Whew, the twists and turns in this book were INTENSE! Our main character, Harriet (called Harry) is a debut novelist engaged to the scion of one of America's wealthiest and oldest families (think Vanderbilt or Carnegie). As soon as the ring is on her finger, her fiance's family swoops in. Poor Harry, an orphan since childhood, is more than a little overwhelmed at the intensity of the attention... and a little concerned about protecting her own secrets, both happy and not so happy. As she spends more time with her soon to be in-laws, she learns that one of their favorite things to do is play games... sometimes very dangerous games, with high stakes. And inevitably, Harry finds herself playing for the highest stakes of all...

What a wild ride this one was! I literally could not put it down and definitely stayed up way too late shoving words into my eyes hand over fist. If gripping thrillers are your jam, get your hands on this book ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the opportunity to read this one early!

Guys. I. Couldn’t. Put. This. Thriller. Down.

The story follows Harry (Harriet), a woman who holds a dark secret from when she was 11 years old. She falls in love with Edward Holbeck, a man in a rich with a capital R family (we’re talking old, old, money). Her dark secret comes back to haunt her as she is forced to participate in “family games” in order to win her soon-to-be-husband’s family affection and keep her secret. Will her secret be her downfall, or be the thing to save and redeem her?

Just when I thought I knew what was going on in this book, it took a turn that was unexpected yet not out-of-left-field. Also, as is important to me in a good thriller, the main character isn’t a fool walking head-first into the arms of a murderer absentmindedly.

This was an ARC, graciously provided by @netgalley (my first one, eek!) and it’s out November 8th. Put this in your TBR. For real. Your November 8th self will thank you. It’s also set around Christmastime so it’s a perfect thriller to hunker down with with the Christmas lights twinkling (if you’re like me, and out your Christmas lights up early 😉).

📖 The Family Game
✍️ Catherine Steadman
🔪 Thriller
#️⃣ 336 pages
🗓️ 09/29/22

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you NetGalley + Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Harry is an up-and-coming novelist on the brink of starting her dream life with her perfect husband-to-be, Edward. The only problem is this next step in their relationship forces a newfound closeness with her husband Edward’s family, the infamous old-money Holbecks. Edward, the eldest and heir to both the family business and the fortune attached, has long-since distanced himself from the family, so no one is more surprised than Harriet that the family seems to be welcoming her with open arms. So much so that Robert, the head of the Holbeck clan, entrusts Harriet with a family secret via an old cassette tape upon their very first meeting with each other. The contents of the tape prove to be inflammatory in more ways than one… so what should Harry do? After all, she’s got secrets of her own she needs to protect.

I am calling it right now, I think this book is going to be the thriller of the year! Cat Steadman has been an auto-buy author from me ever since I read SOMETHING IN THE WATER, but THE FAMILY GAME absolutely takes the cake for my favorite book by her. I thought the premise was instantly gripping and while the pacing was a bit slower in the beginning 30ish%, but the second half of the book was action-packed and I could NOT put it down. I love nothing more than a good cat-and-mouse thriller and this novel was nothing if not that. I especially appreciated that our MC was smart, determined and made (mostly) rational decisions. I LOVED the ending - avid thriller readers might see the *twist* coming, but it’s so well-executed, you won’t even mind. Highly, highly recommend!!

🎲 Single POV
🎲 Domestic thriller
🎲 Short chapters
🎲 Slow burn (second half is faster-paced)
🎲 Cat and mouse thriller
🎲 Twisted games
🎲 Explores class differences, feelings of not belonging
🎲 Action-packed ending

#caitsquietplace #caitsquietplacereviews #cqpthrillers #thefamilygame #catherinesteadman #ballantinebooks #netgalley

The Family Game is a book that catches you from the first chapter which starts as a glimpse of what is to come later in the novel. Harry is a novel writer who is in love with Edward, who comes from a very wealthy and high status family. Throughout the novel Harry is brought to family events to participate in so called family "games" - however everything is never as innocent as it sounds. As Harry is drawn into the dark family secrets she continues to try and keep her dark secret buried. As she realizes these "games" are more dangerous than they seem and the stakes are higher than anyone can imagine. I loved this book start to finish and was pleasantly surprised with the twist at the end! I had actually not seen it coming and I am an avid thriller reader so sometimes I am able to see them in advance. I would definitely recommend this book to those seeking a thriller with a twist!

I loved this psychological thriller by Catherine Steadman and will definitely recommend it! Her first book "Something in the Water" is an all time favorite. "The Family Game" is equally good with a twist you don't see coming. I was glued to this book all last weekend and could barely put it down. Thanks for the ARC!

Who would believe that an orphan from England would by chance meet the eldest son of the rich and powerful American Robert Holbeck and not only fall in love with him, but carry his child and heir to the family fortunes as well? Certainly not Harriet "Harry" Reed; and yet here she is an author with her first bestseller under her belt and a second one due to her publisher any day now. Yet meeting the eccentric Holbeck family and learning their stories has changed the direction of her sophomore effort which brings her dangerously close to secrets she doesn't know and ones she will do anything to protect as will the senior Holbeck. As Harry gets more involved with this strange , wealthy and powerful family author Steadman cranks up the tension. Readers can't help but silently scream, "Run!" to Harry. But she can't run or her own terrible secret will come out. How does one weigh self preservation against love and the future of one's unborn child? The Holbecks are not what they seem and readers ; along with Harry herself, will have to keep forming new hypotheses as to who, what, why, how and when before it all comes unraveled. A great beach read book for those who'd rather skip the romance titles and get submerged in a tangled mystery instead.

Catherine Steadman is a favorite author of mine and her newest book did not disappoint. "The Family Game" pulls you in from the start and doesn't let up until the very end. It has such a unique plot line and I loved the games mixed in throughout the story. This book is absolutely unforgettable with character twists I did not see coming and an ending that absolutely satisfied!

I am a sucker for a good opening bit and The Family Game has it!

Enter Harry, a British author that has recently found love with Edward—dreamy, romantic, smart, rich, handsome Edward. It all seems perfect until Harry meets Edward’s family, the Holbecks.

After the opening chapter, it was a bit slow for me. However, I kept reading and when I say it picked up, I mean it REALLY picked up. I couldn’t put it down. I sat, unmoving except for the occasional shift, and consumed this book.

What an absolutely stunning and thought-provoking example of a morally grey character. I mean, this was so, so, so well-done.

A slight nitpick: toward the end of the book, Harry can smell the “sweet hops” on Edward’s breath. However, hops aren’t sweet. They’re bitter—it balances the sweetness of the malt. Beer bitterness is measured in IBUs and that comes from the hops that are added during the brewing process.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review The Family Game by Catherine Steadman. It was twisty, intriguing to the max, and I absolutely could not put it down. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I know. It’s a 5/5 for me!

The absolute most bonkers thriller I’ve read in a while. I honestly kind of loved it but the supposed fantastical elements (that weren’t fantastical after all, just a mirage of wealth) really tripped me up. But holy hell? I loved the last bit of the book so much.

Harriet is a thriller/mystery author who has left London to be with her boyfriend turned fiancé in NYC, who just happens to be a part of an incredibly powerful family. The family members all share deep dark secrets. They are masters at playing 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.
I absolutely loved this book and the twists and turns it took. It reminded me a lot of the movie Ready or Not! It kept the suspense and mystery up until the very end. I was hooked right from the beginning.
Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for granting my wishes with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Family Game is not your average thriller; it reads a little differently will have you guessing until the end!

A young novelist Harry is newly engaged to Edward who is from an extremely wealthy old money family. Harry has read about the prominent family in the news and is nervous about meeting them. During their first family gathering, Edward’s father pulls her aside and gives her a cassette tape revealing a huge secret. Harry must figure out who she can trust and what to do in this edge of your seat thriller.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves family psychological thriller.

Wow what a cat and mouse game! Loved the thrill ride, Catherine Steadman knows how to write a story that keeps you entertained!!!

Harriet is going to marry Edward Holbeck who comes from a very rich and very eccentric family. She first meets his family during Thanksgiving and soon finds out this family is also very dark, vicious, and likes to play downright scary games.
I found it slow to start, but when Harry gets the tape from future father-in-law Robert, it picks up speed and becomes a twisty, intriguing ride. The family is certainly ruthless, demanding, and unpredictable, but it is not all that it seems. Twisty ending was great!

I loved the suspense that Catherine Steadman can build in her stories. I became invested in the characters quickly and could not wait to see how the dynamic between Harry and her future father in law would play out. There was a cat and mouse aspect going, but you didn't know who was the cat and who was the mouse. This is a must read for sure!

THANK YOU so much for this ARC!

I thought that nothing would beat Something in the Water, but this is spectacular.

I could not put this down - fast paced and omg you just need to know what happens next. What a sick and twisted family. Love that the ending leaves no guesses and comes together nice and clean.

Truly a haunting roller coaster of a ride!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is stellar! Finished this book in less than 24 hours as I could not put it down! Fast paced, gripping with plot twists and turns make this a must read! Steadman does such a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing as to who to trust. The Family Game takes on a new meaning with the lengths Harriet Reed needs to go to trying to uncover the truth. Thank you so much for the advance copy! Will be checking out other books written by Steadman asap!

So not only is this cover EVERYTHING but I was literally hooked from the first chapter. The book starts out with a bang and doesn’t let up the entire book.

This book had ALL the twists that will leave your head spinning! 🤯🤯🤯

LOVED IT!

Another winning book that I could not put down! Catherine Steadman’s novel, The Family Game was an intense read and I loved every second of it. Imagine you are marrying into a super-wealthy family and they play games that border on sadistic. For Harriet, she feels like she doesn’t have a choice, she must participate in these weird family games or else they won’t like her and she won’t be accepted into the family.

She would do anything for her fiancee, Edward. So Harriet agrees to a strange game, but this is a game of dark and sinister proportions. I’m not going to lie, I would have run far away from that family after the first game that involved a terrifying thing called Krampus.

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

As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, they seem perfectly welcoming. And when Edward’s father 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 he sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything?
This might be a game to the Holbeck family—but losing games can still be deadly.

The Family Game was written well with a tight plot and elements of suspense from start to finish. The thrills are right up there with Catherine’s first book, Something In The Water, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Out in November. There is a Goodreads giveaway happening right now for this book!

Wow! A crazy thrill ride, for sure! Moody and atmospheric, the story of an author set to marry the man of her dreams hits a stumbling block…his extremely wealthy, eccentric family. So many red herrings and unexpected twist and an ending, while satisfying, you won’t see coming.

Riveting and well written, but the MC did something that made zero sense toward the end and I'm a bit stuck on it. There were a couple of minor characters doing weird things seemingly without appropriate motivation earlier on, but I can forgive that as they helped move the plot along and weren't wildly frustrating (unlike the goofy ass thing the MC did).