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A Novel
by Catherine Steadman
"A powerful family and a deadly game. Be prepared for a nail-biting, roller-coaster of a ride" (B. A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors), from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act.
It's the holiday season and Harriet 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 sever ties with them, news of the couple's upcoming marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives with one invite after another.
As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming ... even if some of their traditions, like a "Christmas demon" called Krampus, seem creepy at best. 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.
Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is part of a plan to test her loyalty or something far darker. What is it that Robert sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything?
This might be a game to the Holbeck family—but losing could still prove deadly.
Ready or not, here they come ...
"Addictive ... This pitch-dark fairy tale will leave most readers spellbound." —Publishers Weekly
"Both sharply modern and timeless, with strains of King Lear, Dickens, and P.D. James's postwar holiday chillers." —The Washington Post
"A powerful family and a deadly game: Be prepared for a nail-biting roller-coaster of a ride in Catherine Steadman's classy and ingenious new thriller." —B. A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors
"Millionaires, marriage and murder make for a potent cocktail in this compelling tale set among the super-rich of New York's elite." —T. M. Logan, internationally bestselling author of Lies
This information about The Family Game was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Catherine Steadman is an actress and author based in London. She has appeared in leading roles on British and American television as well as on stage in the West End, where she has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. She grew up in the New Forest, Hampshire, and now lives in North London with her husband and daughter. Steadman's first novel, Something in the Water, was a New York Times bestseller with rights sold in more than thirty territories. She is also the author of Mr. Nobody and The Disappearing Act.
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