“The game gives us a chance to rebalance the scales, once a year, to rectify the power balance in the family. It reminds us that we must be good to one another all year long or risk the consequences if the tables are turned.”

Harriet Reed is a British writer who moves to New York upon falling in love with Edward Holbeck, a successful American businessman and the eldest son of an uber rich family.

After accepting his marriage proposal, Harry is thrust into the Holbeck family gatherings on Thanksgiving, Krampusnacht, and Christmas.

However, these are not ordinary dinner parties, as Harry is compelled to play the family’s traditional games.

And these are no ordinary games…

Harry must figure out the clues before her own secrets are discovered.

I am still recovering from an emotional rollercoaster! This thriller starts off as a VERY slow burn. At 40% I was tempted to quit reading, as nothing seemed to be happening. Then, I was glad that I kept with it, as the middle of the book is filled with a fast-paced and truly clever and original plot. But, when I reached the OTT ending, I threw up my hands! Moreover, I wish the pacing was more steady throughout.

As in her previous thriller, The Disappearing Act, I found that this British author seems to be confused about American culture. The plot is about an American family, yet the game is steeped in more classic British traditions. Even Harry is confusing as a main character because I kept thinking she was a man for at least the first 10%. Is Harriet usually shortened to Harry? Maybe in England, as I have never heard that in America. She also confuses American/British terminology such as torch for flashlight again as well.

However, I really enjoyed the clever chapter titles and the sinister Krampusnacht and Christmas games. They really increased the mounting tension and helped question the Holbecks’ motives.

This book is definitely a mixed bag for me. Overall, I give it 4 stars for the plot and 3 stars for the execution.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 10/18/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of The Family Game in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Steadman pens a well written stay with you propulsive read. I found I could really enjoy it despite and also because of the
bizarre family games. I wish I had such unique imaginative writing powers. So often when I finish a book In this genre the ending makes me
think I wasted reading hours…not so here. The tone of general fiction pulls me in and really focuses me so I am less likely to pick the book
up and put it down for long periods. Harry and Edward were such complex memorable characters that the minor family players in the background worked well. Super enjoyable read

Harriet Reed was orphaned as a young child. She has worked hard, trusted no one completed and has become a famous novelist. Then she meets Edward Holbeck, the heir of a wealth, powerful family. She moves to the states and begins to settle into a life with him which eventually means meeting his family. The games quickly begin. She is given a tape from her soon to be father-in-law which starts as novel but turns into confessions of a serial killer. Harriet is left with the decision to play the game or confess her own deep secrets.
What starts out similar to a Danielle Steel fairytale, turns to a James Patterson mystery and before you know it is a Stephen King horror. There are so many twists and turns that it leaves you dizzy and wondering who you trust and is there anyone without a dark ulterior motive.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When you think of family games, what comes to mind? For me it’s probably unicorn monopoly or chutes and ladders, or my almost 5 year olds favorite - slap jack. When the Holbeck’s think family games they conjure up krampus chasing children and scaring them into being good, and twisted scavenger hunts. Not really safe, wholesome family games - but hey the ultra rich get their thrills differently than the rest of us I suppose.

Harriet, Harry, had met and fallen deeply in love with Edward Holbeck. After dating a year Edward convinced her to meet his family, and Harry, having no family of her own is eager to take part. After a wonderful thanksgiving dinner, Harry is invited to the Krampus game. Krampus is St Nicholas mean cousin, he is the one who punished the bad kids. So with the game all the children are terrorized by Krampus until one of them finds the evergreen stick. Harry has no idea what she’s getting into, and is taken aback with how horrible the “game” is. Harry receives a cryptic tape from the Sr Holbeck and begins listening. Still taken in by all the glamor and glitz that comes with the Holbecks, Harry agrees to go away to their family home for Christmas. Harry had listened to the entire tape and she is shocked to hear the confession that lies within. Determined to get answer she agrees to participate in a scavenger hunt game Christmas Eve. Things take a gruesome turn and this game, like Krampus, is nothing like you’d think. Harry starts to wonder if she is going to escape this game alive…

I really enjoyed the big twist of this book. While I had an inkling it was coming it was still delightful. The whole family is not what you’d think and the secrets that are revealed are way to believable coming from a family dealing in billions. This book come out October 18th and make sure to add it if your looking for a fun thriller to welcome you into spooky season. 4/5 stars from me. I want to extended my deepest gratitude to @netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Harriet is an orphan and a successful author who meets beyond rich Edward, he of the well known Holbeck family, of which Harriet is about to join. Edward keeps her away from his family until they get engaged, but the welcome she finds is not what she's been lead to believe.
Her physical attraction to his father is odd and mentioned several times. It really made me wonder about her. She seemed to enjoy the interactions with him which should have been more like Danger! signs instead. Putting yourself in a situation like that and more than once, seems just plain dumb. He gives her a tape to listen to, but she isn't to let anyone else know about it. Hmmm... time to leave this family is what that said to me.
The games the family plays are dark and twisted and scary as hell, though they call the games fun and involve the children. Run away from these people! After the first game she actually agrees to play the next one which I thought was dumb and would have not done. Sure, she was afraid her secret would come out, but I would have said this family is not for me and would have fled.
I stuck it out to the end and yes there were some twists I did not see coming, but overall I didn't really like any characters and thought it was too twisted.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Marrying into a highly influential and rich family can be complicated. But this family has even more special games and secrets they like to play and share with new family members. Enough to make a sane person say heck to the nope. But not our heroine. She sticks with it. A little predictable but a very good read and entertaining. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars

This is an extremely fun, fast-paced thriller that will keep readers on their toes and will rely on their belief that the ultra wealthy are capable of the actual worst. Shouldn't be too much of a stretch these days...!

Harry, the m.c., is a relatively successful author with one best seller under her belt and one in the works, and she brings a sordid past to the scene, too. This makes her a particularly intriguing future member of one of the wealthiest families in New York, which, thanks to her oldest-son-of-that-family fiancé, she'll be entering soon. But in addition to their wealth and general mystique, this family has the most disturbing habit of all: a love of the creepiest games readers have ever heard of. Not since the Green Knight has a Christmas game taken such weird turns.

In addition to the pacing, the most exciting part of this novel is that the heroine is not an idiot. That vapid, insipid, childish heroine from so many thrillers does not live in Harry's heart. She's a worthy opponent, and her flaws make her the most fun to root for, especially in opposition to what seems like a family of human horror shows.

Buckle up, eat the rich, and enjoy the game. May the most skilled players win!

Excellent novel from Catherine Steadman.

Harriet has had a difficult life before she met Edward, the oldest son of the elite, rich and powerful Holbeck family. Edward has kept his distance from the family for a while, since he refused to take his position as head of the family company.

Once Edward proposes, Harriet accepts, and knows that the time has come to meet the famous family. Initially they are welcomed with open arms and warm smiles.

Clearly there are a lot of secrets being held within the family. Meeting them all at thanksgiving, she finds that they play games, both literally and figuratively, without explaining the rules and goals. Some of these games are very cruel. Once she meets Robert, the head of the family, she realizes there is a lot more at stake than just the family fortune. Robert hands her a tape containing a chilling confession - what will she do?

Everything comes to a head at the family Christmas gathering, when a treasure hunt becomes a heart stopping quest.

Full of fascinating characters, they plot drew me in. There were a few twists I didn't see coming. All in all a very entertaining novel.

4.25 thrilling stars

Hold on to your hats with this one! It flew by so quickly and I loved the way this one opened and ended! It’s been a while since I’ve read this author, but now I’m inspired to go back and read some that I missed.

We meet Harriet (Harry) as a promising new writer and follow her fairytale romance with one of the hottest bachelors on the market. Edward is from the Holbeck family, uber-wealthy, perhaps estranged from the family, but still the eldest child. When Harry finally is invited to meet the rest of the family, she’s quickly drawn into their lives (or web?)

Soon she’s off to exclusive clubs for lunches, meeting with the charismatic head of the family, Robert, and then holiday events at the family estate, The Hydes, in a remote part of the state. Inclusion in the family comes at a price though. There are elaborate games that Harry has to participate in, and they are frightening, to say the least!

Robert gives Harry a tape to listen to and tells her it has the makings of the plot for her next book. Soon she’s drawn even deeper into the family and torn about what to do. What has she gotten herself into here? Can she survive? Can she and Edward find a happy-ever-after ending?

The author does an excellent job with the setting, and I felt that I was right there in the action with Harry. Who doesn’t dream about more money than you can spend? I could see this one made into a movie!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
2 Stars
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is a thriller/mystery about a powerful modern New York family (think Gilded Age Vanderbilt or Rockefeller families). However, they have some dark secrets that they have managed to hide from the world, even in today's internet age. Harriet Reed is engaged to the oldest son of the family. The novel starts off promising with the engagement and the meeting of the family. The author lost me though when Harriet started lusting after her future father-in-law. That sort of plot device is just creepy to me, especially when the future father-in-law is a shady character. While this book was not my personal cup of tea, I do think that readers who enjoy psychological, family-based thrillers will enjoy this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in return for my review.

This was a unique story line that had a lot of twists and turns. Some of the plot seemed very unrealistic, but a very enjoyable and quick read. 3.5 stars. Thanks netgalley for the ARC. Also posted review to goodreads. Link attached.

Okay, this book is fantastic, but if you can I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook too!! Hilarious! I really, really enjoyed this book! It was captivating and it hooked me from the very first chapter! Definitely recommend! Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC!

I remembered reading "Something in the Water" awhile ago, so when NetGalley offered this by the same author, I grabbed it. If only I had gone back and read my review of "Something in the Water" first! I had the same complaint as I do with this one: horribly offensive language.

Points for a unique story... in fact, a very bizarre story. Harriet, an author whose friends call her "Harry" is engaged to be married into a very prominent family with a stellar reputation. Boy, does she get a surprise (or a couple dozen) when she finally gets to meet said family is responsible. don't want to give away too much, but the reader will probably be surprised to learn who the killer is.

Harry is on top of the world: with a hit novel under her belt, she's recently engaged to her wonderful - and incredibly rich - boyfriend, Edward, who comes from a well-known family. When his estranged family gets in contact with her about spending the holidays together, she decides to give it a try, though Edward seems wary, calling his family "weird." And as Harry is about to find out, the infamous Holbeck family is indeed not your ordinary family. Not just because of the odd holiday traditions they share, but because there are some dark secrets hiding in its past, which the family patriarch Robert, reveals to Harry, under the guise of giving her an audiobook to review. Can Harry figure out what game this family is really playing before she ends up its latest victim?

This book has a great atmosphere, with a darkness that really settles over the plot right from the beginning, as we see Edward take such a wary approach to his family from the get-go. You know it's only going to get better from there. And boy does it. Every interaction with the Holbecks just ratchets up the tension until things are just ready to explode, and you're ready for it to happen!

Yes, that ending was quite something! It was a little bit of a blue as things happened very quickly, but I imagine that's quite what it was like as events were happening. I can't give things away, but it seemed very true to the situation. I wasn't disappointed at all, and found it really juicy. I also really didn't see it coming. I suppose the clues were all there, but I have to say, they were nice and hidden in there, so that the twist was good and exciting.

I also loved the mysterious over that seemed to hang over the characters. It made the book better to never quite know who you could trust. It also like a locked room mystery, but the characters were roaming about, lol. They were all just in the same family. And, no, you had no idea who to trust, because any one of them could have turned on you.

Overall, this is one of the best books of the year. Get it now if you like mysteries and thrillers!

Loved it!!! What did I read?! The Holbeck family is CRAZY! Crazy doesn't even cover it. They are insane. All of them have problems. The games they play are scary and manipulative. Krampusnacht was horrific. I would have been just like Billy and peed myself. Why did these adults find joy in terrifying their children? There were so many twists and turns. When the truth was finally revealed at the end, I was shocked. I never saw that coming. My opinions about Fiona also changed, but I loved Harry's response to her. The Holbeck Christmas celebration is one I never want to attend. They are ruthless. Does the family actually like each other? Harry was definitely my favorite, she was also the most sane. She now has enough material to write many more books. Harry is one brave woman, I would have never gone near that well. I probably would have ran away screaming from The Hydes. Harry never had any good interactions with the family. I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what happened. I definitely will not be leaving my shoes out around Christmas time, because I do not want Krampus to visit me!!!!

Definitely recommend the book. This was probably my favorite book by Catherine Steadman. It was a great mystery/thriller. Loved the characters, story and writing style. It kept me guessing from the start until the very end. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It was compelling and well paced, with a twist I didn’t fully see coming until it happened.

Raise your hand if you have crazy in-laws...
Harriet has met the love of her life with Edward. They fall quickly and a whirlwind romance is capped with an engagement! The book starts off with an absolute bang! I was on the edge of my seat from the first chapter. Edward's family is rich and they want Harriet in their twisted web of a family. They lure her in with a strange yet warm welcome from his sister and she sees why Edward has kept his family from her for so long.
It starts with a cassette tape and then the games begin....
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this propulsive, addictive and exhilarating read. 4.5 stars

Loved this book! Truly suspenseful. I felt like I was guessing the whole time, and the ending was perfect!

It's a pretty gripping thriller with some pretty obvious twists, I thought. I really wanted to like it more but something about the central relationship never rang entirely true for me. That, and the main character made enough decisions that I didn't find very likable, even before her ~tragic backstory~ is fully revealed.

Can you say psycho? This was one twisted family. The family game was many games, and one crazier then the next. i will never think of Christmas, i mean Krampus, the same.