Harriet Reed has everything going for her. She is the author of a bestselling novel and is working on her second book, & is engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. Edward has been trying for years to cut ties with his controlling family, but news of the couple's marital bliss brings them out, full force. Harriet agrees to help facilitate a reunion between Edward and his family, not knowing what she is getting herself into. When Edward’s father, Robert, hands Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen. But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t just a novel. It’s a confession. A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion. Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is part of a plan to test her loyalty. Or something far darker. What is it that Robert sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything? This might be a game to the Holbeck family—but losing might still prove deadly.

This book was excellent. I couldn't put it down. This was psychological suspense at it's best. The family was so twisted, and the games they played were just insane. I loved the twist at the end, that was a nice little shocker. Harriet is definitely someone you want to root for. She has intelligence and can keep her wits about her when faced with adversity. If you are a fan of thrillers then this needs to be at the top of your TBR pile. You are going to love it!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Harriett has met the perfect man: Edward Holbeck. However, his family is less than perfect, and now that they're engaged she has to meet them. Anyone would be nervous to meet their in-laws for the first time; they would hope to be accepted into the family. But most people's in-laws are not the Holbecks. One of the richest families in the US, their name is synonymous with the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts. Not only are they wealthy, but as Harriett quickly learns, they have a lot of secrets and they like to play games.

When Harriett meets Edward's father for the first time, he gives her a cassette tape. When she listens to it, she is shocked by its contents. If the information on it is true, she may be in danger. But is it indeed a threat, or is it just another family game?

I thought this book was good, but it certainly had flaws. The most prominent flaw in my opinion was its pacing. The first 40% of this novel was pretty slow and uneventful, and I really had to motivate myself to stick with it. Beyond the 40% mark, the pace picked up and the main mystery element was finally presented, so I became more invested. By the end, however, the plot began to fly by so quickly that it was almost confusing. The final reveals were not enough to redeem my opinion of the ending--I didn't find the main twist to be all that shocking and some of the explanations provided were hard to believe.

On the other hand, there were aspects I did really like. I found Harriett's investigation of the information on the tape to be interesting. I also liked the concept of the games that were played. I enjoyed learning the lore surrounding Krampusnacht and thought the sinister twist to the Christmas Eve treasure hunt was unique.

Overall, I thought THE FAMILY GAME had an intriguing concept, and it was a pretty fun read once the pacing picked up. However, I unfortunately don't think it will leave much of a lasting impression on me. All in all, it was a solid 3 star read for me.

This piece was a thoroughly entertaining read. It was pleasant and a little slow at times, but an overall wonderful book to take in. Although the twist could be determined earlier on, the author did a phenomenal job at unveiling it all and putting the groundwork in for the conclusion. I wasn’t much of a fan of the protagonist, but couldn’t help but root for her as time went on. A fantastic, and entertaining read overall!

This book was quite a ride. Harriet (Harry) is a novelist engaged to Edward who is from a very rich family. He is estranged from them and their new engagement gives the family a door to get him back into the fold. The couple is invited over for a family party for Krampus. During this party, the mystery of this family starts to unfold and reveal that they have many buried secrets.

The suspense was so great and made me want to keep reading to know what would happen next. There was an unsettling atmosphere and it majorly contributed to the mysterious story. It was so well written and I could definitely see this becoming a movie. It reminded me of Ready or Not at times with how calm and nonchalant the family was initially during this Krampus party. I liked the aspect of the game that Harriet unknowingly was put into. I liked how I could tell the family knew more than they were revealing and they were all involved in the game. What a creepy good ride!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine Books for access to this digital ARC.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It was such a great concept, but the characters fell flat for me and I wasn’t invested in anything that happened.

This was Steadman's best work from my point of view. The characters were fascinating, the plot moves quickly, and the story is different than her other work. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman. This is a twisty, dark novel about a wealthy family with lots of problems, and Harry (Harriet) , an author whose first book sales are doing very well, and who falls in love with Edward Holbeck, the oldest living son of the influential Holbeck family. Edward has been estranged from his family because of past events, but now they want to bring him back into the fold with fiancée Harry. The family has very strange games that they play during the holidays. Harry’s first visit to meet the family is for Krampusnacht, a strange Halloween-type celebration. During this visit Edward’s father gives Harry a tape recording and tells her not to share what is on the tape with anyone else, including Edward. Harry is shocked by the contents of the tape and starts to do research to find out if the info and seeming confession on the tape are true. As she does her research, she begins to worry about her safety. This is a twisted, psychological thriller that compels you to keep reading, even though you may dread to find out what happens next.

Harriet Reed committed murder when she was eleven years old. It was a revenge killing against the drunk driver who had just killed her parents. She has lived with the guilt and fear that someone would find out what she had done. Now she is a successful author working on her second book. She is engaged to Edward Holbeck, who she met in a scene straight out of a fairy tale. She was the damsel in distress and he was the hero who came to her rescue. Edward has been estranged from his family, but now that they are engaged, Harriet is looking forward to meeting them.

The family is welcoming, but it is the powerful patriarch Robert Holbeck who makes a connection with Harriet. There is nothing that he will not do to protect his family. When the two sit down together he gives her a tape to listen to when she is alone. Its’ content appears to be a confession to several murders. He has also vetted Harriet and knows her secrets. She can not go to the authorities with the tape because it also contains the details of her own crime. Her secret is safe for now, but he makes it clear that he will request a favor from her in the future in order to keep it safe.

Everyone in the Holbeck family is hiding secrets and they are not all as welcoming as they appear. The family is known for playing games when they gather. Harriet’s first experience is a game that evolved from a German tradition that leaves her disturbed. The Christmas gathering involves a scavenger hunt that pits family members against each other. It is a game that not everyone will survive. Fairy tales do not always have a happy ending and Catherine Steadman takes fear to a new level. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books & Catherine Steadman for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this thriller! I had previously read, and loved Something in the Water, so I was very excited for this one and Catherine Steadman did not disappoint! My only "complaint" was it took me a few chapters to get into this one, but once I did I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down! Perfect thriller for this time of year and will definitely help you get out of a reading slump!

The Family Game is an edge of your seat psychological thriller. Catherine Steadman writes with such suspense that the reader can't help but continue to read long after they intended to stop, or put the book aside. I personally can not tell you how many times I said aloud to my (empty) reading room, "These people are crazy". I felt Harriet uncertainty and fear on every level and I am sure Steadman would not have wanted her reader's reactions to be any different than that.

Harriet, an author working on her second novel, becomes engaged to Edward Holbeck, eldest son of a very "old money" and powerful family. Very quickly Harriet discovers that even through the wealth and luxury the family has more layers and secrets than they are willing to share with the public. When the patriarch, Robert, gives Harriet a mysterious tape, little does she know the family "game" is set into motion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my copy of this novel.

I enjoyed this book so much. I have read all of Catherine Steadman’s novels and this is currently my favorite! Could not put it down.

The Family Game is a book I was excited to read from the moment I read the synopsis. It did not disappoint! It proved to be a fast-paced, well written thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough in my Kindle to see how it would end. I loved the twists and turns and the excitement of the family games. It has creepy sinister rich family vibes perfect for the season. I highly recommend this read. It had a satisfying ending too.
Thanks for NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

When invited home for the holidays with her fiancé, Edward, Harry is beyond nervous. Edward has been estranged from his father, an immeasurably wealthy tycoon, for over a year now and has not filled Harry in on the details. So when over drinks at Thanksgiving Edward's father, Robert, slips Harry a tape with some shocking confessions on it, she does not know what to do. Does she tell the police and risk losing everything and having her secret past revealed in the process? Or does she marry into the family and keep Robert's tape a secret?

This was my first read by this author, but I will definitely be picking up more of her books. I found elements of the ending a bit predictable, but it didn't prevent me from wanting to keep reading and see how it unfolded. The one thing I could not wrap my head around was Harry not listening to the tape in one listen. Especially being a thriller writer who presumably spend hours researching crimes and human reaction, I would think she would want to get through it in one go to make her assessments. Other than that (and the slightly over the top ending) I really liked this book!

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was a wild ride! This was one of the most enjoyable thrillers I've read in a long time - yes, the ending was a little over the top but I also found it super satisfying. I agree with other readers who said it has "Ready or Not" vibes - but that was another movie that I loved way more than I anticipated. I highly recommend this one!

I immediately thought of the movie Ready or Not, which I absolutely loved! Even though this premise of this book was completely different, I still loved the whole idea. Isn’t everyone scared of having terrible in-laws?

Harry was and will continue to be one of my favorite book characters. She was so determined, to know the truth about the family she was marrying into that she literally risked her own life. The whole Holbeck family intrigued me, I had no idea who to trust.

The plot twist was definitely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I in no way, shape, or form saw it coming. This book gave me everything I needed and more in a thrilling mystery novel.

Well, that was amazing!

Harriet is the next it-girl thriller writer, and she’s newly engaged to an amazing man who comes from an old money New York family.
Things slowly go awry as Harriet learns that her husband’s family loves to play games, and that the stakes are much higher than in any game she’s ever played before.
I loved the ending of this one. So much crazier than I expected and so much more satisfying.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is one hell of a book! First, special thanks to Ballantine Nooks for the advance readers copy via Netgalley and PRH Audio for the complimentary audio book narrated by the author itself! It was phenomenal!

Harry Reid was an orphan with secrets of the past, an author at the present whose debut novel hit the floor running! She has million copies sold, she was getting paid and she was also engaged! Edward, the fiancè comes from a family of the rich! And by rich, I mean-the rich type where grown kids have nannies and legal counsel joins family dinners. The rich has tradition- extra ordinary, uncanny kind of traditions. They play big games with big prizes! They stop for no one and gets rid of anybody that stand in between them and the game prize. Harry needs to play the game, for her own safety and for the future of her soon to be born child.

This book was a slow burn, low simmer, deep rumble to crescendo. It was suspense at its finest. It was dark and twisted, sick and scary and if this is what it makes to be rich- I do not know if I want to belong with the empire! There was always and argument about the movie Die Hard being a Christmas Movie or not. Others agree it was and others strongly don’t. The Family Game is quite the same, because the Christmas Celebrations and Traditions in this book is more like a horror story to me! A roller coaster of bright holiday lights, decorated dinner table, mixed with dead bodies, masked monster, flesh burning and bow-tied presents under the tree. If you love extra-ordinary holiday traditions, I highly recommend The Family Game for ideas! Ha,ha- just please do not invite me.

I LOVED The Disappearing Act by Catherine so to say that I was extra excited for this beauty would be an understatement!

Steadman is a masterful storyteller. The Family Game doesn't disappoint.

Catherine writes the perfect thrillers. And I do mean Perfect!
This book like her others, grabs you from the first word and keeps you on the damn edge for more.
A very clever and page turner with some interesting twists along the way.
How she comes up with stories like this is such a clever idea for a story.
She creates an atmosphere filled with a stifling and compulsive need for more.
The feeling of isolation and confusion was brilliantly written.
I loved the characters, thier development and feeling like I knew them.
This was one of those I didn't want to leave this book, when I had to.
I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so engrossing, almost to the point of mania.
I couldn't wait to return to the story!
Kudos to Catherine Steadman for penning such an interesting and absorbing novel.
She is a talented, clever writer and she knows how to create tension really well.
Her suspense/thrillers are just that.
All in all it was very entertaining, taut thriller that I could not put down.
The story captured you into the heart of it & held you with every word.
Astonishing storytelling - taking you along on this crazy journey. The suspense kept me glued to my Kindle.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House & Ballantine,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Family Game is the story of Harriet "Harry" Reed, a bright new author from the UK who has recently moved to the United States after meeting the love of her life. The love of her life also happens to be Edward Holbeck, heir to the Holbeck fortune.

While meeting the family of a significant other is always prone to drama and disaster, the stakes are raised when they are mysterious old-money billionaires and you have a dark secret in your past. For Harriet, meeting the in-laws quickly turns into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse that threatens to ruin everything she has.

While the book is a bit slow to start, the twists in the back half have a pretty good payoff that makes up for it.

I have a feeling the ending will have mixed reviews. The rug-sweeping of abusive behavior in favor of a convenient ending for the main character reminds me a bit of Colleen Hoover's writing [derogatory].

Some of the messaging in the book is a bit toxic, but it was still overall an enjoyable read. If you like a twisty tale of family drama, this will be a good pick for you.

Crossposted to goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4816790652?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This was such a perfect, twisty thriller that pulled me in from the start. After hearing her new fiancée's family patriarch confess to deadly secrets, Harriet(Harry) is thrown into a deadly game with her soon to be in-laws. I was so anxious and on the edge of my seat awaiting what was to be discovered and what everyone--including Harry--was hiding.