Release Date: Paperback Expected 1st November 2023 (First published October 2022)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
It's funny: in-laws are supposed to be problematic, aren't they? That old cultural stereotype. I guess it's funny because it's often true. In-laws can be difficult. Families can be different. And I can't argue with the facts, here, bleeding on their floor.
Harriet and Edward are the power couple everyone aspires to be. She's a novelist reaching new levels of stardom and acclaim, her fiancé a man who forged a life of success despite distancing himself from the generational wealth and power of his family.
But blood can be thicker than water, and soon enough they find themselves spending the holiday season with the enigmatic and elusive Holbeck family. On the surface, Harriet finds them charming, welcoming, warm. And she can't deny their effortless glamour and presence are intriguing. It feels like the family is coming together, until Holbeck patriarch Robert hands her something - a Dictaphone tape. It's clear that this isn't the nice family get together she'd been expecting - Robert is playing a game with her, and she needs to figure out the rules before she ends up just a pawn.
"He has chosen me because he likes games, because he likes thrillers and because he has decided I am a worthy opponent."
A compulsive and compelling thriller about the dark depravity hidden behind the glitz and glamour of an elite family, and the deadly fallout when that family explodes.
The Holbecks are definitely an interesting collective - untouchable and perfect, but almost cult-like in their traditions. They create their own rules; their wealth and influence making them a law unto his own. Their reach is clear before we even meet them, how easily they can influence others and interject into their lives. Harriet was equally intimidated and intrigued by them, and she took both her newfound family and their dark secrets in her stride - facing a challenge seemed instinctive for her, almost exciting despite the fear creeping in. I loved her methodical, clear-cut voice and the logical way she saw things, but I did find her very distant and aloof as a narrator which left me feeling a bit disconnected. There were times important things happened but they were stated so simply they were almost missed, almost like it was out of place.
There was magic in the air - the warm, glowing magic of Christmas lights and engagement rings harshly juxtaposed against the eerie backdrop of castles and traditions and blood. But of course, there's no real magic - any 'bad guys' in this story are real humans who bleed and that makes them ever creepier. This slow-burner was all about the build-up, the intensity - in fact not much happens for the first half of this story, we just spend time carefully setting the scene, watching as Harriet picks at the threads of this family until they start to come undone.
This book is like a game of Cluedo but with devastating stakes - everyone is a suspect, and there's no way out until you've won the game.
⭐⭐⭐
I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.
CW: ptsd, loss, reference, references to suicide and drugs, pregnancy, abortion, swearing.
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