"Games take us as close as is acceptable to the strategies we use in life. Games reveal our most base instinct: the instinct to survive. Under the mask of enjoyment, we reveal ourselves, we reveal how we play at life, our methods, how we navigate others' strengths and weaknesses. A game is only a game if you do not fully understand it. We play as we live. And I want you to play a game with me, Harriet. The stakes will be high but there is everything to play for."

Thank you to @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meeting your in-laws can be complicated. For Harriet Reed, it can be deadly.

Bestselling novelist Harriet Reed has just sold a million copies of her first book and accepted a marriage proposal from Edward Holbeck, the oldest son of one of New York's wealthiest and most powerful families. Anxious to separate himself from his 'eccentric' family, Edward has started his own lucrative company and waits until he and Harriet are engaged to finally introduce her to his siblings and parents. Hoping to impress them, Harriet willingly participates in lavish holiday celebrations that bring her face to face with the family patriarch, Robert.

Disguised as an idea for his own novel, Robert hands her a tape recording that sounds an awful lot like a murder confession. With leverage from her own past, Robert invites Harriet to partake in a set of sinister Holbeck family games-- and losing may be deadly.

What I loved: If the goal of this book was to keep me on the edge of my seat until the very end, it did an excellent job! Though I predicted some of the plot twists early on, I was absolutely hooked by this family, their disturbing games and traditions and complex history. Uncovering the past as Harriet was exciting and the pace at which we got tidbits about her own backstory was perfect.

What I didn't: I think this is true of most psychological thrillers but there were several moments where I couldn't help but yell at Harriet for the decisions she made. Why didn't she just listen to the entire recording all at once? Why did she willingly engage with his family after the first few experiences?

There was a lot of build-up to the reveal of what had happened to Harriet as a child but when the actual reveal felt slightly disappointing. Other than that, this book was a wild ride and it kept my heart pounding until the last page!

Read if you love:
*psychological thrillers
*isolated mansion settings
*deep family drama

See also: One by One, The Turn of the Key, Watching You

#thefamilygame #catherinesteadman #netgalleyarc #netgalley #psychologicalthriller #thrillersandmysteries #fictionfanatic #bookstagrammer #bookreview #readmorefiction

I’ve never read anything by Catherine Steadman, but I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this one a bit early.

Harriet has her own demons to face, but after meeting the head of the Holbeck family, Robert Holbeck, it’s clear that she’s not the only one with something to hide. As the story unfolds, we learn the Holbecks have lots of odd traditions that mostly involve a variety of games. Through these games, Harriet must prove she has what it takes to be a part of the family – but are all those secrets really worth it? And what will happen when the truth comes out?

I felt as though the beginning was a bit drawn out with Harriet working to finish her book, but I still felt glued to the story and looked forward to hearing the tapes Robert had given her. By the time the final game began, I was tense and could not stop reading because I HAD to know how it all went down.

Thank you so much for the ARC and opportunity to read this one. Overall, I loved how fast paced the book was. I read it in a single afternoon and was dying to see how it would end. I must say I was a little disappointed in the ending, it was pretty predictable. The main character felt really slow on the uptake sometimes too, which felt weird as she was supposed to be a thriller writer. Overall, would recommend to people who enjoy a thriller but it wasn’t the best thriller I have read.

This book was such an amazing surprise! I don't often get the opportunity to read thrillers that really take me on an unexpected journey, that leave me breathless, that give me nightmares, that keep me turning the page. But with this one, I did.

This book is about a woman marrying into a rich, mysterious, powerful, and game-loving family. The stakes are high, personal secrets are at risk, and love is on the line. The narrative is fast-paced, the short chapters keep you reading, and the story is refreshingly unique.

Highly recommend this one. Seriously

Intense suspense and have-to-know mystery make The Family Game a win for me.

Harry is a novelist and engaged to Edward Holbeck of the Holbeck family, a rich, over-the-top, powerful Manhattan family. Harry has done her research and feels she knows all there is to know about the Holbecks. However, when she finally meets them she realizes she is very wrong.

This is a fast-paced, cat-and-mouse mystery. I love the fact that part is set in Manhattan while part also feels like somewhat of a locked room mystery. The characters are intriguing. The cast of characters and uneasy suspicion make the brain go many different ways trying to figured out what is going on. The twist genuinely surprised me. I highly recommend this books to all mystery/suspense fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. You have secrets in your own past, so you understand your soon to be husband not wanting you to know his family. But he's rich, and you can't avoid them forever. But they play strange games and your life might be on the line. Slow the first half, it picks up in the second, but it is hard to like or relate to any of the characters.

There are family games and then there are the games that some families like to play. To say that this is a thriller is being modest. Catherine Steadman's Harry (Harriet) is the epitome of bold, inquisitive and adventurous women. Characteristics that are shown to be quite necessary to deal with the family that she will be marrying into. A unique twist to a thriller. One not to be missed.
Thank you @NetGalley for the advanced of #TheFamilyGame.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I felt the book was dumb, a little overdone and I was bored halfway through it. It picked up a little I’m the end but I still didn’t care what the game was.

Harriet Reed (also known as Harry) seems to have it all. She’s sold over a million copies of her first book, she’s working on her second book which should be another best seller, and she has a wonderfully amazing boyfriend who’s handsome and rich and practically perfect for her. Harry’s boyfriend is from a famously wealthy American family, old money. Edward Holbeck doesn’t talk to his family much, they can be a bit much. Harry ends up having to meet Edward’s family when he proposes to her, he warns her once again that his family has a tendency to be a bit much but Harry wants to meet her new family, to be a part of them. Meeting the family is scary, they have some traditions that can come off as odd to an outsider and Harry is already going through a lot because as it turns out, she’s pregnant with Ed’s baby. Edward’s father Robert is especially terrifying, even more so when he gives Harry a tape with disturbing confessions on it in his own voice. Even more scary is that it seems like he might know Harry’s ultimate secret, a secret she has never told anyone about, of something terrible that she did when she was younger. How will pregnant Harry keep her secret safe? What would Robert do with her secret? How will she keep her family safe? Because for Harriet Reed, she has proven time and time again that she will do what she has to do for her family.

This is an absolutely gripping thriller, definitely unputdownable. I figured it out pretty quickly but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of reading it. Harry may not have many friends in the book, but she is someone I would enjoy being friends with. She’s so smart and strong and funny! I loved this domestic thriller.

What a book! First, thank you to Catherine Steadman and Ballentine Books for the copy to review..

I read this book in 10 hours flat. I got mad if I had to put it down. Steadman weaves an intricate web and you can't help but did yourself stuck in it's glorious mess. Ready or Not meets Get Out.

A tape, a story, and a desperate father. How far are you willing to go to protect your darkest secrets? How far are you willing to go to protect the ones you love most, even if you know their most heinous acts?
4.5 stars! Absolutely bloody brilliant!

Another fabulous read by Steadman! Twists and turns taking you all the way through, only finding out what really happened in the last few pages! I was glued to this book since I started it!

The big question I had to answer as I finished reading this book was "Is a novel that is engaging and engrossing through the first 9/10s but fails to stick the landing worthy of a recommendation?" In this particular case, the answer is yes. The concept of novel incorporated plenty of mystery (related to our protagonist's page and how that relates to her current situation) and intrigue such that the first 9/10s of the novel flew by. It is in the ending (the "twist") that Steadman's novel really blows it. It is nonsensical and just doesn't fit thematically with the novel as a whole.

This is my first Catherin Steadman book and WOW! I have always been a huge fan of thrillers, but I think it’s safe to say this book will be in my top 5 favorites of 2022.

Here’s what you can expect from The Family Game:
• Family drama
• Filthy rich lifestyle
• Twists and turns
• Unexpected culprit
• Fast paced
• Comparable to the movie ‘Ready Or Not’
The last chapter will leave you asking yourself “did that just really happen?” I cannot recommend this book enough!

** a huge thank you to NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion**

I loved how Catherine Steadman managed to create a unique storyline with influences from some of my favorite movies. Too often I find comparisons between movies end up giving too much away or leave me disappointed. This books hit the perfect middle spot and kept me guessing until the end.

Steadman chips away at the secrets of this family bit by bit so the reader is never quite sure what's going on but knows something is very, VERY wrong. This book is a little slower paced than her other novels but it needs to be in order to introduce the characters properly and ramp up the tension with this family.

Any one who loved "Ready or Not" will enjoy this book.

WOW. What a THRILLER of a book. The Family game had my attention captured from start to finish, never being able to figure out where it was going. The twist and turns were mind blowing, and I was unsure down to the last chapter. I highly recommend this book, definitely a contender for thriller of 2022.

This was pretty wild. It definitely requires a suspension of disbelief on a level I couldn't quite get to. Maybe a little too over the top for me. But fun!

I absolutely loved this book! While the twist was predictable, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time along all the twists and turns. Can’t wait to recommend this to others

Talk about the in-laws from hell! Harriet is engaged to an extremely rich man from an extremely rich family with lots of dark secrets. Harriet is harboring her own dark secret, but hers does not compare with the twisted freak show this family is. When Harriet becomes pregnant and had a surprise meeting with her fiancés father during a visit, she realizes just how high the stakes are when the family introduces her to their twisted games. Fast paced, totally original thriller! Clear your day before you start this book because it is impossible to put down.

The Family Game is a nail-biting thrill ride! I could not put it down, Catherine Steadman's latest novel is about Harriet, a successful author who finds herself engaged to the heir of a mega rich family. Games, both mental and physical (all of them strange) ensue. Harriet does her best to impress Edward's family so they would deem her worthy of him and the family name. The novel is dark and takes many turns that leave you wondering who she can trust and who she can't. This is the second novel I have read by the author, and I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC! I’ve never read anything by this author before so I was excited and WOW! This book had me hooked!
Harriet (Harry) is a British author living in NYC with her fiancée after a whirlwind romance. She’s finally meeting his family for the holidays and discovers they have some odd traditions. At Thanksgiving Robert, the family patriarch, gives Harry a tape he recorded. The story on the tape leads Harry into a fast paced game on the family’s estate.
This book had everything I like in a thriller and I couldn’t put it down!