I was a fan of Catherine Steadman's other books and this one did not disappoint either! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it early! If you love a novel that mixes family intrigue and mystery then this is certainly a book that you should pick up. I honestly think this was Steadman's best work yet and I am so excited to see what else she writes in the future.

Incoming full review on bookstagram!

This is a tough one to rate so I'm going with 3.5. Three stars because the characters are engaging but not likable. Four stars because the story is so twisty and suspenseful, which I love.

The majority of the plot takes place during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Harriet (Harry) is recently engaged to Edward and they find out she is expecting as well. Edward's family wants Ed and Harry to spend the Holidays with them as Ed has been estranged from them for quite some time. The rest of the book is a blur of twists, turns, and gut-wrenching decisions. Highly recommended for fans of suspenseful and twisted plots!

Thanks to Catherine Steadman, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Rising star author Harriet hasn’t had a family since her parents died in a tragic accident, so it doesn’t bother her that her ultra rich fiancé is estranged from his. But, upon their engagement, Edward and Harry decide to spend the holiday season with the Holbecks — including attending their weirdly intense holiday events. While juggling her book deadline and making a good impression on the fam, Harry is also gifted something that leads her to believe that the Holbeck’s family traditions are not all fun and games — they might include murder.

I’ve already posted about how this one was a home run for me, but let me say it again — I just loved it. It was such a great addition to my holiday reading (aka mostly romance reads) and I just loved how this one had Christmas and like tons of murder muahaha. Neither of this author’s previous books were big hits for me, but I am SO glad I didn’t let that stop me from picking this one up!

One of my favorite thrillers I’ve read this year! It was well-paced, had an interesting but not too complex plot and a satisfying ending. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet Reed is a new bestselling author. She has recently become engaged to Edward Holbeck, who comes from an extremely wealthy family. She has never met his family as they have been somewhat estranged. Edward, as the eldest son, was slated to become the head of the family empire. He refused and began his own path with a startup. Harriet has no family and a serious secret in her past. After the engagement, Ed wants her to meet the family. Harriet is quite intimidated, but the family seems to be very welcoming. They are hoping she will be able to bring Ed back to a good relationship with his family. All is not as it seems on the surface. There are many twists and turns with the family dynamics. The author leads you down a path to a shocking ending. I was engrossed in this story and stayed up half the night to finish it. This is a must read!

The Family Game was one of the weirdest but most interesting books I read. Like who thinks of these plots?!! It was intriguing enough for me to keep reading—as in, a weirdo family who likes to play Christmas monster games??—but the whole time I was thinking what on earth is happening? It’s fast paced and suspenseful. Don’t get me wrong— I liked it a lot and somehow it worked for me!

I found myself absolutely racing through this book - I couldn't keep turning pages fast enough - as I was obsessed with figuring out this creative cat-and-mouse game. When Harriet Reed meets her fiancé Edward's family, it's immediately apparent that the Holbeck family is not what they seem. But as the story unravels and we get closer to the ultimate Christmas 'game' - I was absolutely holding my breath!

I also highly recommend the audiobook version of this book as well since it's narrated by the author herself!

This was a thriller I was really excited about because it centered around a rich family, possibly a creepy game, and the holidays.

The main character gets a tape from her soon to be father in law that tells her secrets about awful things someone committed.

I enjoyed the you never know who’s watching you aspect of the plot but I felt it was more of an investigation/mystery than a true thriller.

I wasn’t ever sucked in the way I wanted to be where you were really rooting for one character. I also felt the most thriller-esque part of the book was only one chapterish.

The ending was suppose to be the huge reveal and I genuinely felt let down by it all. It was a tad boring and weird? I don’t know how to explain it.

I’d give this 2 or 2 1/2 stars but I just wasn’t very invested enough and the ending wasn’t as big a production I thought it would have been considering how the tape the main character was given made it seem.

Bummer. ☹️

This thriller had everything I look for. Crazy family dynamics, twisted games, a gothic atmosphere, and wild cat and mouse antics.
Set during the holiday season, it is the perfect read to make your family seem normal this time of year. I felt like there was a new clue or twist at every turn here. Just when we thought these characters could not get anymore controlling or unhinged...guess again. Poor Harriett had no idea what she was getting herself into with this one. If you are a thriller lover, pick this one up!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I had been waiting to read after hearing that it was set at Christmas time and boy, it did not disappoint!! I loved all the settings of the book and the fast pace. The first few pages had me hooked right away and I flew through it.! I am going to have to check out more of this author’s backlist titles!

I was expecting something completely different than what I read. However, I am pleasantly surprised with the path this book took. I think a lot of it was pretty predictable but sometimes the journey is so much more fun and entertaining than the destination. There were so many atmospheric settings in this story. It also read like a movie and I was eagerly waiting for the next thing to happen. I really loved the Christmas setting as well as the Krampus game.

Wow now this is a thriller! I loved the entire premise of this book and the characters were incredible!
Harriet or Harry as she’s called is an author , and she believes she has met the man of her dreams his name is Edward. Edward comes from an incredibly wealthy family who has a ton of connections. Harriet meets his family for the first time over Thanksgiving, they appear to welcome her and are friendly. When she has a one on one meeting with Edwards father Robert. Harriet is a bit surprised when Robert gives her a cassette tape to listen to, he gives no hint with what’s on the tape just tells her to listen to it. When she listens she’s shocked the tape appears to be confession to a grisly crime possibly a murder. The more time she spends with this family their traditions literally have her running for her life. Will she survive their family games or will she be the next victim on the tape? I loved this book it reminded me a bit of the movie Ready Or Not. I can’t imagine being Harriet at times one part gave me anxiety. Highly recommend!!

I enjoyed this read, it wasn’t anything mind blowing but it was a fun read and I enjoyed the ending immensely. Definitely intriguing for sure!

Harriet/Harry has just gotten engaged to Edward. He’s been fairly estranged from his family so Harry hasn’t met them yet but the engagement seems like a time to possibly mend some fences. Edward’s family isn’t just rich - they are rich rich. Harry is a little nervous to meet them but also excited to get to know her future in-laws.

However - quickly after meeting them - things start to get strange. Edward’s father gives Harry a cassette tape to listen to - and when she does, she’s drawn into a strange game.

This one took a little bit for me to get into it but once I got to that point, it was impossible to stop until the end. I really enjoyed this - a mix of family drama, the power of the extremely wealthy, and some mystery. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I absolutely loved this one. It was such a fun family thriller/drama. It reminded me of Knives Out and the Westing Game, both of which I loved.

What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!

Wowowowow WOW this was such a fun ride! While a lot of this was kind of predictable, I'm obsessed with mystery/thrillers centered around super rich, old money families and those who have just had their first taste of the craziness that is their world. Harriett is such a fun protagonist to follow, even if she is a bit morally grey. My main critique is that I wish we had learned more backstories on the Holbeck family members just so I could feel even more invested, but I'm okay with the amount of information that we DID learn.

This feels very much like the movie Ready or Not, and I love it. Even though the end of the book is the tiniest bit of a letdown, overall I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it to someone else.

3.5 stars

“A game is only a game if you do not fully understand it.”

Maybe because I don't read a lot of thrillers, my standards for them aren't too high?

I think this one has low ratings, but I was into it! The weird background of this family and the absolutely bizarre games they play had me freaked out.

Did I think they were a little (ok, a lot) outlandish? Yes.

Did I figure out the big twist before the reveal? Also, yes.

But this was the perfect distraction - and the Christmas time setting was the icing on the cake!

✨Book Review✨
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
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A low four. This book took me a little to get into, but it really picked up the pace about 25 percent in. It was an intriguing thriller and I flew through the second half. I switched to audio at about 25 percent and I think that helped a lot, too. I definitely recommend the audiobook. It's not the most memorable of books, but I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick entertaining read.

One of the best thrillers I've read in a while! Unpredictable and fast-paced. I really enjoyed the characters, the surprises, and learning what really happens in Steadman's newest release.