The Family Game
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3.8 • 24 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'Classy and ingenious new thriller' BA PARIS
‘Millionaires, marriage and murder make for a potent cocktail in this compelling tale set among the super-rich of New York’s elite’ TM LOGAN
‘Instantly compelling and filled with ingenious twists and brilliant characters. This is sublime thriller writing’ BP WALTER
THE RULES
1. Listen carefully
2. Do your research
3. Trust no one
4. Run for your life
Harriet Reed is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir to an extremely powerful American family.
When Edward’s father hands her 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 a novel. It’s a confession to murder.
Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is all part of a plan to test her loyalty. Or something far darker.
Because this might be a game to the Holbeck family - but games can still be deadly.
READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME . . .
Praise for Catherine Steadman
‘Stylish, riveting, hugely atmospheric — I couldn’t put it down’ Lucy Foley
‘Engrossing and unputdownable’ Caroline Kepnes
'Captivating doesn't cover it. Brilliant doesn't do it justice. This is a dazzling, gasp-inducing plunge-pool of a novel that grips your heart and mind and refuses to let go. Absolutely stunning' BP Walter
‘Another screen-worthy thriller’ Washington Post
'Like Chekhov’s gun, the Hollywood sign is mentioned early, leading to a great, extended scene far above the city — and to a genuine Hollywood ending' New York Times
‘Engrossing and unputdownable . . . I devoured this Londoner in LA story in a day’ Caroline Kepnes
‘A fascinating glimpse of the darkness behind Hollywood’s glittering façade. I loved it’ TM Logan
'Another page-turning winner from Catherine Steadman. Ingenious and intriguing, with a fascinating insight into the acting world' BA Paris
‘Original, ingenious and utterly gripping, with characters you’ll really care about as they race towards the brilliantly unexpected ending’ JP Delaney
‘A thriller for our times’ Louise Candlish
‘A proper page-turner’ New York Times
'Fans of The Silent Patient will love it' CJ Tudor
'Had me racing through the pages’ Sarah Vaughan
'An enjoyable, nail-biting ride' Observer
'Perfectly paced with an exciting race to the end, this is one clever novel' Woman’s Weekly
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Extreme privilege takes a turn for the murderous in this fast-paced literary thriller with a darkly comic heart. When English novelist Harriet “Harry” Reed scores a million-seller with her debut novel and a dream fiancé to boot, writer’s block seems like her only hurdle to happiness. But as Harry joins her partner’s estranged American family for Christmas, the ultra-wealthy Holbecks introduce a brutal series of games to the festivities—with life-or-death stakes. Suddenly the only way for Harry to survive is to exploit longstanding grudges and allegiances in her favour. Fans of satire-minded horror films like Ready or Not and Get Out will no doubt appreciate the mounting tension and jarring twists.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this addictive novel of suspense from Thriller Award finalist Steadman (The Disappearing Act), there seems but a single hurdle standing between brainy, beautiful, bestselling thriller writer Harriet "Harry" Reed and that storybook future with the man of her dreams, dashing tech entrepreneur Edward Holbeck: his famously eccentric estranged family. Just how eccentric is something the newly engaged recent British transplant starts to glimpse following Thanksgiving dinner at the clan's Manhattan mansion when, after swearing her to secrecy, charismatic paterfamilias Robert gives her a mysterious cassette on which he hints will be his thriller-in-progress. When Harry finally starts listening, it sounds less like a novel than a criminal confession; in addition, Robert details her own darkest secret. As the intrepid Harry attempts to covertly investigate how much of the tape might be true, bizarre Holbeck holiday celebrations—more Hunger Games than ho, ho, ho—put her in escalating peril. The bloodcurdling, cinematic climax plays out by moonlight Christmas Eve on the family's snow-shrouded Upstate New York estate. Never mind the credibility straining twists. This pitch-dark fairy tale will leave most readers spellbound.
