“The rich
are not like you and me,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, and indeed the folks in
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman are not like anyone else. The
Holbecks are old money, and British author Harry Reed is engaged to their
eldest son Edward, who has been estranged from his family for some time. Harry
was orphaned when a drunk driver crashed into her parents’ car, and she survived
as well as witnessed the death of the other driver when his car exploded.
Because Harry
longs for family since she has none, she is open to helping Edward rebuild his
relationship with his parents and siblings. The Holbecks engage in a number of
crazy games including a frightening game of Krampusnacht, a devilish take on Santa Claus they maintain is
part of their German heritage, but it seems more like a horrifying Halloween
with the seven-foot-tall Kramp chasing the children.
At a family
dinner, Edward’s father Robert slips Harry a Dictaphone tape that could contain
the details of certain crimes…all in hopes of helping her get a jump start to conquer
her writer’s block. Under the pressure of a book deadline, Harry doesn’t get to
the tape right away, which leaves her at a disadvantage when the games begin.
When she
finally listens to the entire tape, Harry is very confused. Is Robert just
playing a game with her, or are these confessions on the tape? To find the
truth about the Holbecks, including the death of their first son Bobby, Harry
will have to arm herself for the cat-and-mouse game that is the foundation of
the family’s savage Christmas celebration.
Catherine Steadman's fourth
novel is due out in November. Steadman is also a British actress, her most
famous role being Mabel Lane Fox, Mary's rival in Downton Abbey.
She also starred in the Starz series, “The Rook.”
]
No comments:
Post a Comment