Libby Jones, age 25, has just received a letter from a solicitor. She is the sole beneficiary of a trust which is a large home in Chelsea worth 6-7 million pounds. Libby knows that she was adopted when she was a baby. That was when her birth parents were found dead and her teenage brother and sister missing. Libby was found unharmed in her crib. At the time, her name was Serenity and her adoptive parents renamed her.

Libby’s father, Henry Lamb, had inherited the Chelsea home and all of his father’s money. He spent and spent until it was all gone.

One day, a woman named Birdie comes to stay in their home to use it as a backdrop for a musical video. Libby and her brother are suspicious of Birdie because she acts strangely. Next thing you know, a man named David arrives and everything changes.

This is a book that is OK. The characters were difficult to keep up with. How someone could get into a fix like this is truly quite mind-boggling. Of course, there are really weak people out there, so who knows? I have enjoyed other books by Lisa Jewell and admire her writing. This one was a bit meh for me though.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Well then, The Family Upstairs may only be my second time reading Lisa Jewell but I already consider her to be one of my favorite authors. This book was creepy, atmospheric, and everything I could ask for from a nice slow burn!

The Family Upstairs switches back and forth from Henry in the late 1980s/early '90s to present which is a woman named Lucy, and a 20-something named Libby. I really enjoyed the different viewpoints, and I loved how doing this built suspense. When Libby inherits the house in Chelsea and goes out to see it, I was instantly transported to how it looked through the way Jewell described it. I could completely imagine it in my mind and I really would love this to be a movie, it would be fantastic!

I do think that The Family Upstairs is a slow burn, and it didn't get quite as crazy as I thought it would. I don't know if I am just becoming immune to thrillers or what it is, but it didn't surprise me as much as I thought it would based on some reviews I have read. However, I still really liked the pacing and it was almost impossible for me to put this book down! Plus there were definitely a couple jaw dropping moments, and one part that literally had me cheering out loud in Lucy's POV.

Final Thought: I really love the way Jewell writes and the way she brings things together in her novels. The ending of The Family Upstairs was chilling, and there are going to be so many people that love this book. It was full of suspense, and of course it has a gorgeous cover which is always a bonus. And... a poison garden!! Well, not completely, but it did have aspects of the poison garden in The Turn of the Key which was pretty cool. I have no idea where Jewell gets her ideas from, all I know is I can't wait to read more of her books!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Libby finally receives a letter about her inheritance. She is hoping to get some answers to several questions about her life. Why she was left alone as a baby? What happened to her parents? Her brother and sister?
This novel is told in three voices. Libby, Lucy and Henry. Libby is searching to find out who she is. Then, there is Lucy. I don't even know where to begin with her. Her life is just messed up. And finally, Henry. Henry is more of an enigma. The experiences these kids had growing up really changes their course in life.
Well! This book is insane! It is insanely good! Let me tell you! There are so many twists and turns and manipulations. As a reader, you don't know who is who or what is what! I fell right into the spell of Libby and her situation. I did not want to put this book down. I was completely captivated, mesmerized, enthralled by this story! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE Y'ALL!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. I also received a copy at Book Expo 2019.

The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell never fails to give us the unexpected with a story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets. A dark twisted and yet spell binding can't put down book.

Those familiar with Lisa Jewell will recognize her penchant for locked doors and secret family connections in her new novel, The Family Upstairs. Jewell has a flair for portraying extreme family dysfunction in a way that carefully treads the line of credulity, given the outrageousness of its complicated plotting. In this book, Libby Jones is Jewell’s main heroine: a strait-laced young woman whose life has been meticulously controlled and planned after a chaotic upbringing by a foster mother who was caring but haphazard. Her organized life is turned upside down, however, when she receives notice that she has reached the age of inheritance from her birth family’s estate. Libby learns that she is now the owner of the mansion where her parents died of mysterious circumstances almost 25 years ago when she was a baby. From the articles she has read, investigators assumed that a suicide pact among cult members was the likeliest explanation, and that there were other children in the house who were never located. She was found abandoned but in good health when the bodies were discovered. What Libby will soon discover is that her acquisition of the house has also spurred others to return to the site with agendas of their own. Jewell slowly unpeels the true events of the deaths in the house through alternating points-of-view from the children who were party to the events. With its many twists and connections, unreliable narrators and biases, The Family Upstairs is an addictive read that compels the reader to willingly swallow largely unbelievable plotlines with relish. The novel could be described as a combination of Flowers in the Attic (by VC Andrews) and Helter Skelter (Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry) or other stories of cults/extreme family-based societies. With an ending that is satisfying but tantalizingly open-ended, Jewell’s latest will provide her fans with some more exciting hours of reading pleasure.

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

2.5 star rating.

The Family Upstairs started out strong with an atmospherically gothic feel but after the half way mark, I kept asking myself why I should care about the characters. The main plot line was poorly fleshed out and would have benefitted greatly from further backstory.

Overall, Jewell’s writing is lovely but it doesn’t cover up the clunky storyline and loose ends. I’m in the minority with my rating but sadly, this one was forgettable for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Lisa Jewell. I would read for just a little bit, then put it down until the next day. But yesterday the boss was out of work; never let it be said that I would ever waste an opportunity to read. So I really began to read...and then I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. Apparently it pays to step out of my romance comfort zone occasionally! I just bought two more Lisa Jewell offerings in audio book format.

Libby Jones just turned 25, and she finally learns who she really is and where she comes from. She inherits a dark, mysterious mansion worth millions, where apparently her parents, as part of a cult, committed suicide together with a unknown man. Four children who were thought to have lived in the house had disappeared without a trace. Little baby Serenity, now Libby Jones, was the only live person discovered in the house. Libby, together with investigative reporter Miller Roe, begin to search to find out what really happened to Libby's family.

The story is told through the viewpoint of three characters: Libby, Lucy and Henry. How are these three people connected? One begins to make the connections, but nothing comes together quite as one would expect. There are many times I was yelling to myself I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! There were dark twists and turns that I never expected. I was so glad that I didn't give up when the beginning was slow, as I ended up with a story that was brilliantly twisted, and an amazing new author to follow.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

What a unique story. It has all the dark and twisty elements: a psychopath, a cult, an old mansion, plus deep, well developed characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. A fantastic read!

I got this one weeks ago and can’t wait to share it with you all! I love, love, love Lisa Jewell. She is an amazing suspense writer!! This novel combines all sorts of suspenseful elements: lost family, unknown history, unsolved murders, to make for a thrilling read, one that is hard to put down! If you regularly read Lisa Jewell you will know that she’s done it again with The Family Upstairs!

Thank you for my review copy via Net Galley!

I realize that I'm in the minority on this one, but The Family Upstairs just didn't do it for me. It's told from three perspectives, which wouldn't be a problem except that one of those perspectives is written in first person while the other two are in third. I understand the reasoning behind it, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a distraction for me. There are a fair amount of characters to keep up with, but they are distinctive enough to keep them sorted in my mind. The problem is that the story gets bogged down in unnecessary mundane details. I can appreciate well-drawn characters and painting a picture to show where they're coming from so the reader can get to know them, but this goes a little too far with that - so far that the three characters the story focuses on start to drift away from the plot at times. This one still could've been an okay story for me, but the more I read, the more I felt like it just didn't live up to its potential. This book had the potential to be an excellent dark and gritty story, but it's stretched to the point of being convoluted, and that was just disappointing.

I often don't like the hype of thrillers. They always promise it to be the new "Tana French" or "Gillian Flynn" and unfortunately, pales in comparison. This book, however, kept my attention. Lisa Jewell skillfully presents you with a tense, uncomfortable family dynamic. Things just don't sit right with the situation and the uneasiness you feel is further enhanced due to the main narration of a man speaking about the past (you seem to get the feeling that there are pieces missing or that, because he was a young boy at that time, he couldn't fully comprehend what was happening). Fair warning, It's unsettling with taboo subject matters. As the past takes place in one setting, the walls seem to inch closer and I couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. My major complaint with this book is that it seem to wrap up too neatly. I can't imagine people with this amount of trauma coming together and being all "ho hum." The story had many complexities but the ending was too easy for me.

Overall worth diving into.

The Family Upstairs was one of my most highly anticipated Fall 2019 reads. I often struggle with the thriller genre and am frequently left feeling disappointed, either because they were way too far fetched and the ending comes out of nowhere or they feel cliched and totally predictable.

There are a few I have just loved but far more that felt like a letdown...and I get it, I am rather picky about them. I like the perfect balance of detailed characters, suspense, mystery and a satisfying, yet semi-realistic ending.

The one author that has yet to let me down is Lisa Jewell, and so this made my expectations even higher for this one. I am happy to report that she has done it again! The Family Upstairs was the perfect book to cozy up with on the couch and read the afternoon away.

In the Family Upstairs, I loved how Jewell moved back and forth in time which helped unravel the mysteries surrounding the three main characters. Jewell weaves an intriguing story and while there are a few storylines to follow, because of her immaculately detailed characters it all flowed so well for me. 

I was able to follow along and quickly became engrossed and curious about how they were all connected. There was the perfect amount of intrigue and behind the scenes details that left me guessing until the very end. Jewell's writing is always compelling but I think this is my favorite one of hers yet. She has a unique voice and strong originality in her writing which in this genre, is especially impressive!

While the first third did not immediately grip me, I could not read the majority of the book fast enough. I could read an entire series about Libby. The early sections of Libby, Lucy and Henry's viewpoints took their time building to where the story was heading and it was mostly worth the wait. And that last line! No spoilers here, but I was genuinely left wanting another epilogue.

“Socialite and husband dead in suicide pact. Teenage children missing; baby found alive.” The Family Upstairs is the story of that baby’s journey to discover her roots and what really happened that night.

The baby, Libby, is now twenty-five years old and set to inherit the Chelsea mansion where the event occurred. Lucy is a homeless English woman with two children in France. Henry is a rich, but odd, man who is one of the missing teenagers twenty-five years later.

“It all happened so slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly, the change to our parents, to our home, to our lives after they arrived.”

All three tell their tales of what happened both before and after the event.

The Family Upstairs is a compelling thriller that builds an impressive atmosphere of dread. Everyone but the people involved know something horrible is going to happen. It is truly a can’t-put-it-down book. The characters are so human and realistic that you are forced to read one more chapter until the story is done regardless of what time your alarm will ring.

I love the author’s books for their originality in a crowded genre. But most of all, I love that she thanked the “two double vodkas and tonics that saw me through the last three chapters of this book late on a Friday night...Cheers!” in the Acknowledgements. Can you imagine what Hemingway or Poe would write if they thanked their alcoholic muses? Cheers, indeed.

The Family Upstairs should appeal to most thriller and women’s fiction fans especially if they like their tales dark. It would not be a good choice for those readers triggered by child abuse. Otherwise, pick up this spellbinding family thriller. 4 stars!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

LOVED this book!! There were so many things working for me. It was twisty and turny. You could anticipate what some of the turns would be then we would be going off in another direction. The last 100 pages was so beautifully tied up and well written. There was very strong character development, enchanced by alternating view point chapters. Just so much yes for me on this one. It really makes me want to go back and read some of Lisa Jewel's other work.

Lisa has done it again! Since reading, Then She Was Gone, her writing style intrigued me. The story starts off slow but builds with twists that you never expect!!! I strongly recommend reading this, YOU will not be sorry!!

Sinister, seductive, and scary, Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs is a masterpiece of the domestic thriller genre you won’t want to put down once you’ve started. You’ll forever be leery of having house guests once you’ve finished.

The arrangement was meant to be temporary. When Justin and Birdie move into Henry’s parent’s home, it’s supposed to be for just a few days, while her band films a music video there. But then the couple don’t leave, even after the shoot is finished. Instead, they bring friends, the friend’s children, a cat. Henry quickly realizes that his mum’s ‘guests’ are never leaving. As he tells us at the start of the tale, “They lived with us for more than five years and they turned everything very, very dark.”

Twenty-five years later, Libby Jones receives a letter from a solicitor advising her of the identity of her birth parents and apprising her of the fact that she is the sole inheritor of their posh home in Chelsea. She also learns that when she was a baby, she had been found in that home by the police, alone except for three dead bodies. The corpses had all been dressed in black homespun, apparent members of a cult which had ended with a suicide pact.

But her dead parents and the mysterious man lying deceased beside them were not the only members of that cult. The others have been waiting for Libby to turn twenty-five, to inherit the house and finally come back to Chelsea. They are all so anxious to meet her. . .

AAR reviewers Maggie and Shannon read The Family Upstairs and are here to share their thoughts on the novel.

Maggie: You and I both gave Then She Was Gone, one of Jewell’s 2018 releases, DIK status. I know we’re both big fans. I love her layered, subtle thrillers which slowly ratchet up the suspense until you’re desperate to get to the end. And those last pages always blow me away, they inevitably contain a twist I never saw coming. What draws you to her work?

Shannon: I love the originality of her stories. She can take themes I’ve read hundreds of times before and make them feel completely fresh and new. Plus, her twists always make so much sense after the fact. They totally blow my mind as I’m reading, but then, when I reflect back on the story as a whole, I’m able to see how much sense they make. That’s something I don’t always experience when I’m reading thrillers, so it makes her work stand out for me.

Maggie: This story is done in a dual timeline format, with Libby and a mysterious woman named Lucy as the narrators for the present day portion and Henry the narrator for the historical aspect of the tale. I felt that configuration worked perfectly, with Libby and Lucy’s sections having a much more straightforward mystery feel to them and Henry’s being atmospheric and gothic and chilling. I think the way they told their stories suited each of them. How about you?

Shannon: The dual timeline format works perfectly for this story. Henry’s portions of it were the most disturbing to me, while the sections set in the present were intriguing in a different way. Needless to say, I was glued to my iPad once I started reading.

Maggie: I agree, the story was riveting; once started it’s almost impossible to put down. In any gothic story, the house is as much a character in the book as the people. I know you love creepy old houses and this book had one heck of a macabre manse. I wouldn’t have wanted to set foot in it from the start, given what we heard of the decor, but towards the end, after everything that happened? The house felt essentially malignant and dangerous to me. What were your thoughts about it?

Shannon: I loved that the author could make the house such a central part of the story without veering off into supernatural territory. It’s not that I dislike supernatural books, but I tend to shy away from thrillers that go down that route. The Family Upstairs was wonderfully atmospheric in all the best ways, and that spooky house plays a big part in its perfection.

Maggie: I’ve mentioned that our three narrators are Lucy, Libby and Henry. I liked all three of them at the start, although one surprised me in the last chapters of the book. Still, I found myself feeling simultaneously horrified by, frightened by and oddly sympathetic towards that person. How did you feel about our narrators?

Shannon: Lucy was my least favorite. Her story was compelling, but she was someone I had a difficult time connecting with. The other two made up for that though, even when they made decisions I couldn’t completely understand.

Maggie: Lucy was, I felt, the least fleshed-out of the three so I can understand why you didn’t connect with her. This is the second book we’ve both read this year – the first being Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key – with children whose parents’ negligence placed them in bad situations. I found that along with Birdie, the person I despised most was Martina, the mom who made that hellish home possible. What did you think of Martina and Birdie?

Shannon: Both women made some horrible choices that put all the children in horrible danger. I can’t imagine growing up in their care. I wanted one of them, mostly Martina, to stand up for the kids and actually do something to save them from the mess their lives had become. Obviously, that couldn’t have happened in the story Ms. Jewell created, but I still wanted it to occur.

Maggie: Me, too. I felt somebody should have done something and was disgusted that nobody did. Moving on: If the book had any weakness it was that the perverse leader of their cult was basically a stock figure, exactly what you would expect such a person to be. Did you feel he was well drawn, or would you agree he was a predictable sort of villain?

Shannon: I actually thought David was a pretty great villain, if such a thing exists. I would have liked to learn a bit more about his back story, but the glimpses we did get into his past misdeeds were super creepy.

Maggie: I guess I’ve read so many books with evil cult leaders that I found him predictable. I was engrossed in this book and couldn’t put it down once I’d started. It was a near perfect read for me and that shocking twist of an ending was breathtaking. I’m giving it an A. How about you?

Shannon: It gets an A- from me. It would have been utterly perfect if I could have connected more with Lucy. It’s definitely another great piece of creepy fiction from Lisa Jewell, cementing her place on my list of favorite thriller writers.

This book was so creepy and weird... but in a good way! There was a lot going on throughout the book and it was fast paced and suspenseful. I wanted to know what happened next. The ending was good but thought it could have been better.

I love books with different perspectives but this one I found a bit confusing because sometimes I didn’t know who the narrator was... I think I would have preferred to have their name at the beginning of each chapter so I could have followed along better.

I loved the characters (some I loved to hate!) and thought they were well developed.

Overall I really liked this book and I would recommend checking it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read a book this twisted and I LOVE it. I devoured this one. The chapters jumped between three characters, two in the present and one in the past. This alternate points of view made the story move quick. and I liked how, as two characters were giving us present day, the third was filling in the past. Lisa Jewell is a master of suspense writing. The Family Upstairs is Lisa at her absolute best, and I say that loving all of her books already.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

On her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones can finally open a letter that she has been waiting for most of her life. Her birth parents have left her an inheritance. Upon opening, she finds out that she is the owner of a multi-million dollar home on the banks of the Thames in Chelsea, London. Everything in Libby's life is about to change. For a middle class youth, this is a dream come true - but is it too good to be true? After visiting the home to find it abandoned, and looking into the mystery of her birth family, Libby discovers dark secrets. As a baby, Libby was found abandoned in this same mansion, all alone, except for the three dead bodies found downstairs. What other secrets does the home at Cheyne Walk hold and will she ever figure them out? review: The Family Upstairs is the slow burn suspense novel you have been waiting for this fall! Told in a multigenerational point of view, the story will leave you guessing until the very end. The characters are complex and well developed, while unreliable at times. I always appreciate the multiple points of view in the author's books, it lends well to giving the reader just enough info but they're still left guessing! rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️