The Family Game was a true twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. I was captured from the beginning and couldn't put this book down. This is a definite read for anyone!

Thank you so much to @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was definitely a wild one! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was thoroughly surprised! Harriet Reed had it all…the loving husband, great career. But meeting her husband’s family proved to be much more crazy than she could have anticipated. This book had mystery, suspense, and a surprising turn of events. I really enjoyed this one. 4/5 ⭐️s.

What started a bit slow for me ended with me staying up far past my bedtime because I couldn’t control my intrigue! This book was a fantastic read. It was my first Steadman and I think I’ll definitely read her others. I’ve always loved thrillers centered around wealthy families, such as Shari Lapena’s “Not a Happy Family”, but this one was wholly unique and in a league of its own. The concept of the tape and the twist at the end reminded me of Verity, which is another gripping thriller. As I said, it started a tad slow, but I really enjoyed where the story went. The twist didn’t really catch me off guard, but I enjoyed the way it played out. Definitely would recommend!!

This was one of my favorite reads so far this year! This book grabbed attention right away and never let go. There were so many twists and unexpected moments. I connected with all of the characters and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. This was my first book by this author and it won't be my last.
Read this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Harriet Reed, Harry, a successful author is about to marry Edward. Thus, it is time to meet his wealthy, privileged wack-a-doo family and participate in their holiday traditions.

Things get weirder and weirder and pretty soon Harry has no idea who she can trust, particularly when her FIL to-be hands her a tape with juicy family secrets. Things are further complicated by the fact that Harry has a secret or two of her own...

This is Catherine Steadman at her all-time best and I was SO there for it.

Entirely original, compulsively readable and perfectly plotted, I loved every minute of reading this one!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

This was a quick, fun read. It was like reading a grown-up Inheritance Games. I felt an active tension throughout the book and there were surprises along the way. I enjoy Steadman’s writing and always look forward to her new books!

Catherine Steadman never disappoints, but she also has a true gift for completely original mystery plots, which is a true rarity.

Harriet gets engaged to a member of an incredibly wealthy family after. A whirlwind romance. When she meets her future in laws, they initially appear eccentric, but Harriet soon finds herself in a deadly car and mouse game (literally a game) with the family. Steadman keeps you invested in Harriet as a character and unfolds the darkness behind the fairy tale she thought she was living with engaging prose and excellent pacing. Highly recommend!

Harriet thinks she has found the perfect man in Edward. He showers her with gifts, takes her to expensive restaurants and is supportive of her career as a writer. But, what does she really know about him? She knows his family is famous, an institution of NYC if you will. So when she is invited to meet the family, she knows she must keep her guard up.

This was a wonderful book with many twists and turns. Harriet tries to bond with Edward's sister and other family members at holiday gatherings. The games that go on are odd at best. There are a couple of twists, however, somewhat predictable, it was still a wonderful book.

This story! It’s one red herring after another.

This family is crazy and there’s only one person just crazy enough to take them on. Each game the family plays gets scarier and scarier. If only they’d stick to plain board games, but nope, it’s just short of all out warfare.

Very suspenseful and I very much recommend it for a bit of light reading. Haha, just kidding. You will be screaming at the characters Add if you were watching a scary movie and yelling at the person not to do something.

Pub date: 10/18/22
Genre: thriller
In one sentence: Novelist Harriet has found her perfect match in Edward - but then she finds herself a pawn in his family's game.

Books about wealthy families with lots of secrets are having a moment, and I'm here for it. You'll have to suspend reality a bit for this book, but once you do, it's a wild ride. I loved seeing the mystery unfold through Harriet's innocent eyes, and there were a few good twists that kept me engaged. The ending also surprised me! I read it in two sittings because I needed to know what happened next.

If you like books like Daisy Darker, I think you'd enjoy this one.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed 95% of the book but the twist didn’t do it for me. I wish it continued to go the way it led me to believe, but I also really loved the final chapter and ending of the story.

This was an older/more thriller type inheritance games story and I loved all the hints, puzzles and secrets. It felt like I was in a maze with Harry and trying to pick up clues with her.

Perfect for fans of READY OR NOT! I enjoyed how well the tension built throughout the story— the Krampus night had me genuinely on the edge of my seat! A very fun read!

This is a cat and mouse game between Harriet Reed and her soon to be family as she is engaged to Edward Hoelker. She is a thriller writer with a secret past. Engaged to Edward Hoelker, the heir to his family’s incredible fortune.

She is welcomed into the family and their twisted, dark games that they play at gatherings and holidays. Her FIL has shared a special tape recording with her about his idea for her next novel but when she listens, Harry realizes that this might actually be more of a confession rather than a book idea.

Will Harriet figure it out before it’s too late?

Harriet’s life couldn’t be better – her first novel is a runaway best seller, she’s engaged to handsome Edward Holbeck, future heir to a huge family fortune, and they’re unexpectedly but delightedly pregnant. Edward has been estranged from his parents and siblings, but with a baby on the way, they decide to make the effort to mend fences. Before Harriet even meets them, she’s getting some weird controlling vibes but decides to ignore them and go to Thanksgiving dinner, an evening that is capped off by Edward’s father giving her a cassette tape with truly shocking contents. Before she knows it, an intrigued Harriet finds herself down a dangerous rabbit hole of secrets.

“The Family Game” is a wild cat-and-mouse tale of the ultra-rich behaving badly. The Holbeck family is seriously crazy-pants, and the twisted games they play have much higher and more dangerous stakes than your typical board game – we’re talking literal life or death. I love the way Catherine Steadman writes, but this is the second book of hers in a row that depends on the female protagonist making really dumb choices that continually puts her in harm’s way. I also found the pacing a smidge uneven, starting out really strong, dragging a bit in the middle, then ratcheting all the way up and going off the rails into crazytown toward the end. I did guess the big twist, but the ride to get there was fun and I was on the edge of my seat for the final game and its outcome.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Love Catherine Steadman and love the premise here - my only criticism is the extreme similarity to one of my favorite movies of the last few years, Ready or Not. There is a lot here that parallels that film, so some of the fun was lost out there. Still an entertaining read (especially for those that haven't seen the aforementioned movie!)

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! I loved this book! The characters are all flawed and the story is loaded with twists and turns. I want to read all previous books by Catherine Steadman. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy a great psychological thriller. Grab this one as soon as you can and dive right in.

I have been a fan of Catherine Steadman since day 1. This book was not a disappointment. When Harriet (Harry) is about to marry into a wealthy family, she starts seeing their true colors. Though the plot is fairly easy to figure out, it was still a quite enjoyable read!

This review was also published on Goodreads.

This was a great book. It was well-written, fast-paced, and filled with great characters. Catherine Steadman has written another gem that keeps you guessing until the end.

The Family Game was a great thriller that will keep you on your toes! It had me hooked from the beginning. I just couldn't get enough!!!

Harry Reed is a bestselling author, newly engaged to Edward Holbeck -- estranged heir to a rich and powerful family. When the Holbecks catch wind of the engagement, Harry and Edward become roped back into the family affairs. But being brought back into the fold may prove to be deadly for Harry.

I have loved Catherine Steadman since Something in the Water, so I was THRILLED to receive an ARC of The Family Game. Once again, Steadman proves she's a force to be reckoned with. A great domestic thriller for the fall! 10/10 recommend!