The Family Game

4.5, and only because I very rarely give 5s to anything anywhere. The atmosphere in this book is perfection and I enjoyed the dynamics throughout.

There is a twist that is somewhat predictable, but I actually didn't see it coming. Maybe I'm just off my game, but whatever the case I really, really enjoyed it. It's not as fucked up as my normal thrillers, but it is still heart pounding enough to keep me thinking about it constantly. We ended February on a good note.

I forgot to rate this one.
3.5 stars

Really cool premise. The execution had flaws, it was particularly slow at the beginning, not very suspenseful, and a specific plot device didn't make much sense not listening to the whole tape? Seriously?.

However, it was entertaining, especially The Hydes' scenes, and it kept me interested.

This book was very reminiscent of many horror movies I've loved over the years but was still it's own thing completely. It felt like the movie “Ready or Not” but had many different plot points outside of the new partner playing horrifying games with her in-laws. I read this entire novel in one day because I simply could not stop reading, I was hooked and wanted to know what was going to happen. This isn't my first Catherine Steadman, but it's inspired me to read more of her backlog. The book uses inclusive language, such as calling the siblings significant others “partners” and it was a nice touch. I absolutely loved the tie-in of my favorite Christmas tradition, Krampus. The Krampusnacht scene was one of my favorites in the whole book, and it was cool to see a niche tradition I know so well accurately portayed in a book.






Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.

I've probably been saying this a lot lately, but I dont know how to feel about this one. A few character motivations just didn't make sense to me or add up.

But it was well written and moved quickly, I read it in a day! However, this has to be said. To those who are comparing it to Ready or Not, the movie that came out a few years ago are very, very incorrect. To be upfront about it and possible !!!SPOILERS!!! the actual action happens in about the last 50 pages or so of the book, and the family is pretty much not involved as a whole.

I did enjoy it, but not as much as I wanted to.

4.5, and only because I very rarely give 5s to anything anywhere. The atmosphere in this book is perfection and I enjoyed the dynamics throughout.

There is a twist that is somewhat predictable, but I actually didn't see it coming. Maybe I'm just off my game, but whatever the case I really, really enjoyed it. It's not as fucked up as my normal thrillers, but it is still heart pounding enough to keep me thinking about it constantly. We ended February on a good note.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A high 2 stars. Fun to read, but in the end, not worth the effort!

This is an incredibly slow and sometimes choppy book. The story starts and stops a lot. Nothing really happens and while there is an attempt made at building some kind of tension, it sadly doesn't succeed at all. At no point did the text convey the feeling of danger the protagonist was apparently experiencing.

This very messy family wasn't as fun as it could have been, as the characters were very flat. The relationship dynamics and the way everyone behaved made no sense. The protagonist and her actions were incredibly irritating, her thought processes were very repetitive and the central relationship, the one with her partner, wasn't believable at all.

The promised plot didn't really start until 80% into the book. Those last 20% could have made for a fun thriller if they had taken up and been spread out over the entire novel.

I found the blurb to be incredibly misleading. It implies that this book is focused on a deadly game, which it isn't at all, in my opinion. It's about a pregnant woman deciding if she wants to be a part of this wealthy family or not, while dealing with her own past. Also, most of the plot points mentioned in the descriptions don't come into play until almost halfway through the book, with some elements only being introduced almost at the end!

I had an enjoyable time reading it. And while it was very engaging and I wasn't bored, I was mostly waiting for something to happen. For there to be more to the story. For it all to actually make sense. There was clearly a lot of potential. But I was just very frustrated by the end.

Okay so I have MANY thoughts on this book which I will summarize in bullets

• I got this book because I thought it was going to be some kind of closed-circle horror story like Saw. At one point I thought it was going to turn into The Most Dangerous Game. But ... I was WRONG
• I liked the protagonist but I wasn't a HUGE fan of the repeated cliches (I.e. “I did something so bad .... Nobody knows what I did.............. so long ago..........” And “oooooooh his father is so HOT but I know that's so BAD” Like they didn't bother me too much but these same points were revisited so much without much variation that it stuck with me
• I knew it was a Get Out situation as soon as I opened the book and I knew Edward had something to do with it when he made Harriet go through all that shit and she was like “is there something fucking wrong with you????? None of this was normal” and then was like NUH-UH
• I like ... still don't understand what was up with Edward in the end. Like... he killed for bloodlust? And he found common ground with Harriet because she also killed one time ? I know he explained that all of the women knew too much or whatever and then he was like “oooohhhh I'm killing my whole family so I can TAKE OVER THE COMPANY even though they said I could take it back once my father retires but he hasn't” so he's just impatient ??????? And why would you need to kill everyone for that??? Like the book was really good overall (I literally read it in a night) but once again I feel like the ending was kind of sloppy and the rationale wasn't as strong was the other plot twists and devices used throughout the book which were SO good

Overall, the book undoubtedly captivated me and I was MAD the whole time during the Krampusnacht part. I'm going to read a synopsis to try to fill in the gaps I have and I might edit. Also I didn't like Fiona from the start she got exactly what she deserved Ls for the kids tho

Catherine Steadman's “The Family Game” is reminiscent of films such as “Ready or Not”, “You're Next” and “Would You Rather”. It has a slow start, and a slightly too long build up, that eventually crescendos into a fun and nail biting conclusion.

The family's games are interesting and spark that Thriller-esque anxiety in your chest. I found these parts of the story so easily digestible, my eyes taking in each word of these chapters greedily, not wanting them to end. This story is well written, its characters believable; you actually come to enjoy and care about them all which I appreciate. The build up is a bit slow but I found myself relishing this come the finale. Honestly, I could see this book being a movie. It would fit right in with the movies noted above.

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!