My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the ARC.
This was an absolutely absorbing read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Present day and Libby Jones, living a modest life in St Albans, has her 25th birthday. She was adopted as a baby having been told her parents died in a car crash. Expecting a small inheritance on this birthday her world is turned on its head when she finds she's inherited a large house in Chelsea worth millions of pounds.
Henry and Martina Lamb owned the house nearly 30 years ago and lived there with their 2 children, Henry (aged 11) and Lucy (aged 9). The family inherited their wealth from Henry Snr's father and were regarded as socialites.
Henry Jnr narrates the story of their life in the house over a period of 5 years, when rather strange people began to be welcomed there by the mother, and the destruction of their privileged lives began.
His first-person story runs alongside Libby's as she teams-up with the reporter who originally investigated the apparent suicide of her parents, together with the disappearance of Henry and Lucy from the house.
I'm trying to be as obtuse as possible so as not to give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that this is a complex, cleverly-woven mystery/thriller. Loads of twists which send your thoughts one way and then, just as quickly, snuffs them out. It's somewhat creepy and sinister in places - joyous in others.
Great read!

This was the first book I ever read by Lisa Jewell and I couldn’t put it down! It had so many twists and turns that I had to keep reading until I knew what had happened. It was impossible to work out what exactly was going on. Was it suicide ? Or was it murder ? Or entirely an accident ? I will definitely be reading more books by this author in the future.

This book gripped me from the beginning. The story of a woman who discovers she has been left a large house, the mystery of her origins unveil throughout the book with flashbacks to the past slowly unravelling the mystery as the book progresses. Really enjoyed it.

Oh, no! So disappointing! I normally really enjoy Lisa Jewel’s books and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to preview this book. However, I’m afraid it just didn’t interest me at all. I found the storyline dull and boring and the characters one dimensional and uninteresting.

It’s obviously got loads of fans and other reviewers can do the plot much more justice than I. I so wanted to enjoy, just, not for me this one. In summary, the book is written from varying perspectives and covers a young woman who has inherited a house, the story of a young boy who lived in the house many years earlier and his experience, specifically following the arrival of ‘the family upstairs ‘ and then there’s a mother and her children, homeless and struggling.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

I read so many books of the crime/mystery genre that it becomes harder to find a book that stands out. This one succeeded!! Hooked from page one, the story was novel with a sufficient amount of creepy.

Took me a little while to get into this book, with so many different characters which was confusing at times. It was still an enjoyable read and a classic Lisa Jewel book. The only reason i am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the confusing characters at the start

Full of twists and turns (somewhat confusing at times) this was a highly enjoyable book.

There’s three stories in one that all converge at the end. You have Libby, a 25 year old who has just inherited a large house in Chelsea. Lucy, a homeless mother trying to get back to London from France with no ID, and Henry, a young boy who tells the story of what happened to his family in London.

Great read, but you really do need to pay attention.

Thank you for the review copy! I love Lisa Jewell, she is definitely one of my favourite authors - one that I look out for her new releases each year! Whilst it may not be my favourite by her, I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Think of a cult like scenario, ending in suspected suicide....or was it?

A bit of a slow burner, but stick with it and the twists will soon unravel! I found myself really wanting to know how all of the characters linked (there are a lot of them) which could be a little confusing at times - I was a bit like ummmm who is that again? But they do all link!

It’s quite rare for a psychological / thriller based book ending to satisfy me, but this one really did.

I totally adored this book. All of Lisa Jewells books are fabulous but something about this one is extra special. A complex story involving numerous complex characters. I could easily see this being made into a film.

Henry, his sister Lucy and his socialite parents live a privileged life in a house in Chelsea, then one day, people start arriving at the house. They looked harmless enough, but soon, things take a dark, sinister turn...

I read this book in a few hours, it was one of those “gripping, unputdownable thrillers” I enjoy so much! The story moved between Libby and Lucy in the present, and Henry, retelling the story of the house in Chelsea and its residents. The stories of what happened in the house were suitably sinister, and I found the characters all really interesting, particularly Miller.

The story is intricately woven together, and it took a while for me to unravel all the plot threads, but I had fun working it out. I found the narrative switches a little confusing at times, but got used to them fairly quickly. I loved seeing how everything fitted together, and the ending was satisfying, although I’d have liked to have had a bit more of Henry’s story.

Lisa Jewel at her best. I have followed this author from her first book, and she just keeps giving. This book draws you in from the start and its hard to put down as it is compulsive reading.

As ever, Lisa Jewell doesn't disappoint. I always look forward to her books and this one was no disappointment. I would certainly recommend. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one early.

I loved this. Got into it instantly and couldn’t wait to unravel the mystery behind the three bodies and the baby. The story that follows is utterly captivating, full of intrigue and suspense, a real page turner - can’t recommend this enough.

I love reading Lisa Jewell’s novel and this one hit the spot again. Loved it. Loved the characters. I will be recommending to everyone.

Really enjoyed this book as I have with all this authors books. Found it took me a little while to get into in with the different characters but so glad I stuck with it. Amazing story & loved the strong characters. I’d highly recommend this book.

”What are they hiding” - Let’s set the stage shall we? Three decomposing bodies lie in the kitchen of a large house in fashionable Chelsea. There’s a baby awake in a cot upstairs who’s been well cared for, however the house is empty and there is nobody to be found. So who’s been looking after the baby and where did they go? The chapters flip back and forth to the present day, the past and back again as we gradually get to the bottom of the events that have led us to the baby in the cot and the mystery of the dead bodies and how they got there. This formula has worked well for Jewell thus far in her career, and it really adds those extra layers of mystery and suspense to ‘The Family Upstairs. Lisa Jewell has done it again, a deliciously thrilling read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. It was so hard trying to navigate work and personal life with this book around as I literally couldn’t wait to get back to it whenever I could. The book is set for release on August 8 and I can’t recommend it enough. I’d go as far to say as it could very well be one of the best books of her career. I was gripped from page one!

Delicious. Dark and creepy. Compelling. Everything you could wish for in a book. I devoured it. Lisa Jewell at her best. In fact I could read it all over again.

It would have been a five star read but I got a little confused over who was narrating each chapter at the beginning and in what period.

This was a very enjoyable story with a likeable, relatable heroine who has her entire existence turned upside down when she hits 25. Libby knew she was adopted but had no idea what an amazing set of discoveries she was about to make. The initial naivety of the protagonists is very well done, as is how they changed over the intervening years, succeeding or failing at life, but never losing focus on obtaining an eventually positive future from a disastrous past.

The story is told from three different viewpoints; two present day and one from a past which coloured everyone's future. This worked very well and gradually, as the three stories began to converge, different aspects started to take on more importance and I definitely needed to read a little faster!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good family based thriller by a very good author.

Not the sort of book I would normally read it took me a while to sort out the characters and realise how it had been written but when I’d done that I was hooked great book good characters ups and downs within the story I would definitely recommend reading this!!

5 Stars from me

What a fabulous book! The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is a really refreshing and original read - it is literally brimming with layered storylines which pull you along as you turn the pages ever more equally enthralled and appalled.

At one point it literally felt as though the story contained no redeeming characters at all (except Miller, he was ace) as greater wickedness, selfishness, abuse and depravity unfolded. Wow what appalling people the Thomsens were and how utterly weak the Lambs. 

The Family Upstairs has it all, the reader is taken on a veritable roller coaster ride as Libby finds herself a millionaire (isn't that child's dream scenario?) but also uncovers a million questions about her family and exactly what went on in Cheyne Walk. The cult style takeover of the Thomsens was horrible and yet must be some true to what actually happens in those type of situations that we know are all too real. The children who live in the house - whether Lambs or Thomsens are dark souls and I guess a sad product of their awful environment. Across the pond, Lucy's tale is equally unpleasant and we follow her along the way as all roads seem to lead the Cheyne Walk and the 25th birthday of 'the baby'.

Brilliant characterisation throughout and an utterly gripping - if a little disturbing - read.

Synopsis:You thought they were just staying for the weekend. They looked harmless enough – with only two suitcases and a cat in a wicker box.

But soon things turn very, very dark. It happens slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly.

Now you and your sister must find a way to survive…