the only way out is through

Nina Hepworth is grieving for her father. She lost him suddenly, and she is heartbroken. And then she sees a letter on his table that she had missed. It was on weighty paper, and it was addressed to her at her father’s home. When she opened it, Nina found that the letter was from an attorney who informed her that her father had a house in the British Virgin Islands, and that house was now hers.

Nina travels to the islands to see the house, and she finds a beautiful house right with a private beach. It’s filled with luxuries as well as small reminders of her father. But Nina doesn’t understand. Her father never said anything about this house. In all the years they were together, when they did crossword puzzles together and talked about books, when he shared his favorite poetry with her and they learned Morse code together to have a secret language. But in all that time, he had never mentioned a house in the Virgin Islands, nor did he give Nina any reason to believe that he had the kind of wealth that would get him a vacation house.

Nina tries to research the house, to get a copy of the building plans, but she finds out that someone else was impersonating her and got a copy of the plans just months before. Although, there are only plans for the parts of the house that are above the ground. The rest is a mystery.

Maria is a medical student who took some time off from school to work as a nanny for the ultra-rich. With just a few years of short-term nanny stints (usually for when the full-time nanny goes on vacation), Maria can pay off her entire medical degree, and maybe buy herself a house besides. She is offered a two-week job in the Virgin Islands, caring for two small children, and she jumped at the chance. She gets to the house and settles in, and then starts preparing the house for the family to show up. However, they don’t show up that first night.

The next day, Maria wakes up, puts on her uniform and again readies the house for the family. She makes some snacks for the kids and inflates some pool toys, in case they want to play in the pool after their long journey. But again, no one else shows. As the days tick by with no family for her to nanny, Maria starts to wonder exactly what it was she was hired for. And then she finds her way into the mysterious room in the basement, and everything changes for her. Her life as she knew it is over.

Look in the Mirror is the latest thriller by Catherine Steadman, and it is chilling. As young, single women learn the secrets of that house in the Virgin Islands, they find out just how far some people will go to feed the evil inside them. This is as dark a novel as I’ve read for quite some time, but it is brilliantly plotted, with writing that pulls you in deeper to the mysteries lurking at the center of this house.

I was drawn into the characters in Look in the Mirror almost immediately. I found both Nina and Maria sympathetic and strong women, and I was rooting for them, even though I had no idea what it was they were fighting. And once I did know, I was rooting for them so much harder. These are intelligent, driven women put into excruciating challenges, and I really wanted them to win. I wanted them to escape and find joy and meaning in their lives. I can’t say that the ending is completely satisfying, but it did feel honest to the story. There is sadness here, and evil, but there is also kindness, self-sacrifice, determination, and human connection. This is a powerful story, honest about some of the ugliest parts of humanity, but it also shows the will to survive, which is the most human thing we all ultimately share.

Egalleys for Look in the Mirror were provided by Ballentine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.