What in the world did I just read?! This one was certainly unique as sometimes thrillers follow similar plot lines. This one, though, might leave you shaken!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
This novel is a 2022 Goodreads nominee for best mystery and thriller. It a page turning thriller, one is which you don’t know who is hiding what and who is telling the truth.
Harriet (Harry) Reed is an up-and-coming novelist. She is from London. She meets Edward Holbeck, who is from a New York family that reeks of old money and lies. Harry falls in love with Edward and now needs to be introduced to his family. Harriet herself is an orphan. She lost both of her parents in a horrific car accident when she was only ten years old.
The bulk of this story occurs within a one-month time period- Thanksgiving to Christmas. It is at the first meeting of the Holbeck family, that Harriet is introduced to his parents and siblings. It is at one of the initial meetings of the family that Harry meets Robert Holbeck, Edwards father. He summons Harry to his private study and hands her a cassette tape that he wants her to listen to in the privacy of her home. She must keep it a secret from her fiance Edward. Upon listening to it, Harry discovers a secret that she believes Robert is hiding. He in turn, reveals that he knows the secret that she herself has kept hidden for 30 years.
Harry finds herself in danger at the family gatherings. She needs to find out more details about the cassette tape, while at the same time, she needs to keep her secret from coming out which would destroy everything she has.
This book is like a deadly cat and mouse game. Who will be caught? Who will survive? Will all the secrets come out or will they remain hidden?
The ending of this book was a quick page turner for me. It is a heart pounding finale that will have you guessing as to what is happening. Highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book came out for publication on October 18, 2022.

The only reason I can think of that it took me so long to get into this book is that I was in a physical book mood rather than kindle. I loved this twisted family thriller, and I read 75% of it in two days because I couldn’t put it down. Lots of family secrets and games with a twist I did not see coming.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I selected this novel as my Dec #wwbuddyready.
Being the holidays and pregnant, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book is set during Christmas and the main character, Harry, is pregnant for the entire story! It was a fun surprise.

Despite these connections, I found the development of the story quite lacking. The mystery and "tracking down" of people seemed to happen quite easily for Harry despite the wealth and connections of the Holbeck family. This story had a fast paced and strong thriller plot line, so if that is what appeals to you in stories pick this one up. If you are looking for something with more meat to it, move along. This is at its core a thriller, and frightening gruesome Family Games is what you will find.
I did want to keep reading and see how the story ended. I could easily see this being made into a movie. Wasn't my fav book this year by any means though.

My thanks to Random House/Ballentine, Catherine Steadman and Netgalley.
This was some messed up story!
Honestly? Had I been in a movie theater, I'd of had butter dripping off my chin "from the popcorn" and the sweet taste of junior mints on my breath! (Because movie's are meant for Junior mints!)
I really just enjoyed the crap outta this book!
Favorite thing? Yeah. I was completely surprised at the end! Gotta love that!
Also? Who in the hell would want to marry into such a family? Not me!

What a fun book to read this time of year. Kept me actively engaged. Loved the Christmas background without being overly Christmas. I didn’t trust a single character up until the very end but also was rooting for a few. Stellar debut. This one is just pure fun. And I’m glad I’m not part of that family.

Thank you to Catherine Steadman and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Harry is engaged to the man of her dreams Edward. All that she has to do is meet his family and she will have the happy ever after she has always wanted. Or will she even survive his family?

It took me awhile to get into this book. I kept picking it up and putting it down because Harry frustrated me from the beginning. It wasn't until she had played the first game that I really got into this book. After the game of Krampus I was hooked!! Don't get me wrong I was still very frustrated by Harry but I was determined to find out what happened. I did not see that ending coming! This was one I was happy I read this year because I love Catherine Steadman and she never disappoints me.

I was a fan of Catherine Steadman's other books and this one did not disappoint either! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it early! If you love a novel that mixes family intrigue and mystery then this is certainly a book that you should pick up. I honestly think this was Steadman's best work yet and I am so excited to see what else she writes in the future.

Incoming full review on bookstagram!

This is a tough one to rate so I'm going with 3.5. Three stars because the characters are engaging but not likable. Four stars because the story is so twisty and suspenseful, which I love.

The majority of the plot takes place during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Harriet (Harry) is recently engaged to Edward and they find out she is expecting as well. Edward's family wants Ed and Harry to spend the Holidays with them as Ed has been estranged from them for quite some time. The rest of the book is a blur of twists, turns, and gut-wrenching decisions. Highly recommended for fans of suspenseful and twisted plots!

Thanks to Catherine Steadman, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Rising star author Harriet hasn’t had a family since her parents died in a tragic accident, so it doesn’t bother her that her ultra rich fiancé is estranged from his. But, upon their engagement, Edward and Harry decide to spend the holiday season with the Holbecks — including attending their weirdly intense holiday events. While juggling her book deadline and making a good impression on the fam, Harry is also gifted something that leads her to believe that the Holbeck’s family traditions are not all fun and games — they might include murder.

I’ve already posted about how this one was a home run for me, but let me say it again — I just loved it. It was such a great addition to my holiday reading (aka mostly romance reads) and I just loved how this one had Christmas and like tons of murder muahaha. Neither of this author’s previous books were big hits for me, but I am SO glad I didn’t let that stop me from picking this one up!

One of my favorite thrillers I’ve read this year! It was well-paced, had an interesting but not too complex plot and a satisfying ending. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet Reed is a new bestselling author. She has recently become engaged to Edward Holbeck, who comes from an extremely wealthy family. She has never met his family as they have been somewhat estranged. Edward, as the eldest son, was slated to become the head of the family empire. He refused and began his own path with a startup. Harriet has no family and a serious secret in her past. After the engagement, Ed wants her to meet the family. Harriet is quite intimidated, but the family seems to be very welcoming. They are hoping she will be able to bring Ed back to a good relationship with his family. All is not as it seems on the surface. There are many twists and turns with the family dynamics. The author leads you down a path to a shocking ending. I was engrossed in this story and stayed up half the night to finish it. This is a must read!

The Family Game was one of the weirdest but most interesting books I read. Like who thinks of these plots?!! It was intriguing enough for me to keep reading—as in, a weirdo family who likes to play Christmas monster games??—but the whole time I was thinking what on earth is happening? It’s fast paced and suspenseful. Don’t get me wrong— I liked it a lot and somehow it worked for me!

I found myself absolutely racing through this book - I couldn't keep turning pages fast enough - as I was obsessed with figuring out this creative cat-and-mouse game. When Harriet Reed meets her fiancé Edward's family, it's immediately apparent that the Holbeck family is not what they seem. But as the story unravels and we get closer to the ultimate Christmas 'game' - I was absolutely holding my breath!

I also highly recommend the audiobook version of this book as well since it's narrated by the author herself!

This was a thriller I was really excited about because it centered around a rich family, possibly a creepy game, and the holidays.

The main character gets a tape from her soon to be father in law that tells her secrets about awful things someone committed.

I enjoyed the you never know who’s watching you aspect of the plot but I felt it was more of an investigation/mystery than a true thriller.

I wasn’t ever sucked in the way I wanted to be where you were really rooting for one character. I also felt the most thriller-esque part of the book was only one chapterish.

The ending was suppose to be the huge reveal and I genuinely felt let down by it all. It was a tad boring and weird? I don’t know how to explain it.

I’d give this 2 or 2 1/2 stars but I just wasn’t very invested enough and the ending wasn’t as big a production I thought it would have been considering how the tape the main character was given made it seem.

Bummer. ☹️

This thriller had everything I look for. Crazy family dynamics, twisted games, a gothic atmosphere, and wild cat and mouse antics.
Set during the holiday season, it is the perfect read to make your family seem normal this time of year. I felt like there was a new clue or twist at every turn here. Just when we thought these characters could not get anymore controlling or unhinged...guess again. Poor Harriett had no idea what she was getting herself into with this one. If you are a thriller lover, pick this one up!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I had been waiting to read after hearing that it was set at Christmas time and boy, it did not disappoint!! I loved all the settings of the book and the fast pace. The first few pages had me hooked right away and I flew through it.! I am going to have to check out more of this author’s backlist titles!

I was expecting something completely different than what I read. However, I am pleasantly surprised with the path this book took. I think a lot of it was pretty predictable but sometimes the journey is so much more fun and entertaining than the destination. There were so many atmospheric settings in this story. It also read like a movie and I was eagerly waiting for the next thing to happen. I really loved the Christmas setting as well as the Krampus game.

Wow now this is a thriller! I loved the entire premise of this book and the characters were incredible!
Harriet or Harry as she’s called is an author , and she believes she has met the man of her dreams his name is Edward. Edward comes from an incredibly wealthy family who has a ton of connections. Harriet meets his family for the first time over Thanksgiving, they appear to welcome her and are friendly. When she has a one on one meeting with Edwards father Robert. Harriet is a bit surprised when Robert gives her a cassette tape to listen to, he gives no hint with what’s on the tape just tells her to listen to it. When she listens she’s shocked the tape appears to be confession to a grisly crime possibly a murder. The more time she spends with this family their traditions literally have her running for her life. Will she survive their family games or will she be the next victim on the tape? I loved this book it reminded me a bit of the movie Ready Or Not. I can’t imagine being Harriet at times one part gave me anxiety. Highly recommend!!

I enjoyed this read, it wasn’t anything mind blowing but it was a fun read and I enjoyed the ending immensely. Definitely intriguing for sure!