I loved this story. While the cover and premise drew me in (premise is a bit too similar to the fabulous film ‘Ready or Not’), Catherine Steadman’s writing nailed this one for me. I loved The Hydes, but I’m grateful that Steadman built up to the final game by setting the rest of the novel in New York. I really don’t want to give any of this one away. Harry, our protagonist, is so unfailingly human. She had obvious flaws, but that made her even more real. I’ll be suggesting this one to patrons for sure. Gold star too for incorporating Krampus in such a fun, creepy way.

This "game" thriller is a slow burn, filled with family dynamics and tension, before it finally breaks in the bloodiness hinted at from the back cover copy. I enjoyed the writing and the ratcheting up of tension, but surprisingly, I think this is the kind of story that would have worked better for me in visual media rather than as a book. I never saw "Ready or Not" but this makes me want to go watch it - while I normally do like a slow burn, I think I would have liked this better if we had a more action based thriller. Still, this was definitely enjoyable, and I think if you are dreading spending time with your family during this holiday season, this might be a fun way to live out some of your angst

Catherine Steadman does it again! Steadman’s attention to detail and writing were as luxurious as the wealthy family, the Holbecks, at the center of this novel.

TRUST NO ONE! If you thought your in-laws were bad, wait to you read this book!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! I could not put this book down! Just when I thought I had things figured out a twist would happen! I read it in less than 24 hours!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine books for the digital advanced readers copy!!

The Family Game held my attention from the beginning. Harry was a great character, author met the love of her life she had a great job and seemed to have everything going to plan. Until she meets her boyfriends family, then her past came back to haunt her.

Harry was asked to listen to a book her boyfriends family had written and give feed back. While listening to it she learns that her soon to be new family has dark and twisted secrets also. The twist at the end I was not expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

With Ready or Not vibes, The Family Game will keep you guessing until the very end. I was expecting a bit of supernatural flair but this book reinforces that the most terrifying creature are humans.

This book got me out of a reading slump and I totally loved it! I was hanging on every word and could not wait to see how everything turned out.

As someone who truly enjoys thrillers, this book definitely is on my most recommended list! I would recommend going into this knowing as little as possible for the maximum WOW factor.

I will for sure be purchasing a copy to loan out to friends and family.

REVIEW - 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 🌟

So my family enjoys games - especially cards. UNO, Phase 10, spades, hearts - we love them all. But in The Family Game, game night takes on a whole new level. Think real, run for your life, heart pounding, terror inducing games. Enter, the Holbecks.

Synopsis: Harry, newly pregnant, is introduced to her fiance's family. The Holbecks are old money - think Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, etc. Edward has been reluctant to introduce Harry to his eccentric family, but Harry is anxious to create a family for her new child. Upon meeting them for the first time, Edward’s father, Robert, slips her a cassette tape with a shocking story that sets the basis for the plot that follows. Twists and turns are literal and figurative as the games this family play unfold and pieces of the secret fall into place.

Thrillers can be formulaic, and you spend much of the book trying to anticipate the plot twists at the end. This novel is different, however. Completely unique, I found myself on the edge of my seat as more and more of the mystery is uncovered.

I love the release date, as the story is tied to fall holidays. It will be a great one to tuck into as the weather turns cold and the days shorten. I would pair it with a great single malt scotch and fall into the Holbeck family!

Publication date is November 8, 2022

Note: Thank you to Catherine Steadman, NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harry is engaged to Edward, who comes from a ridiculously wealthy family. When she finally meets them, his dad slips her a cassette tape that has a surprising confession on it. Harry finds herself drawn into the family’s crazy games, fighting to survive.

I thought this book was a bit uneventful for being a thriller. The main game part is only in the last like 12% of the book. I also was surprised Harry didn’t listen to the whole cassette at once. It felt like a weird way to draw out the book.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Catherine Steadman book but it will not be my last! This book describes a cat and mouse game with added family drama, bloodshed, and enough suspense to make it a wild ride to the finish! I was totally engrossed until the finish. Now I need to go back and read the other Catherine Steadman novels as I wait for her next one to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so so much Netgalley for this opportunity

I could not put this book down once I started!! A rich family with secrets which reminded me a bit of The Hawthorne Legacy, but with fewer puzzles, no love triangles, and not a young adult book. Right from the get-go I was hooked and after reading the synopsis, I couldn't help but be suspicious of everyone except for the main character - Harry. I'm not sure why, but it makes me a bit giddy to read a book when the main character is a novelist.

So in this book you'll meet Edward and Harry who are soon to be married, and after a year of knowing each other, they decide to get married because why not?? After cutting ties with his family, Edward finally decides to introduce his family to Harry. The family appears to be very welcoming and one night her to be father-in-law secretly gives her a tape that can make or break the relationship with Edward and the family.

I have to say the family games in this were something out of this world(I love the author's imagination and I don't know how she came up with these games) They would have induced so much anxiety inside of me if I were to play any of their family games, there's just no way... I wonder if every rich family plays games like this just because they have the money to do so??? I found the pace of the book to be fast and I wanted to know what secrets Harry was hiding along with the family.

I really enjoyed this thriller book and so far it's one of my favorites this year with how fast paced it was and somewhat realistic storyline. If you're looking for a quick psychological thriller this would be perfect for you!! I plan on purchasing the physical copy of this book once it comes out and keeping this author on my radar for future books.

Wow, wow, wow. This psychological thriller leaves you with a lot to process afterwards.

Harriet (Harry) is an author who is engaged to Edward. Edward is the first born of an extremely wealthy, old money family. Quickly into their engagement, Harry meets his family, and she realizes that there is so much that she doesn’t know about them… and playing their games could be deadly.

The Family Game started off a little slower for me (after the initial shock of the first page) but then I was turning the pages SO quickly. I had to know how everything came together, and it is not what I expected AT ALL. But then again… I didn’t know what to expect! It was such a mind game.

Read if you like:
- single POV
- mind games
- old money
- family drama
- murder/secrets

Have you seen Ready or Not!? This book totally reminded me of that movie. Harriet is engaged to the wealthy Edward and is not prepared for the "games" her soon to be in laws have made for her. This was a fun and quick read I recommend as a remedy for if you think your in laws are crazy!

Harriet “Harry” Reed is a thriller novelist who becomes engaged to her rich boyfriend of one year, Edward, which means it is finally time to meet his powerful, wealthy family. Harry quickly realizes that Edward’s family likes to play high-stakes, manipulative “games” and she must hold her own or risk a horrible secret being exposed from her past.

While I’ve enjoyed some of Steadman’s past books, The Family Game, did not do it for me. Early in the novel, Harry discovers she’s pregnant, which is used as the tired trope of being vulnerable and scatterbrained. Harry, upon meeting her future father-in-law, is immediately sexually attracted to him, and this attraction is weaved throughout the book but does nothing to enhance the story or advance the outlandish plot. The ending is bizarre, but then again, this thriller is a game and not meant to be believable. Fans of Steadman should give this quick-moving suspenseful book a read to make their own decisions.

Harriet, or Harry, is doing her best to finish her second novel while planning her life with Edward. Every day since they were engage, she feels like she is learning something new about Edwards family. Since moving from England to New York, she hasn't had the opportunity to meet her new in-laws. But with the holidays quickly approaching, the invites keep coming. With the first nerve-wracking experience, Harriet is giving a micro-cassette tape by Robert, Edward's father. She can't even the confessions made on the tape and the one secret she has been hiding since the death of her parents. How on Earth did Robert know?! She has to play along to keep her secret hidden. Harriet keeps the peace and follows along, engaging in all the weird family game nights, even though she isn't convinced she knows all the rules.
Catherine Steadman writes one of the best suspense thriller of the year! I thoroughly enjoyed The Family Game! I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong! I will be recommending The Family Game to my fellow reading friends and will be looking for future works by Steadman. Special thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Steadman, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me!
#TheFamilyGame #NetGalley

This book was a page turner and gave me major 'succession' tv show vibes. The suspense was taut in the first half. Wasn't sure if the final twist felt fully earned but the story was interesting overall.

This book... This book actually terrified me. There were so many levels of terror and suspense and stress building, I genuinely couldn't put this one down until I got to the end because there was SO much.

This was my first Catherine Steadman novel, but not going to be my last. I've officially added her others to my tbr, because if this intensity was anything to go by, she's definitely a thriller/suspense author to watch.

(Thank you so much to netgalley for the ARC, I can't wait to hand sell this one!)

Catherine Steadman's "The Family Game" was absolutely un-put-down-able for me, I enjoyed her other books a lot but this one is a new favorite. If you have a dark sense of humor, love a story about a vicious rich 1% type family, and intense cutthroat relationships between all family members - you will love The Family Game. The whole book will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what is coming next, who is next to die, and who is doing the killing...and why. The twists continue on throughout the whole book, with the finale leaving you shook. I highly recommend this one!! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Game follows Harriet (Harry) Reed who is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful and wealthy family. Edward has spent the last few years separating himself from his family and creating a life, and business of his own. However, with the news of their engagement the Holdback's start to claw their way into Harry and Edward's life. Harry gets drawn into the family - they seem so perfect, welcoming, beautiful, and intriguing. Especially when Edward's father, Robert, gives Harry a tape to listen to with strict instructions to not tell anymore even Edward about the tape and especially what is one it.
However, when she finally presses play she is shocked and confused by its contents. It's a confession. To murder.

The Holbeck family loves their games, is this just another game to try and scare her away from the family? Is Robert confessing to a murder, or murders? Could the family just be testing her loyalty to them? Can Harriet trust anyone in her life?

This is probably the best thriller I’ve read in 2022!

It’s captivating, smart, intense…and kept me glued to my screen. I never wanted to put it down.

What a twisted family! I couldn’t stop reading, needing to know how it would all end.

Original. I will never think of family game night the same way.

So suspenseful. I was really engaged with all the characters. Great buildup and I couldn’t put it down.

I spent the first part of the novel trying to find all the clues and figure out what was going on. What was the end game and where did this idea of the family game come from? Everyone has something to hide and everyone has something to gain, which made it difficult to trust any of them. As the novel progressed, I got more and more invested in understanding it all. And trying to figure out why what happened happened.
This was a good read and very fun, especially with everything finishing up. All the small clues that you didn’t realize meant anything, meant everything, and most everything was resolved nicely.