The Family Game is fast-paced, fun and addictive to read. Harriet is a crime writer who follows her partner Edward to New York and is then faced with the terrifying prospect of meeting his family, the extremely wealthy Holbeck's who have a reputation for being very intimidating. This was certainly a twist on the typical meet the in-laws dynamic! The situation starts spiralling for Harriet when Edward's father asks her to give her opinion on a crime novel he has written, but as she listens to a tape recording of the story, she realises that he might actually be confessing to murder. Harriet has to decide what to do with this information - does she go to the police and possibly take down one of the wealthiest and well-known families in America, or does she keep quiet and play the game? A really enjoyable thriller with an unusual and memorable storyline - if you like thrillers with a focus on family secrets and dysfunctional relationships, this is definitely the book for you!

Let me start by saying that I don’t really like thrillers. I read Cat Steadman’s “Something in the Water” a few years back and really liked it, so when I saw this title I thought I’d give it a try.

The Family Game is about a writer named Harriet who is engaged to a man from a family with old money. With that kind of money comes power and secrets. But Harriet hides secrets of her own. Can she and her relationship survive the tests this family puts her through?

I liked that Steadman keeps the plot moving at a pretty steady pace as the reader gets down to the bottom of what’s happening. At first I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going but quickly got on board. This book is super creepy and has a couple of wild scenes. The ending is action packed!

There were a couple of pieces of the story that I thought the book could have completely done without but they are mild spoilers. They didn’t take away from the book as a whole but they also left me wondering where that plot line went or why it was included.

I found the book fairly entertaining and would genuinely continue reading more of Catherine Steadman’s books!

Catherine never let's you down with a twisty turny thriller. This one is a little different than her others but I still loved it.

Wow!!!!!
Wow!!!!
Seriously! Wow!
This is probably the best thriller I've ever read!
I seriously had absolutely no idea where this book was going!
You think you do, then you don't.
You absolutely DO NOT!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

Harriet Reed is a writer from England who ends up moving to the United States after falling in love with Edward Holbeck, an American business man who is part of one of the richest families in America. Harriet accepts Edwards marriage proposal and is thrust into the family right around the holidays which can be very overwhelming for her. The Holbeck family loves to play there games and Harry has to join in order to be "approved" into the family. These are not ordinary games and Harry finds out that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this family. It is up to her to figure it out before her own secret is discovered by the family.

I have never read anything by Catherine Steadman before but I really enjoyed this thriller. I did not see the ending coming but it did not come out of left field either. Just be aware that this is a slow burn thriller where you really learn about the characters and what motivates them. I usually enjoy faster paced thrillers, but I did love the character development in this one. If you like thrillers, then I highly recommend picking this book up.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.**

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for an advance copy of this book!
This has been on my radar for awhile, and let me tell y’all, it does not disappoint!
Harry’s life is finally almost perfect. She’s a best selling author living in New York with her perfect fiancée . He’s handsome, kind, extremely wealthy, and loves her.
As Harry meets his infamous and eccentric family, she’s drawn to his father and the hints of deep family secrets. She’s determined to figure it all out while maintaining her relationship and status within the family.
The more Harry uncovers, the more she discovers about the family she’s joining and the danger that lies ahead for her.
Y’all! I flew through this one in 2 days! Hooked from the beginning and the complex twists and turns kept me guessing and wanting more. Publication day is October 18 and this is a perfect spooky season read!

This book was all you ask for in a thriller - very twisty and a bit of a nightmare-inducing story around family! I really loved Catherine Steadman’s other books (The Disappearing Act and Something In the Water) and both kept me guessing but this one was a bit easier to figure out. It was a page turner but I think having loved her earlier novels, my expectations were on the high side! Still highly enjoyable and I’d recommend checking out! ❤️📚

Catherine Steadman gives new meaning to family secrets in this psychological thriller. Harry has a secret that haunts her but she thinks no one could possibly know what it is. Then she meets her fiancé’s family. Family secrets are sinister and can literally destroy Harry and her unborn baby along with the uber-rich Holbeck family. Well written, The Family Game will keep you wondering until all secrets are finally revealed.

Harry’s life seems to be going perfect. She’s a new novelist who’s first book sold millions and has put her on the edge of stardom. She’s newly engaged to her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Edward. He is a wealthy man and owner of his own startup company who has been estranged from his family but with his new fiancé he hopes they can mend fences. His family happens to be the Holbecks and they are incredibly wealthy however, they are an eccentric and weird family with weird traditions and games they like to play. When Harry’s future father-in-law slips her a cassette with a confession of sorts she is pulled into a cat and mouse game that she’s got to finish before she ends up hurt or worse.

The Family Game is a edge of your seat, action packed thriller that will definitely keep you guessing right up to the last page. Y’all this book was crazy. I feel so bad for Harry even though she’s not perfect and has done some morally wrong things she’s a lovable kick ass strong female and I actually loved her character. Oh the plot twists! I didn’t see them coming. If you haven’t read this one you definitely should. Thanks to @netgalley and Random House publishing for the arc.

Read if you like
💪🏻 strong female lead
🤪 dysfunctional family drama
✨ fast paced reads

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This thriller had everything I wanted; family secrets, a dangerous game and major twists!

Harry, or Harriet, has moved to NYC from London with her boyfriend. The holidays are just starting, and he proposes in the middle of the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Harry thinks she's in for a wild ride already this holiday season with the prospect of meeting the Holbeck family, but she has no idea.

When Harry meets the whole family at Thanksgiving she learns that she will have to prove herself if she wants to keep her secrets. And, this "old money" family's idea of that comes in the way of games that some may say are a bit cruel.

This thriller had me the whole way through and I definitely recommend it! Also, it's a great holiday thriller!

Out October 18, 2022!

I struggled to finish this book, and struggled even more to connect with the main character, "Harry". What could have been a fun and fast-paced thriller (which is what I was expecting from that synopsis) was bogged down by a fairly sluggish stride in storytelling that took far longer than necessary to get to any juicy bits. It wasn't until the halfway mark that the book began to pick up, and by then I was already fairly disinterested in what was to come.

It's a shame, especially with this being my first novel read by Ms. Steadman.

Harry (Harriet) is feeling so blessed. She’s writing a novel that’s sure to be a success and is in love with, Edward, a handsome and very wealthy man. She’s been carrying a secret from 20 years ago and believes its her secret alone. The winter holidays are near and it’s time for Harry to meet Edward’s family. The family is very unusual and have a tradition of playing games. These games are psychologically revealing and can be deadly. Someone knows Harry’s secret and trusts her with their own personal secrets.
This novel was a twisted psychological thriller.

I love this authors work so much. I think I've read almost everything she has written. This book was amazing. I thought it was was well written. It had a lot of twists and turns which is always lovely.

Oh no! I finished this book too quickly! I love locked room/scavenger hunt games and I wanted the games in this book to keep on going!

It was so much fun to see how an outsider with secrets of her own would discern the secrets of the wealthy and powerful family she hopes to marry into. And we are right alongside Harriet as she tries to figure out why her soon to be father-in-law handed her a tape that implicates so many people.

The only flaw in this book was that I thought the consequences of Harriet's secret coming out were overblown. But as I've learned from other books, sometimes a person's guilt is all the punishment needed. The only way out is to play the game, and the only way to play the game...is to agree to the rules of engagement...

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for another great Catherine Steadman thriller!

For those thriller readers looking for something less “hallmark” for the month December this just might be what you’re looking for! This book gripped me from the first harrowing chapter and kept me intrigued as our main character, Harry, gets sucked into a life or death game for the holidays with her fiancé’s rich, eccentric family.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on October 18, 2022.

This was a can't put downer! Loved it! Very different from tradional thrillers but very fast paced and attention grabbing.

READ THIS BOOK! Loved the premise, the chapters were fast paced and kept my attention. One of my new fave authors!

This so completely hooked me, I absolutely loved it. The super creepy family, the main character's secret past, the entire atmosphere of the climax. This was absolutely one of those "just one more chapter" books.
*
Quick synopsis: Harriet is newly engaged to Edward, the oldest son of a super-rich family, when she meets the future in-laws for the first time. The patriarch shares a dark secret, while also revealing that he knows Harriet's dark secret as well, making Harriet wonder if she'll survive the holiday games the family plays
*
This was a bit of a slow build, and I did think the final twist was pretty obvious from the start, and there was one fairly major plot hole in Harriet's decision-making, but the ending was just set up so well that it completely made up for those minor issues. It was so dark and atmospheric, and I really enjoyed how it all came together.
*
(My only minor nit...Harriet receives a tape with explosive secrets...and it takes her the entire book to listen to the whole thing. What?! How do you not finish that right away!)
*
This is such a great winter thriller, and I whole-heartedly recommend it! Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the early copy!

This is a highly original thriller that includes cozy mystery elements, which is another favorite genre of mine. The main character is newly engages and as she is brought into the fold of her fiancés mysterious family, she understands that there is a lot that may have happened behind closed doors and she might be next… Loved it!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Family Game. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am 50 pages into The Family Game and I am giving up. I like thrillers because they usually grab my attention right from the beginning and I can't put them down until the end. Unfortunately, this didn't happen with The Family Game. I love the cover and the opening chapter, but then not enough happened to keep me invested. I heard it does pick up at about 40%, but I'm only at 15% and I don't want to skim read to get there. Also, the *SPOILER* accidental pregnancy was the official stopping point for me. I don't like it in romance books, and I don't want it in thrillers.