What a fabulous read! Once again I was up late into the night devouring this amazing thriller by Catherine Steadman. Harry (Harriet), an author, has moved from the UK to NYC after her first book becomes a million dollar best seller. She falls in love with Edward Holbeck. The Holbeck family is a wealthy, eccentric family full of strange tales. The family members all share deep dark secrets. They are masters at playing games. Edward is estranged from his family, but once he proposes, he embraces them and brings Harry into their insane world.
Enjoy this crazy ride! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of Catherine Steadman’s latest thriller, The Family Game, in exchange for an honest review.

Despite having several of the author’s previous novels on my “to-read” shelf, #TheFamilyGame is my first introduction to the author’s writing and it certainly will not be my last.

#TheFamilyGame is a gripping domestic thriller about a novelist on the brink of tying the knot with a tech start-up mogul who also happens to be the primogeniture to a prominent and well-established family. Unbeknownst to the soon-to-be groom, the patriarch of the Holbeck family has issued his own sinister version of the Balmoral test to the future bride. The catch? Revealing the contents of her future father-in-law’s test will put both her and her fiancé’s lives in jeopardy.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this book is reminiscent of the horror movie, Ready or Not, with a few twists. I also thought the book was scarier and better than that movie. Additionally, though the novel is primarily a suspense thriller, I would not be surprised if the author ventured into horror at some point because those passages were spectacularly creepy.

I absolutely adored everything about the novel and finished it in less than a day. If Robert Holbeck forced me to reveal any negatives to win a family game, however, I would say the only cons are that a few of the minor characters seem to do nothing more than move the plot forward, are then discarded, and the reader never hears from them again.

Essentially, if you enjoy plot-driven page-turners that involve characters with questionable morals, then this book is for you. If you like novels centered around wealthy families who are hiding terrible secrets, then this novel is for you. If you are a fan of the author’s and can handle dark mysteries, then #TheFamilyGame will be the perfect holiday read when it is released at the end of 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was soooo much like the movie Ready Or Not. Except this was set during Christmas and involved Krampus! A really fun, quick thriller that kept me guessing.

O M G this book was so freaking good!!!!!! Don't start it unless you're prepared to finish cuz it was a nail biter!

Harriet Reed is riding the high of her first and best selling novel. She is engaged to a charming man who comes from family money. She thinks her life is going perfectly. Except she hasn't met his parents. Mostly because they are "too much" and he is concerned they might scare her off. Harry tries to make the best of the situation, but of course in true Catherine Steadman fashion, things are not exactly what they seem. What follows is a wild ride of murder, intrigue and weird Christmas games.

I stayed up way past my bedtime to read this. What a rush! I have read all of Steadman's prior books and this is definitely top 2 (The Disappearing Act is my reigning favorite). She has such a talent for suspense. I cannot wait for her next book. Highly highly highly recommend!!!!!

My sincerest thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for granting my wish!

This was good! Harriet (Harry) seems like an average woman…but you quickly realize that she’s hiding something. As the book progresses it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. There are hints about the secrets and then there are the twists and turns which keep you guessing throughout.

I was so excited to read this, as I had read another book by Catherine Steadman a couple of months ago – Something in the Water – which I enjoyed a lot. The Family Game has a great plot, interesting characters, and tons of surprises.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman will be out November 8, 2022. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A unique, twisted, tale for fans of suspense and thrillers.

This might be my favorite thriller of the year! Harriet is drawn into an eccentric wealthy family full of secrets when she falls in love with Edward. Completely original plot. Propulsion reading. Bravo!

I couldn't put this book DOWN! This thriller will keep you hooked throughout the end of the book. I found myself loving the way I would learn things about the Holbeck family as our main character, Harry, did. As Harry tried to get away from her past and live a new life with their fiance Edward, she found herself having to make a choice between the love of her fiance and the love of family.

“In-laws can be difficult” thinks future daughter-in-law Harriet as she lies bleeding on their floor. So begins Catherine Steadman’s latest original thriller, a Christmas horror story of sorts, which will be released in November 2022.

Harry/Harriet is engaged to the estranged scion of an uber-rich Gilded Age family with specific weird holiday traditions, such as the not so quaint Central European/ Alpine fairy tale about Krampus: the anti-Santa, the guy with the sack of coal and birch sticks to whip bad children while St. Nick fills the shoes of good kids with sweets. Harry’s take on Krampusnacht: “low level child abuse”. So let’s continue the holiday festivities with the Holbecks.

Harry is actually a very successful thriller novelist (albeit without any close family) and just recently met the potential in-laws. At their first family get-together on Thanksgiving, Robert Holbeck, the grand poo-bah of the family, gave her an ancient-tech mini-cassette that Harry suspects is soon-to-be dad-in-law’s attempt at his own mystery/thriller or memoir and an attempt to find common ground with her. It’s not until she actually listens to the tape that she realizes something is very off.

And then there’s that game and its rules that are mentioned in all the book previews which will eventually explain how Harry ended up on the parlor floor.

As a main character and narrator, Harry is immediately likable (what I also loved about Mia, the main character in Ms. Steadman’s “The Disappearing Act”) but she has secrets of her own that threaten your first assessment of her. I loved that the author challenges the reader in this way — and Ms. Steadman bluntly also inserts that characters that are likable are “gold dust” — they can get away with anything.

I absolutely loved this book and the twists and turns it took. It kept the suspense and mystery up until the very end. The best sort of thriller! 5 stars!

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!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Both the sister Matilda and another mysterious character. There is much mention of “EVERGREEN” but you have to read the book to find out what that is.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO It’s December and the snow has mostly covered whatever majestic gardens surround the Holbeck estate, but who knows where the vase of “freshly picked” cornflowers came from.

Harriet is a successful author. In London, she meets the perfect man. She moves to New York and they get engaged. She lost her family as a child. He comes from a wealthy, historical family. But she has a secret that could ruin everything. Her father in law to be decides to let her know his secrets and that he knows hers. Pregnant and seeming to be embraced by her new family, she wonders how to deal with her knowledge.

I really liked this book! It had twists, Krampus and a Christmas scavenger hunt like no other! I would have failed! The ending was unexpected. It is amazing what money can do!
Thank you, NetGalley! Another winner!

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.