Review of A GAME FOR ALL THE FAMILY

A remarkable work of storytelling, this novel actually combines two stories in one: the contemporary plot line of the family living at Speedwell House in Devon and their backstory from their London tenure; and a fictional story spun out by three very different individuals. This is a Psychological Thriller in a class by itself, and I can't imagine any other novel in that subgenre topping A GAME FOR ALL THE FAMILY. Certainly I remained riveted throughout, unable to stop reading, and even as I was continually amazed by the plot twists and ongoing character revelations, the denouement was simply astounding, the conclusion just as amazing. Multiple layers upon multiple layers and totally fascinating psychological delineation of many characters combine into an absolutely engrossing story, with exceptionally treated character evolution.

A former London TV content producer, her opera singer husband, and their adolescent daughter buy an antique house in Devon on the river. All seems bright, but they have scarcely moved house when anonymous phone calls commence on the landline, accusing Justine of unknown faults. The calls then become threatening, and soon the threats escalate. Throughout the story, the reader wonders "What is real? What is fact? What are the truths here?" and as the author weaves in the additional story line in the form of a school creative writing composition by Justine's daughter Ellen, the dual plottings increase in bizarre fashion. Ms. Hannah superbly delves into the psychology of all her characters, and as the reader watches some of the characters devolve in decompensation and others evolve, we are rapt in attention.

I commonly read blurbs that announce: "best psychological thriller of the year," "you will never see the end coming," and so forth, but in this case I believe that any amount of praise for this novel is factual.