1. What were your thoughts on the glamorous but deadly house, Anderssen’s Opening? How does Catherine Steadman create a sense of claustrophobia and tension within the setting? How does the tension between the setting and what happens there contribute to the overall atmosphere of the story?
2. Nina is forced to question her past when she realizes that her father may not be who she believed him to be. How does her love for her father, and the memories they share, affect the choices Nina makes? Would you have made the same choices?
3. The book is structured with a dual timeline, two mysteries in one with layers of secrets to be revealed and revelations to be reached. What was a moment that truly surprised you? How did the author keep you guessing?
4. T. S. Eliot’s landmark modernist poem The Waste Land plays a role in the story. Published in 1922, it is broken up into five sections: “The Burial of the Dead,” exploring disillusionment and despair; “A Game of Chess,” which employs alternating narrations in which several characters discuss the fundamental emptiness of their lives; “The Fire Sermon,” about self-denial and dissatisfaction; “Death by Water,” a brief description of a drowned merchant; and “What the Thunder Said,” a culmination of the poem’s themes through the description of a desert journey. Had you heard of this poem before reading Look in the Mirror? Why do you think the author chose it to inform and guide this novel?
5. Curiosity kills the cat. It certainly gets close to killing Nina, and of course, there’s what happens to Maria. Why do you think curiosity often overwhelms our survival instincts? Has there ever been a time when your curiosity got the better of you?
6. What did you make of Lucinda? An efficient and ruthless character initially, she ends up having quite the redemptive arc. How did you interpret her change of heart? What motivates her? What do you think are your limits when it comes to sacrificing your moral code for money or power?
7. There are similarities between Nina and Maria, but there are also striking differences between the two women. Compare these two characters, and discuss how their experiences inform their means of survival. Did their resilience resonate with you? Did they provoke any reflection on your part?
8. Discuss the role of the secondary characters in Look in the Mirror. Who was your favorite? Which characters stood out to you, and why?
9. What do you think Steadman hoped to say with her cliffhanger ending, and the perpetuation of violence and the domination of the rich and powerful over the vulnerable?
10. Nina and John’s memories together—though often reflective of a complicated relationship loaded with expectations—are crucial to Nina surviving the trials she faces. What is something a parent taught you that you carry with you? How has your past informed your present?
11. At the end of the novel, Nina remarks, “They are survivors, she knows that now, and if life isn’t enough, they can always make it a game.” What do you take this to mean? How could one see life as a game?
12. Discuss each character’s motivations for living and surviving. What motivates you?
13. After reading Look in the Mirror, are you motivated to try out an escape room…or will you want to avoid them forever?
14. “Chess is a game of strategy, but sometimes the best strategy is just to run.” Which is more important: brains or brawn?