Libby Jones, who was adopted when she was a baby, has just turned 25 and is contacted by a solicitor in regards to an inheritance she has coming to her from her birth parents. This inheritance is a mansion in Chelsea, but when she gets there she wonders if this house can lead her to the story of her birth parents. All she knows is from a newspaper article stating that her parents died in some sort of cult, suicide pact and she was discovered in the house. She also had two older siblings, Henry and Lucy, who were never found once the authorities were alerted about the strange goings on at the mansion in Chelsea.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is told from three different perspectives; Libby, Henry, and Lucy, and goes from modern day to memories of what it was like growing up in that house with another family moving in and basically taking over. It has ghost story vibes, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a ghost story except for the characters being haunted by the ghosts of their past. There are definitely some creepy moments, but those moments made me so intrigued to read more.

This is the second book I’ve read by Lisa Jewell. I definitely like her writing style, however, I felt that this book was a bit confusing at the beginning. It was hard to keep up with who was who and what was going on. Once I figured things out though, I didn’t want to put the book down so I recommend sticking with it if you feel the same way when starting the book. I literally read more than half of it yesterday because I needed to know how it would end. There are some good twists and surprises throughout that keep you wanting more.

If you like thrillers, you’ll definitely want to pick up The Family Upstairs when it releases on November 5th.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Something once lost will never return." (Yana Toboso)

Like the pickpockets who reach deeply into the internal recesses of the mind, The
Family Upstairs sends slithering serpents swallowing Identity whole with barely a glimmer left. What was mine is now yours and will never be mine again.

Lisa Jewell is an outstanding author. Period. She holds the attention of her readers full throttle time and time again. But it seems that The Family Upstairs has shifted course a bit. While still a good read, I must say that this one almost toppled under its own weight. There were layers and layers of plot devices peppered with character overload. And many of those characters were like encountering broken glass under bare feet. Yes, to be expected, but not enough of the tolerable kind.

Our story begins with Libby Jones inheriting a mansion in the upscale section of Chelsea on her twenty-fifth birthday. The attorney explains that Libby was found in this same mansion alone in her crib as a baby. Her parents had committed suicide downstairs along with an anonymous man. Libby was adopted thereafter never aware of her early beginnings.

The Family Upstairs will revert back and forth from the original family living in the Chelsea mansion to the present. Libby's previous family had invited individuals to live among them with some very dire consequences. The story will follow a track from Chelsea to St. Albans to the Antibes and back to
Chelsea again. It will touch on some very heavy-duty topics along the way which may not be your cup of tea. But this walk is on the dark side of life in which coveting is on the daily menu and loss can never be regained.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and to Lisa Jewell for the opportunity.

For her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby inherits her family's mansion and her family's secrets. Years ago, her birth parents were glittering socialites, until they joined a cult and committed suicide. No one ever heard from her siblings again. Now Libby owns the crumbling Chelsea home where it happened, and she simply cannot sell it off until she's unearthed the whole appalling story. Alternating chapters from her brother Henry (as he spools out the past) and her sister Lucy (who's unraveling in the present) slowly reveal the full truth about what happened in Chelsea.

SPOILER ALERT!

Minus one star for having the queer character be evil.

Lisa Jewell knows how to write a disturbing thriller that makes you like you're own dysfunctional family. Fabulous characters and storyline.

Every Lisa Jewell book I’ve read so far has a similar feel to it. The different pieces of a disturbing family drama being told in different parts, with different narrators, misdirecting, so you can’t see the full picture. And even then, something is held back. And it works. Every time.

I wasn’t hooked immediately by this one. It was hard to connect to some of the characters. But by the end, the pieces slotting together, even if somewhat predictably, provide an uplift to even a dark plot.

4.5 STARS - Lisa Jewell is one of my all-time favourite authors. When she has a book out, I'll be reading it. 'Nuff said. Her latest book, The Family Upstairs is a delightfully sinister psychological thriller with a bit of a gothic vibe and that was engrossing until its final pages.

The story occurs in two different time frames and is told using three different points of view (and short chapters) which keeps the tension high and the page turning quick. The pieces of the story surrounding a dysfunctional family, their posh manor house and their guests, gradually come together as the mystery of what happened to the manor's earlier occupants unfolds for the reader.

There are a lot of characters, but Jewell gives them distinct voices and an impressive amount of depth. This is distinctly darker than Jewell's previous books but just as gripping and I enjoyed the clever twists and even the disturbing feel. While I'm not a fan of open-ended stories, the loose ends in this book didn't bother me as much as I would have expected.

Overall, this was a wonderfully gripping, slightly ominous, twisted family drama. Without divulging the plot (you're just going to have to pick up a copy), I'll just say that this is another must-read book by Lisa Jewell.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really ended up enjoying this new novel by an author I have been following since her first novel! I found it was different in the way it was viewed from a child's perspective. I believe that made it more interesting to me, and I was able to follow along pretty well with the storyline. I felt the ending was not enough in my honest opinion. All in all though, the author still amazed me with her outstanding storytelling ability and I am so glad I was able to read an advanced copy of this book! I would recommend it to any suspense/thriller fans, especially if you enjoy family drama.

Libby is practical and hardworking; orphaned, and left with a legacy that rears its head when a long-awaited letter from the attorney of her deceased parents’ estate arrives on her twenty-fifth birthday. She has inherited a mansion on the Thames, Cheyne walk, but she isn’t the only one with rights to the property. She has two siblings, both of whom are unaccounted for in the wake of what appears to have been some sort of cult suicide pact involving her biological parents.

Henry is a spoiled child, and his story starts in the past, when his affluent parents fall under the spell of some questionable grifters—folks whose “temporary” stay in their lives turns permanent. He is one of the more subtly nuanced characters in “The Family Upstairs,” and he might just be my favorite!

Phin is the son of a convincing con man whose hold on Henry’s family takes a dark turn. He is the love of Henry’s life, and everything Henry wishes he could be.

Lucy is a single mother of two on the streets, struggling to make ends meet after leaving her abusive-but-wealthy husband. When vandals damage the violin that is her sole means of earning income, she turns back to him in the hopes of securing the money and passports she needs to get back to Cheyne Walk for “the baby’s birthday.”

There are other bit players, but these are the central cast members in what turned out to be a rather twisty, dark family saga told in both past and present, from multiple points of view. Each character’s story is compelling and leads flawlessly into the bigger picture. Unnerving at times, uplifting at others, “The Family Upstairs” is an incredible page-turner. I’ve enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s writing before, but this book is next level. Amazing!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This was a well written tale of mystery and intrigue as the story of what really happened the night a baby was found and the adults were found dead.

My only complaint was how it ended.. It felt a little unfinished or perhaps it didn't have the strong, "wow I can't believe that happened" kind of ending I was expecting from an author like Jewell.

Overall an enjoyable tale.

Libby Jones has always known she was adopted and she's aware that she'll receive some sort of inheritance on her 25th birthday.
Nothing prepares her for the paperwork she receives from the solicitors advising that she now owns the property at 16 Cheyne Walk in Chelsea; an abandoned mansion that will certainly make her a very wealthy woman.

Libby always hoped that her inheritance would answer questions she's had her entire life about where she comes from but unfortunately it brings with it a disturbing mystery.
Ten-month-old Libby was found in a crib at 16 Cheyne Walk while downstairs three bodies were found dressed all in black with a suicide note; one body is never identified.  The other children who were thought to live at the residence were never located.

The Family Upstairs alternates view points and timelines to bring the past and present together and reveal the truth behind what really happened 25 years ago at the Chelsea mansion.

It starts innocently enough when the charismatic David Thomsen and his family move into the mansion with the wealthy Lamb family while they search for their own home but spirals into a sinister commune controlled by David over several years.

This was a dark and twisted story.  There's a definite Flowers in the Attic vibe (without the incest) and so many trigger warnings I can't begin to list them all!  I enjoyed the three points of view; it kept me invested in finding the truth and made it a real page turner.  Unfortunately, this is another mystery/thriller going for shock factor and a twisty ending with an unreliable narrator.  It's been done so many times, I saw everything coming simply by asking myself, "What's the last thing I'd believe would actually happen?"
That said, this was still an entertaining read that I devoured in less than 24 hours. 

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  The Family Upstairs is scheduled for release by Atria Books in the U.S. on November 5, 2019.

What an interesting and twisted story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Family Upstairs is a completely different concept than other books I’ve read in this genre. As I said in my intro it’s more of a psychological story that will put you through a range of emotions.

The story is narrated by one of the kids and you really get angry right along with them with the manipulation of others and impossible situation they are put into.

It reminds me a lot of Lord of The Flies when you realize what people will do to take control but also to get out of a bad situation. Anger, desperation, hopelessness, violence, plus a host of other emotions will get to you.

The Family Upstairs is an interesting and unique story that kind of sneaks up on you. There’s no gasp of outrage or feelings of fear. It’s more indignation for the despicable acts of others. Then the more you think about it, the more disturbing it becomes.

The twists definitely show their true colors towards the end of the story and then the author even leaves us hanging just a little bit more. Definitely one to check out if you love a little bit of psychological twist with your suspense story.

( 4.5 Stars )

Judging the Book by its Cover
Lisa Jewel is an auto-read author. I think I start all of her reviews by saying that, but I have read almost all of her books, and equally enjoyed them all. Any time I see her name pop up with a new release, I'm on it. I no longer even read the plot anymore.

Book Review
Jewel is a master at dangling intriguing information in front of you, just daring you to bite. That's how this started off. Mysterious people. A mysterious baby. Needing to learn how to survive. This story could take us anywhere and that's what I love most about Jewel. She writes within a similar genre, but her books often span out in very different and unexpected directions.

The story focuses on three different characters, each chapter alternating between their stories. While I liked this format here, at first I found some of the chapters quite short, sometimes feeling like it only existed just to keep the pattern going, and it gave the book a bit of a jumpy flow until you started to get more into the depths of it.

That said, there was a whole lot happening in this book between the three character lines, but once you get past the first few chapters, everything starts to come together quickly and tension begins to rapidly build into a very interesting and complex story of sociopaths and manipulation. The idea of a family letting strange people into their lives to the extent that they did was fascinating, but more so were the people who seemed to have this air of flamboyant mystery and a genuine care-free attitude that masked whatever kind of manipulative abuse was happening. These are the kinds of characters I love and am totally enamored with.

I'm always wary of abusive men in books; I feel like it has to be handled carefully for risk of making them seem more like a cartoon villain than an actual real-life monster. Jewel creates real-life monsters in this book and while it made my skin crawl, I was also very intrigued by how terribly well they was crafted. That sleazy, manipulating, charming mix of a man is sickening, and it came off just like that.

While the ending straddled the line of a happily ever after ending that seems utterly unrealistic in most books, Jewel pulls back from that edge just in time, leaving the reader with a rather sordid feeling, which was something that lingered a lot throughout this book and I was glad that the bad taste was left in my mouth in the end, that everything didn’t just come together and kind of completely wipe out the entire essence of the traumatic story.

It does, at points, still try to do too much at once, but ultimately, I quite liked this book a lot and it kept me intrigued and interested right until the last page.

Wonderfully creepy story that features a big old house with a sordid past, an unexpected inheritance and the reunion of long lost family members. This was the perfect read going into the Fall season.

The story is told from the viewpoints of several people. The main character is Libby, a young woman who just turned 25 and has discovered she is the beneficiary to a home in an expensive area near the Thames river.

The other two viewpoints are told from the perspective of Lucy and Henry, two siblings who lived in the home before it was abandoned and have not seen each other since they left it almost 25 years ago.

Lucy, a mother of two, has been practically homeless and supports her family by playing the fiddle on the streets or wherever she can get a gig. Henry disclosed little about his current life, but tells readers the past story of what went on in the house. It’s safe to assume he is an unreliable narrator.

There are a few areas I had to overlook in the plot. The lack of identification papers and the fact that some of the characters more or less went off the grid in Europe was a bit unbelievable for a contemporary story. In spite of this, I still enjoyed the story and the ending was spine-tingling!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Absolutely wonderful read! I enjoyed the plot, characters, and prose so much. Would definitely recommend it to anyone!

What a twisted, dark tale! I highly recommend this book. Well-developed characters and a storyline that keeps you guessing, this is a must read.

4 Stars!

"She sees that she has 8 percent battery charge left and is about to switch it off again when she notices her phone has sent her a notification from her calendar. It's been there for weeks but she can't bring herself to cancel it. It says, simply: The baby is 25."

One morning, Libby gets the mail like she usually does. There's an envelope that she has been anticipating for awhile and she can't wait to see what it says. This is finally what she's been wanting to know: where she came from. The letter tells her something she cannot even believe - she's now inherited a huge mansion and is probably going to become insanely rich if she sells it. How can anything else in life be bad?

On the other end, there's been many people waiting for the day Libby inherits this house. They've been watching, keeping reminders and visiting when they can in anticipation. Why so much hype? 25 years ago police were called to that exact house for a major crime + missing persons. What could have possibly happened here? Libby meets with a journalist and they start to unravel the story until Libby comes across the biggest surprise of them all..

The multiple story lines is what really made this book for me. Sometimes they can get really confusing or I lose interest but I was invested in every single character's story line throughout this entire book. I thought bringing the story together with all the characters was the best part of Jewell's writing.

I also really enjoyed how the writing in this story made me feel like I was right next to Libby or I was even Libby myself looking in. I felt like when certain events were happening I was watching them fully play out. It was almost too real at times. To me, being able to place yourself into the story is the sign of a good book.

If you are looking for an addictive haunting thriller for the fall/winter and a family mystery I would definitely recommend this one! I could barely put it down.

Thank you to Atria Books for my ARC of this book. This one publishes in November!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3012390871
Loved this book! Twists and turns galore. Wonderful well-drawn characters. Story kept me on my toes waiting to see what will happen and how it all fit together. This is my first book for Lisa Jewell and now I ant to go back and read the rest.

I love Lisa Jewell’s books, I read them all, and I recommend them to anyone that will listen. The Family Upstairs is another great book and I am so happy I got to read it over the weekend because otherwise I would have to call in sick to work...I just could not stop reading. I was fully engrossed in the story and there was no way I was able to do any real life chores.
A well-written story with Lisa Jewell’s unique style. It is creepy, disturbing, atmospheric, and it kept me guessing till the end. Loved it!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a big Lisa Jewell fan and this may be my favorite of hers! This was full of suspense, big and little twists, and was such a page turner!

Libby Jones was contacted by a law firm when she turned 25. She inherited a home in trust from her biological parents, Henry and Martina Lamb. The Trust was created after her parents apparently committed a pact suicide. Libby was left in her crib, until the authorities had found her and placed her in a home. Her older brother and sister have not been seen since the incident. Libby contacts the journalist that was working on this story to help her uncover the mystery around this tragedy.

The Family Upstairs is an absolutely wild ride of a story. In my opinion, Lisa Jewel writes mystery/suspense novels unlike any other with a distinct, unique style of writing and plot formation. This story is no different.

The Family Upstairs is a creepy, twisted, consistently surprising story about a family who has drawn unexpected visitors to their home years ago. Visitors who never left and had less than honorable intentions in mind, but were welcomed nonetheless, and their lives were all unalterably changed. The story follows various characters and slowly pieces together what actually took place all those years ago, and what has transpired since. In characteristic Lisa Jewel style, the story concludes nicely, yet also ends with a breath-catching cliffhanger.

This story is interesting and puzzling, chilling and disturbing, and I’ll admit, while captivated, I was also put off by some parts, to be sure. However, The Family Upstairs is a clearly clever and creatively entertaining story, without a doubt.