Mystery• Thriller

Review: Monster in the Mirror by Janasha Prabhu

October 25, 2026

Synopsis:

Her uncle was a serial killer. The town whispers, could she be a killer too?

On the night Jiah Rai was found cradling her girlfriend Georgia’s dead body at the bottom of Wailing Cliff, everyone suspected her. There wasn’t enough evidence to charge her, but the town refuses to forget. Murder must run in the family. Jiah’s uncle was a convicted serial killer, and while he died behind bars, his legacy lives on in Jiah and her sister. It doesn’t matter that they’ve lived in Dumont their whole lives—they have never fit into the insular white community, and perhaps they never will.

But legacy isn’t done with Jiah just yet. A few years later, a threat from Georgia’s brother threatens to crumble the shaky peace Jiah has rebuilt. Desperate to feel safe again, Jiah decides to take matters into her own hands and seeks support from her best friend, Estrella. After all, Estrella has been there for Jiah ever since they met after Georgia’s death. But when Estrella never shows up to a dinner party, a series of texts lead Jiah to the beach below, where she finds a body positioned exactly how her uncle displayed his victims over a decade ago. The killer mocks Jiah, hinting they know about her secrets, too. But is Jiah really the monster Dumont thinks she is? As Jiah hunts the killer, she begins to realize she might be unable to save the next victim…and that she may not want to.

Review:

The beginning of the book grabbed my attention immediately. Jiah and her sister live in a small town, one that was impacted by a serial killer many years ago who turned out to be their uncle. Guilt by association and their connection to the events of the past hang over them like a dark cloud. Jiah’s only reason for staying is to take care of her sister’s family.
Jiah is an outcast, interacting with very few people and constantly being the centre of gossip, which cannot be easy. When her girlfriend dies two years earlier, Jiah is immediately blamed, and the woman’s brother has harassed and bullied her ever since. When he goes missing, it sets off a chain of events that connects the past to the present.

This story had a lot of potential, and the first half was the part I enjoyed the most. It set the stage for a mystery waiting to be solved, and Jiah was a character I really felt for. Her frustration and loneliness came across very well. The switching timelines and the inclusion of newspaper clippings about the past murders were elements I actually enjoyed, as they added small clues about what had happened back then.
Bit by bit, however, the story became a little too weird for me, and some of the plot points felt over the top. Was it still an easy and enjoyable read? Yes. However, it felt as though it lost its direction towards the end.

🌙 Recension: Monster in the Mirror by Janasha Prabhu
📚 Genre: Mystery, Thriller
📅 Release Date: October 20, 2026
📖 Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 351
⭐️ 3.5/5