I’m catching up on some old readers copies. I have to say, this is my favorite Catherine Steadman book to date. Her books just keep getting better and better! The book has so many twists and turns. And, boy did the ending catch me off guard.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballantine, #CatherineSteadman and #TheFamilyGame for the copy for my honest review.

Suspenseful family drama, slow to start but it sucked me in and then I couldn’t break away from it. This was my favorite Catherine Steadman book so far.

This was a fun twist on the usual thriller. It was fast paced and filled with family drama, but the plot itself was unique. It had me guessing up to the end and I did not guess correctly! The ending did feel a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book, but overall I enjoyed the story. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Catherine Steadman for the opportunity to read/listen to this one!

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller. It felt like a twisted take on Succession and I was very intrigued by just how far the family games would go. I really identified with the main character. I wish there would have been a little more development between the main character and her fiance. It felt like I was told how in love they were, but not shown, so the ending of the book, while it made sense, felt a bit abrupt. But I would definitely recommend this book and I'd love to read more by this author!

I really enjoyed this one from Catherine Steadman! Harry is an author whose debut novel becomes an instant smash hit. She also just got engaged to Edward, who is seemingly the perfect man. Sweet, loving, very successful. Edward also comes from a rich family with some traditions…very INTERESTING traditions, to say the least. I felt the pacing was well-done and I kept turning those pages to find out what was going to happen which is always what you want in a thriller. I liked the questionable characters and trying to figure out if I could trust them or not (and going back and forth a dozen times!). Steadman has been a hit or miss for me and this one was definitely a hit.

I loved this book! As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, I’ve seen all the “tropes” countless time. This one was fresh and new and fun. It definitely scared me. Catherine steadman is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.

What a unique premise for a book! This family was ruthless and I was cheering for the main character the whole time. The twist at the end took me by surprise. A solid thriller and perfect spooky season read.

Catherine Steadman has penned another fantastic book. Set during the holiday season, it deviates from the usual family gathering narrative. The story begins with a confession and culminates in a lethal game filled with unexpected twists and surprises from start to finish. It kept me guessing the entire time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this novel for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun and well paced thriller that is perfect for this time of year. I throughly enjoyed our main character, Harry, and I was invested in finding out the same answers she was trying to uncover. One reason that this book works so well is that Harry has moved to America for her fiancee so the isolation of not knowing who to trust felt authentic. And the money and power that her soon to be family has is a force of its own. The twists and turns of this story coupled with the weird games made this book so hard to put down. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.

This book is like a Christmas version of the movie Ready or Not including the huge mansion. Except this family has lots of Christmas traditions and they are so outlandish which is what makes this book so fun. Steadman is an actor which really shows in this book since every scene and each character was so easy to picture. I would love for this to be adapted into a movie and I hope one day my wish comes true.

This book was insane! I listened to the audio of this and it is a great audiobook. I loved the twists and turns of it. There was a perfect blend of family drama and mystery. I just couldn't stop reading it. The ending was absolutely crazy and I didn't see it coming. I thought it was a great way to end things!

This is a fast paced thriller with a twist at the end. Definitely had me hooked right away, and the mystery unfolded into a very suspenseful tale. Highly recommended.

Great story and flow. I really enjoy this author and how we get each little bit piece by piece exactly when we need it.

The Family Game gave me the total creeps, in the best way possible! My family's game nights are nothing like the game nights played by the Holbeck's. No wonder Edward tried to keep his fiance away.

Another great read from Catherine Steadman. It takes place over the holidays, but it's not your typical family get together. It starts with confession and ends in a deadly game full of twists and turns throughout the whole book. It was very unpredictable!

The Family Game

A Novel

By: Catherine Steadman

Publish Date: 8 November 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Ballantine Books

General fiction (adult)/mystery & Thrillers/women’s fiction

#TheFamilyGame#NetGalley

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Random house-Ballantine for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:

I gave this book 4 stars. I had a great reading this book, and it read quickly.

What would you do in her place? I am not sure what I would do if I was her.

Harriet Reed is a novelist, and she is about to marry a man from a very powerful family. Edward is that man. He has been keeping her from his family because of things that happen to him in the past. Well, now that they about to get married he doesn’t have much of a choice anymore. Harriet is excited to get to know them because she doesn’t have any family of her own. When she was younger, her parents died in an auto accident, and she was the only survivor. After a while she starts wondering what she is getting herself into. The family has different ideas of what is fun and games. The first game happens at the beginning of December, and she doesn’t have any idea on how to play until one of the younger children tells. She was really upset with Edward about this even though she made it through. The one on Christmas Eve was a life changer.

Everyone has secrets even Harriet. Harriet doesn’t want to tell Edward about her past because she thinks he will leave her. Edward also has secrets, but no one knows about them. The family has secrets which goes way back. Will these secrets be reviled or will they stay hidden. you will have to read the book to find out.

This is one of a whole bunch of books pitched as being similar to KNIVES OUT, so going in, I had high expectations for a fun caper with twists and turns, perhaps a hilarious Southern detective, and definitely some dysfunctional family dynamics. This had all that, but I think it was more similar to Ready or Not (a movie I also adored). The main character, Harry, is plunged into the middle of an eccentric, vicious family when she accepts her boyfriend's proposal and is whisked off to the family manor. Y'all, this family has SECRETS. Ok? It's toxic. If you like a cat and mouse style thriller set in a fab house, look no further. You will probably appreciate your own family even more after reading this.

This book had a few things going against it for me right away. First, I'm not really into playing games, especially like the ones that were in this book. Anything with a riddle, and I am out. Second, I have found that I really do not like reading about rich people, it's just irritating. This book also felt incredibly slow, and I just wanted it to get to the point much faster. I was between a two and three star rating, but I ended up on three stars because I was still interested to see how everything played out.

I don't know why I was not able to get into this book. I think maybe I misjudged the synopsis, but it just was not for me.

The cover drew me in for this one. It was a fun read with a quirky vibe to it and lots of twists. I will be reading more from this author.

I finally got around to reading this one and omg I wish I hadn’t waited so long! I read 5 thrillers all within just a couple of weeks of each other and this one was by far my favorite. It was dark, twisty, and filled with rich family drama. I loved the cassette tape component and the mystery of what would be on it. I also loved the games the Holbeck family played. Krampus was absolutely horrifying, but I loved every second. And the Christmas Eve game….. are you kidding me?!?! The last chapter gave me the closure I both wanted and needed. I’ll definitely be recommending this one! Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!