The Family Game

Book excerpt: “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 “The Holbecks are what you might come up with if you took the Roys from Succession and blended them with the Murdochs, the Macbeths, and the Borgias. . . . Let the fun begin!”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) THE RULES 1. Listen carefully 2. Do your research 3. Trust no one 4. Run for your life 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 . . .