Oh. My. God. A delicious mix of Steadman’s last book, A Family Game and the crazy train feel of Everyone Is Watching, Look in the Mirror was the epitome of fast-paced. Well, aside from the slow burn start, that is. Even it, however, added to the plot as it built a depth to this novel with poignancy and breathtaking character development. Together with deft plotting, mind-boggling twists, and a wild, twisted premise, I fell in love with this novel hook, line, and sinker. But then, given that Catherine Steadman wrote it, was there ever any doubt?
Speaking of the plotting, with an ever ratcheting level of suspense and palpable tension, the chess-like vibe brought a definite smile to my face. With multiple POVs and two gripping timelines, their ordeals easily kept me firmly in the dark until the biggest of the big jaw-dropping reveals. But the characters easily matched the storyline step for step all things considered. After all, the two central narrators of Maria and Nina were smart, strong, ferocious women who grabbed my attention right from the start. And while the plot was hardly true-to-life (only in the best possible way) every persona in the cast felt utterly genuine—even the villains.
I do have to make one clarification. While I’ve noticed in quite a few reviews that this book has been characterized as horror, I firmly believe it was no such thing. Was it dark? Most definitely. At the same time, I felt it was instead the definition of a psychological thriller. Not overly graphic or even horror adjacent, if you loved either of the books that I named at the start of this review, you’ll surely love this one as well. Now that I’ve addressed that small annoyance, let me wrap up my glowing assessment.
All said and done, I’m still reveling in how this book managed to keep me off balance from beginning to end. With cliffhanger chapters, crystal clear identities, and a sinister feel, the level of unease was absolutely dialed up to ten as the plot unwound before me. All I know is the nerve-shredding dread was seriously no joke. Neither was the mind-blowing epilogue that shocked me when I thought I could no longer be shocked. So if it wasn’t already obvious, I wholly recommend this novel. Addictive, bingeable, and a masterclass in thrills and chills, you don’t want to miss out on this cracking good time. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
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.
Thank you to Catherine Steadman, Random House, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: July 30, 2024
Trigger warning: death of a parent, forced captivity