I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

*The Family Upstairs* by Lisa Jewell is a gripping and unsettling novel that weaves a complex, multi-layered mystery. Through the perspectives of three narrators, Jewell draws the reader into a chilling narrative that explores the dark secrets hidden within the walls of a grand Chelsea mansion. As the story unfolds, the intertwining tales gradually reveal a haunting past and the enigmatic fate of the house’s previous inhabitants.

The narrative is both disturbing and absorbing, with each narrator bringing their own sense of confusion and tension. The further you dive into their stories, the more unsettling the details become, yet you can’t help but keep turning the pages, unable to look away. Jewell masterfully builds suspense, creating an atmosphere of creeping dread and anticipation that lingers long after the book ends. The mysteries surrounding the mansion’s history and the characters’ connections to it are both perplexing and intriguing, making for a chilling reading experience that will leave you questioning everything until the final revelation.

I’m a big fan of Lisa’s unique writing and plotting and this total cracker of a book is no exception. Brilliantly paced and dramatic this kept me absolutely hooked until the very last page. I always know I’m in for a treat and boy was I glad to be right!

This novel presents a compelling narrative filled with intricately woven tensions among its characters and their circumstances. Delving into sensitive topics with adeptness, the author skillfully invites readers to comprehend and empathise with the complex pressures and choices confronting the characters. With a writing style that is both accessible and engaging, the story unfolds swiftly, culminating in a gratifying resolution that satisfies both the characters' arcs and the reader's
expectations. Throughout the journey, the author's mastery shines through, capturing the essence of human struggle and resilience. Overall, this book offers a fulfilling and thought-provoking reading experience that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Love the way this book has been written sometimes in the first person.

Such an unusual story.

Lisa really allows you into the characters lives

Looking forward to reading the sequel 😊

Lisa Jewell gives another masterclass in building suspense and tension and weaving a story that grips from the very first page. Her writing is taut but expressive – she has that rare ability to transport the reader so deep into the story that it feels like you're walking around the page with the characters.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

It took me years to get back to this book. It was recommended by someone so I thought I'd try it again.

It's marketed as a thriller but it reads more like general fiction.I think there's moments it tries to be a thriller with dark moments and odd characters but there aren't many moments that have you on edge. Sonetimes I wanted more suspense and other times the story was dull and I wanted it to speed up. Maybe it's just me I've read a lot of horrors so my expectations are high and not easily scared.

It's a slow book and sometimes every movement a character makes seems detailed at times. The multiple viewpoints bothered me at first until I started to feel sorry for Henry and need to know Libby's story. I got more intrigued as the story unfolded and felt that it was the slowness that was making it a tricky read for me as the idea itself is compeling. I was eager to read on and find out what was going on.

The ending took a while with twists and turns I didn't see coming. But still didn't leave an impact. I found myself questioning some parts of the story. It seems like it's left open for a sequel.

If this had been marketed as general fiction I think I'd have had lower expectations and enjoyed it more. It feels more like that genre. The mystery didn't take too long to solve when Libby started to look into it so couldn't enjoy the mystery element for long.
Did I miss something?

Lisa Jewell never fails to please with her fantastic plot lines, style of writing and interesting characters...this was no different! Definately needs to be on your to read list

I have loved Lisa Jewell for years and her quality of writing has just got better and better! This book got me hooked from the first chapter and I finished it in 2 sittings. Lots of twists and turns and is definitely a page turner.

The only criticism that I would have was that it was hard to believe that all this happened in the 90’s, it seemed like it would have been more likely in the 70’s but that could be me being naive!

Very believable characters and you do become frustrated with some of them that they didn’t help eachother, but then that was the point of the book, that One man could groom so many people! I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Anyone invited in to 16 Cheyne Walk SW3 would be well advised not to drink the Kool Aid, especially if young Henry mixed it for you. Not of course that you would be invited in, as neighbours will attest, they thought it a reclusive religious retreat. Religious it wasn't but a new age retreat? Possibly. However, in a surprising twist, it was the charasmatic leader and his acolytes who unwittingly partook of the poison and in so doing, gave freedom to the children living there. What follows is a fascinating story of interconnected lives, sometimes separated by decades.
Although The Family Upstairs was on my reading list, for some strange reason I must have overlooked it and read its sequel The Family Remains first. Read in the correct order it may have diffused some of the relationship complexity but I rather liked seeing a few loose ends being tidied up as a result of my chronological incompetency. That's not to say it wasn't without puzzlement especially when it came to Michael Rimmer's death.
Anyway, if you want to be entertained for many hours, maybe imagine yourself as a ghost in Cheyne Walk listening in to all that went on there, these books are for you.

The family upstairs by Lisa Jewell.
In a large house in London's fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up.In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note.They've been dead for several days.Who has been looking after the baby?
And where did they go?
A brilliant read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Love Lisa books. 5*.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a read! I was literally sitting on the edge of the sofa reading this. Recommended for anyone that enjoys a good suspenseful novel.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

🌟 Jewell is one of my absolute favourites & somehow she managed to surpass my already very high expectations with this outing - I think her very best yet!
🌟 It grips you from page one & doesn't let you go until you have turned the very last page.
🌟 The tension is build up is nerve wrangling.⠀
🌟 The rehearings & wrong paths you get led down keep you guessing till the end. ⠀
🌟 The way the characters weave together to that ending was jaw-dropping in the best way. I cannot wait for the sequel!

I have to admit I have passed over this book a few times in my search for my next read purely due to the whole cult theme which is the basis for the novel; it's a subject I have to be in the right mindset to read about. Although in this book it is less of an obvious cult which takes over the property in Chelsea, more of a very devious, manipulative man taking advantage of an extremely vulnerable couple.

There are two timeframes within the book: the present day with a young lady named Libby inheriting the aforementioned property in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea and the historical background to the house in the late 1980s when Henry and Martina Lamb bought it and the ensuing horrors which unfolded. There is also another thread in the present day with Lucy and her children living a hand to mouth existence in the Cote d'Azur; homeless and struggling to get by it's left to the reader to try and piece together how this little unfortunate family unit fits in.

I have to admit I kept getting Libby and Lucy confused - I do wish authors would use completely different names for their characters as it doesn't take much for me to get muddled, especially at the beginning of a book where I'm settling the characters in to my head and getting the foundations of the storyline fixed in place. Once I got past that issue I have to say I didn't really gel with any of the people involved. On one hand I felt sorry for them and their circumstances/misfortunes but on the other I needed them to take responsibility for what they were doing. And then there's David Thomsen, evil personified. I cannot tell you how much I disliked this man. Therefore a character well-written. I don't think the man did a nice deed throughout his time in the book and I have to admit to wanting to hug Henry for his determination in trying to remove David from the house. It was just unfortunate that the knock on effect had such dire consequences.

I'm not sure about the ending of the book, it all seemed to fit a bit too nicely for all that had gone before and it is only the fact that I know the sequel is coming which makes me happy with its conclusion. It doesn't feel like the end, more of a pause, and I am so glad that Lisa Jewell is giving us more to the story to perhaps give us a more comfortable closure for the story. I can't wait for The Family Upstairs 2 and certainly won't be leaving it on the shelf as long after publication as I did book one!

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell was a brilliant read and i was hooked within the first few pages I loved it, it's full of unexpected twists and turns,. This is the first book I have read by Lisa and I am hoping to read more of her books in the future.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It kept me guessing from the beginning and had lots of twists, a definite must read.

Lisa Jewell is my go to author and I have read everything she has ever written but I did not enjoy this one at all. Found the storyline hard to follow and could not connect with the characters.

I've read two Lisa Jewell books on the trot: this one followed The Night She Disappeared, which was my introduction to this author. And obviously, I was impressed enough to dive straight into another of her books.

This book has a couple of similarities: present-tense narrative (a stultifying bad choice), and a story told over two time frames. Okay, only two similarities and I may have coincidentally plucked two books from Jewell's works with the same ones, but it has wobbled my fandom just a smidge, if that's her m.o.

Adoptee, Libby, receives a life-changing letter on her twenty-fifth birthday in which she discovers her birth parents' identity and, more dramatically, that she has inherited a multi-million Chelsea mansion. A mansion that holds dark, life-changing secrets, secrets of events that took place twenty-five years earlier. What happened to the three dead bodies found in the kitchen? Why is there a healthy baby, alone, in a cot? Where are the other children neighbours said lived there? And what does it all mean for Libby?

It's a very compelling story with some extraordinarily compelling characters, and it's well told…for the most part: there were gaps and some 'what, really???' moments. Nevertheless, I did find myself eager to pick it up and read on. I'm not quite sure how I thought it would end, but it was all a bit too 'tidy'. Just a bit too happily ever after.

But…I did enjoy it. Jewell is quite the writer and, though you might not actually like some of her characters, she certainly gives them depth and dimension. When you can conjure up image a character in your head, that's certainly testament to a well-crafted portrayal.

Lisa Jewell one of my favourite authors didn't disappoint with 'The Family Upstairs'. It was a wonderful read from start to finish and kept me going back for more. The hard to deal with start of the story, then all the various twists and turns were so well done that it took me only two days to reach the finale - I could not put the book down. A great book well written by a great author. Thoroughly recommend.