This is a book of family dynamics. Mystery and intrigue. The characters are not likable but that is part of the story. Although the story moves slowly, it does come to a resounding end. This is a talented and gifted author. The book was sent to me by Netgalley for review.

I really enjoyed this thriller, it was a pretty quick read and perfect for a plane journey. I wish there had been more time spent with/on the family and their games, however.

I have had the opportunity to read advance copies of Catherine Steadman’s last two books, and let me tell you it has been a delight! Her upcoming book The Family Game is just as thrilling as ever.

In this book an author becomes engaged to the oldest son of a very rich old money family without ever meeting said family. As they are introduced it quickly becomes evident that they are quite different from her, and also that they love games.

When one family member tapes and delivers to her a dark confession she must decide who to trust and how far to play along. If she makes a misstep, she just might lose her head!

I did find this book darker than the others with a few scenes that I found a bit disturbing. That aside, this was an excellent read that I won’t soon forget.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ball anyone for the eARC.
Wow, this was a heck of a ride! Ms. Steadman is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, I have loved every one of her books.
Harry, an author, has moved from the UK to New York City, her first book a million dollar bestseller. She is living, deeply in love, with Edward, the eldest son of a super rich family, the Holbecks, and is finally meeting his family after Edward, estranged from the family, seems willing to mend fences. She's nervous about the visit, but is welcomed with open arms.
But as time goes by, there is something ominous about the family. What are these games they play? They seem so over the top, almost malevolent, but she desperately wants to belong. She and Edward are so in love and want to do everything to please
the Holbecks.
I had a feeling about the ending, but didn't expect it to be that creepy and was practically holding my breath while reading it. Whoa, it was like a grown-up fairy tale with a human monster at the heart of it.
Chilling and very difficult to put down. Definitely recommended! 4.5 stars!

Wow! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine Books for this ARC.

I read this in one sitting. Catherine Steadman is brilliant at propulsive thriller writing. The author is a favorite of mine and her latest book takes the winning spot in my mind!

The plot was unique to me - a thriller writer falls serendipitously in love and into a chance of a fairytale life and family of old money. However, she will have to gamble her life against a secret puppet-master to win the privilege.

I could not put this book down. I loved the voyeuristic peek into the secret kind of crazy of the 1% experienced by a sympathetic main character, Harriet, or Harry, a savvy woman who is toughened by past trauma but is still manipulated by the wealthy family of her seemingly perfect fiancée.

The suspense and twists riveted and entertained me fully, from the first page to the very last.

Five stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.

Harriet Reed, a successful novelist, finds herself newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, a man from a powerful, rich family. He has been reluctant to introduce her to his family and when he finally agrees, Harriet finds herself in a game of cat and mouse after Edward's father gives her a tape confessing horrific crimes, claiming it's for a book.

I had high hopes for this one and it sure did not let me down. The Holbeck family came off sinister in their enjoyment of creepy, family games. I was mad at myself for reading this so fast but I simply couldn't put it down. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the ending. I just didn't care for it and felt certain things didn't add up. Usually when that happens, I end up not liking the entire book because I am so let down but that wasn't the case here. The book is still worth it that I would read it again.

The Family Game is a supremely intoxicating whirlwind of family secrets that keeps you engaged and baffled as the mystery unfolds and becomes more deadly and twisted until the unexpected ending. Catherine Steadman is a serious author to enjoy

Book: The Family Game
Author: Catherine Steadman
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pub Date: November 8, 2022

Wow what a book! This book has it all! The plot is unlike anything I have ever read before and it is so good! I didn’t want to put it down….I had to but I didn’t want to. All of the characters are relatable even though the game isn’t. But it really doesn’t matter. And I loved Harry….loved her. She is definitely the heroine in this story and pulled it off believably. I will say I guessed the ending before I got there but it didn’t change my love for this book.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is November 8, 2022.

I am so very lucky and grateful to be blessed with an ARC for the Family Games. Boy, am I excited to have read this one! This is a fast paced, twisty ride of a mystery thriller. I cannot wait for it be published and to share this one with my book club!

Christmas time is supposed to be a magical time right? Not full of secrets, and deadly games. Well buckle in for one very unexpected holiday. This book will unfold on Harry's welcome to her future in-laws world. Harry is our main character and she is a novelist with a best selling thriller book. Her fiancé is, Edward, and he seems too good to be true. They are in love, and ready for blissful years of marriage to come. But Edward's family is a bit well known for their wealth and their place in high society.Harry and Edward are now swept into the family, and all the glamor that goes along with it. She is entranced by everything and it all seems perfect on the surface. But Harry is given a tape by her new father-in-law that could shatter it all. Now she needs to play the games, and find the truth behind it all. Now will she be able to win the games? Can she survive Christmas night? Who can she really trust? Be prepared for a fun, and thrilling read that involves a crazy family with a holiday backdrop.

What I Enjoyed:
- The first chapter=hooked immediately into this book. This book went full throttle right away. Trust me, you will be intrigued and the pages will be flying.
- Harry is a thriller writer. I love how her life is now the subject of a real life thriller story.
- The chapter titles were a great little addition to the book
- These games were so bizarre and occasionally terrifying. I would not want to be part of them
- The twists! This was seriously so wild and good! I was on my toes the whole time reading this.

The last 25% of the book had me holding my breath. I don’t want to say any spoilers so I can’t indulge on more reasons why I enjoyed this book. But if you are a fan of thrillers then please read this! You will not be disappointed! I can’t wait to see what more the author writes in the future. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had all the twists and turns and solid suspense I expect from Steadman, but the ending felt a bit lackluster. The Disappearing Game had a wonderful last twist and I guess I was hoping to see something similar here. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this and look forward to the next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY WOW!!! This book was fan-freaking-tastic, a must read!! Totally unputdownable!! Sucked in from page one, my heart was racing as I soared through this story! I've only read one other book by this author, Something in the Water, and I thought that it was ok. 3 stars. I didn't think that I would be interested in reading any more of her work...until The Family Game happened!!! The synopsis sank it's teeth into me and was just too exciting to pass up. Reminded me of that movie, Ready or Not, with the new bride being welcomed into her new crazy family of in-laws. Loved it!! Based off of reviews from her other books, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is probably Steadman's best work yet!!

Harriet "Harry" Reed is on top of the world. She has a new bestselling debut novel, a new home in New York and recently became engaged to the man of her dreams, Edward Holbeck. Edward is the heir to an extremely affluent and powerful family, but has been estranged from them for the last year or so. The spreading news of their engagement has the Holbeck's slowly infiltrating themselves back into Edward's life. Harry, orphaned at a young age with no other relatives, is anxious to meet them and excited to gain a new family. They seem welcoming at first until Harry meets Edwards's father. He hands her a cassette tape, saying that he has been working on an idea for a book and would like to know her thoughts. But, instead of hearing the makings of a book, its contents appear to be a confession to a murder. Is this just a test of loyalty? Why did he hand her the power to destroy everything this family holds dear? With no other choice but to follow instructions, Harry is drawn into a sadistic game of cat and mouse, all the while fearing for her life.

I highly recommend this book!! Preorder now!! I can definitely see this as being a favorite thriller of 2022. Huge thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for granting my wish and allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book absolutely reminded me of one of my favorite indie thrillers named “Ready or not!” At that movie: new bride finds herself a very deadly cat-mouse game at the mansion of her family in law.
The ending lines of the movie summarizes the entire premise perfectly just like it also gives us quick recap about the plot of this book in few words:
Police officer approaches the bride who wears tattered wedding gown with blood stains , looking so overwhelmed ( played by Samara Wearing)and asks; “Jesus Christ, what happened to you?”
The bride answers instantly:“ In laws”

Dear Harriet / Harry is exactly at the same situation after accepting the proposal of her boyfriend Edward who is the wealthiest bachelor of the US. Edward is a member of Holbeck clan. How can that family be defined in few words? Generations of wealth, woven into the fabric of America since the Gilded Age, shipping, communications, and of course those ever-present shadows of questionable ethics.

Harriet suffers from writer’s block after the brilliant success of her first novel. She’s not coy, sweet, lovely girl as she seems. Do not dare to underestimate her! She keeps a big secret from her past that may lock her in jail for years. Her surprising pregnancy, the sudden proposal and writer’s block already make things out of her control and now she gets a call from Edward’s sister Mathilda’s assistant to arrange a meeting with her. She has no idea what she gets herself into. She accepts the meeting and also Mathilda’s offer to attend a family dinner.

During the dinner she meets with charismatic but also scary, powerful Robert Holbeck, her future father in law. He wants her to meet in his study in private and he gives her a cassette tape that including a crime story which may help her to write her next book. But when she plays the tape alone, things she learns will change her entire perception about the family and force her to play a very dangerous and deadly game. Will she survive from her in laws or will she be another victim of this ruthless family?

I’m not gonna give away much. But I can assure you this family has very dark sense of humor, vicious and horrifying game schemes. If you want to be part of Holbecks, you might be as batshit crazy, ruthless and relent as them!

The ending twist and the cat-mouse game were fascinating! This is gripping, heart throbbing, smart thriller absolutely keeps you in your toes and at the edge of your seat! I loved it! I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Fun, inventive read, reminded me of the movie "Ready or Not," which I enjoyed. I would recommended this for people who appreciate mystery and suspense novels which include dysfunctional family members. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Harriet 'Harry' Reed is enamored with the love of her life, Edward Holbeck, of THE Holbecks, an old moneyed family in the vein of the Vanderbilts and the Carnegies. Together just over a year, she has left her home and pretty much her whole life behind in England to come live with him in New York City. Her debut novel was a runaway bestseller, and now she's living the life of her dreams, working on a follow-up in her beautiful new home with her handsome fiancé. The only catch is her in-laws to be, the Holbeck family.

Harry is completely different to any of Edward's previous girlfriends, and with no family or inherited wealth of her own, she dreads to think how his family will judge her. He put off Harry meeting them as long as possible, but now that she is to become family, he feels obligated to introduce them. Edward's not ashamed of her, he just knows that his influential and wealthy family can be a bit much for anyone to handle, and he hasn't been close with them for years.

Harry is of course expecting the worse, so she is pleasantly surprised at how down to earth and welcoming they are towards her. She can't quite understand why her husband has kept them at arms length for so long. Sure, they may be a bit pushy and too eager to assert their influence to suit their needs, but she can't blame them for that. It's only when she has a private conversation with Edward's father, the renowned Robert Holbeck, that doubts begin to creep in. He tasks her with listening to a charmingly outdated Dictaphone tape which holds a...story of his. Only Harry can hear it, and she is not to tell anyone what is on the tape or even that he gave it to her. She's suspicious, but too intrigued by Robert to ignore his wishes. Oh, if only she hadn't.

What she hears is too realistic and detailed for her to believe that it is fiction. It sounds disturbingly like he is revealing past crimes to her, almost like a test. Will she keep his secrets or turn him in? Is he just playing sick games as part of some Holbeck family initiation? Is there any right way for her to respond that won't result in losing Edward? She's never faced a greater test of loyalty, one that could be the difference between life and death.

The Holbecks are an eccentric family with immense wealth and unlimited power, a deadly combination when they also enjoy twisted games. That's what makes this such a tantalizing thriller. I couldn't put it down and raced through it in just a few hours. The Krampusnacht inclusion was fantastic and completely unexpected - if you have never celebrated it before, you will certainly think twice now! I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!

Catherine Steadman is quickly becoming one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors.

The combo of an unreliable narrator and one obvious suspect surrounded by subtly suspicious family members and friends gets me every time.

The premise reminded me of the movie Ready or Not, a similar story about a girl marrying into an über-wealthy family and being dragged into the family games that are not quite as lighthearted as they seem. As much as I questioned Harry’s mysterious past, I was really rooting for her throughout, while also a little scared of what she may have to face.

By the time I thought I had finally figured out what was going on in the Holbeck family, I realized I was 85% through the book and only figured it out because it was just the right time. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed the wild ride it took me on.

4.5 stars

I really, really enjoyed this book! It hooked me from the very beginning and kept me hooked the whole time!

Okay this book is fantastic, but if you can I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook too!! Hilarious! I really, really enjoyed this book! It was captivating and it hooked me from the very first chapter! Definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!