This book was so good. I loved everything about this from the beginning all the way to the end. Catherine always keeps me on my toes and I recommend her books to anyone I talk to.

Another winner from Catherine Steadman! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and couldn't stop reading. I definitely did not see the ending coming and I loved it. If you are a fan of suspense novels you would love this one! Thank you netgalley for my free copy.

Rich people behaving badly. Friends, this book is a ride! Harry is a novelist recently engaged to Edward, who comes from a family with old money. Edward's family is one of society's super elite but Edward has mostly gone on his own in recent years so Harry has yet to meet them. The family fortune is entitled so they are always protective of who Edward, the eldest in the family, dates. Harry is nervous to meet them all once they are engaged and the meeting goes differently than expected.

Outwardly, the family is welcoming and ready to include Harry in their family fold. The big difference is Robert, Edward's father. When he pulls Harry aside to meet with her one-on-one to give her a cassette recording, she is instantly both intrigued and suspect about what exactly Robert's motives are. Over the next month or so, there are terrifying family games, awkward dinners and meetings, a list of missing persons, and investigation on Harry's part about the family she is marrying into. The one thing that keeps Harry going is her love for Edward and the belief that he is worth it all.

The book kept me riveted right from the start. I could not put it down. Secrets slowly start to unfold and the twists at the end surprised me. I would recommend this one to anyone who is a family of domestic drama and suspense.

Wow I had such high expectations for this one and it absolutely came through! I will never stop recommending this one! definitely one of my favorites in a while

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Catherine Steadman for an advance copy of The Family Game in exchange for an honest review. Okay, why the heck did I wait so long to read this one?! I LOVED IT! Its hard to say much about this one without giving plot points away but I was completely immersed in this story. I felt that it started out a little bit slow but the last 75% flew by for me. With that being said, the slow burn in the beginning provided me with a good ground work about the family. I was very happy with how this one turned out and I of course, guessed the twist wrong. This one is out now and was also recently a BOTM pick so you have no reason to not add it to your bookshelf!

Thank you #Netgalley!

Harry is a writer who recently moved to the United States after falling in love with Edward, a wealthy man from New York. Harry and Edward get engaged and now Harry is interested in finally meeting Edward's family, who he has kept away over the last year. Edward had distanced himself and was weary of Harry connecting. While Harry was curious about this well known wealthy family and how she would fit in. As she begins to meet the family, she learns each has their own secrets and the family enjoys playing "games". From the outside these games are not normal, Harry struggles with the concepts and how to proceed with the relationships as Edward's father in particular plays mind games with her. Many twists and turns, ultimately enjoyed the last chapter and how things played out for Harry.

Ok, I had really high hopes for this book because it sounded like rich people drama meets thriller! I was expecting more of a May Cobb feel, but got maybe more of a Ruth Ware vibe.

The set up of the story took a few turns that I was not expecting, but I did have an idea of the ending twist about halfway through the book. The descriptions and setting were pretty eerie in a really great way for a thriller book. I also really love the look of the cover so there's a plus.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I'm obsessed with this book! I listened to the audio and it was fantastic. I don’t know how one person can narrate like 3 people and sell this story so well. I have no idea if I would have loved this as much if I was just reading off the page because the narrator really brought this story to life. I LOVED the parts of the book that were part of the cassette recording, the little buzz and click of a recording portion, the tone of voice, the pauses at the exact right moment was *chefs kiss*

Ok now that I’m done gushing about the audio, on to the story:
This is a thriller for sure, with romance, intrigue, mystery and some major family drama. There were so many points in this story where I was SURE I had this all figured out only to find out I was way off base. I love when a book gives me an ending I didn’t see coming and this certainly delivered. I was hooked on this book from the day I picked it up.

Highly recommended!

I love that roasting billionaires has become a genre all in itself, and the newest by Catherine Steadman is on top of its game. Pun intended. Harriet is a British writer about to marry Edward Holbeck, the son of one of the most powerful men in America. And Harry seems intimidated by the prospect of meeting future in-laws and the rest of the family. Or don't they watch Succession in the UK? She's right to be apprehensive because this family, apart from being astonishingly wealthy and influential, is also weird. They like to play bizarre games. Grown-up versions of children's Halloween games, brought over from Germany, were hide-and-seek invokes pure terror, and Christmas games that turn even deadlier.

And then we have yet to talk about their mind games. Those would push every prospective daughter-in-law over the edge.

But Harriet is not easily unnerved; she proves herself to be assertive and maybe even as destructive.

The central relationship in this book is not between Harriet and her fiance but instead indulging in the incredible awkwardness of Harriet and her future father-in-law, Robert's connection. Harriet's knees almost buckle every time Robert walks in the room; her fascination and attraction are incredibly uncomfortable and intriguing. From his side, his interest remains opaque.

But after meeting her once, Robert leaves Harriet with a tape cassette, with what seems to be a confession to murder.

It's delicious how Steadman turned an anxiety-filled time for any future bride, meeting the parents into this deadly cat-and-mouse game. Or better, a perfect match between a tom and queen because Harriet is no meek prey; her grit shows when she is put to the test. This is a woman who takes charge. And she might be the one thing this family needs to redeem itself from its past sins.

So, there are creepy contests, spooky locations, ambiguous deaths, a lot of sleuthing, romances gone wrong, and as many twists as there is room in The Holbeck manor.

It is gothic, richly written, twisted, uneasy, and has a kickass protagonist to root for.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is a fantastic fast paced read.

I really liked the main characters Harried and Edward .

There are multiple twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the story.

This is an interesting thriller where the main character is actually a thriller writer that gets into a real life situation that feels a lot like a thriller itself. She even decides to go ahead and use the story as the plot for her next book without knowing exactly where she was getting into.

*3.5*

There were parts of this that I really enjoyed like the Krampus party, I really want to have a Krampus party now. And that wasn’t the only game “played” in this book so it def lives up to its title. I enjoyed the pieces of story that were part of the tape that was given to Harriet, I thought it really helped to amp up the tension and you really get a feel for just how powerful this family is. Which of course helps set the stage for the final game. I was engaged and I couldn’t wait to get to that final showdown and scene and when she arrives at the mansion, I audibly said “oh snap, here we go”.
Now I know what you’re thinking; seems like you liked a lot about this book so why did you give it 3.5 stars?! Hear me out … Mainly because I REALLLLLYYYY wished for a different ending. Now I will say the ending did catch me off guard which I guess is really the goal, but I wanted a completely different ending; a darker ending and I wished Catherine would’ve taken it there. Another thing, a big plot point was this tape that Harriet receives, and she takes her sweet time listening to that tape. And in my head, I’m thinking COMON, people are far to curious for that. We all know that tape would’ve been listened to in its entirety in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow that was a messed up family! Couldn’t put this one down but everyone was extremely dislikable. The last twist felt a little convienent so this was a good but not great thriller!

𝘼 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝙒𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧.”

Harriet aka Harry, is a budding novelist. She’s engaged to her perfect match, Edward, a man who comes from a family rooted in old money, and odd traditions. For the bulk of their relationship, Edward has managed to keep Harry away from the vice grip of his difficult family. But with their impending nuptials looming, Edward can only shelter Harry for so long.

Reluctantly, the couple gets roped into attending a holiday with the Holbecks, each member more eccentric and mysterious than the next. That is, until, Harry meets the family’s patriarch, the magnetic Robert Holbeck. Equal parts repulsed and attracted, Harry finds herself wondering about the head of the household, and his inscrutable intentions.

One day after an awkward dinner, Robert gives Harry a cassette which reveals some shocking information. However, connecting the dots soon proves to be easier said than done. What follows is a mind game of epic proportions, on brand with the heady Holbeck history, setting off a chain of events, each more outlandish than the other.

Let the games begin.

One could say The Family Game is a sort of like a warped Christmas novel. It’s what Die Hard was to Christmas anyway, both minus Bruce Willis. The first half of this book was quite intriguing. After Harry meets the Holbecks, however, I wanted more interaction with all the family members. Giving each character backstory implies motive, and thus gives the reader a reason. Instead, the second half of the book flounders a bit in absurdity and audacity. While I predicted the twist, the ending felt like it was missing something that would have felt broken, regardless of my sleuthing.

A psychological thriller that follows the lives of a wealthy British family as they navigate secrets and lies. This book has an intriguing plot, well-developed characters, and unexpected twists. Catherine Steadman's writing style is sharp, tense, and atmospheric, making for a fast-paced and engaging read. I highly recommend this one!

I have read other books by Catherine Steadman but this book she really knocks it out of the park. It revolves around Harry, short for Harriet, a woman from England and a famous author with her first book being a best seller. She meets Edward Holbeck who is from the U.S. and is from a extremely wealthy family. Within a few months they are engaged and she hasn’t even met his family. Edward seems to avoid them. The book takes place over one month. Harriet meeting the Holbeck’s on Thanksgiving where Robert, Edward’s father calls Harry into his study, makes conversation with her and then slips her a cassette which she has to buy a device because it is so outdated so she can listen to it. There are a few more family functions that are bizarre and the tape Harriet has to listen to is awful. It appears to be accusing someone of someone’s death. They, the Holbeck’s had another son that died many years ago. Without giving away spoilers, everything culminates on Christmas at one of their mansions with more crazy games including the other siblings and their children. I never saw the major twist coming and who the real culprit was. Absolutely a fantastic psychological thriller!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙐𝙇𝙀𝙎
1. 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮
2. 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝
3. 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚
4. 𝙍𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚
𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙔 𝙊𝙍 𝙉𝙊𝙏, 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙔 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 . . .

📍 Read if you like:
• Christmas Games
• Rich Families
• Twisty Reads
• Ready Or Not

This Christmas thriller was so twisty and at times terrifying. I knew I immediately wanted to read it after reading the synopsis - it was the perfect spooky read for the Christmas season.

I didn’t know what to expect out of this book, but I’m glad it was a hit. The Christmas games were so fun to read about, but one of them was super terrifying - I got the chills.

While I did love reading it physically, I highly recommend checking out the audiobook. It added to the suspense as the tapes have a special effect and they sound creepy listening to them.

I loved the rich family filled with secrets. While I did predict part of the ending, there were some twists I didn’t see coming. The book is best to go in not knowing much, but it did remind me so much of Ready or Not.

The mansion setting and cat-mouse game with our MC, Harriet/Harry, was so well done. I think this book itself was so unique and well-written. There’s so much suspense!

I found myself so invested in the story that it was hard to put the book down. I flew through it, I had to know what was going on.

There’s too much to the story that it’s hard to not give away too much, but if you haven’t read this one I highly suggest you do! Especially if it’s the audiobook and near Christmas!!

So suspenseful and I loved the new twisted element of having rich pretentious families participate in evil games.

This has a great story line. It keeps your wondering what is going to happen next. Then there is a twist at the end you dont see coming.

This storyline had so much potential. Maybe it's because I read and advance copy and there were so many inconsistencies in the timeline and plot that (I hope) were fixed before publication, but this just didn't live up to my expectations.

It wasn't awful, but it also just wasn't great. It felt very slow at certain points and too rushed at others. It wasn't super predictable, but I can't say I was necessarily surprised by the ending either. It really was just an okay book. As a big suspense and thriller reader, it just didn't do it for me personally. But I'm sure there are people out there who would absolutely love the slower pace of this one.