This may end up being my favorite book of 2022.

I absolutely loved this thriller. I was already a Catherine Steadman fan, but she takes it to the next level in this one. The cast of characters is fantastic, the mystery at the heart of this one is twisty, and the writing is so atmospheric. For the last quarter of the book, I felt every chill that Harry did. This book is fabulous from start to finish.

Harriet Reed has met the man of her dreams in Edward Holbeck. But he is very leery about bringing Harry around his family and there are many secrets. Harry has no family and longs to be a part of a big one. And the secrets in this book are many - everyone has them. But Edward's Dad - Robert - sets the stage for everything in this book. And this family loves to play games.

I really enjoyed the interactions of Harry with Edward's family. You never knew where anyone stood in this one. There is a particular scene between Harry and Fiona that I loved and that had me dropping my jaw. It was spectacular. Also, as I have mentioned, this family loves their games. I don't want to spoil anything about this book, but let's just say that not enough thrillers feature Krampus traditions.

This story is twisty, tight, and will have you holding your breath until the very end. Even though I had a digital copy of this book, I also listened to the audiobook. I wanted to keep reading it. Catherine Steadman narrates her own novel, and she does a wonderful job. I would listen to her read a phone book. She is the perfect voice for Harry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for this gifted copy. It is so appreciated. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you are looking for the perfect winter thriller, pick this one up!

⛲️🫣The Family Game🫣⛲️

Still catching up on some of my November reads! And Good reads choice awards came out today, I’m shocked this was so low on the list! I loved it!

✍️: Catherine Steadman
✨:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so good! I was hooked from the start, engaged to a man whose big powerful family you’ve never met? Count me in. This book was so interesting, the weird and creepy family “traditions” were spot on, so good, out of the box and creeeeepy. It had good twists, great characters and I was fully invested every step of the way! My only criticism, if I had to have one, was… she’s given a tape to listen to… and the amount of time that goes by where she’s listened to part of the tape and not the whole thing, is dumb. Like just listen to the whole thing, that’s what literally anyone else would do! Besides that, I loved everything about this!

What is your favorite thriller you’ve read this year? This is definitely up there for me!

The Family Game was far fetched from start to finish, but fun along the way. So many unbelievable aspects and an ending that could be seen from a mile away, but Steadman still manages to keep us entertained in the midst of it all. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This has been the season of completely messed up, dysfunctional, crazy families and this book takes the cake! I loved reading this book the week of thanksgiving, as the book is set in the months of November and December. It had some crazy family traditions, that I enjoyed reading and would absolutely never partake in! The twist was on that I did not guess until right before it was revealed! I would highly recommend this book for thriller lovers!

In The Family Game Harry is an author, working on her next book, when her boyfriend, Edward, proposes. Edward is a Holbeck, a very wealthy and well-connected family. While most of them seem to welcome Harry once they meet her, Robert, the family patriarch, is a different story. He gives Harry a cassette tape in which he reveals a confession. This sets off the Holbeck family’s weird holiday traditions and Harry has no choice but to play, if she really loves Edward and wants a future with him.

This family drama suspense story set during the holiday season held my interest from the start. It was entertaining though the family’s “games” were definitely disturbing. I had to see how things would play out. While I didn’t love the ending of this story, I enjoyed the book overall (think sinister Succession vibes) and found it worth reading.

This book was very reminiscent of many horror movies I've loved over the years but was still it's own thing completely. It felt like the movie "Ready or Not" but had many different plot points outside of the new partner playing horrifying games with her in-laws. I read this entire novel in one day because I simply could not stop reading, I was hooked and wanted to know what was going to happen. This isn't my first Catherine Steadman, but it's inspired me to read more of her backlog. The book uses inclusive language, such as calling the siblings significant others "partners" and it was a nice touch. I absolutely loved the tie-in of my favorite Christmas tradition, Krampus. The Krampusnacht scene was one of my favorites in the whole book, and it was cool to see a niche tradition I know so well accurately portayed in a book.

This reminded me of a horror movie that I saw several year ago....in like a good way!!! I don't want to give too much away, but this book was super fun. Was it the best thing I have read? No. Was it still enjoyable? YES

LOVED this book. It had my heart racing, especially in the last 15% of it. The twist was completely unexpected, though I do wish they tied up a few more loose ends. Didn't matter though since it was SO good!

3.5 ⭐️ - this one was entertaining! The story had me hooked and I NEEDED to know what happened. I liked that we get a taste of the end at the beginning of the book, that 100% kept me motovated to finish and see how we get from point A to point B. Worth the read!

Okay- where do I even start with this book because oh my GOD.

I genuinely didn’t think I was going to like it to begin with- the opening was too insta love/family for me, and it was frustrating with the characters. I went into it expecting something similar to Ready or Not and the first bit of the book made me second guess that description, and I wasn’t too thrilled

The last like, half of the book though. It was such a twisting plot that I didn’t know what to expect and oh my god- I loved it SO MUCH. It was fun, it kept me guessing, and I loved the ending.

It’s a book that you definitely have to stick with if you’re wanting an immediate thriller because it isn’t, but the ending is so SO worth it.

This one an entertaining read with a creepy family, secrets, and mystery. I did enjoy it but had to suspend disbelief as this storyline and actions of the characters were just so unbelievable. If this had been written a little more believable, it would have added to the suspense and creepiness and would have been a great read.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! I’ve read only one other book by Steadman, Something in the Water, but her books never let me down. The Family Game follows a girl with a dark secret who meets and will marry into her charming fiancés rich (yet odd) family. With mystery, romance and deep family intricacies, this book was the ultimate experience. Steadman wrote so descriptively, I felt as if I were watching a movie in my head! I absolutely recommend to anyone searching for their next murder mystery.

I LOVED this one! The Family Game is the best book written by Catherine Steadman in my opinion! 🥰 I was hooked from the beginning! This was brilliant! 🤩 If you like thrillers that keep you guessing through all the twists and turns, then you must read this one! This is one of my favorites for this year!! 🤓

Harriet, who goes by Harry, is a novelist meeting her Kennedy-rich future in-laws for the first time. Over the holiday season. Having no family of her own, she wants to make the perfect impression on the Holbecks, but is left confused after being handed a dictaphone tape by the patriarch, Robert, during their first meeting.

Harry is floored at the apparent dark confession she hears on the tape, which could lead to the downfall of her husband-to-be’s family. In between the unusual family bonding and twisted games they play, she uses her research skills to attempt to figure out if the tape is fact or fiction — and to see if she has what it takes to be a Holbeck.

The Family Game is a well-paced, intriguing thriller taking place over the course of the holiday season. The ending felt the tiniest bit rushed to me, but with its unique premise and volatile conclusion, this was easily a bingeable 4.5 star read with a similar feel to Ready or Not and Knives Out.

Many thanks to the author and #NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book you won't see coming.

On the surface, the premise seems simple. Harriet Reed, a woman established in her own right as an upcoming novelist, is going to marry Edward Holbeck, who is the heir to one of the wealthiest and most powerful families.

But the Holbecks are a family that like to play games. So when Harriet receives a tape from the head of the family, Robert Holbeck, with a murder confession on it, she's not sure what to think. But as she's drawn further into the family, and the games amp up in intensity, Harriet is forced to decide what truly matters to her and how far she is willing to go.

The twists in this book are amazing. The book started out a little slow to me, but once it got going, I could not put it down. The ending especially is incredible. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc! 3/5 stars. A thriller about a filthy rich family with some weird traditions. As Harriet gets to know her fiancée family more and more, she starts to wonder what is happening and what is going on with this family.
I enjoyed most of this book but figured out the ending early on.

DNF at 20%, couldn't get into it and didn't like the plot. I must not have read the blurb well enough before requesting, this is not a storyline that interests me.

This was my first book by Catherine Steadman. I did enjoy it but I found the ending predictable. I would give it 3.5 out 5 stars. I only knock off stars because I think the ending felt flat. I enjoyed the writing style and the character. I would give some morw of her books a shot.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. I have read other books by this author, but this one has been my favorite. Family drama, twists and turns kept me reading. A definite page turner!

I really enjoyed this thriller from Catherine Steadman - it had a lot of interesting characters and didn't go in quite the direction I was expecting. There were a couple leaps in logic that keep me from rating this a five-star, but it was a fast-paced read and it really kept my attention.