Harriet Reed, an author and Edward Holbeck are engaged. The Holbecks are an extremely powerful American family. Patriarch of the family, Robert slips Harriet a tape with a recording of a murder confession on it...

A wonderfully engrossing, tense and absorbing novel, the characterisation is excellent and the pacing is spot on. Well worth a look.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Simon and Schuster UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Engaging read, thanks to Netgalley and Catherine Steadman for the advance copy. A gripping and nail biting thriller, readers will enjoy this one- a good weekend or holiday read. 3 stars

. A new bride finds herself in the middle of a game at her new in-laws place and wow. It took my awhile to get into this one but once I did wow did this take me on some twists and turns. I cannot wait to read more from Catherine after reading this book. Once I got into it I was hooked and I just couldn’t put it down. A thriller that will have your heart beating fast and on the edge of the seat.

I’ve been looking everywhere for a thriller set at Christmas and finally I found one! My first Catherine Steadman read, but certainly not my last.

Harry’s marrying into a super rich mysterious family, one who plays a lot of twisted games around the holidays. It was fun learning more about Krampusnacht (you can count me out of the Holbeck’s Krampus game though!).

A few niggly plot holes for me (are you free on Saturday, for Thanksgiving, when it’s always on a Thursday etc!) but I could overlook them for the book’s ending totally taking me by surprise!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I never get bored of Catherine Steadman’s work - she always finds new angles and twists and leaves me desperate for more. Impossible to put down as always!

Wow oh wow! I had the intention of starting a few chapters of this gem today. I have now finished the entire book and what a gem it is.


I have read many books by this author and this is definitely my favourite. You can’t help but be untrusting if the family in this one.

Harriet is a best selling author, dating a rather rich individual. We go along with the couple as she meets the family. This has been intriguing and on times uncomfortable. The power the family have knows no limits, even down to interfering with Harriet’s work schedule.

The family play some interesting games as we read this book. I have found myself with chills, they are definitely a unique bunch. But is all as it seems?

There are so many secrets in this one that unravel as we read. It becomes completely captivating as you find out more and more about the secrets that are kept by the family.

This is a book filled with mystery and tension. The characters are unpredictable and I honestly haven’t known what opinions to form. I have loved Harriet, the connection she made with the nephew stole a part of my heart.

This is a book that I was unwilling to put down. I love how unpredictable it has been and I definitely will be recommending this book to everyone.

What a fantastic book. Definitely worth a read. This book had lots of twists and turns throughout and has you asking lots of questions! This book is definitely a blood curdling read and reaches a dramatic conclusion!

Harriet Read is an author. Her new book is held up as she has just become engaged to Edward. He belongs to a powerful family in America. He's a dream catch. Edward has had his family at arm's length for a while but now with Harriett the time is right to start interacting.

At one event Edwards father gives Harry a cassette tape. Claiming it's a book he's working on and he wants her opinion. However, it would appear it's no book but a murder confession. Harry now has to play a game to seek the truth.

THE RULES

1. Listen carefully
2. Do your research
3. Trust no one
4. Run for your life

This book will hold your attention as you follow the clue. A fabulous book

Harry is British novelist who falls in love with Edward; who appears to be perfect. He is from an eminently wealthy family and dotes on Harry but his reticence for her to meet his family is only increased when she senses something is very wrong within the family. As the family 'games' seem to get stranger has Harry stumbled into something very dark and is Edward's family all they appear to be?

This was a twisting, gripping thriller; just when I thought I had everything worked out something was revealed that blew everything I thought I knew - 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the author’s previous novel, The Disappearing Act so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Family Game.
Harriet, a British novelist is engaged to Edward, an American and a member of the wealthy and powerful Holbeck family. After meeting his family Harriet soon gets pulled into the family’s dark secrets and twisted games.
I loved the New York setting, and the novel starts well. I was intrigued to read more about Harriet and Edward’s relationship and to meet the family Edward had been estranged from. Initially I felt that the author built up a real atmosphere of tension and mystery but for me this didn’t continue, and overall, the novel lacked a sense of pace. I usually love reading about dysfunctional families, but I couldn’t connect with the novel or the characters and began to lose interest.
Many reviewers have loved this novel, it just wasn’t a gripping read for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

When I read the blurb I deeply intrigued and I am so glad I requested this. The family dynamics and narrative is so complex, full of deceit and betrayal.. It is a slow burn dark thriller that I was drawn into instantly. The twists in this made me feel like I had constant whiplash. It didn't feel like you could trust a single character. Family rivalries in this book show you that family doesn't always mean trust. The characters are so well written they pull you in deeply into the compelling narrative.

If you like a dark twisty thriller, that has a complex, tangled narrative then please read this

I believe this is Catherine Steadman's fourth novel, it is the fourth book of hers I have read anyway, and it felt like being in safe hands. I knew picking this book up, that this would be well written, well-paced and I hoped it would be a dark distraction from a miserable October day, that it was.

I really enjoyed this book. A cat and mouse game with a powerful, elite, wealthy American family that British author Harriet is planning on marrying into. The book hooked me from the opening chapters and raced along with several twists and turns to its satisfying conclusion. I really enjoy Steadman's writing. This is purely plot driven, yes, we get to know the characters, but it is the plot that wholly drives the narrative. I really enjoyed the writing too, deeply atmospheric at times, richly descriptive so much so I had to pause when reading the final chapters, to turn on some lights and double check the doors were locked.

Catherine Steadman is becoming one of the strongest voices in current suspense writing, I cant wait to read what she writes next.

Well this book was a lot of fun! A brilliant cat-and-mouse thriller which had me racing through the pages. I hadn’t come across this author before but something about this latest release had me intrigued – and it turns out she’s a woman of many talents, as she’s an actress on Downton Abbey too! As it happens I don’t watch that show – but I’ll definitely be reading her books from now on.

When author Harry meets wealthy bachelor Edward, it almost feels too good to be true. The two quickly become a couple and decide to tie the knot – but there’s one more thing they have to deal with first, the in-laws. Not just any in-laws – Edward is the descendent of one of America’s most rich and powerful families. And they like to play games.

Harry travels from London to New York to meet her intimidating in-laws, but things get weird from the very first family occasion. She learns thatEdward had a brother he’s never mentioned, then sits down to an intense, oddly flirtatious conversation with her future father-in-law which ends with him giving her a tape which appears to contain his deepest, darkest secrets.

This book is full of twists and turns, mind-games and family secrets, set against the backdrop of New York old money in the form of imposing, grand mansions. The characters are complex and eccentric, the descriptions lush and the tension is palpable as Harry tries to get to the bottom of this family’s secrets.

It’s a very seasonal thriller – something I didn’t realise when I picked it up but I absolutely loved. From a ‘Fairytale of New York’ proposal through to a tense Thanksgiving, creepy Krampusnacht and an epic Christmas Day showdown, we follow Harry and root for her through a very unusual holiday season. Christmas isn’t just a gimmick here – it’s crucial to the story as a time when the family comes together, and play their twisted games.

All in all, this was a perfectly plotted thriller which keeps the pace out throughout, had me rooting for the protagonist, and uses some really unusual plot devices to create a story which is quite unique. I loved it.

A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman finds out what it really takes to join the 1% in this riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act.

I have read The Disappearing Act and thought it could have been at least 100 pages shorter. I thought I would give Catherine Steadman another chance and read the Family Game. The description gave me vibes of Ready Or Not which I really liked. This book definitely delivered on these vibes, however, like with the previous book of the author I read, I again thought that it could have been at least 100 pages shorter.

Overall a good story if you like slow burns with a lot of description and a lot of plot twists!

As usual I will not be rehashing the plot here as I believe that the professional blurb writers do a better job without giving anything away.
Hang on tight, this book is a thriller above and beyond! If it was ever made into a film, it would possibly be a horror movie. That said, I actually enjoyed it and I’m not a horror fan. I don’t think I could actually watch the action play out but reading it was a scary thrill. It will make many other thrillers seem tame. There are questions raised throughout and twists and turns culminating in a blood thirsty conclusion. I will be looking for other books by this author but will choose my moments to read them.

The first meeting of bestselling novelist Harry (Harriet)Reed and uber wealthy Edward Holbeck is ‘grate’ but will their blossoming romance be ‘The Fairytale of New York’ or ‘American Psycho’? His family are quite something, think Vanderbilt or Rockefeller, so can you imagine the weakness in the knees when first meeting them? I daresay meeting head of the family RD would be similar to a face-to-face with Logan Roy (Succession) as he exudes power from every pore. This is a family so rich one of their many properties, The Hydes, a Gothic mansion in upstate New York, is ripped and shipped brick by brick from its original home in Hungary. This family have a liking for games and I’m not talking Monopoly though they’d probably own all the the property on the board. No, let’s imagine it’s ancient Rome and the Emperor (or RD) is in the gladiatorial arena, will the contestants get a thumbs up or down? Live or die? Let the games begin.

Well, Catherine Steadman certainly has a very creative and fertile imagination. The start lulls you into a false sense of security as it’s the buildup to Christmas in New York which lends itself to some great locations, evocative descriptions and romance. However, the amber light is flashing you a warning not only from the past but what is to come. This is a Russian doll story, stories within stories, layers within layers.

As for the Holbecks, good grief I thought my mother-in-law a tour de force! The push and pull of their dynamics is tense and intriguing, there’s a ton of secrets there and at times it feels very claustrophobic.

The family games traditions are savage, they freak you out, run for the hills Harry! When it switches to The Hydes at Christmas itself the pace is relentless and it’s a one false move deadly game with a checkmate, game over scenario. It’s an eye popper and a jaw/deck bruiser of a read!

The settings and atmosphere are matched by weather and you certainly feel the chill. The plot is deliciously juicy, the characters are over the top and therefore fascinating in all their awful glory, the chapter headings are clever and give a taste of what is to come. The ending is OTT dramatic but without question exciting.

So, it’s a bit of a twisty crazy train ride but I jump on board willingly wearing my disbelief suspenders because it’s so entertaining. Can’t ask for more than that in fiction!

The family game

Loved this!
Not what I was expecting going in, and pleasantly surprised. Harriet Reed and Edward Holbeck are getting married, a great cause for celebration. However first Harriet must meet the immensely wealthy and powerful family of her fiancé first. When she does, she finds she’s involved in something a lot more deadly than the average marriage…

I thought I might have read something with a similar story line before yet there was just something slightly off. As the story progressed it began clear what was unfolding was not something I was totally familiar with. Loved the reveals we got throughout the book, which I hadn’t predicted. Great little thriller!

Rich people behaving badly is one of my favourite thriller tropes, and wow - this, while it required a slight suspension of disbelief, was a rollicking ride of naughty billionaires of the highest order. It was genuinely scary at points, and the twist was one I did NOT see coming. Another knockout from Catherine Steadman.

After reading and loving Steadman’s second book, Mr Nobody (recommended reading BTW!), I devour anything written by her. And she has done it again. Obviously this one was some dark themes, but there are specific themes that some readers might want to be aware of- check out at the end for more info.

Family Game had me hooked from the start as Harry’s story of meeting Edward’s family and her own backstory is slowly revealed. This is one twisted family (Krampusnacht a particular example - yikes!) I loved how Harry isn’t perfect and the typical damsel in distress, she’s hard and I love that as an author she has amassed a wealth of knowledge about murder and death (is there something Steadman is trying to tell us here?! 😱)

But by heck, the Holbecks are one twisted family. There’s lots to unpick with each of the characters, and there’s so many red herrings and misdirects with this one, Steadman definitely keeps you on your toes. I did guess some of the big reveal, but I really didn’t see the full detail!

This one is for you is you like engrossing thrillers with dark family history. My only ask to Steadman is - when is the next book coming out?

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Simon and Schuster UK and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.
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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: there’s reference to suicide. ⚠️

This book was a breath of fresh air amongst the other thrillers I’ve been reading this year, especially the way it ended, it left me in a tailspin for days. The suspense of the book had me on the edge of my seat while reading and I just had to find out what was going to happen next. The characters are well written and although I absolutely hated most of them as people, they were absolutely incredible and I loved them as characters.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the e-arc.