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A review by liamliayaum
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
3.5
Content warnings: assault, car accident, death, emotional abuse, murder, physical abuse, pregnancy, scary games
Note: Actual rating is 3.5 stars but I rounded down to 3 for GoodReads.
Harriet Reed, a blossoming novelist, has found herself engaged to Edward Holbeck. The Holbecks are an old money family with power everywhere, as Harriet soon finds out. Edward has been estranged from his family but with the news of their engagement, the family is desperate to bring Edward, and now Harriet, back into their lives. When Harriet talks with the powerful Robert Holbeck and he hands her an old cassette tape, she soon realizes it's a confession of murder and finds herself in the middle of Holbeck family games that are anything but innocent. Will Harriet be able to put together all the clues before it's too late?
The family games I found downright emotionally abusive and cringeworthy but wondered if it was a parallel to how some of the wealthiest in society do whatever they want simply because they can and have the resources to cover up anything they don't agree with. Whatever the reason for the games, those were tough scenes to read through.
Harriet's secret seemed to be too drawn out and easy to guess once the first clue or two had been given. Perhaps her secret was simply a misdirection for the truth of the Holbeck family. I did appreciate the plot twist for the truth of what had happened to the Holbecks but after the big reveal, it seemed as if everything was wrapped up too nicely and too perfectly. The ending made me angry, especially after the big neat bow of making the reveal and after reveal worked out too perfectly. To go from the intensity of the reveal to an oddly written letter to baby seven months later left me with a sour taste, as the writing style of the "additional" ending was incongruous with the novel. Almost as if the author had used up all of their creativity and wanted to give the reader some kind of closure. I am just not a fan of these "blink and you miss it" types of endings as for me, they ruin the entire book.
Note: Actual rating is 3.5 stars but I rounded down to 3 for GoodReads.
Harriet Reed, a blossoming novelist, has found herself engaged to Edward Holbeck. The Holbecks are an old money family with power everywhere, as Harriet soon finds out. Edward has been estranged from his family but with the news of their engagement, the family is desperate to bring Edward, and now Harriet, back into their lives. When Harriet talks with the powerful Robert Holbeck and he hands her an old cassette tape, she soon realizes it's a confession of murder and finds herself in the middle of Holbeck family games that are anything but innocent. Will Harriet be able to put together all the clues before it's too late?
The family games I found downright emotionally abusive and cringeworthy but wondered if it was a parallel to how some of the wealthiest in society do whatever they want simply because they can and have the resources to cover up anything they don't agree with. Whatever the reason for the games, those were tough scenes to read through.
Harriet's secret seemed to be too drawn out and easy to guess once the first clue or two had been given. Perhaps her secret was simply a misdirection for the truth of the Holbeck family. I did appreciate the plot twist for the truth of what had happened to the Holbecks but after the big reveal, it seemed as if everything was wrapped up too nicely and too perfectly. The ending made me angry, especially after the big neat bow of making the reveal and after reveal worked out too perfectly. To go from the intensity of the reveal to an oddly written letter to baby seven months later left me with a sour taste, as the writing style of the "additional" ending was incongruous with the novel. Almost as if the author had used up all of their creativity and wanted to give the reader some kind of closure. I am just not a fan of these "blink and you miss it" types of endings as for me, they ruin the entire book.