The baby is 25.

Twenty-five years ago, tragedy struck. Three people were found dead from an apparent murder suicide. Only speculation, not clues, were left behind. Except for the baby, well cared for, found in the bedroom of the house of the deceased. Rumors around town said many others had lives there, a comune? A cult? What happened so many years ago? Now, Libby, turning twenty-five, receives word that she has inherited the house because she was the sole survivor, she is the baby. But Libby knows very little of the house and the lives that made it home. And maybe, some secrets are better left alone?

This novel was fun! As Libby dives into finding out more about the house that she recently inherited, there are people from the past that start to resurface and the history starts to unfold. As a reader, it was hard to imagine that all of these strange events could have taken place in this quaint neighborhood home, but I needed to know, I couldn’t stop. Who were these people, and how or why did they end up dead leaving this baby alone?

I’m a fan of learning about cults and the ability for people to blindly follow charismatic leadership, so I was drawn to this from the start. It’s creepy and suspenseful, everything you need from a solid thriller.

Thank you to @NetGalley @lisajewelluk and @AtriaBooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell swung for the fences with "The Family Upstairs" and she cleared the bases with the plot and character development. I give Lisa a tip of the hat. She fooled me multiple times with her characters and their actual identities.
Even though the novel takes a dozen twists and turns plus hops from character to character and time period to time period, the transition is seamless. Unlike so many authors who employ these techniques, Lisa never stumbles. The reader always knows where he is and who is unraveling the mystery. The technique is effective and requires an author who has control of her characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Family Upstairs" and can highly recommend it. I gave this novel 4.0 stars only because 4.5 was not an option.

I wanted more from this book. The writing captivated me, and the story unfolding was interesting, but when it ended, it fell way short of my expectations. I kept waiting for something big to happen, some huge reveal. Instead it was piecemeal surprises that I guessed beforehand, with a more or less happy ending.

Lisa Jewell does it again! It does take awhile to get going, and I almost gave up. I'm glad I didn't. It's a bit disjointed with the story, but it all comes together for a surprise ending. Highly recommend!

This was my first Lisa Jewell book, but it definitely won't be my last. I both read this one and listened to the audiobook and found both formats equally enjoyable. This book was suspenseful, twisted, and completely creepy. While I was able to figure out most of the twists, I still found it enjoyable.

What I loved about this book:
1. I enjoyed the three character POVs told over multiple timelines and how it had you questioning who is a reliable story teller and who was trying to paint themselves in a more positive light.
2. There are multiple plot twists and turns throughout the book and while some are easy to guess, I still enjoyed watching each of then unfold.
3. I loved that it was a fast paced thriller that hooks you right from the start. I found myself trying to fit in a few minutes of reading whenever possible.

What kept me from giving this one 5⭐?
I found Sally's character to be hard to relate to as a mother. While I understand there were certain circumstances that try to explain away her behavior, it was still a turn off for me.

Overall I found this dark, creepy thriller to be enjoyable and I recommend this one to all thriller lovers everywhere.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Lisa Jewell continues to impress with her brand of domestic suspense. The Family Upstairs finds a happy balance between what readers expect in a suspense tale of this type, while also bringing some new dimensions to that sub-genre. It can be challenging to manage multiple storylines over several time-periods, but Lisa Jewell handles this with ease. This is an incredibly addictive read that speeds along between those moments when the reader must stop, take a breath, and say “WOW.” A true virtuoso performance.

Rating 3.5 stars

The truth about what happened behind those walls years ago, how four children were imprisoned and broken and then released into the world, damaged, incomplete, lost and warped.

Be careful of who you let into your home. An English family Harry and Martina Lamb welcomed the family of David Thomsen his wife, and two children with the urging of Martina as she is wanting a change in her life. Their house is grand and not far from the Thames River. What happened behind these walls that Harry, Martina and David are found dead in a pact suicide. An infant found with a rabbits foot, and the four children missing without a trace. The prose comes together when the infant found named Libby is now 25 and the house is turned over to her. She is now looking for answers to her family and what happened that night that left her with no one.

The narration is told in present and the past. With Libby's narrative, she is apprehensive, curious about who she is. Is the house cursed? Harry, Jr the son of Harry and Martina narrative is about the past. His narrative is brutal and sinister has he sees his family being drawn into the darkness of David Thomsen. His narrative puts the players in play and how he plots to free himself.

The third narrative is Lucy running away from Spain back to England knowing that baby is now of age. She has two small children Marco and Stella who anchor her as she has never been able to get her life right. Her demons are dark but her soul is looking for the light.

Each narrative is mysterious as they all share a common goal that you are not sure of as friendly or foe. As the narrative progresses, you begin to realize who is really safe and who is really the manipulator.

A Special thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I ended up really enjoying this book, but it took me a while to get there and I almost gave up. The time jumps and character jumps were challenging for me - Lucy, Libby and the going back and forth between present, past, Henry - it was a bit disjointed for me until about halfway through. Once it all came together, wow what a ride! I thought I had things figured out, then it got all twisty which I love! I also loved the "cult" aspect of things and to see how it affected families years later. A solid, enjoyable read - recommend and thank you for the ARC!

Wow! Lisa Jewell has concocted another amazing novel. She has been my favourite author as of late and for good reason.

The family upstairs was a fast-paced and I couldn't put it down. The novel seemed to be several genres put into it and I really enjoyed it.

The novel has 3 narrators in which they are all dark and disturbing and made for a chilling tale.

I highly recommend reading this novel.

I had a really hard time putting this book down. It was haunting to me and I worried over the characters every time I had to close its pages and I hurried back as soon as I could.

So often I forget a storyline, an ending, a setting as soon as I finish a book. Maybe it’s getting older or maybe it’s just not a memorable book. Suffice it to say, that did not happen with this book. I remember every bit of this book, and the ending, there’s just no forgetting any of that. It was fabulous and so creepy!

I highly recommend this book to lovers of creepy old houses, fabulous twists and a great mystery. This is one of my favorites of the year.

Thanks to Atria for the free copy in exchange for my honest review

Ever pick up a book and realize it was exactly what you needed? That’s what THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS by Lisa Jewell was for me. A solid way for me to end the month of October – I doubt I’ll be able to sneak in one more before the end of the month 😉 This one was definitely different from her previous books. If you’re a fan of Ruth Ware and that Gothic atmosphere, then you will love this one. She crafted this one and set the scene perfectly.

So I feel like the synopsis gives you all of the information you need before going into this book. I couldn’t believe how addictive this book ended up being. I just couldn’t put it down and I needed to see how the story was going to unfold. We get multiple perspectives in this book and as everything pieces together we finally get the link between them all. The twists, the family dynamic, the dysfunction, the mystery, the character development, the ending – I loved it all!

This one is definitely my favorite from Jewell and I know I won’t be the only one. If you’re looking for a compulsive read and book that you can lose yourself in, then this needs to be on your TBR. I think this is a great one for those new to Jewell to pick up – and if you’re already a fan, then you won’t be disappointed!

Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs is everything you want in a psychological suspense novel. She is a master at her craft - the edge of your seat, heart fully racing, don't forget to breath sort of novel. The best. Highest recommendation.

This was my first read by Lisa Jewell, and now I'm definitely going to read some of her backlist titles. In this book in the present day, we follow Libby as she seeks answers to long held questions about where she came from, and in other chapters we hear from Henry in the late '80s early '90s, as he unravels the story of his home and the events that led to the deaths of 3 adults and the disappearance of all the children who were living there together at the time. The book has several disturbing characters and a couple of twists that I think worked really well. I gave the book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and would recommend to my friends who enjoy suspense/thrillers.

🥀 THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS REVIEW 🥀⁣
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OMGOODNESS! This book!!! I picked it up a while back and wasn’t in the frame of mind to really get into it because it does grab you right away, but then is a slow burn psychological thriller.⁣⁣
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However, once I picked it back up and got the characters straight in my head, three distinct points of view, and the back and forth with the dual timelines, the mystery began to unravel and I. COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN!⁣⁣
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This book focuses on Libby who has just inherited a manse on the Bank of Thames for her 25th birthday. She discovers everything she thought she knew about her birth parents was wrong. As she searches for answers, and begins to discover more of who she is, the mystery unravels and she learns they were a part of some cult, died in a suicide pact, and the four children from the manse have been since missing. ⁣⁣
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This book was so well written and had me flying through the final half to link up all the missing pieces. I want to say more but can’t without spoilers! Let’s just say... you need to read this book! ⁣⁣
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I’m rating this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it was dark and disturbing with several triggers. I found it more family drama than thriller but it was fascinating, with twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end.

Dark, twisted and a page turning whodunit.

As a spider spins a web that joins that past, present and future Author Lisa Jewell spins her words to explain the sins of the past and the way that they changed lives.

The family that moved in upstairs takes over control and destroys life with predatory precision.

Sinister adults, lost souls weird teachings follow a life of extravagance and opulence. Who will survive and what will become of them?

Enjoyable? Sure. Engrossing and unputdownable? Ehhh.

The book is a slow burn, but it all comes together in the last 30% or so. I heard this book being dubbed a psychological thriller and deeply disturbing, neither I found to be true. I found it more to be one of those domestic dramas with a tinge of suspense. Maybe I'm just immune to "disturbing" content, but I didn't find it remotely so.

I found myself to be more interested in the actual "cult" itself. What was David's prerogative? What was his end game?

Slightly Spoiler-ish Ahead

And Henry? What's up with him? Is he a sociopath and was his whole story slightly different than what he recounted?

*Recieved from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Family Upstairs is a horror infested psychological thriller that has multiple story lines and POVs, a sociopath, murder, poison, several mysteries, a cult and so much more. While confusing at times, it's worth reading till the end.!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Family Upstairs
By: Lisa Jewell

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I'm always wary of books with a lot of hype because, often, the book is disappointing. The Family Upstairs was not, fortunately, disappointing. This book was everything I expected-thrilling, suspenseful, twisted, creepy and compelling. I had a hard time putting it down because I just wanted to know the ending so badly. This story is definitely a great choice for fans of suspenseful thrillers. It's a well written, solid thrill ride from beginning to end, and I enjoyed reading it!

Not a huge fan of this one. I thought there would be more twists, but the plot kind of fell flat. There were a few exciting parts, but I was expecting more.