The Family Game: A Novel

I give <b>4 Stars</b> ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to this very absorbing thriller.<b>SUMMARY</b>Harriet’s “Harry” life has definitely taken a turn for the better! She is the author of a best selling novel (1 million copies sold!) and has met the love of her life, Edward. And to top things off, he’s crazy rich. Like Kennedy or Vanderbilt rich.The only problem is his family. He has been kind of estranged from them, they’re a lot. Especially his dad. And Harry has no family, her parents died in a car accident so she’s not used to having that level of interference in her life. Although Edward and Harry agreed to slowly bring her into the family so as not to overwhelm her, but the holidays are approaching and she finds herself getting pulled in quickly and it really is a lot!One night at a family gathering, her future father in law called her into his office and hands, her an old style dictaphone tape and implies that her response to the message included in the tapes will very much determine her place in the family and possibly her place in life. The message on the tapes is very upsetting. Harry must make a choice about her future, what she’s willing to do to maintain her relationship with Edward and her freedom. Her future father in law asks her a big favor, maybe not as much a favor as a blackmailing…<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>There was a lot to love about this book! I loved the characters, the suspense was pretty amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique pot. I always find stories about authors interesting. And, stories with ridiculously rich people are always interesting to me as well.<b>WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE</b>In the end, there were just a couple things that were still fairly unclear to me, as far as certain peoples motivations. And there are a few things that seem a little far-fetched.<b>OVERALL</b>A fantastic read, if you like slightly twisted thrillers. I highly recommend it and I am glad that I read it.

"You can tell a lot about a person from the mess they leave behind."“Why a thriller?” He casts his eyes up at the flickering screens, stories upon stories feeding through to us in silence. “I like their mechanics, their intricacy. But in the end, all is explained.” He shakes his head, lost in thought, and finally looks back at me. “That kind of clarity, it’s so rare we find it in life.” “I see,” I say, then echo his words from earlier. “ ‘Fictional horror as a balm for the everyday sort’?”This would 4.5 stars if possible. I felt pulled in from the very beginning until the end. I didn't ever really know what to expect. And I was not fully prepared for how twisted one family could be. I found myself cringing and covering my mouth in shock as I read. I love the second quote above, it perfectly sums up how I feel about thrillers. Grab this one for a fast paced and entertaining read.

NOV 2022 : 4 STARSDESCRIPTION: The Rules —-1. Listen carefully2. Do your research3. Trust no one4. Run for your lifeHarriet Reed, a novelist on the brink of literary stardom, is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. And even though Edward has long tried to severe ties with them, news of the couple’s marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives. As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming. So when Edward’s father, Robert, hands Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen. But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t just a novel. It’s a confession. A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion.REVIEW: First 3 books by this author were The Disappearing Act (‘21), Mr. Nobody (‘20) and Something in the Water (‘18) and all were 4-star reads for me. Story takes place during Thanksgiving and Christmas so was a great time to read this book for me. Very original plot. I didn’t see a couple of the plots lines coming; I wouldn’t call them twists, just storylines or paths I wasn’t expecting. Very enjoyable book.

This is my second Steadman book. My first was Something in the Water. It's safe to say that if you liked that one, you'll REALLY like this one. She appears to be growing by leaps and bounds and I now look forward to reading her other two releases. What I loved about The Family Game was the ingenuity employed. There's nothing predictable about it. And the almost horror movie sequences at the end will NOT allow you to put the book down until you've finished. If you read thrillers a lot you'll appreciate how rare a quality that is. I can't recommend enough.

I had not expected this book to be SO GOOD!! I thought it was going to be like Ready or Not and was worried the ending was going to be too predictable. I was wrong! The twists and turns, the plot twist at the end, I wasn't expecting it. I love a good thriller. You try to figure out who done it throughout the whole book but at the end you realize you had it wrong and would have never saw that outcome. I loved this book! A must read if you love thrillers, suspense, and murder!

I really enjoyed this one. Interesting plot, believable characters, and very well written. I would have liked a little more information at the end of the story but overall it was a great read.

What a creepy family. The outcome was shocking. This book is gripping, you really do not see the conclusion coming. Harry is a novelist about to hit the big time with no family of her own, she is engaged to the enigmatic but breathtakingly handsome Edward Holbeck whose large family are very wealthy. This is an opportunity for Harry to have the family she craved. Edward however is reluctant for her to meet his family as they are considered tight knit and strange, something he is not keen to be part of, forging his own life outside of them. Harry's first encountered with the Holbecks results in her being thrust into cat and mouse game, something of an Holbeck tradition. The head of the household Robert Holbeck is intrigued with Harry and you get the feeling there is an undercurrent of sexual tension between them. Robert gives Harry an old cassette tape which unravels buried secrets they both carry. This story moves at pace, the family games frustrate and raise the heart rate, longing them to be over but wanting to know what the outcome will be. All is not how it seems.

Well written, a light and quick read. Not sure I love the ending but I guess it’s the best way

“Prologue 25 December - I come to on the parquet floor of the entrance hall, my face pressed hard against its antique wood, with the clear knowledge that this is not how Christmases should go.”So begins ‘The Family Game’, Catherine Steadman’s latest psychological thriller. It is narrated by Harriet (Harry). She is an author whose debut novel was a runaway bestseller. Recently she has relocated from London to New York to live with her boyfriend, Edward. He is the eldest son of the head of the extremely wealthy Holbeck family and has just proposed to her. Jackpot!After its intriguing Prologue Harry takes us back to November as she navigates her introduction to American culture and is finally introduced to Edward’s family over the Thanksgiving and Christmas period. She quickly discovers that the Holbecks take eccentric to a whole new level that appears to border on the sinister.Of course, Harry has a deep, dark secret in her past that she doesn’t want revealed. Yet given she’s the protagonist of a thriller, how likely is that?Harry was a great protagonist who told her story in a way that drew me in. Steadman excels at creating this kind of thriller with a deliciously over the top plot. I was able to easily suspend my disbelief and just sit back and enjoy.Steadman also does a great job in creating the Gothic grandeur of the Holbecks’ ancestral estate, The Hydes. It was originally a Hungarian castle, dismantled brick by brick, shipped over and recreated in a thick woodland in upper New York State during the 19th Century.

Meeting the in-laws is always a little daunting, but imagine how it'd feel if they were one of the most powerful & wealthiest families in the country & that upon meeting them, your father-in-law hands you a tape that holds a potential murder confession…'The Family Game' was ace & well-written, using language that wasn't too difficult or stuffy to read. This story itself was action-packed, gripping & a thriller that was easily devoured within a matter of a couple of days.I have to admit, I was a tiny bit disappointed by the ending. It wasn't the surprise twist I was hoping for & it wasn’t exactly original. But nevertheless, it was still a decent conclusion to an interesting & captivating mystery.'The Family Game' gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me!

This was a great read delving into this famous and wealthy family. The plot was well thought out and the characters interesting keeping you fixed on reading until the book was finished!