I received a digital advance copy of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman via NetGalley. The Family Game is scheduled for release on October 18, 2022.

Harry (Harriet) is a novelist who seems to have everything she wants. Her first novel sold over a million copies, she is engaged to a man she loves, and they have a baby on the way. The only trouble is her fiance’s family. They are rich and powerful, with a set of strange traditions and secrets. As Harry is pulled further into their lives, her own secrets threaten to surface, putting her in danger of not surviving the games they play.

The first half of this novel is full of suspense and hints of danger as Harry meets the family she is joining. They all seem a bit off, and their traditions are mysterious and terrifying. Unfortunately, this does not hold up in the second half of the novel. In the later half of the novel, Harry spends most of her time alone, thinking about the family rather than interacting with them. As a result, the pace here feels very slow, and all sense of risk is lost. This made the climax of the story feel rushed, as we are suddenly dropped back into a dangerous situation without a build up to those very high stakes.

Harry’s extended time away from other characters also impacted my connection to the characters. As we aren’t seeing her interact with anyone (not even much with her fiance), it was hard to get a sense of who Harry or the other characters were. This made it difficult to connect with them, and care about their well-being in the final game. It also made some of their decisions and actions in the last part of the story feel random instead of grounded in the characters.

Overall, The Family Game starts off strong, but struggles to maintain the suspense through to the end.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is a family drama that explores family secrets, power, and loyalty. Harry (Harriet) is a British author who is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck - all has been blissful in their courtship but now it’s time to meet the family. The Holbecks are one of wealthiest and most powerful families in the US - I was imagining a Succession type family. Right away things are a little off with the family - they quickly wield their power to get in front of Harriet’s schedule and trick her into attending family events that are not what they seem. Everything gets even more complicated with she meets Edwards father Robert - he slips her a tape which reveals a shocking confession and proves to Harry that they all know her better than she thought they did. What comes next is the game…

Overall, I thought the premise of this book was a lot more fun than the execution. The “game” was limited and I felt like some of the chapters inched by. I also wanted more from the characters - I felt like they had the capacity to be so interesting but ultimately felt fairly one dimensional on the page. This was a bit of a miss for me but I could see a lot of readers enjoying it. It was less of a thriller and more of a drama, in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC - The Family Game is out 10/18/22!

Although estranged from his family, Edward is first in line to inherit the family's wealth and assets. When his fiancé Hariet (Harry) asks to meet his family, he orchestrates a meeting, where Edward's father secretly slips a recorded message to Harry. When Harry listens to the shocking confession, she is stunned. Until she decides what to do with the knowledge, she needs to play the family's bizarre games...

Whoa what did I just read? If you like thrillers and are after something unique, this is one you'll have to add to your list. With lots of "oh my gosh" (possibly said in a more adult way!) moments and twists aplenty, I really enjoyed this one.

Oh boy, you've got some crazy ass in-laws in this book. They are generationally wealthy and love playing 'family games' especially on those unaware of what the games actually entail. Ugh, my worst nightmare in a relationship.

Harry met the man of her dreams, and when he proposes just before Thanksgiving, she of course says yes. Unfortunately, she hasn't met his estranged family yet. She is in for a rude awakening, and might just want to run for her life. Literally.

This was one of those thrillers that you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. Harry did something horrible in her past that she has kept hidden. But she soon discovers that her fiancé's family secrets are even worse than her own. It will keep you guessing until the end... no one is safe in this family!

Thank you for my copy of this novel. The author’s attention to detail in her writing is incredible. Unfortunately, this novel was not my favorite. It started off as more of a romance than a thriller. The story fell flat and did not keep my attention. Most of the plot and the ending were too unrealistic for my liking.

Rich people doing bad things 😈.. I’m all in 🙋🏼‍♀️!!! This is an all-consuming diabolical thriller that kept me on my toes🦶🏻and my nerves on edge 😱. I did have to suspend belief at times but wow.. did I ever enjoy the premise of this story! It gets extremely chilling 😬.. when playing “games” goes too far.. getting way too personal 👁.. even DEADLY 🔪 . What a disturbing, wholly engaging story. I stayed up late to finish the book and boy was it a dandy 🤯. 4 stars — Pub. 10/18/22

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Harriet (Harry) is a writer who fell in love with an American from a well to do family. Luckily for Harriet her secret so far has been safe with her, the secret from day that changed her life. Soon Harriet finds it's time to meet the family of Edward. She's nervous. She also learns this family fancies a game during the holidays, a games she never would have played on her own. Slowly she learns about Edward's family and how things work. Harriet is confronted by Edward's father. He has cassette tape she needs to hear. The tape that changes it all. Harriet plays the family's games, and learns that she may not have known ALL about Edward.

I loved this slow burn, and the audio was phenomenal! The story follows Harriet (Harry) as she gets engaged to a wealthy man and the subsequent “meet the family”. With money comes power, and Harry learns how much influence the Holbeck family has and the enormity of the games they play. The book was a slow burn but never let up on the suspense. There is an undercurrent of mystery around the family and when secrets start to come out, you fear what could come next for Harry and how she will get through this unscathed. I HIGHLY recommend this audio! Not only was the quality incredible (as always coming from PRHAudio) but the narrator was Catherine Steadman herself! An incredible performance! 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up to 5 on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Penguin Random House Audio and Catherine Steadman for providing me with a gifted ebook and audio in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining mystery and Catherine Steadman did a fantastic job narrating it! I love games so I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.

Pun intended, this dark, twisty and glamorous mystery thriller was another winner from Catherine Steadman. While I normally prefer her audiobooks (her narration performance is exceptional, given she was also an actress in Downtown Abbey), her writing style flows so well I found myself hearing her voice anyway whilst unable to stop turning the pages.

After devouring Something in the Water, I quickly went through all of her other books and greatly anticipated this one. She is fast becoming one of my favorite mystery thriller writers, in the vein of Alice Feeney, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Summary

Harriet “Harry” Reed, an up-and-coming British mystery thriller writer, has taken a leap of faith and moved to New York having met the man of her dreams, Edward Holbeck. Edward is nearly too perfect — handsome, successful and set to inherit a fortune as the eldest son of one of the wealthiest and influential families in America. The Holbecks, however, are manipulative, extremely well-connected, and are full of secrets. Harry, however, has a dark secret of her own.

After agreeing to marry Edward, Harry shortly after meets the Holbecks, with whom Edward had been somewhat estranged. The explanation he gives has to do with him not following his father’s footsteps and taking over the family business as well as other family customs that his exes had found strange. Harry quickly gets sucked into their world when she meets Robert Holbeck, her future father-in-law, who gives her an old cassette recording, the contents of which pulls her in to this high stakes cat and mouse game.

Despite being fully aware of how dangerous this family is, Harry is willing to play in order to keep her own dark secret from the love of her life, Edward.

Overall Verdict

This one closely ties Something in the Water as a top fave from the author. I liked the high stakes, the twist I didn’t see coming, and the constant feeling of danger and unease, the tension she creates so well throughout the book. Her stories always have deliciously dark, twisty elements but stop just short of being full-on disturbing à la Alice Feeney (all of the books of whom I absolutely love).

Harry as the main character is likeable and respectable as her actions show her as someone clearly intelligent, which makes her as a contender in the “The Family Game” all the more exciting.

The final setting takes place in a modern Hungarian castle built in upstate New York. The eery atmosphere fits so well with the tension in the story. A dark, “old-money” family estate, isolated in the winter weather is the perfect backdrop for the story’s dramatic end.

I look forward to listening to the audiobook version of this as soon as it is made available as well, as the author’s narration performance is not to be missed. Her pacing, tone and emotions convey the story so well, though as this was the first time I’ve read one of her stories as a book, the writing itself definitely contributes to the unfolding excitement in the story.

This one is definitely a 5 out of 5 for me. Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me get my eager hands on this early read. Can’t wait for more from this author!

I liked it, but didn’t love it.

Lots of tropes that have been done before. The story itself was good, but it was a little slow and then over the top.

I think it’s a fun Christmas time mystery, but it just left me wanting more. The prologue was AMAZING though. I wish it could have kept that vibe throughout the book. Before Christmas was… long.

• Thank you to #RandomHousePublishing #BallantineBooks and #NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is October 18, 2022.

Harriet Reed has written a best selling mystery and is working on a second novel. She has whirlwind affair with Edward Holbeck, the heir to a very wealthy and influential family. Edward has decided not to play a role in the family business and has distanced himself from his family. After Harry and Ed get engaged and are expecting a child they decide to reconcile with the Holbeck’s. This family likes to play “games” and have some very disturbing secrets. Harriet can play their games because she has a dark secret of her own. This book is full of suspense and has a “blow your mind“ twist near the end. Catherine Steadman is quickly becoming one of my favorite go-to authors.

I really liked this book. It read well and had some awesome suspense. I did think there were 2 major plot issues. The first is to why Robert chose Harry, especially of Robert was powerful and able to set up these games. Why did he need her? Using her passed seemed shaky considering what she did didn't seem strong enough to elicit that kind of action. Second, was the tape. Most people would have listened to it all the way through but I don't think that point necessarily took away from the storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a good read

This book is another winner from Catherine Steadman. I have read and enjoyed all of her books. I read The Family Game in 2 days. I honestly could not put the book down. I did find the descriptions of the family games a little over the top but then again, I have no knowledge of the lives of the Uber wealthy. The book was very suspenseful. I was legitimately curious as to how so much could go wrong so quickly. I was very surprised by the ending. It was a twist that I did not see coming. I will give a warning - the book is quite violent if that is a trigger.

Catherine Steadman has a gift of grabbing your attention from page one and dragging you along on a wild ride. This story was filled with mystery, intrigue and a little bit of anxiety while trying to figure out what is really going on. As I read The Family Game I felt like I was reading a great thriller screenplay. This book is going to fly off the shelves.

Another great one from Catherine Steadman! The suspense flows through this one from start to finish. Who are the Holbecks? Why are they being hidden by Harry’s fiancé Edward? What secrets lie on the tape from Robert? Each chapter brings new questions and not until the very end do we really get answers.

I enjoyed this one and devoured it quickly. I think a lot of it was because the story was face paced and Harry is such a likable main character. It is a pretty surface level thriller but I enjoyed it none the less. I had a couple guesses for the twist and was ultimately wrong which always wins me over.

I’d pick this one up if you’re a fan of face paced, thrilling page turners. It’s a single POV so it’s easy to follow and doesn’t make things complicated.

After seeing the cover and reading the description, I really expected this book to be a lot like the movie Ready or Not. There are definitely elements of the movie in this book, but this is so much more.
Harry, short for Harriet, has recently sold her first novel which became a run away best seller. She has also just got engaged to the man of her dreams, Ed. However, she has never met his family and the first meeting doesn't quite go as planned. Now she has a recording of a story about multiple murders that might not be as fictional as she thought. She's determined to get to the bottom of it, but unfortunately, she has a secret too.
This was so dark and twisty. Steadman does some really interesting things with the characters and the plot. She does a great job of keeping up the suspense throughout the book.

This was my first book by Catherine Steadman, and it was wild.
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This book gave me anxiety. It was a little out there with krampusnacht, I had no idea that was a real thing. I also thought some how Harry had sexual feelings for her soon to be Father in law was kind of strange. I know a lot of these " weird" things helped to build the suspense. Even though the first 25% seemed like a romance book, the last 25% almost seemed like a horror book😅. After reading this book I know that I can't read thriller books where the MC is pregnant. It just has me way to nervous while reading.
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I honestly did not guess the ending ... Maybe I'm just not too quick to catch on to things. I could not stop reading and has to know what happened. I'm giving this book 3.5 stars because it was wild. There were a few things I did not like, but if you are a thriller junkie... You should definitely read this book.

I will be posting my review on Instagram next week! (10/12)

So good!! This had the dark and the light, the twists and the turns. I stayed up way too late finding myself refusing to stop reading.

This book had so much potential, but in my opinion it fell flat. The writing wasn’t to the level I expected, and the first 70% felt like a rough draft to me. I wasn’t invested in the story or the characters until sometime after that 70% mark when I felt the writing improved and the plot finally started to gain some momentum, but by then it was too late. I felt like the main character made some stupid decisions, and parts were a little too meta about the author main character writing a book about what we’re currently reading about in this book…

I’m sure some people will love this book. I admit I didn’t see the twist coming, so I did enjoy that. But I mostly forced myself to finish this book just to say I was done with it.

Again, I want to stress this book had so much potential! A plot where the characters of Succession play dark and twisted games at holiday gatherings? Throw in a main character with a secret past trying to figure out if one of the family members is a serial killer, and I would have thought this would be an easy 4 or 5 star read! But it was not.

**Minor spoilers here** Plus how could Harry not listen to the tape all at once!? I understand it’s necessary from a plot perspective, but it felt way too unrealistic to me that she couldn’t make the time to listen to the whole tape sooner. What if Robert split the information up and mailed her tapes over a period of time, so she was unable to listen to them all at once? That would have made this much more believable! I have other gripes with the plot as a whole, but I feel they are too spoilery. But I’ll just say that a lot of details didn’t make sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.