Twenty five years ago a baby was found at a house a suspected suicide of the parents, they'd been dead awhile but the baby is fine and clean and the couples other children are no where to be seen, fast forward 25 years and the baby is all grown up and inherits the family house in Chelsea, But where are her brother and sister.
The family upstairs was a good premise, but I found the writing a bit disjointed especially as the novel jumps between the three main characters but its not always clear which character is which. It would probably work as a good TV serial though.

At just 25 years of age, Libby Jones, who is adopted, finds she has inherited a house in
Chelsea London. This house is the key to her identity as well as a house in which three murders took place. Unravelling these takes the reader on a riveting ride so expect to devour it as I did. Jewell captivates the reader from the first page and doesn't let go until the end. Most enjoyable.

"The Family Upstairs" is enthralling and impossible to put down. I liked the triple narrative perspective and short chapters. Lisa Jewell is a consummate storyteller and I never cease to be amazed, and delighted, by her imagination and creativity.

A deliciously dark tale of family secrets as an abandoned house on one of London's most prestigious roads is unexpectedly left to a woman on her 25th birthday.

Another gripping read from Lisa Jewell.

A great fast paced British thriller!
This book has a compelling start, an intriguing middle, and a great ending.
It’s a literary triumph for thriller fans everywhere, easily worthy of 4 stars.
I look forward to more work from Lisa Jewell.

My first Lisa Jewell and what a way to begin. I definitely need to explore her back catalogue. The Family Upstairs is told from different viewpoints and timeframes, but is very clearly delineated so you're not lost trying to work out who is speaking and when. It's so brooding and builds suspense so cleverly. It's the exploration of an adopted person's family story, which opens with her unexpectedly inheriting a huge house in Chelsea from her birth parents. She has no memory of them, but meets a journalist who had written about her birth family and their deaths, and can fill in some of the blanks. Thus begins a story of oppression and manipulation told from multiple participants. A great read, and one that will stay with me.

A riveting novel, full of a mixture of unsettling and surprising moments. It is based around a young family growing up in strange circumstances.

The Family Upstairs is an enthralling and mesmerising story about Henry and Lucy Lamb, the children of Socialites who’s lives are turned upside down when their parent lose their money and social standing and invite Birdie and her partner Justin to move in. A nightmare that ends with the suicide of 3 people, a baby left in a cot and missing teenagers!
Fast forward 24 years and on the baby’s 25th birthday she inherits the family house.
The book flits between the past(told by Henry) and the present in the form of Lucy, Henry and Libby’s voices.
Whilst it took me a couple of chapters to get into this story once I did I was engrossed.
Thanks go to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I love Lisa Jewell’s writing and this book is no exception. In this tale we zip back and forth as we learn the story behind a big house in Chelsea and how it comes to have been inherited by a 25 year old who knew nothing of its existence until her birthday.

I picked this book up just before I started my revision plan for a Very Important Exam next week. Big mistake. I was reading well into the night to get this one finished and even at two AM for a couple of mornings. That’s the sign of a good book right there. Real life stops, meal planning goes out the window, you even forget who you are whilst you’re caught in the depths of a psychopathic thriller.

The Family Upstairs is a domestic drama combined with a psychological thriller focusing on both Henry and Lucy Lamb. Their lives spiralled into a nightmare after two strangers moved into their parents affluent home – and then a few more… and then before they knew it…well, I’ll let you read it to find out. But there are three dead bodies and a ten month old baby to sort out…

So, when you begin this book, concentrate hard. The time periods are different and there’s a good handful of characters to get your head around. You might feel like you’re going mad and can’t keep up but it will all fall into place pretty quickly.

Like all of Lisa Jewell’s books – I read this quickly because I was gripped from the start and I really wanted to bring together all the loose ends and find out exactly what was going on. Lisa Jewell is in my little ‘black book’ of authors to keep up with. I really do mean it, I have a little notebook with a list of authors on just in case I get side-tracked into a bookshop in the middle of the day and need a refresher! I’m serious…And Lisa Jewell has been in that book for her lighthearted chicklit and now has moved firmly into the thriller/grime/family dramas section as well. She has mastered both wonderfully – often combining her talents for writing in either style to create a fantastic master-piece.

Classic Lisa Jewell standard of writing but with a whole new twist. This multiple character viewpoint novel is irresistible and very disturbing. It kept me guessing for a very long time as there are so many threads to the story which (I'm happy to report) are all gathered up and joined by the end of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 enjoyable stars

Not one of Lisa’s best books but what unlike about this author is that she tries different genres and styles of writing.

The book has an atmospheric build up and you really get a sense of the way all these families are living; past and present.

There are some suspense belief moments (Michael) and some brilliant chapters (anything with Henry narrating)

I feel like there’s a strong sequel in this book with how it ends and some under developed characters.

Overall I did enjoy it.

It's Libby's birthday and she turns 25. Birthdays usually aren't that significant as she was adopted as a ten month old and knows little about her birth family. Her adoptive mother lives abroad with her much younger partner.

This birthday is different.

Because she inherits a house from her birth family worth approximately 7 million pounds. The house is in central London and unbeknownst to Libby, the house is famous for various reasons. Sixteen Cheyne Walk, Chelsea.

Libby always thought her parents died in a car accident. However she now knows differently. The house appeared in a music film clip. And that, two of her family members were thought to be involved in a murder suicide at the house along with a third unidentified man. They were thought to be part of a cult. Libby, who discovers her birth name is Serenity, was ten months old at the time, was taken in to care.

Libby meets a journalist called Miller Rose who has written articles about the history of the house and the families who lived there - Libby's family and the other family who came to live there, So many questions remain unanswered. What happened to the older children? And what became of the others who lived in the house?

And when Libby visits the house it's as if someone has been there recently. The question is who?

Chapters in the Family Upstairs are written from multiple alternating point of views, There's Libby, Lucy, Henry, and another male voice (is it Finn or Henry, the reader is not initially certain) later in the book. Each tells their respective versions of the past and the present. How do all the pieces fit?

The Family Upstairs culminates in a great ending (no spoilers) tying all the threads that weave the complicated family fabric together. There are lighter, joyful moments, and dark and forboding moments throughout the book. One character particularly gave me the absolute shivers because there are elements of their nature that scream evil and sociopathy. Another character kills someone out of necessity yet I found them likable!

In all, this book is a great read. It speaks of secrets, complicated family dynamics and people's own truths. It looks at how people compartmentalise aspects of their lives in order to survive and move forward.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lisa Jewell and Penguin Random House UK for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have not had the pleasure of reading previous titles by Lisa Jewell but will do so now that I have read The Family Upstairs.

The Family Upstairs is for publication 8 August 2019.

This will be cross-posted on goodreads and will appear on my instagram:\aplace_inthesun.

My favourite Lisa Jewell books to date, this is Lisa at her very best. I adored the mystery of this plot, of not knowing exactly what happened or even whose point of view you were reading from at times. The characters were so strong, each with their own distinguished voice, some more likeable than others but then there were those you just couldn't make up your mind about. I really enjoyed the three different points of views, with the chapters jumping between past and present and first person and third. Part of me would have been interested to read from David's point of view and have a little peek into his very odd brain. The story itself had me hooked throughout with plenty of twists and although parts were disturbing, I was eager to read on at all points. I have mixed feelings about the ending, I thought there would be a bit more, maybe a bit of a showdown but it was pretty low-key. At the same time, because I liked the characters so much, part of me was just happy for them all.

Will be thoroughly recommending this book to all my friends!

Thanks NetGalley for my ARC copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading this,, even if I did find things a little unbelievable at times, the story was fast paced with some interesting characters.
Henry and Lucy live in a large house in Chelsea, they live a privileged life and want for nothing. Inexplicably things suddenly change, Their father has a minor stroke and their mother allows, first Birdie and Justin and then David Thompson and his family to stay. David is charismatic and very controlling. Life in the house suddenly changes and all sorts of new rules are introduced, Henry in particular cannot bear what is happening and soon events spiral out of control.
Twenty five years later we discover exactly what happened to everyone involved.
Give this a go, really easy to read, with plenty to keep you intrigued.

When Libby Jones reaches 25 she learns that she has inherited a large house in Chelsea that had been held in a trust for her from her biological parents.
It has always been believed Henry and Martina Lamb had died along with another man in a suicide pact. Libby was found in a cot upstairs and so naturally adopted.
Astounded at her windfall and knowing little of her family history she begins to investigate online and at the house.
She raises more questions than answers, tales of other children and families living in the house, the possibility of a cult and now it seems murders and not suicide.
This is a real family drama/ psychological thriller, dark, creepy and overflowing with interesting characters.
It starts slowly as all of their stories are told, the tension building all the time, drawing you in, making it impossible to put down.
A totally absorbing read. I can definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Uk, Cornerstone for my chance to read this as an ARC in return for my honest review.

Highly readable with a great twist and satisfying conclusion. It took a few chapters for me to get into, and to make sense of the various narrative strands, but I found myself invested in the characters and eager to discover the outcome.

This book is a mysterious twisty maze that you just cannot figure out. Really fantastic. Even the ending feels quite sinister. A must read!

This is another compelling mystery by Lisa Jewell, spanning hippy alternative London, France in the present day, an abandoned baby, and a very charismatic man.
It starts when a family allow a couple to move into their upstairs room “for a short while”, and ends with what appears to be a cult and a suicide pact.

Libby is adopted and when she turns 25, she inherits a Chelsea house with a dark history, which she wishes to investigate, with the help of a journalist.
Lucy is in France with her children, and no money, and must resort to desperate measures to get back home.
Henry is a young boy growing up in the house who is witness to tragic events.
As their stories converge, the truth emerges, with a roller-coaster ride to a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read this book.

Lisa Jewell has done it again! I have always loved her books and love the thrillers she is now writing. This is absolutely one of the best and if you love a good mystery then you have got to read this !!!#NetGalley#TheFamilyUpstairs