This was such an addicting story, the mysterious high powered family, the games that they play, and the mystery that surrounds them; I couldn't put it down! I did not figure out the twist, in fact I had a whole other implausible theory in my head. I was so engrossed in the book , I felt the terror and pain of the characters, I was just as scared as if this was real life. Nothing is as it seems and the games are competitive and possibly deadly. I've read all of Catherine Steadman's books and this is close to the top of my favorites.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will post on my Instagram, 2 weeks before publication, on October 4, 2022 at instagram.com/martinas_library.

All I have to say is do not start reading this unless you have the time to finish it! Harriet (Harry) is a novelist who meets Edward when he saves her from an embarrassing shoe situation and eventually follows him to New York. Harry knows his family is rich and powerful. She also knows there has been distance between Ed and his family. When they get engaged, she is eager to meet them and understand more about where Ed came from. It turns out his family is accepting and glad to have her as a future member of the family. But when his father gives her a cryptic cassette to listen to, everything quickly changes. How far will she go to uncover the family secrets and shelter her own past?

Harry seems to have it all. She’s an author whose debut novel just sold a million copies. And she’s just gotten engaged to Edward Holbeck, eldest son and heir of a family that is essentially a fictional version of the Rockefellers or Vanderbilts. But Edward is estranged from his father, Robert, and is reluctant to introduce her to him or the rest of his family. When he finally does, Harry is surprised to find herself drawn to Robert, and even more surprised when he gives her a cassette tape that contains a confession about his past that threatens to both reveal a dark secret from her own past and upend her future.

The Family Game is a cat-and-mouse thriller, but the plot is too reliant on very debatable choices. First and foremost, Harry stretches out listening to Robert’s 90-minute tape into four parts so that she doesn’t listen to the last part until about the 75% mark of the book. While that decision was necessary to plot out the novel—it would have been a novella if Harry had just listened to the whole tape at the start—it is completely unrealistic. Even she eventually, belatedly acknowledges: “It’s clear I should have listened to the entire tape long ago.” The only reason she even has the tape is because Robert is convinced he understands Harry’s nature—and thus gives her his confession—when in fact he is making a guess based upon some very debatable conjecture. Again, it was necessary as a matter of plotting—no tape, no novel—but it was a pretty big leap of logic that required some real suspension of disbelief.

The Family Game has an interesting story, and a decent mystery, at its core. And the book certainly held my attention. But the plot device of the confession tape, and the choices it forces the characters to make to advance the story, were just a bit too unrealistic for me to fully accept.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

The Family Game

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was a great thriller featuring a woman marrying into a wealthy, powerful family and the instant games they started to play. The main character has secrets that are threatened to be exposed and is quickly targeted by the most powerful in the family who shares his own secrets. Plot centered around competition, inheritance, confessions, and secrets. This was a page turner. There were a few under developed characters and perhaps too slow at times. Lastly there were a few details that made this plot a little predictable oversold but overall a worthy thriller to fly through.


Mode: 📱thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to review and advanced copy e book in exchange for this review.

The Family Game depicts a wealthy family fully of horrible personalities that all somehow drew me in. Each family member is twisted in their own way and there was no way to tell who, if anyone, was good, for practically the entire novel. It’s a quick, fun and entertaining read! I’d love to see this as a movie!

Note: I received this ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in return for an honest review.

Harriet is a bit of a loner. Yes, she is a super successful author who is the midst of writing her next book. And she has just become engaged to Edward, the super handsome and successful heir to a powerful family. Everything is coming up roses for Harriet.

Now, I don't know from firsthand experience. But my inclination is to believe that super rich and powerful families are a little eccentric. How do I know this? Well, it's clear from watching Succession that most families don't board helicopters to go play baseball in a field on a whim, and I know that the Kennedy family has participated in some high risk activities as a clan. I think maybe part of it is that if your life is kind of super easy, you have everything you need and want in the world, you have to create challenges for yourself?

If there is any truth in my assumptions, The Holbeck family and their games make PERFECT SENSE. I actually didn't question this part of the plot at all. However, I was able to appreciate that Harriet's feelings about the games and family were also warranted, as she was the one forced to participate.

I don't want to give much away as The Family Game is a wild ride. I will just tell you to block off about half a day to finish this one. Because once you start, you aren't going to want to put it down.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advanced galley in exchange for my honest review.

It was a pleasure to read this one! After I put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The suspense was solidly established by the middle third, and by the last third, I had to know how it would end.

As I read this book, I was yelling at the main character and imploring him. There are some instances where her main characters are too naive for me to believe and others where they are too curious for me to believe. The main character (in this case Harriet) is riveted and I root for her survival and success as a result of this. I'd say, Quit being rude to me, girl! Would you like to know what that cryptic thing means? This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed it very much. Harriet's character was well developed in the epilogue and I liked where she was with the Holbecks at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Catherine Steadman for the advanced copy of The Family Game in exchange for my honest review.

I will very likely be in the vast minority for this one, so please bear that in mind while reading my review.

I genuinely struggled to get through this. I kept reading in hopes of a big twist or reveal at the end, but I found it to be a pretty mediocre climax. Several of the storylines and tropes have been done time and time again. I was bored several times throughout the book, and I feel it could've been quite a bit shorter to weed out some of the unnecessary fluff.

There's also this weird fixation our female protagonist, Harry, has with one of the characters that genuinely yucked me out.

So, that said, if you don't typically read a lot of thrillers, maybe this one will be right up your alley! And to reiterate, based on early reviews alone, I'm clearly in the minority on not enjoying this one. If the synopsis sounds like it'll interest you, go for it!

The Family Game will be on US bookshelves October 18.

This is the second book in a row by Catherine Steadman that fell flat for me, and once again I may be an outlier on this one. The storyline moved quickly, even from the very beginning, making this a real page-turner. An up-and coming thriller writer (Harry) is about to marry Edward, and thus marry into one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in America (the Holbecks). One of the strangest and most eccentric, too, as Harry soon finds out. The questions then become (1) is Robert, the current patriarch of the family from whom Edward (the first born) is somewhat estranged, harboring many deadly secrets, including murder, and (2) is Harry’s life — and that of her unborn child — at risk?

A really captivating read, with way plenty of twists and turns — but then the ending. For me it was just so incredulous and unbelievable that it diminished my enthusiasm for the book as a whole. Yes, there is the willing suspension of disbelief that comes with most thrillers, but this ending was just too far-fetched. Although I really enjoyed Steadman’s “Something in the Water,” since then the two novel that I have read have been sorely disappointing — and for somewhat different reasons. I am definitely willing to give her next book a try, but I will damper my expectations and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

📼📼📼📼 / 5

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for providing me early access to the ARC!

This one was wild! The family is crazy, and the holiday games they play are even crazier. It was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning because Harriet and Edward seemed to have such a sweet relationship. However, things really take a turn once Harry begins meeting Ed’s family members. I enjoyed The Disappearing Act, so I had a feeling that I was going to like this one as well because the author has a wild imagination.

The Family Game, by Catherine Steadman (5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

If you like twisty books with plenty of shock value, Catherine Steadman's The Family Game is for you!

Synopsis:
Edward Holbeck is the heir to a large family empire. Edward's fiancee Harriet Reed is a well-known author who has just published a best-selling book. When Edward introduces Harriett to his eccentric family, Edward's father gives Harriet a tape containing a novel he is writing. Upon starting the cassette, Harriet realizes this is not a work of fiction, but a brutal murder confession. Harriet is facing a deadly discovery. Will she be able to overcome it?

The Family Secret by Catherine Steadman is so intriguing that I couldn't put it down. I finished the book in one night. The story has a few tiny holes in the plot, but it is so atmospheric that I did not care. I just kept reading to find out what was going to happen next. While the subject matter may not suit everyone's taste, I found the cat-n-mouse game to be absolutely fascinating.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is available on October 18th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for sharing this edge-of-your-seat thriller with me. I appreciate your kindness.

Wow! If you think you have the worst in laws think again! This fast paced thriller has you questioning everything about this family. Couple Harriet and Edward are recently engaged and Harriet is handed a tape that has her playing this family’s game in order to survive.

This book started as a slow burn, but the pace quickly picked up. I found the Holbeck family to be pretty terrifying and their idea of games is far different than mine! I enjoyed trying to figure things out along with Harriet. I was definitely suspicious throughout and appreciated that the end of the story did not needlessly drag on, it instead matched the pace of the game they were playing. I have enjoyed Catherine Steadman’s other books and would recommend this one as well! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ” The Family Game” in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

The Family Game is an exciting, fresh thriller from the mind of Catherine Steadman. Slow burning and filled with tension, Harry is marrying into the richest family in NYC. However, dark secrets lay beneath the family's near perfect façade, and Harry quickly finds herself indulging in the family's games.

Being the first of Steadman's books I've read, The Family Game was an impressive thriller debut, leaving you unable to put the book down. Comparable to Ready or Not & You're Next, The Family Game is a fun (and a bit scary at times) showcase of how to write an engaging thriller that's difficult to put down!

What a concept! We all have that fairy tale dream of a man (or woman) sweeping us off our feet and making our dreams come true...being able to be taken care of financially, and maybe even have a family you never had (or haven't had in a long time).

However, something does seem too good to be true for Harry. The family starts to take over her life, and they seem insistent in getting Harry and Edward involved in the family holidays.

I gave this book four stars, but it might have been closer to a 3.5. I love the concept, and the writing was pretty good. However, it felt like a lot of build up for a very rushed ending. I wanted a little bit more conflict (or maybe a stronger resolution) to round it out. Like when you go to a fancy restaurant where the food is good but the portions are small, so you're happy you ate there but you leave hungry.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. I was instantly hooked with the poor girl marries into a rich, mysterious family vibe. The dark history that surrounds the Holbecks is one that is steeped in mystery, crazy deaths, and intense in-laws. I read it in under 24 hours because I could not stop reading. One of the best thrillers I have ever read. I normally wouldnt reread a thriller (because I already know the plot twists) but this I definitely would! Loved it!

This is SO fun. Cat Steadman has written another delicious thriller that strings me along, letting me think I know what the twist will be...then pulls the rug from under my feet.

A novelist who hit the best seller list with her first book nabs the most eligible and rich bachelor without even trying. Their relationship progresses without her meeting the family until after it's become serious, and she quickly learns that they have big secrets...and they already know hers.

I love that Steadman can drop me into a scene in just a few paragraphs. I already can't wait to reread this book.

The female MC is a novelist!  I love when characters in books write books! Her Fiance, Ed, comes from a super wealthy family. When they visit for Thanksgiving the whole family plays games and I don't mean Candy Land. They were intense games!! It had me holding me breath!! I couldn't figure out until the end why Edward was letting her play.
Robert, her future father-in-law,  gave her a tape to listen to. That seemed like an old school way of passing along information.  I really liked it. 
The last 25% of the book had me saying "WHAT!!"multiple times because I was in shock!
I 100% didn't guess the ending and loved it. I would have liked a bit more closure at the end but that's me being overly picky.

Review will be posted to my IG 2 weeks before PUB Day

If you are looking for a family drama thriller-this is it!! This is my first read by this author and I am definitely going to be reading more of her books. This book hooks you form the beginning with foreshadowing and then takes you all different directions with a surprising twist at the end. The writing builds all the characters and makes the book impossible to put down.
This book should be your next read!
Thanks to Random House Publishing and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.