Where to Start with Catherine Steadman
For readers diving into Catherine Steadman's bibliography for the first time, the recommended starting point is her blockbuster debut, Something in the Water (2018). It is the perfect introduction to her signature style: fast-paced, highly cinematic pacing, normal characters thrown into extraordinary moral dilemmas, and sharp, suspenseful writing. Since all of Steadman's full-length novels are standalone thrillers, you can read them in any order without worrying about character continuity or overarching storylines.
However, if you want to sample different flavors of her writing first, here are some alternative entry points based on your preferences:
- For Hollywood insiders and drama: Start with The Disappearing Act, which draws heavily on Steadman's real-life experiences as an actress navigating the cutthroat audition circuit in Los Angeles.
- For gothic, high-society suspense: Start with The Family Game, a dark and twisty holiday thriller about an author trying to survive the bizarre, dangerous tradition of her fiancé's ultra-wealthy family.
- For high-tech voyeurism: Start with Nine Lives, where a woman uses a "cat cam" on her pet to investigate her seemingly perfect London neighbors.
Catherine Steadman Novels in Publication Order
Reading Catherine Steadman's novels in publication order allows you to experience her evolution as a writer, particularly as she expands from classic psychological suspense into tech-thrillers and high-society mysteries. Below is the complete order of her full-length novels:
1. Something in the Water (2018)
Steadman's debut follows Erin, a documentary filmmaker, and Mark, an investment banker, who go on a dream honeymoon to Bora Bora. While scuba diving, they discover a mysterious bag floating in the water containing a massive amount of cash and diamonds. Their choice to keep the discovery secret spirals into a terrifying chain of events, forcing them to make compromises that test their marriage and their safety. This novel was a New York Times bestseller and a Reese's Book Club selection.
2. Mr. Nobody (2020)
This novel centers on a man found wandering on a beach in Norfolk, unable to speak and with no memory of who he is. Dubbed "Mr. Nobody" by the media, he becomes the patient of Emma Lewis, a brilliant neuropsychiatrist. Emma has her own secrets, having fled her hometown fourteen years prior. As she attempts to unlock the mystery of his identity, she discovers that he knows things about her past that he couldn't possibly know, leading to a tense, psychological game of cat and mouse.
3. The Disappearing Act (2021)
Drawing on Steadman's acting career, this thriller is set during the chaotic pilot season in Los Angeles. Mia Eliot, a British actress riding the wave of a recent BAFTA nomination, travels to Hollywood for auditions. There, she meets Emily, another hopeful actress. When Emily goes missing after an audition and a different woman shows up claiming to be Emily, Mia is drawn into a dark conspiracy in the underbelly of Hollywood that puts her own life at risk.
4. The Family Game (2022)
Harriet Reed is a successful novelist who has recently become engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir to one of the most powerful and wealthy dynasties in the world. Eager to be accepted, Harriet joins the Holbecks for their annual holiday gathering. However, she is quickly pulled into their eccentric, high-stakes games when the family patriarch slips her a tape containing a confession to a horrific crime, turning her dream engagement into a deadly fight for survival.
5. Look in the Mirror (2024)
This vacation-themed thriller weaves together the stories of two women. Nina, who is grieving the death of her father, inherits a mysterious, state-of-the-art smart villa in the British Virgin Islands. Maria, a young woman working at the villa, is tasked with keeping its secrets. As Nina explores the house, she discovers hidden cameras, high-tech security, and a hidden room containing a game that demands players follow strict rules—leading both women into a web of greed and danger.
6. Nine Lives (2026)
In her 2026 release, Steadman introduces Frankie, a woman rebuilding her life in a glamorous London neighborhood after a difficult divorce. Frankie's peace is shattered when her Persian cat, Blue, returns home with a desperate message scratched into his collar: "help me." Determined to find the sender, Frankie attaches a camera to Blue's collar. As she watches the footage, she gets a peek behind the pastel doors of her wealthy neighbors, realizing that one of them is harboring a murderous secret.
The "Getaway" Multi-Author Short Story Collection
In 2022, Catherine Steadman participated in the Getaway collection, a series of six standalone digital and audio short stories published by Amazon Original Stories. The collection centers on vacations and escapes that take a dark, thrilling turn. While the stories are written by different authors and can be read independently, they are compiled under the same banner. Catherine Steadman contributed the third story in the lineup, titled Stockholm.
For completeness, here is the publication order of the Getaway collection:
- Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth
- His Happy Place by Zakiya Dalila Harris
- Stockholm by Catherine Steadman
- Belle Mer by Luanne Rice
- Catch Her in a Lie by Jess Lourey
- Shell Game by Rumaan Alam
Steadman's contribution, Stockholm, is a fast-paced short thriller about a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary with a romantic trip to Sweden. However, the trip takes a dangerous turn when they become trapped in a museum after hours, forcing them to play a game of survival against an unseen adversary.
What to Know Before You Start
Catherine Steadman's writing is heavily influenced by her primary career as an actress. Before publishing her first novel, she trained at the Oxford School of Drama and starred as Mabel Lane Fox in the fifth season of Downton Abbey, as well as appearing in shows like The Tudors and Breathless. This background translates into highly visual storytelling, rapid scene cuts, and strong character dialogue that makes her novels feel like feature films.
In addition to acting and novel writing, Steadman is an accomplished screenwriter. She wrote the screenplay and served as an executive producer for the 2022 television adaptation of Jess Ryder's psychological thriller The Ex-Wife, which aired on Paramount+. Her debut novel, Something in the Water, was also optioned for a film adaptation by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, reflecting the cinematic potential of her work.