2025 CWA Twisted Dagger (shortlist)
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.
Genre: Mystery
‘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.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Hypnotic and pulse-pounding, Look in the Mirror is both a dazzling puzzle-box of a thriller and an evocative exploration of trust, power, and how well we really know the people we love. I flew through its lush prose and intricate plot in 24 hours flat-and didn't want it to end!" - Andrea Bartz
"An inheritance puzzle turns sinister in this beguiling, atmospheric mystery. A seductive, expertly plotted page-turner that will give you the shivers." - Louise Candlish
"I read Look in the Mirror in one breathless sitting. Utterly compelling, twisted, and original. I loved it!" - Lucy Clarke
"This book has it all: superb writing, exotic locations, mysterious academics, sinister puzzles, and brilliant characters. The perfect, unputdownable book club read. Irresistible!" - Will Dean
"An absolute rollercoaster of a read. It will leave you breathless." - Jane Fallon
"A gloriously, lushly evoked setting and an utter white-knuckle ride of a plot that took me into a heart of darkness. Catherine Steadman more than delivers on the brilliant twists and thrills I've come to expect from her writing, yet still rings the changes - this feels totally fresh and unique." - Lucy Foley
"Engaging, twisty and highly original." - Peter James
"Addictive, thrilling, intoxicating." - Lisa Jewell
"Unpredictable and deeply unsettling, a must-read." - Sarah Pearse
"Look in the Mirror is an astonishing adrenaline rush of a novel, one that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Catherine Steadman has created an endlessly surprising puzzle box of a thriller in which one's most personal memories are used as tests- you fail and you die. The best novel I've read in ages." - Danielle Trussoni
"Smart and spine-tingling . . . I inhaled it." - Harriet Walker
"An inheritance puzzle turns sinister in this beguiling, atmospheric mystery. A seductive, expertly plotted page-turner that will give you the shivers." - Louise Candlish
"I read Look in the Mirror in one breathless sitting. Utterly compelling, twisted, and original. I loved it!" - Lucy Clarke
"This book has it all: superb writing, exotic locations, mysterious academics, sinister puzzles, and brilliant characters. The perfect, unputdownable book club read. Irresistible!" - Will Dean
"An absolute rollercoaster of a read. It will leave you breathless." - Jane Fallon
"A gloriously, lushly evoked setting and an utter white-knuckle ride of a plot that took me into a heart of darkness. Catherine Steadman more than delivers on the brilliant twists and thrills I've come to expect from her writing, yet still rings the changes - this feels totally fresh and unique." - Lucy Foley
"Engaging, twisty and highly original." - Peter James
"Addictive, thrilling, intoxicating." - Lisa Jewell
"Unpredictable and deeply unsettling, a must-read." - Sarah Pearse
"Look in the Mirror is an astonishing adrenaline rush of a novel, one that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Catherine Steadman has created an endlessly surprising puzzle box of a thriller in which one's most personal memories are used as tests- you fail and you die. The best novel I've read in ages." - Danielle Trussoni
"Smart and spine-tingling . . . I inhaled it." - Harriet Walker
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Used availability for Catherine Steadman's Look in the Mirror