Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman. This is a twisty, dark novel about a wealthy family with lots of problems, and Harry (Harriet) , an author whose first book sales are doing very well, and who falls in love with Edward Holbeck, the oldest living son of the influential Holbeck family. Edward has been estranged from his family because of past events, but now they want to bring him back into the fold with fiancée Harry. The family has very strange games that they play during the holidays. Harry’s first visit to meet the family is for Krampusnacht, a strange Halloween-type celebration. During this visit Edward’s father gives Harry a tape recording and tells her not to share what is on the tape with anyone else, including Edward. Harry is shocked by the contents of the tape and starts to do research to find out if the info and seeming confession on the tape are true. As she does her research, she begins to worry about her safety. This is a twisted, psychological thriller that compels you to keep reading, even though you may dread to find out what happens next.

Harriet Reed committed murder when she was eleven years old. It was a revenge killing against the drunk driver who had just killed her parents. She has lived with the guilt and fear that someone would find out what she had done. Now she is a successful author working on her second book. She is engaged to Edward Holbeck, who she met in a scene straight out of a fairy tale. She was the damsel in distress and he was the hero who came to her rescue. Edward has been estranged from his family, but now that they are engaged, Harriet is looking forward to meeting them.

The family is welcoming, but it is the powerful patriarch Robert Holbeck who makes a connection with Harriet. There is nothing that he will not do to protect his family. When the two sit down together he gives her a tape to listen to when she is alone. Its’ content appears to be a confession to several murders. He has also vetted Harriet and knows her secrets. She can not go to the authorities with the tape because it also contains the details of her own crime. Her secret is safe for now, but he makes it clear that he will request a favor from her in the future in order to keep it safe.

Everyone in the Holbeck family is hiding secrets and they are not all as welcoming as they appear. The family is known for playing games when they gather. Harriet’s first experience is a game that evolved from a German tradition that leaves her disturbed. The Christmas gathering involves a scavenger hunt that pits family members against each other. It is a game that not everyone will survive. Fairy tales do not always have a happy ending and Catherine Steadman takes fear to a new level. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books & Catherine Steadman for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this thriller! I had previously read, and loved Something in the Water, so I was very excited for this one and Catherine Steadman did not disappoint! My only "complaint" was it took me a few chapters to get into this one, but once I did I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down! Perfect thriller for this time of year and will definitely help you get out of a reading slump!

The Family Game is an edge of your seat psychological thriller. Catherine Steadman writes with such suspense that the reader can't help but continue to read long after they intended to stop, or put the book aside. I personally can not tell you how many times I said aloud to my (empty) reading room, "These people are crazy". I felt Harriet uncertainty and fear on every level and I am sure Steadman would not have wanted her reader's reactions to be any different than that.

Harriet, an author working on her second novel, becomes engaged to Edward Holbeck, eldest son of a very "old money" and powerful family. Very quickly Harriet discovers that even through the wealth and luxury the family has more layers and secrets than they are willing to share with the public. When the patriarch, Robert, gives Harriet a mysterious tape, little does she know the family "game" is set into motion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my copy of this novel.

I enjoyed this book so much. I have read all of Catherine Steadman’s novels and this is currently my favorite! Could not put it down.

The Family Game is a book I was excited to read from the moment I read the synopsis. It did not disappoint! It proved to be a fast-paced, well written thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough in my Kindle to see how it would end. I loved the twists and turns and the excitement of the family games. It has creepy sinister rich family vibes perfect for the season. I highly recommend this read. It had a satisfying ending too.
Thanks for NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

When invited home for the holidays with her fiancé, Edward, Harry is beyond nervous. Edward has been estranged from his father, an immeasurably wealthy tycoon, for over a year now and has not filled Harry in on the details. So when over drinks at Thanksgiving Edward's father, Robert, slips Harry a tape with some shocking confessions on it, she does not know what to do. Does she tell the police and risk losing everything and having her secret past revealed in the process? Or does she marry into the family and keep Robert's tape a secret?

This was my first read by this author, but I will definitely be picking up more of her books. I found elements of the ending a bit predictable, but it didn't prevent me from wanting to keep reading and see how it unfolded. The one thing I could not wrap my head around was Harry not listening to the tape in one listen. Especially being a thriller writer who presumably spend hours researching crimes and human reaction, I would think she would want to get through it in one go to make her assessments. Other than that (and the slightly over the top ending) I really liked this book!

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was a wild ride! This was one of the most enjoyable thrillers I've read in a long time - yes, the ending was a little over the top but I also found it super satisfying. I agree with other readers who said it has "Ready or Not" vibes - but that was another movie that I loved way more than I anticipated. I highly recommend this one!

I immediately thought of the movie Ready or Not, which I absolutely loved! Even though this premise of this book was completely different, I still loved the whole idea. Isn’t everyone scared of having terrible in-laws?

Harry was and will continue to be one of my favorite book characters. She was so determined, to know the truth about the family she was marrying into that she literally risked her own life. The whole Holbeck family intrigued me, I had no idea who to trust.

The plot twist was definitely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I in no way, shape, or form saw it coming. This book gave me everything I needed and more in a thrilling mystery novel.

Well, that was amazing!

Harriet is the next it-girl thriller writer, and she’s newly engaged to an amazing man who comes from an old money New York family.
Things slowly go awry as Harriet learns that her husband’s family loves to play games, and that the stakes are much higher than in any game she’s ever played before.
I loved the ending of this one. So much crazier than I expected and so much more satisfying.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is one hell of a book! First, special thanks to Ballantine Nooks for the advance readers copy via Netgalley and PRH Audio for the complimentary audio book narrated by the author itself! It was phenomenal!

Harry Reid was an orphan with secrets of the past, an author at the present whose debut novel hit the floor running! She has million copies sold, she was getting paid and she was also engaged! Edward, the fiancè comes from a family of the rich! And by rich, I mean-the rich type where grown kids have nannies and legal counsel joins family dinners. The rich has tradition- extra ordinary, uncanny kind of traditions. They play big games with big prizes! They stop for no one and gets rid of anybody that stand in between them and the game prize. Harry needs to play the game, for her own safety and for the future of her soon to be born child.

This book was a slow burn, low simmer, deep rumble to crescendo. It was suspense at its finest. It was dark and twisted, sick and scary and if this is what it makes to be rich- I do not know if I want to belong with the empire! There was always and argument about the movie Die Hard being a Christmas Movie or not. Others agree it was and others strongly don’t. The Family Game is quite the same, because the Christmas Celebrations and Traditions in this book is more like a horror story to me! A roller coaster of bright holiday lights, decorated dinner table, mixed with dead bodies, masked monster, flesh burning and bow-tied presents under the tree. If you love extra-ordinary holiday traditions, I highly recommend The Family Game for ideas! Ha,ha- just please do not invite me.

I LOVED The Disappearing Act by Catherine so to say that I was extra excited for this beauty would be an understatement!

Steadman is a masterful storyteller. The Family Game doesn't disappoint.

Catherine writes the perfect thrillers. And I do mean Perfect!
This book like her others, grabs you from the first word and keeps you on the damn edge for more.
A very clever and page turner with some interesting twists along the way.
How she comes up with stories like this is such a clever idea for a story.
She creates an atmosphere filled with a stifling and compulsive need for more.
The feeling of isolation and confusion was brilliantly written.
I loved the characters, thier development and feeling like I knew them.
This was one of those I didn't want to leave this book, when I had to.
I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so engrossing, almost to the point of mania.
I couldn't wait to return to the story!
Kudos to Catherine Steadman for penning such an interesting and absorbing novel.
She is a talented, clever writer and she knows how to create tension really well.
Her suspense/thrillers are just that.
All in all it was very entertaining, taut thriller that I could not put down.
The story captured you into the heart of it & held you with every word.
Astonishing storytelling - taking you along on this crazy journey. The suspense kept me glued to my Kindle.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House & Ballantine,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Family Game is the story of Harriet "Harry" Reed, a bright new author from the UK who has recently moved to the United States after meeting the love of her life. The love of her life also happens to be Edward Holbeck, heir to the Holbeck fortune.

While meeting the family of a significant other is always prone to drama and disaster, the stakes are raised when they are mysterious old-money billionaires and you have a dark secret in your past. For Harriet, meeting the in-laws quickly turns into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse that threatens to ruin everything she has.

While the book is a bit slow to start, the twists in the back half have a pretty good payoff that makes up for it.

I have a feeling the ending will have mixed reviews. The rug-sweeping of abusive behavior in favor of a convenient ending for the main character reminds me a bit of Colleen Hoover's writing [derogatory].

Some of the messaging in the book is a bit toxic, but it was still overall an enjoyable read. If you like a twisty tale of family drama, this will be a good pick for you.

Crossposted to goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4816790652?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This was such a perfect, twisty thriller that pulled me in from the start. After hearing her new fiancée's family patriarch confess to deadly secrets, Harriet(Harry) is thrown into a deadly game with her soon to be in-laws. I was so anxious and on the edge of my seat awaiting what was to be discovered and what everyone--including Harry--was hiding.

This book was so good! I was hooked from the very beginning. I've been excited to read this since I first saw it was being released. I was not disappointed. Harry was just beginning her career as an up and coming author of thrillers. She was also about to marry the man of her dreams, but she hadn't met his family. Why was he trying to keep her from them? Were they as powerful and dangerous as she was told they were? Harry will just have to find out what they are hiding, but will they figure out what she is hiding?

An author discovers deadly family secrets when she meets her fiancé’s incredibly wealthy and powerful, family for the first time.

Harriette’s life seems perfect. Her debut novel was a bestseller and she’s in love with the man of her dreams. But Harriette has a dark secret that must never come to light. Edward, her fiancé, is estranged from his powerful old-money family. The news of their engagement motivates Edward’s family to bring him back into the fold. And that’s when Harriette gets pulled into a deadly game.

This is one of those books where, when I finished it, I thought “that was pretty good. I liked it.” And then after awhile I started to really think about it. And guess what? Nah. Didn’t really like it that much. Most of the book is just a set up for the last 40ish pages. And upon reflection, the “solution” to take care of the dark, deadly family secret that the rich, powerful father comes up with pretty ridiculous. Sorry I’m being so vague. I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

I have really enjoyed the author’s previous books, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

I am definitely a fan of the Catherine Steadman thrillers I have read, and I really need to check out more of her backlist. This book had me on the edge of my seat trying to guess who you could trust and who was evil. There were a few minor things I didn't love about the book, but nothing that took away from my enjoyment of the read. The characters and plot were well developed, and even though I had figured out the big twist before the end, I definitely did not mind. I loved the peek into the lifestyle of the very wealthy, and I enjoyed the different locations in which the book was set.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Catherine Steadman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Family Game coming out October 18, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload the review to Amazon when the book is released. I also usually do a review on TikTok.

Harriet Reed is an up and coming novelist who is about to achieve stardom. She’s engaged to Edward Holbeck who is the oldest son and heir of a very powerful, wealthy family.

As Harriet is drawn into their rich lifestyle, the family seems perfectly amenable. Then Edward’s father, Robert gives Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on. She’s excited to listen to it, but once she hears it, she realizes it’s a confession to a murder. Suddenly the family game is in motion.

Harriet decides to keep this tape from Edward, working out the mystery alone. Why would Robert give her the power to destroy their family?

Thrillers are sometimes a hit or miss with me, but I absolutely loved this book! I love books with deadly games involved. The holidays are also a fun time and sometimes bring out the worst in families with their drama. I loved Krampusnacht and the fact that it was on my birthday, haha. The twists were so fun and I loved the ending! Harriet was such a good character. I loved that she was smart and literary. She was an author and did her research. She did what she had to do to protect her family. 
I will definitely check out more books by Catherine Steadman!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves contemporary murder mysteries and thrillers!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60417443

THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman
rating: 4 STARS
genre: mystery, suspense

I have mixed feelings about this book. And this review is difficult to write even though I just finished the novel yesterday.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, immensely.
Does it make sense? No, not really.
Did the "twist" seem to come from no where? Yes, absolutely.

The beginning of THE FAMILY GAME moved kind of slowly for my taste. Steadman really spent some time trying to let you get to know Harry and the inner workings of her brain - which was interesting. You're kept on the edge of your seat while you wonder what could have possibly happened in her past that makes her so anxious about the future. You see as she becomes more and more enthralled in Robert and the mystery that he has laid before her - you can hear it in the tone Steadman writes in.

However, as the family events begin to happen and relationships come to light, that's when the plot seems to run away with itself. It was VERY entertaining and interesting, however it made no sense to me.

So if you're looking for an interesting suspense novel & you're okay with the twists coming out of no where, then this book is for you! Again, really enjoyed! Just confused. Will continue to read Steadman's novels because they always keep me turning pages to find out what happens next.

This book didn’t totally do it for me. Interesting premise and storyline but it all felt a little over the top and ridiculous to me and I had trouble getting into it.