Item: Look In the Mirror
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Catherine Steadman

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).

“Addictive, thrilling, intoxicating.”—Lisa Jewell, author of None of This Is True

“The vacation home of dreams . . . or nightmares? What a ride—I tore through this nail-biting, pacey read.”—Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat

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.

Book Summary:

Nina’s life has been turned upside down. One moment, she was the daughter of a brilliant professor. The next, she became a grieving woman, uncertain of her place in the world following her father’s death. To add to this complex miasma of emotions, she discovers her father left her a home she had never heard of.

Meanwhile, Maria has big ambitions in life. She’s okay with working really hard for the next few years if it means saving up enough for medical school. But her latest cleaning gig may be about to throw all those plans into disarray.

My Review:

Whew! If you’re looking for a book full of escape-room escapades with high stakes, Look in the Mirror is the book for you. This book pulls readers in with the promise of a family secret but quickly changes the stakes, leaving you on the edge of your seat.

There were some great elements in Look in the Mirror. It’s creepy and disturbing, and the stakes feel very real. There’s never any doubt that Maria and Nina are in grave danger, and I found it interesting how their circumstances are so different yet intersect pretty perfectly.

That said, I didn’t love every element of this book. There were times when the perspective-flipping felt repetitive or jarring. Likewise, I wasn’t a huge fan of the love at first sight bit (though I can see why it became an important part of the story).

All things said and done, I’m thrilled (see what I did there) to give Look in the Mirror a chance. I’ll happily read anything else written by Catherine Steadman.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Escape Room Vibes
Multiple Perspectives

Trigger Warnings:
Murder/Torture/Violence
Parental Death

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Look In the Mirror

by Catherine Steadman

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Sep 8, 2024

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