my nails wondering what will happen next.

Nina’s father passed away and she inherited a vacation house from her father. She has to fly to the island to take a look at the house and get it ready to sell. Meanwhile Maria is on the island waiting for her new nanny job to start. I am wondering how these two storylines intersect. Let’s just say it was NOT what I thought. This was original and hard to put down. I suggest you get your hands on this thriller asap.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this advanced readers book.

This is deeply fucking fucked-up. I loved it. Here are some additional words to meet the minimum requirements for this process.

"Look in the Mirror" is compelling and dark. I love the fast-pace of the story, and having no idea of where it was headed. Recommended for readers who love twists and turns and for fans of Catherine Steadman's previous novels. This is a great book to dive into when you have some time because you will not want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the hardest type of ARC to write a review for! Dark, fast paced, unexpected thriller where having NO clue what's going on is why the reading experience is so fun. But it makes it challenging to review because I don't want to give anything away.

I'm a huge Catherine Steadman fan and this book might be my new favorite of hers. I think fans of her previous works - especially The Family Game - will like this one. This is a completely action and plot driven novel so anyone looking for a ton of character development will be disappointed. I found it easy to connect with the characters despite this due to the book being so fast paced and I wanted to find out what the heck was going on!

I think there were some aspects of the plot left a bit unfinished while others also came together too cleanly which prevents me from giving this 5 stars.

Overall, a very fun and unique thriller and just what I needed in my reading slump. Be careful when you start this... I read it in one sitting!

As a child, Nina's father often played puzzle games with her. Now he has passed away, and she learns that he has left her a house in the British Virgin Islands. As the story u folds, the reader learns more and more about puzzles her dad played with her and why he did so. 4 stars.

Alrighty-then! That was different. Pretty dark. Fast paced & intriguing, too. Refreshing to read a differently themed thriller. Not the norm at all. But after reading Steadmsn’s Family Game previously, I’d expect nothing less. And I liked this more, also. Crazy to think this set of circumstances (difficult not to give anything away with this one) is actually plausible & scarily happens. 4 solid stars!!

Grieving the loss of her father, Nina Hepworth struggles to find closure while dealing with his estate. She comes upon a letter addressed to her which gives details of a house in the British Virgin Islands that has been bequeathed to her. Having had no idea that her father owned such a property, she flies to the Caribbean to investigate. Meanwhile, Maria Yossarian a medical student and nanny has landed at the home of her latest job assignment in the BVI and awaits the family’s arrival. She is instructed that she has full run of the property with two exceptions…she cannot leave the property on her own and she is to stay out of the locked room on the ground level of the home. Told in the voices of both Nina and Maria, the novel progresses and it soon becomes apparent that there is something very sinister about the house and in particular ,the locked room. This was an edge of your seat thrill ride that I absolutely could not put down! A 5 star read for me that I highly recommend!

4 stars

After LOVING _The Family Game_, I couldn't wait to get my paws on this newest thriller from Catherine Steadman. It's another banger!

Readers meet Nina, the m.c., when she has just lost her father. Their relationship is extremely close. She's an only child, and her mother died when she was quite young, so the two have really only each other. They strengthen this bond through a lot of hangout time and game playing (the fun kind, not the toxic relationship version). When Nina's father dies, she's alerted to some shocking information: a surprise home he owns, that she's now inheriting, in the BVI.

While Nina and her father are close, she's surprisingly insecure about their relationship and the mysteries surrounding her father when he's gone. Without him there to ask, she has only her own wherewithal to try to get her questions answered, and this is how she ends up in the BVI scouting this surprise new boon.

The events that follow are absolutely wild and very fun to read, and they make for a compelling thriller AND mystery. While there was one element I did not love about the end (keeping it vague so as to avoid spoilers, but it has something to do with Nina's dad's awareness of certain situations before his death and the handling of that), I really enjoyed the pacing and overall concept.

I was a fan of Steadman's upon entry and remain that way upon my triumphant exit from this one. Happy problem solving, Readers!

I was thrilled (pun intended) for a chance to read and review Catherine Steadman’s latest effort, “Look in the Mirror.”

Nina, a prestigious professor, discovers her father has recently passed away and left her a home in the British Virgin Islands. Seeking to know more about her dad, she visits, only to discover one last gift—her father left her a puzzle with potentially dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, the reader is introduced to Maria, a nanny to a wealthy family, who faces her own puzzle with similar lethal outcomes.

Steadman has excellent control of both Nina and Maria and keeps the novel moving at a lively pace. The setting of the island and these spooky houses help heighten the tension. The reader is kept constantly on her toes—especially trying to figure out how Nina and Maria’s stories intertwine (and they do). I wasn’t as thrilled (pun again) with the ending, which wrapped things up in a slightly predictable way. Overall, this is an enjoyable book that will stand out in a very crowd field of thrillers and I recommend it.

My thanks for Catherine Steadman, the publisher, and Net Galley for a chance to read such an intriguing book.

This was the ultimate cat and mouse game. There were so many twists and turns, and nothing was as it seemed. When Nina’s father leaves her an island home, she has no idea what she’s walking into. Was her father brilliant or mad? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

This thriller drops you right into the action as you follow two different women, Nina and Maria, as they encounter increasingly strange occurrences in a secluded tropical home. Short chapters packed with plot and often ending in cliffhangers make this almost impossible to put down. Very few answers or explanations are given until well after the halfway point, and I honestly enjoyed what a weird, strange ride this was.

Even though the final reveals were a bit convoluted, I felt like this was an author trying something completely new, and overall, this felt like a fresh take on the standard thriller. Also, this feels like a case where you should go ahead and judge this book by its excellent cover. Highly recommend this one when you want a quick and wild read.

Many thanks to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well, 'Look in the Mirror' is a riveting page-turner with many action-packed chapters that keep your heart in your throat, your nails bitten, and have you jumping in your seat. It presents a perfectly designed locked-room mystery concept, although some of the twists are foreseeable and a few are a bit far-fetched. Nonetheless, it promises a lot of excitement and thrill!

You'll find yourself immediately drawn into the mystery, like a puzzler trying to gather the pieces and guess connections between incidents and characters. You'll be easily hooked, going with the flow, and crossing your fingers for your favorite characters to make it out alive.

The main story centers on two women with no apparent connection. One of them is Nina, a British academic and introvert who lived a secluded life with her father until the age of 34. After her father's recent passing, she discovers he also owned a house in the British Virgin Islands, left to her in his will. Skeptical at first, Nina decides to investigate her father's past and the secrets hidden within the house.

The other character is also named Nina, a medical student who works as a nanny for wealthy families to afford her school expenses. Her latest job takes her to a secluded mansion where she's instructed not to enter the locked basement. However, when the family she's supposed to work for never arrives and an electrical malfunction unlocks the basement, Nina realizes she's in for more than just babysitting duties.

What's the connection between these two women? What's happening in the houses they inhabit? Are they part of a dangerous game, puppet masters, or merely pawns?

Overall, despite some explanations being too far-fetched, I found the creativity in designing the specifics of the escape rooms more original than 'Squid Game,' and I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride. I would round up my rating from 3.5 to 4 adventurous, heart-throbbing, twisty stars as a fan of the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for sharing this thrilling book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions."

This is the first book in forever that I have read in one sitting. I kept telling myself "just one more chapter" until the book was done. This novel was truly the definition of un-put-down-able! And although it's only February, I'm going to declare this the best book of 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.