I compulsively read this book in about three hours. Considering it’s the summer and my kids are home, it wasn’t easy but I had to know what was going to happen. Steadman does a great job of creating a claustrophobic and isolated setting, in which you can see how Harriett would end up in the situation she did. The Family Game is twisty, and a really fun read. I loved how Harriett was a thriller writer and had her own dark past. It gave her a fighting chance over what would have surely felt insurmountable.

Synopsis: Harriet Reed, a novelist on the brink of literary stardom, is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. And even though Edward has long tried to severe ties with them, news of the couple’s marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives.

As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming. So 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.

Do you prefer your characters to be good or complicated?

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Harriet is an accomplished author (and on the brink of publishing a new book!), and Edward is her new husband-to-be. Harriet has been an orphan since her tween years, and Edward's family, the Holbecks, offer her the chance at a life full to the brim: not just with a new, large family to call her own, but wealth, status, and power. As Harriet begins to meet her soon-to-be family, she discovers that everyone seems to have sinsiter secrets they're hiding. The catch? She has a very dark one of her own. Now she enters into a long tradition of family games, but the question is whether or not she'll be able to survive.

What I loved:
- This one takes off at a fairly fast clip and it doesn't let up. If anything it just gets going faster until you hit the end. It's a very quick read, and I hardly put it down until I was finished!
- I haven't read all of Steadman's books, but the last one I read was Mr. Nobody, this one was similar in that it all moved quickly, there was enough description to get you settled into the situation, and then before you know it, we're all gripping our chairs hoping the female lead makes it out alive and maybe even somehow on top. I love it!
- This was a fun twist on a classic "cat and mouse" story. The Holbeck family, which feels like the equivalent of America's Vanderbilts or Rockefellers, does play family games, but these games have a very dark element to them. There's chasing, hiding, and then hopefully it all ends with not getting caught and somehow winning (even if winning simply means you survived and may end up needing a little bit a therapy afterwards). There was a near constant element of danger and I enjoyed that.
- There was of course a twist that I entirely fell for. I didn't quite know where it was all going but I was curious, and then when things starting coming together, I thought, "How did I not see that coming, but of course!" I imagine there will be far more adept readers that will see through the smoke and mirrors earlier on than I did, but I enjoyed the ride!

What I didn't love:
- I don't know that there was anything I didn't love, though I think to move this from a 4/4.5 star to a 5 star for me, I would want a bit more background on other characters/family members, find out more of their secrets, and have a bit more of a complex storyline with a few more big jaw-dropping twists throughout. Though by all standards, I feel like this was a really solid and suspenseful mystery/thriller with a solid twist, and it will leave you satisfied by the time you hit the end.

Overall:
Again, this was a solid mystery/thriller from Catherine Steadman. I've come to discover that she seems to be pretty consistent with her writing and her suspensful thrillers. They're not necessarily mind-blowing twisty mysteries, but they're ones that I will recommend to others to read if they're wanting something they can get easily wrapped up in and won't easily put down until they get to the end to find out what's going on. I also really appreciate that her books don't feel like cookie-cutter books that are all very similar to one another. Each one seems very different but you also know you can expect a good twist and a fairly satisfying ending -- something you can pass off to others to read and know they'll get, at the least, a bit of enjoyment from it.

Huge thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC! I'm excited to recommend this one and looking forward to when it publishes in November!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC.

Excellent book! Very original storyline and definitely different from the domestic thrillers I've read so much of the last few years.

Some parts were a little slower paced and very detailed, but I learn to skip over those parts that I feel are unnecessary bc I want to get to the good parts.

The games this Family played are so weird, and creepy and dangerous, and that made for some good, heart pounding reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I did guess the bad guy in the end, but that didn't take anything away from the story bc I wasn't sure how it would play out.

My favorite Catherine Steadman novel yet!!!!

An adrenaline fueled thriller that had me glued to each page until I read the entire book in one sitting. .

Twisty turning thriller in the best way.


Thanks to the publisher and those at NetGalley

Harriet Reed feels on top of the world. After having lost her parents at age 11, she’s always felt an outsider. Then comes Edward Holbeck who sweeps her off her feet. The Holbecks are old family money who prize family above all else. Harriet is looking forward to being part of a large family with traditions and customs. However, this family has a dark sense of humor. Harriet must decide how far she will go to play their dark games and comes to understand they are not who the appear to be in the society pages.

THE FAMILY GAME is an interesting book with the requirements of a good story. The characters are easy to understand. The games are dangerous to those who play and they stand to lose more than they know. There is money, love, death and betrayal. I figured out the 'twist' long before the end of the book but the reading is what makes this book worth your time.

This book had me hooked from the first line, it’s not often a book starts with the heroine bleeding on the floor on Christmas
Day! I found myself speeding through the book, counting down the dates at the start of each chapter, eagerly awaiting the fateful date, and I must say I was not disappointed when we arrived to December 25th.
The author did a great job of letting us feel Harry’s paranoia and confusion, I swear I got spooked during Krampusnacht just as much as she did.
My only gripe with this book comes from the time jump at the end of the book. There was so much build up of Harry and the tapes and stages of her investigation that it felt like such a quick climax before we jump into the future to see it all wrapped up. I would’ve rather spent more time with her in the moments that I had been eagerly awaiting.
Over all The Family Game was a great thriller and I highly suggest it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I have enjoyed Cat Steadman's books since her debut novel, Something in the Water. Her latest is her best in my opinion. This fast-paced family thriller is the tale of a woman trying to find a place in this world to call home, a family. She lost her own family at a young age. Harriet meets the charming Edward and a whirlwind romance ensues. But Edward comes with complications--his wealthy family, their judgments, and their freaky deeky family games. What is with this weirdo family?

I liked how Steadman lays out the plot and draws the reader into this world of extreme wealth and distrust. I was dying to know just how it was all going to come to a head. This will be a definite hit for Steadman, well done!!
I look forward to her next tale.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine Steadman has delivered another fun, outlandish, and creepy thriller! In <em>The Family Game</em>, Harriet "Harry" Reed is a British thriller writer (so meta!) who moves from her native London to New York City so she can live with her fabulously wealthy and handsome fiancé Edward Holbeck. As Edward stands to inherit his family's massive old money fortune, Harry must first pass muster with his family. And thus the holiday season games begin!

This is a modern-day Agatha Christie style thriller mystery in which Harry clearly plays the role of the scrappy outsider who must navigate the Holbeck family games, and the Holbecks seem to have the clear upper hand. It's a formula I've seen before, but it's deliciously fun and just a little creepy. The story itself is absolutely the reason to read <em>The Family Game</em>—it's fast-paced, and Steadman does a great job building tension to keep the reader hooked. I was able to predict the big twist at the end, more so based on conventions of the genre than the story itself, but it was still a treat to read how it all unfolded.

I found the character development lacking. Harry was an endearing narrator, but much like Mia in Steadman's <em>The Disappearing Act</em>, she was incredibly daft and careless at points. I also thought the Holbeck family characters were largely underdeveloped. Aside from the fact that he's attractive and wealthy (which, fair enough), the book doesn't entirely make clear why Harry—who's not that interested in that world—was so infatuated. And a minor nitpick: Some of the American characters use British-isms, which was incongruous. While <em>The Family Game</em> is outrageous and not at all realistic, that still felt off.

Overall, this is an over-the-top, easy-to-read, ridiculous, and just slightly creepy thriller!

This review has been posted on Goodreads.

This was overall a good book! It kept me very interested. I didn’t guess the ending at all and really liked it. I’d highly recommend this thriller.

Wow! Amazing couldn’t put it down! Loved it and can’t wait to read more by this author! Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!!

This book was really good - super twisty, fast paced and kept me up! I needed
To keep going!

I love thrillers and was really happy that I got this copy!
4.5 stars!

This was such a fast paced and thrilling read! The Holbeck family is filthy rich and mostly unlikable characters. Harry is more down to earth and relatable. I was rooting for her from the beginning but I never saw the twist coming!

This book had me hooked. I very much enjoyed a peek into how the super-rich live, and what a duplicitous and dangerous world that can be.

My only qualms were that I felt the main character made some strange choices that didn’t always feel motivated. “Why did she go after that when it is clearly not going to help her reach her goal?”

Other than that, I very much enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NeGalley and the Random House publishing for the EARC.
This book was a thrilling romp through a complicated family and what secrets can be hidden with enough work or money. I enjoyed the main character, Harriet. I wish we could have learned a little more about her and some of the family members. I enjoyed the twists and was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Pacing wise it was good. I would have enjoyed again more interaction with the rest of the family as opposed to a few of the other scenes. But it was well done and would recommend!

4/4.5 stars. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. So good. A little slow in times but overall kept me intrigued.
A family happily welcomes a new member of the family, Harriet. And she wonders why Edward chose her to Sheila her from them for so long. And then it all makes sense once she listens to the tapes of Robert and plays the game.
I will definitely recommend this one to everyone. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

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Harry Reed is an author that just moved to America to live with her handsome and rich boyfriend, Edward. He is slightly estranged from his family, but as soon as he proposes to Harry, the family reaches out to mend the broken relationships. His family isn’t like other families- they are worth billions, old money, and they have connections that you wouldn’t believe. When Harry meets the patriarch, Robert, he gives her a cassette tape with a disturbing story on it, and lets her know that he knows her darkest secrets as well. As Harry gets more involved with the family, she sees the cracks in their perfect facade and realizes that there’s a lot more to see here than originally thought.
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💭Thoughts💭
This book really had my heart racing at points, especially toward the end. One of the most thrilling thrillers I’ve read recently. There were a few things I didn’t love about Harry, but overall she was a very well written character. The descriptions of opulence with the family were also very cool to read about.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
The games. The family was so twisted and bizarre. The holiday “games” they played were just so messed up. It’s hard to choose which was worse between Krampusnacht and the scavenger hunt, but they definitely added a ton of suspense and paranoia to the novel.
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
Eat big! The Holbeck family took holidays seriously with huge spreads for dinner and fancy decorations. Just skip the drugs in the after dinner coffee!

The Family Game is a thriller with the premise of Harriett Reed, a young debut author who is marrying into a very rich legacy family and is about to meet them for the first time after her engagement. As she gets to know the family better she begins to see cracks in the facade of the perfect family life and begins to wonder at the secrets that are hidden behind the beautiful smiles.

As I was reading this book I fully expected it to be very predictable and exactly what I expected, however there were twists and turns that took the book in a direction that I completely did not expect and did appreciate. However, I felt that the first two-thirds of the book were quite slow when I expected something much more fast-paced and action packed from the synopsis. I do wish that the twist had been exposed somewhat sooner and that more time had been devoted to the aftermath and dealing with it.

I also felt that many of the characters were quite shallow and could have had more depth. They took whatever actions were needed in that moment for the plot lines and we did not get to learn more about them by the ending. The writing style was very good and kept me in suspense, wondering what would come next.

This book was far from perfect, but I still couldn't put it down. The author did a great job of creating a sense of menace and tension, despite a premise that required a huge suspension of disbelief. I agree with some of the critical reviews below and the prose did not totally click for me, but ultimately this book was a ton of fun and any quibbles I had didn't interfere with my enjoyment of it. This was not quite as stylish as Good Rich People, but it scratched a little bit of the same itch.

I really thought I knew where this story was headed and was a little disappointed by 'figuring it out' so early. I kept on reading though and boy was I wrong! I love when I'm surprised. This story was so so good! A twisty one that started out fairly light and romantic but quickly turned dark and disturbing. I makes you ask yourself what exactly you might be willing to do to protect your secrets and the people you love the most.