Watching You was one of my favorites from last year, but the newest from Lisa Jewell just missed the mark for me. This was one that I put down and picked back up several times, which is a sure sign that I'm not engaged in a book. DNF for now, though I may come back to it!

Great psychological thriller! It held my interest right from the start, all the way to the last page! I was a little frustrated at times because I wasn’t sure of the year and some characters’ ages, but maybe I just missed that info somewhere. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, but the author did a great job of tying everything (and everyone!)up at the end in an interesting way ....
Thanks so much to NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book. This is probably my favorite book this year. Lisa Jewell never fails to deliver a fantastic read and a plot full of suspense.

On Libby's 25th birthday, she gets a long awaited correspondence from a solicitor. She is now the owner of a large mansion where years ago, her mother, father and another man committed suicide in a pact. She was left alone in a crib unharmed. Libby wants to find out the truth.

This is a first time author for me although I have heard others say they really like her work. I was thrilled to get a copy to read and review. I have to say I was enthralled by the story. It kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. It is written in 3 voices, that finally come together to unravel the tale. This is a twisted but believable story. I love the way Jewell tied up all the loose ends at the end so you are not left hanging. Very well done and I'm already looking forward to my next Lisa Jewell book. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an intriguing book.

I’ve enjoyed many of Jewell’s books in the past, and this was no exception, though it wasn’t as much of a page-turner as I’d expected. I liked the multiple POVs, but the jumping time periods were a bit confusing to follow at times, as they weren’t always clearly “labeled.” Overall, the story is quite dark, and there’s a bit of over-detailing at times. Henry’s character didn’t seem as developed as the others. The ending paved the way for a possible sequel. It’s more of a mystery than a thriller, but there were some twists that threw me a bit. I thought I had everything figured out, but at the end, I found out that wasn’t quite the case … which was a nice surprise. Jewell will remain on my list of go-to authors.

Lucy has just turned 25-years old, and because of this special birthday, she receives a letter from the law officer her parents used before they died. With this letter, Lucy learns of her adoption history (well, some of it), along with the fact that she’s inherited a huge house on the most expensive street, in the most expensive part of London. It turns out that Lucy’s family had quite the mystery about their lives, and especially, their deaths. When Lucy turns to the journalist who seems to have more facts than anyone else, the two of them go on a quest to find Lucy’s true past. I’ve read other books by Jewell, but have to say this is probably my favorite of hers so far. I had some problems with the very end, but not enough to deter me from recommending it. A page turner---the old school gothic types that I love best!

NOTE: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Feeling a bit speechless after this one! Craaazzyy! Synopsis give you a taste but there is so much more to this novel. The first half was three stories being told and all the while I'm wondering how in the world will they intersect. I'm not one to try and "figure out" what's going to happen. I just let the author take me for the ride. Didn't know that the last quarter of the book would be at break-neck speed. Or that it would be so completely satisfying. The one criticism I do have is I would have liked years. A chapter that started with 1981 -or whatever- would have been helpful. If you read it I think you'll know what I mean. There were a few people to keep track of and name changes didn't help. I can see why this has 4.22 stars right now. I know I didn't give much insight to the plot. That was on purpose. Just read it. So freakin' good. Thank you Century/Netgalley for the ARC of this one. I'll be thinking of these characters for a very long time!

Lisa Jewell has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I was super excited to read The Family Upstairs. This book didn't disappoint.

The Family Upstairs is a great read. I loved not knowing where this book was going to take me. I was on guard, suspicious of all the characters at first. When the story really opens (about halfway through) the true depth of it all begins to pour out. There is mystery, darkness and, through it all, love too.

I don't want to give to much away, so you'll have to read it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC.

wow. I consider myself a book lover, relatively well read and prefer a decent book over a good person. With all that being said, I have never read Agatha Christie - the best in domestic suspense. Lisa Jewell is what I imagine Agatha Christie strives to be. A bold statement certainly- especially from someone who hasn't even read AC... But, that is how amazing Lisa Jewell is to me. She embodies the "classic mystery".

The Family Upstairs is possibly my favorite Lisa Jewell book which is saying a lot. Lisa Jewell's "Then she was gone" got me out of a terrible reading rut and I didn't think it could be so easily replaced, yet it was.

Lisa Jewell has a way of describing situations and settings with so much detail that you can see it, experience it, smell it even but she never goes overboard with her wording. I found myself reading chapters using different accents and mannerisms because the characters she wrote about were so distinct -they jumped out of the page at me. I had no idea what was happening in this book through out- but I never set it down once I picked it up because I was determined to find out. And the ending did not disappoint.

You have a fan for life Lisa Jewell- this book is fabulous! 5 stars. Thank you #netgalley #lisajewell for this perfect read #thefamilyupstairs.

I hesitate on giving this book 4 stars for some reason. I read it in 4 sittings and was surprised and pleased with the whole story line and happy ending, I just think it was missing a little more suspense at the end. The ending didn't seem typical of a thriller, although I did enjoy it. Definitely different than most of the other suspense titles I've read lately.

This book was received as an ARC from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book really opened my eyes on how every family has secrets but this one was dark like no other. A 10 month old baby perfectly healthy was left in her crib cooing and the police found her parents dead on the floor and all the children (brothers and sisters) missing and gone leaving only her behind. Now, she has turned 25 and has the opportunity to discover where she came from and who she really is. Then she finds out she is the inheritor of an old mansion in London worth millions and little does she know, there are others waiting for her to come forth with this information and she is in the ride of her lifetime. This book was so thrilling and suspenseful that it almost became overbearingly brilliant and when I finished the book, I felt like I just ran a marathon exhausted from excitement.

We will consider adding this title to our Mystery and Thrillers collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I love Lisa Jewels writing style. Her stories just wrap me in and keep me gripped.
This one was a wild ride and the ending was intense!
This isn’t my favorite Lisa Jewell novel but I still enjoyed it none the less!

Thank you NetGalley for an invitation to read The Family Upstairs.

I was expecting a way different ending. The POV chapters of Henry and Libby were great for the plot. however, I didn’t find Lucy’s POV necessary. Her backstory really didn’t affect the outcome.

This book was absolutely fabulous! Probably my favorite Lisa Jewell to date. There were lots of amazing twists and turns and a couple delightful surprises. I found the story believable, the characters likeable, and the descriptions of everything wonderful. Just when I thought I knew how it was going to end, everything would change. I was kept guessing up to the end. I highly recommend this page turner of a mystery.

This is the first book by Lisa Jewell that I have read. This book takes place between current day and the 1980s. The Lamb's are a very wealthy family who lived in Chelsea on Cheyne Walk in a very nice 12 room house. The money is inherited and mismanaged and gone, Mrs. Lamb decides to allow Birdie and Justin to stay with them. After Mr. Lamb's first stroke, Mr. Thomsen is invited in to take care of rehabbing Mr. Lamb. Then things begin to change. Along with Mr. Thomsen are his family, wife Sally, and children, Phin and Clemency. The Lambs have two children as well, Henry and Lucy. Mrs. Lamb becomes completely enthralled with Mr. Thomsen as does Birdie. After Birdie and Mr. Thomsen are caught by Henry kissing, things take a dark turn. He tells Phin who gets very upset. Mr. Thomsen is a control freak. He starts to clean out the Lamb home of all things, furniture, beds, clothing, shoes, and artwork. Then Mr. Lamb has another stroke. Mrs. Lamb announces that she is pregnant, but they all know it isn't by her husband and the fact that she and Mr. Thomsen have been having an affair too comes out. Move to the present. Libby Jones receives an envelope from a solicitor on ther 25th birthday telling her that she has inherited a house in Chelsea on Cheyne Walk. She goes to the solicitor's office and they go to the house that has been abandoned and boarded up. The solicitor also gives her a newspaper article about the events that occured in the house and how a baby was left in her crib in the aftermath.

This is storytelling at it's finest. It starts with Libby and then moves to Lucy and Henry. The story is told from both of their point of views while Libby starts to unravel the mystery surrounding her abandonment and subsequent adoption.

WOW. I mean WOW. This book made my head spin! What a crazy story, with so many twists and turns, even the ending - esp. the final sentence - packs a wallop. Jewell does a nice job of capturing the insidiousness of someone like David Thomsen, who slowly takes over a family in a horrible, horrible way. And he's not the only one brimming with evil. Highly recommend!

P.S. Thanks to Milena at Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy.

I think this is Jewell's best book so far. Great story that was haunting, and keeps you guessing up until the last sentence.

Worthy ready!

This is an interesting tale of a young woman who receives an inheritance from her birth parents on her 25th birthday. Libby knows she was adopted at just shy of one year of age. What she doesn’t know is that she’s inherited her birth parents’ mega- mansion and that it has a dark past. Her parents and an as yet unidentified man dead by suicide in the kitchen, her young adolescent siblings have disappeared, and she herself was found happily playing in her upstairs crib.

There’s a lot of ground to cover for Libby to find her past and the story does drag in parts sometimes running off into plot lines never really explored again. (Neighbors report lots of children at the home but only 4 plus the baby are ever mentioned, etc). But I did trudge on because I really did want see Libby to find the truth about her family. And she did, as somewhat unsatisfying as the truth was.

I do recommend this book because even with some shortcomings it kept me turning the pages. I need to find more books by author Lisa Jewel.

've read a couple Lisa Jewell books and I can say that I am now officially a fan. While I didn't think this book was my favorite so far, as it left me pretty confused at the beginning, she slowly gathered all my confusion and made it completely understandable. It just took me a few chapters to figure out the different characters and different time frames we were working with. And when it all came together? What a ride! A mystery/suspense thriller that is perfect for the time of year!

There are three different POVs, if I'm not mistaken. One is Libby. She has just turned 25, was adopted early in life, and has learned that she has been left quite a large house, mansion if you will, from her birth family when she turns 25. She knows nothing of that family, the house or anything from that time.

Another POV is from the son, Henry that lived in the house before Libby was born. His POV is from the past and it is insane, crazy and full of hold your breath moments. His parts in the book made me sad, confused and like I wanted to knock his mom upside the head. The life those people lived in that house? In a word? Insane.

The last POV is from a woman living in France. Her name is Lucy and she has two children. She receives a text saying "the baby is 25" and we get to see into her life. Her life is not pretty and has not been easy for her or her children. But she has made her choices and she has to live with them. When she is given the opportunity to return to England and see that baby, she goes to any extreme to get there.

All I can say is this book is a total trip. Some of the characters are likable and some are not. But the journey we got to go on to get to the conclusion is 100% satisfying and a total roller coaster. Insane characters that were not to be trusted (I'm still not sure on one, even at the end), others just trying to make ends meet. But all in all these characters took us to a place that was uncomfortable and entertaining even during those times. I was scared for characters and rooting for others. I wanted to be a mouse in the house watching these lives play out in a way that I would never expect. The Family Upstairs is not for the faint of heart. But it is a book that will keep you turning the pages to the very end wondering what the whole story is.

I have never read one of Lisa Jewells books before reading The Family Upstairs. Her writing style and characters are really good. This story has 3 points of views which I really enjoyed. This story grabbed my attention from the beginning and I didn't want to stop reading. This is definitely a suspense filled with many twists that you won't see coming. This will not be the last book I read from this author.

I received the ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.