This was a great read and will definitely recommend!! The cover is also so cute. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

This was my first book by the author. I was intrigued by the title and synopsis. While I was expecting more "game" to come into play, I still had a great time. The tension between our main character and her fiances family was there for sure. If you really like drama, thrillers, and cold settings I highly recommend this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks for the review edition.

YES YES YES this book was fantastic. I really loved this and it took elements from some of my favorite movies (think: ready or not) and brought it to life. I completely absorbed this book and loved every second.

This book was so well done and perfect for a spooky weekend read. I loved the main character. She was so well written.

Imagine you are marrying into an uber-rich family, but you have a secret in your past. You know this family has all the resources in the world to investigate you, so you're not the most comfortable when you're invited to participate in their weird holiday hide-and-seek tradition where it seems it would be all too easy to make you disappear. The dad seems to like you... but he might be a psycho!
This was a fun and unique thriller. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy!

Wow! The Holbecks family does not hold back on any twists, surprises, and overall thrill featured in this novel. For that I was definitely pulled into this thriller and would highly recommend. The pacing of the plot was great as well as the character development. Overall, 5/5!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! Unfortunately for me this was one I did not finish for various reasons.

Twisty and twisted is how I would describe this book. Full of secrets, family drama, and disturbing family traditions that keeps you on your toes until the end. You really don't know who to trust as the story unfolds. Heart-pounding and thrilling.

THE RULES
1. Listen carefully
2. Do your research
3. Trust no one
4. Run for your life

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is the story of Harriet Reed and up and coming author with her book coming out any day. She is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck the heir to an extremely wealthy family. Edward has kept himself away from his family.. he wanted to go out in his own. But with their wedding coming up, his family won’t leave the couple alone. He is feeling suffocated by all their get together and traditions but Harriet doesn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with the family. So needless to say they enter their new engagement and the holiday season completely overwhelmed.
Harriet thinks the family is completely welcoming, even a little bit too much. One of the first events is a Krampus a bizarre house and seek game, that scares the heck out of Harriet. It is strange to say the least and then her soon to be father in law gives her a tape. An actual tape recording and wants her to listen to it. She doesn’t even have something to play it on? What in the world could be in the tape? He says it’s a book he is working in.. but once she presses play all bets are off. Harriet is more confused than ever and Christmas is supposed to be at the family’s home. An old time mansion, Harriet doesn’t know what to do with the information she hears on the tape and she is scared to death to go to the mansion. Why does Robert give her this information? Does Edward know what’s on the tape? Who can she trust? Can she win this next game? Can she get out of this game alive?
This was a great thriller. It had many twists and turns and I had to find out, how it would end. I really enjoy a good thriller and this one didn’t disappoint. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

]eaI honestly don't have a lot of intense or hard-hitting feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, nothing super special to me, but very unrealistic which made it necessary to suspend disbelief for any of this to make sense. I also wasn't particularly rooting for Harry so I wasn't really invested in her decisions one way or another. I've loved other Catherine Steadman books and this one really just falls smack dab in the middle. I'm very curious to know what other storylines she's going to come up with.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE a book with family drama but this drama felt so ridiculous that it was confusing and unrealistic. The book really shined in the last 2/3 but prior to that I was mildly entertained at best. In theory, I should have absolutely loved this yet I didn't because of those aspects. Overall though still a solid read - just not my favorite!

First book by this author and will not be my last. Currently trying to get my hands on other books by her. This was such a fun read and i just didn’t want to put it down.

What a fun book! It had a slow start. However, I kept wanting to read it! She had no idea what kind of family she was getting herself into...

It seemed to me that this thriller had a very slow start. There were certainly unsettling moments throughout but I was slightly worried this would end up being a 3 star read until we reached the last few chapters. Definitely a great ending IMO and one I didn’t see coming until it was almost upon me.

“Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.” Josephine Hart

In "The Family Game" by Catherine Steadman, readers are treated to a gripping narrative that transcends the conventional boundaries of a thriller. Steadman's masterful storytelling unfolds with precision, creating a tapestry of suspense interwoven with the intricate dynamics of family relationships.

The novel introduces a cast of characters whose complexities and hidden motives add layers to the storyline. As the plot unravels, Steadman skillfully navigates the fine line between trust and betrayal, keeping readers guessing at every turn. The narrative's pacing is immaculate, allowing tension to build gradually, ensuring a constant sense of anticipation.

What sets "The Family Game" apart is Steadman's ability to delve into the psychological nuances of her characters. Their vulnerabilities, fears, and desires are laid bare, creating a rich emotional landscape that resonates with authenticity. The author paints a vivid picture of the intricate web of familial connections, exploring the impact of secrets and the consequences of choices made in the name of love.

The unexpected twists and turns within the plot are executed with finesse, leaving readers captivated and eager to unravel the next layer of the mystery. Steadman masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense that lingers long after the final page is turned.

In essence, "The Family Game" is a tour de force in the genre, a literary achievement that seamlessly blends psychological depth with edge-of-your-seat tension. Catherine Steadman has created a five-star work of fiction that not only entertains but also invites readers to contemplate the intricacies of family bonds and the unforeseen consequences that can arise when secrets come to light.

A woman meets her soon-to-be in-laws, and gets involved in a dark and mysterious game.

The Family Game is told using the single point of view of Harriet, aka Harry. Soon after meeting her fiancé’s eccentric family, the family patriarch gives her a cassette tape. On the tape is a confession, which puts a dark game into motion.

The Family Game is a slow burning psychological thriller. Atmospheric, creepy, and twisted.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up the Family Game mostly because it was a shorter book, but I found that it mostly took place around the holidays. The book is about this British author, Harriet Reed, who has recently moved to NYC to be with her fiancé and work on her second book with her publisher. She hasn’t met her fiancé’s family and she knows they are well off. She doesn’t quite realize they are as wealthy and famous in NYC as the Rockefellers or the Astors. Because of this, they are also very private. Harriet tries to research, but doesn’t find much beyond surface items.

They are invited to several events for the holidays and Harriet is excited for the chance to get to know her new in-laws. But everyone has their quirks and Edward’s father, Robert even hands a recording of a book idea over to Harriet. She takes it home and that’s when things get really weird. The book is a confession of a murder. Is it real? Is it fiction?

The book is called the Family Game because they literally play a few games including a truly terrifying game called Krampus, but also is Robert toying with Harriet? She uses some of her book contacts to help see if there’s any truth to the recordings.

There were several errors in the details about life in NYC that were distracting. Anyone in NYC knows the Rockefeller tree isn’t lit until the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. This was a huge plot error right up front in the book. I also found that the pacing of the book was off and the plot was so far fetched. I love the premise of super rich family with secrets galore, but it just fell flat for me. I would read others by this author though.

I'm quite behind when it comes to reading and reviewing this book, but due to its setting, this time of year is the perfect time to read this one. Admittedly, I saw the twist at the end coming, but that in no way diminished the intensity or enjoyment I got from reading it. The darkness in both the Holbeck family and in Harriet was intriguing, and I was on the edge of my seat to see how this book would be wrapped up. I wasn't disappointed. This was the first book I've read by Catherine Steadman, but I hope to read many more by her in the future! That said, if you've yet to pick this one up, do it this week/Christmas weekend! You won't regret it.

This book takes place over Christmas so is a perfect choice this time of year! It is an imperfect thriller (need to suspend a little belief at times and there were some loose ends) but fast paced and genuinely surprised me in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This one started out strong, but then fell very quickly apart at the end for me. The premise was interesting—average woman, Harriet falls in love with Edward, the eldest son of a very wealthy and influential family, the Holbecks. But he, also, seems on the surface, pretty average. He is somewhat estranged from his family and lives mostly like a regular guy, albeit a somewhat privileged one. When he and Harriet become engaged, he tells her it is high time she meets his family. Not only are they all slightly mysterious—his two brothers, his sister, mother and most of all his inscrutable father—they have a slew of family traditions, "games" that toe the line between amusing and, well, cruel.

The lead up to Harriet's becoming inducted into the Holbeck family is a fun read, watching as she learns more about each family member and the curious habits of the uber-wealthly. The suspense builds as secrets are uncovered leading up to one final family game, from which Harriet may not emerge unscathed, or even alive.

This read like a great premise which the author eventually was unable to fully actualize, and finally abandoned. The last several chapters only work if you are able to forget the painstaking way in which she crafted the characters and their relationships to each other. You will have to forget, for instance, that Harriet harbored a strange sexual attraction for her father-in-law which never gets fully explained; and that when one of her new prospective family members absolutely alters their personality for the sake of their being a fresh kill as part of the story's climax; and finally, you'll have to accept the ultimate unmasking of the villain without having been given a single breadcrumb to make you feel that person's villainy was either marginally foreshadowed or commonsensical. The leap to get to where the book ended up was just a bridge too far for me.

One other tiny thing. With a good-sized American readership, it is probably worth it in future for one of this author's editors to make sure that the American characters don't use British axioms. For instance, where a Brit might say, 'it is down to me' to get something done, Americans say, "it is up to me" to get something done. Small inaccuracies like those, if there are enough of them, can add up and make a book seem shoddily researched, or casually edited.

And finally, I felt like the plot exposed too much of the author's process. By this I mean, she is clearly a "pantser" (flies by the seat of her pants when writing) rather than a "plotter". The holes were just too big that it's difficult to believe she wouldn't have spotted them had she plotted the final outcome. Having said that, I didn't dislike this book at all. The slow build of suspense and creeping dread of the next bad thing to happen was just done too well for me not to have enjoyed most of this read. And that's not inconsequential.

Will definitely read future offerings from this author.