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“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 . . .
“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.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Excerpts-
From the cover1
Fairytale of New York
Monday, November 21
Christmas lights twinkle in the rain as I duck down Fifth Avenue—reds, greens, and golds glimmering in reflection on puddles and glass as I dodge along the busy sidewalk, my phone pressed tight to my ear.
“And the good news is, it’s looking like we’re going to hit the million-copy sales mark by the end of this week! We did it, Harry!” my literary agent, Louisa, cheers on the phone. Her voice is as warm and close as if she were bundled up against the cold beside me in the sharp New York City chill. I try not to think of the three and a half thousand miles of distance between New York and London—between me and my old home and its soft, damp grayness—but every now and then the pangs of homesickness wake and stretch just beneath the surface of my new life. It’s been four months since I left England, and the pull of home is somehow stronger now that winter is setting in. New York can be cold in so many ways.
“For all intents and purposes,” she continues with glee, “here’s me saying you are now officially ‘a million-copy bestselling author.’ ” I can’t help but yelp with joy—a surreptitious half skip in the street. The news is incredible. My first novel, a runaway bestseller, has been on the charts since publication, but this new milestone isn’t something I could ever have dreamed of until now. New York swallows my ebullient energy greedily. I could probably lie down on the sidewalk and start screaming and the festive shoppers would just weave unfazed around me. It’s an oddly terrifying and yet reassuring thought.
“We’ll be getting another royalty payout from the publisher at the end of the quarter,” Louisa continues. “So Merry Christmas, everyone!”
It’s funny, it’s only November and yet it feels like Christmas is here already. I look up to the halos of light hanging above me, holiday decorations, sparkling from shop windows, strung in great swaths high over the main drag of Fifth. Everything seems to be moving so fast this year, a whirlwind, a whirlpool.
“How’s it going over there?” Louisa asks, snapping me back to reality. “Settled? Happy? Are you living love’s young dream?”
I let out a laugh of surprise because yes, as smug and as self-satisfied as it may sound, I really am. After so many years alone, after pushing relationships away, perhaps I’ve paid in full for my mistakes and I can put them to bed. Maybe I’m finally allowed a little happiness.
I shake off the dark thought and grasp back onto my new life with both hands. “Well, we’ve got furniture now at least. Not sure I’ve quite worked out the subway yet but I guess I’ll get there in the end. Or I guess I won’t,” I add jokingly.
The truth is, while I know I am beginning to get a feeling for New York City, I realize I am trying to settle into a city that does not settle itself. The crowds, noises, faces, people, that frenetic fight-or-flight energy. I suppose it’s only been four months—I know it can take a lifetime to become part of a city, to find your place. And the world I’ve landed into here, with Edward, the new circles I find myself moving in, his rarefied life, that is something else again.
“And how is your dreamboat, how is Ed?” she asks, as if reading my thoughts. I slip past a gaggle of tourists in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, its bells tolling anachronistically alongside towering glass and...
About the Author-
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. Catherine's first novel, Something in the Water, was a New York Times bestseller with rights sold in over thirty territories. She is also the author of Mr. Nobody and The Disappearing Act.
Reviews-
September 26, 2022 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. Agent: Camilla Bolton, Darley Anderson Literary (U.K.).
March 1, 2023
Struggling novelist Harriet Reed is engaged to be married to Edward Holbeck, who comes from an intensely rich and powerful family. Edward has spent years trying to distance himself from his family, but with the impending marriage, and a surprise pregnancy, Edward and Harriet are swept back up into the lavish world of wealth. Harriet is initiated into the family's odd--and dangerous--holiday traditions, soon finding herself playing for her life in a murderous game. Steadman (The Disappearing Act) narrates her own Christmas thriller with a taut, tension-filled voice. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats as Harriet navigates a family she might not survive while protecting the secrets of her past. Secrets, lies, murders, and even humor all mix perfectly to create a tantalizing seasonal thriller. VERDICT While many thrillers introduce themes of marrying into families with deeply held secrets, Steadman's gripping tale will keep listeners guessing. Share with fans of Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, and Lucy Foley.--Elyssa Everling
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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