Such an engaging read! Interesting characters and solid intrigue. I really liked reading this one and can't wait to read more by this author. Unpredictable and captivating. One of my favorites from NetGalley!

Meeting your significant other’s family is never easy, but what if the family enjoys playing games? Harriet, a novelist, agrees to meet her fiancé's family. Every family has their quirks, but something is off. Her father-in-law gives her a tape of a book he’s working on. She has to decide if it’s just another game or a confession.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it interesting enough. The story was a fast read and kept me guessing, but it felt like there were too many twists and turns. I had to suspend reality and just go with the story.

All the characters weren’t likable and the main character, Harry, was too naïve, but it was easy to overlook. The book was very atmospheric, and the visuals were perfect for the story and what I liked best. I would read another story by this author.

This book takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so was the perfect timely read for me! The premise is interesting and the setting at the family's old manor was very atmospheric. I really enjoyed it and found it to be a fast and propulsive read.

What would you do if you heard a confession of a serious crime, a deadly crime? It involves your new fiance's family too.....I wasn't sure what to think of this book at first but it quickly drew me in. Her writing style kept me engaged and I found myself putting off things at home to read and finish this! Definitely a good one for thriller fans!

This was a good adult thriller/mystery, that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Catherine Steadman, and Ballantine Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I enjoyed this overall! I love a good domestic thriller, and The Family Game had some genuinely creepy moments. I thought the pacing and reveals of the story were good, and I enjoyed many of the extended family's characters. The setting of an exclusive, remote house, as well as the background of wealth, helped to play up the creepier aspects/setting. However, my main issue with the book was how predictable it was. I was able to see many twists coming from pretty early on in the book, so I didn't end up as surprised as I wanted to be. I also thought the romantic feelings that Harry had towards Robert were strange and didn't add anything to the plot. I felt like the ending was a little rushed in terms of the buildup, and with such a large cast of characters, I would have liked to see more from certain people. I did have fun reading this though, and it was a standard thriller mystery with some interesting events.

So So good. Enjoyed her last book and loved this one. There were parts that were seriously creepy. It is wild, but it works. New bride, over the top wealthy husband, and an insane family who loves their "games." A great "psychological thriller". Like Catherine Steadman's last novel, I found myself often questing the choices of the main character, but it did not distract from the overall need for me to finish the book as quickly as possible to see what was going to happen next, and if Harry and Edward would make it in more ways than one. WIll recommend this one as it was one of my more compulsive reads lately. A wild ride.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for this review!

I was very impressed by Steadman’s most recent novel, “The Family Game”. In the beginning, I was a little caught off guard by the plot, but within the first few chapters I realized how much I was going to love it. This book is unique. The setting is incredible for the story, and the ominous feel stays strong throughout. Even though the book was a slow burn, I found myself highly interested in finding out what was going to happen next. By the last couple chapters, my heart rate was racing, and I found myself checking around the room because I was feeling nervous. I love that, and that’s how I know this book was THAT good. I’m very happy with this novel and can’t wait to read more of Steadman’s work in the future!

THANK YOU to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy of this book!

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.