will the family pressure turn you into a diamond or break you?

Harriet Reed has risen through a difficult childhood to write a thriller, she knew she had accomplished something. When that book became a bestseller, she knew she no longer had to worry about her future. And then she fell in love.

When Harriet met Edward Holbecks, she knew who he was. Everyone knows the Holbecks. They’re old money, like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts and the Gettys. Harriet didn’t really care about that. Edward wasn’t all that close to his family either. He had gone off on his own to form his own company instead of taking over the family company. But now, Harriet and Edward are moving to New York, Harriet moving from her home country of England and Edward moving back to the city he grew up in, and it’s time for Harriet to finally meet his family.

Edward is reluctant for Harriet to meet the family, as he knows that his family is difficult on anyone who is in a relationship with him or one of his siblings. But Harriet is courageous. She agrees to meet with his sister Matilda for tea, but then she realizes it’s the same day and time as her meeting with her publisher. Harry is supposed to be working on her latest novel, but she’s gotten a little stuck since moving to New York. She’d already pushed her deadline back, so she explains to Matilda’s assistant about the meeting. In mere moments, her editor calls her to reschedule their meeting. As Harriet is talking to her, she realizes that her editor works for a company that is owned by the Holbecks. So that’s how it’s going to be. Harriet agrees to meet Matilda for tea, on her terms.

Harriet is surprised to have a genuinely good time with Matilda. She finds her charming and thoughtful, so when Matilda invites her and Edward over for a family dinner soon. Harriet decides to say yes for them. Matilda is thrilled, as they were hoping that Edward moving back to New York meant that he would be back in the fold. It wasn’t until much later that day, when Harriet was talking to Edward on the phone about how the tea had gone, that he told her where she had fallen into the trap. The dinner Matilda had invited them to? It’s Thanksgiving. As a Brit, she had no idea.

In the run up to the Thanksgiving dinner, Harriet has to hunker down and finish her novel. But she also figures out that she’s pregnant. Edward is thrilled, and Harriet feels excited. She thinks that this may give her a little bit of power against any Holbecks who may not want her in the family. But when they show up for Thanksgiving, Harriet is met with warm welcomes and encouragement. And then Robert asks to speak to her alone.

Robert is Edward’s father, the patriarch. He is intimidating, but Harriet can’t help but feel an attraction to the power of the man. He gives her a microcassette, telling her that it is a book idea. But days later, when she’s finally able to locate a microcassette player she can use to listen to it, she realizes it’s not a book idea at all.

It’s a confession. To murder.

Harriet is stunned. Is it real? Is it just a story? Is Robert playing games with her? And what does this mean to her relationship with Edward, and for their child? She decides to research whether it’s possible if Robert’s story is real, and she finds herself drawn deeper into the stories he tells her. But by getting deeper into the story, she is getting deeper into his secrets. Will she be able to carry the weight of the family secrets, or will the family games be the end of her?

Bestselling thriller writer Catherine Steadman is back with The Family Game. The look inside this old money family, at all the advantages and burdens they have, is crazy. Watching the secrets unfold, wondering what was going to happen next, was fascinating. There is a lot of momentum in this book, and layers of lies to dig through in order to get to the truth.

I loved this book. Watching as Harriet wove herself deeper and deeper into the fabric of this family, into their secrets (bringing her own secrets in there too), kept me hooked into these characters’ lives. I could feel my own anxiety ratchet up as Harriet spent time with the Holbecks, and I wanted to reach out and pull her out. I couldn’t, of course. All I could do was keep reading, until the very last page. I have been a fan of Steadman since her first novel, and I think she just keeps getting better and better. The Family Game is exceptional, and I can’t wait for her next novel.

Egalleys for The Family Game were provided by Ballentine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.