This book was phenomenal. Lisa Jewell, one of the queens of creepy, is a new favorite author of mine and this book definitely followed suit with what I've come to love about her writing. You know immediately that something very sinister happened years ago at 16 Cheyne Walk and the story unfolds brilliantly through alternating timelines and perspectives. Additionally, I thought the character development was superb. Everyone will definitely want to get their hands on this book when it hits bookstores on 11/5.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars. *

This is the fourth book I've read by Lisa Jewell and I selected it because I have at a minimum enjoyed all of her previous books. The Family Upstairs might be my favorite of her works to date.

The story opens intriguingly, with Libby Jones returning home from work to find a letter from a solicitor informing her that she has inherited a house. She'd been waiting all her life for this moment-having been adopted following what she always believed was the death of her parents in a car accident. The arrival of her 25th birthday meant she could finally see the contents of her parents' will. She learns rapidly that she hasn't inherited just a house, she's inherited a mansion filled with secrets. The first of which is that her parents did not die in a car accident-they were part of a cult and they died in a suicide pact leaving 10-month-old Libby (nee Serenity Lamb) the sole survivor and inheritor.

Immediately sucked into the mystery and the questions, Libby meets a charming investigative journalist who knows more about her and where she came from than she ever dreamed possible. But she also learns that there were other children living in the home, and they've been missing for 25 years. She embarks upon a journey of discovery and connection.

Trigger warning: Child abuse, sexual abuse.

I would recommend this one to fans of Liane Moriarty. A solid psychological thriller.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

went into this book thinking it was going to be a thriller because thats what its marketed as but I didnt get that feel at all. It did have the elements of a thriller, with the cult, the triple suicide/murder, the missing kids, and a baby found alone in a crib being taken care of by someone unknown, creepy old house, and the obsessive characters, but all of those elements though executed well for a domestic suspense more than a thriller werent executed well enough to be thriller status. That being said if this had been marketed differently, I might have given this 5 stars because I did really like the story. You follow 3 characters, the baby Libby product of a bad cult who is now 25 and inherited this creepy house she never knew about, a homeless fiddle player named Lucy with 2 kids who is an illegal immigrant and ran away from an abusive relationship, and henry who is just henry. They all have a backstory with this house and you find out how they are actually all connected towards the end. It was tied together well, the story was interesting, but some of the stuff just wasnt executed well and needed more action.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is an amazing page-turner mystery you will not be able to put down until the very end. A Must read!!!

Description: Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am. She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them. Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.

If you enjoy reading cult mysteries then this book is for you. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. It is very well written with interesting characters. And, the ending will surprise you.

I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I give this a 5 Star

I had not had the pleasure of reading Lisa Jewell before receiving this ARC of the The Family Upstairs from Atria books and Netgalley (thank you!!) Now i have to go back and add her backlist to my TBR,

This is the kind of book that kept me up way passed my bedtime to keep reading it. Dark and twisty and so well written to keep you engaged. If you love a dysfunctional family I highly recommend this book. The only reason I held back 5 stars is that the ending maybe wasn't my favorite. It was a little abrupt. I don't need the ending to be completely laid out for me but I really wanted a little more from this ending.

Overall great read to take you away for a few hours!

This was an ambitious story. As I began reading it, I was pessimistic about the cult theme. Coaxing readers to buy in to such an unrealistic plot seemed unlikely. But the author did it and did it well. I kept reading this book into the night as the unbelievable plot twists became utterly believable. I thoroughly enjoyed being subtly pushed in this direction. The characters are strong and unforgettable. This is a book I will remember. Do pay attention early on, though. At first, the chapters go back and forth between characters and it can be confusing if you are forced to put the book down after reading just a few pages. Two female characters with names beginning with the letter “L” requires you to pay attention. Please note that I received an advanced copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell’s new thriller has all the elements I enjoy. Being stuck in America, I love to read thrillers based in the UK. These books allow me to live like a local: enjoy the tea and biscuits, walk along the river, view the architecture and wear the fashions. In addition to this inexpensive form of travel, Lisa’s story is one we all envy: the young protagonist Libby has just learned that she’s the sole heir to a beautiful mansion located in London’s Chelsea neighborhood. What’s not to envy, right? Throw in a dash of intrigue: our new heiress learns her mansion comes with a sordid history that very much involves her. Meet Lucy, a homeless mother of two who is struggling to get out of France. Her wisdom and love for her children are obviously much sharper than her judgment in men. Mix in a very unstable third-person point of view (what’s the deal with Henry?), and voila! A storyline that grabbed me by the ear and drug me through the sordid and sad childhoods of four young children as they watch their parents fall under the spell of a cult-like evil manipulator.
This is such a fast-paced and fascinating read, a really well-planned plot that kept my attention at each turn. I was beyond worn out but sad to reach the end.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for making it available.)

Lisa Jewell has done it again. I was HOOKED on The Family Upstairs.

It has all of my favourite things in a book:
- a compelling and well-written mystery
- CULTS
-the perfect combination of reliable and likable narrators with mysterious and potentially unreliable narrators. So often today, thrillers just focus on the unreliable characters (and especially "evil" women) and sometimes I want someone I can just root for in a read.

The book is well-written, well plotted, with the mystery and secrets of the family shared slowly in each chapter, making you want more and keep turning the page. The various plots don't compete against each other, the character arcs feel natural and the mysteries complement each other and come together as an awesome read.

I highly recommend The Family Upstairs! I am eagerly awaiting Jewell's next book.

Thank you to #netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Upstairs is a compulsive read that is quite creepy and dark. It deals with cult activity, poisonous gardens, and child abuse. The story is told from three alternating perspectives and the puzzle pieces slowly start falling into place as you go along. It was a solid thriller that definitely had a tone of unease throughout. Read this one if you’re looking for a quick read that packs in a ton of mystery. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

The Family Upstairs ! What are they hiding (cover)

A lot I can tell you !!

The family is so crazy you just have to know which one is crazier .

What happened in this house and how did the neighbours not even notice for the most part !!

The pages will turn. You will be suspicious of them all !

That's all I am willing to say , as this one book you can't describe : BUT YOU MUST READ IT !!

Lisa Jewell never disappoints.

Perhaps my family isnt so crazy after all !

Thanks to Net Galley and Atria books for the great, scary, haunting read !!!!!

To say this book is one of my most highly anticipated reads would be an understatement! It did not disappoint. I was completely lost in each characters twisted story! The Family Upstairs is told from the point of view by three characters Libby, Henry and Lucy as well as in two time periods. Libby Jones has just turned twenty five and receives a letter informing her the identity of her birth parents and she has inherited their old mansion, in a very exquisite part of London. Henry’s story begins with him and his sister living in the old mansion in the past with their wealthy parents. One day his mother invites a few strangers to move in what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement soon leads to the police discovering three dead bodies and an abandoned baby. It was rumored four children had been living in the home and they vanished that fateful night as well. After hearing about the mansions sordid past Libby teams up with a journalist and makes it her mission on figuring out where she fits in the mansions history and what happened that night. What she soon discovers shocks her murder, abuse , rape and cults. Not knowing that this whole time others have been waiting a long time for her to come back to the mansion to tell their side of the story. The book bounces back and forth between each characters perspectives. This was such a dark twisted and sometimes disturbing story and I loved every minute of it. I loved how each character was so complex and had me wanting more! I don’t want to give to much away but I’m giving this five stars if I could give more I would!! This book is available October 29th 2019!!

Even though this is not Lisa Jewell's best work, there’s something about her writing that makes me drowned myself in them. In this book, the characters are a little weak and they have the same voice. Sometimes, I was so lost about who was who, but the story... Henry’s mind is amazingly weird. So I’m not ashamed of the days I spend reading this book while I was in the gym. Overall I enjoyed it.

I was a strange boy. I can see that now. I’ve since met boys like me: slow to smile, intense, guarded and watchful.

Lisa Jewell’s novels seem to be descending into darker territory and I absolutely love it! This is a novel about a sinister invasion, but it’s not demons or ghosts that will destroy the Lamb family. How could trying to make your wife happy be a bad thing? It will require changes, surely, but it isn’t outside Henry’s reach, it doesn’t require more than acceptance. By the end, both Martina and Henry will be dead from a suicide pact, according to police reports anyway. The two teenage Lamb children will be unaccounted for and the baby ( possibly 10 months old) the sole survivor among the dead.This baby girl, Libby Louise Jones has just turned 25 and is stunned to learn she is the sole owner of her biological parent’s mansion left to her in a trust, ‘on the finest street in Chelsea’. This changes everything, no longer will she have to scrimp and save, nor make compromises in life, now- her adoptive mother tells her ‘you’ll be a very rich woman indeed.’

The house remembers what was and has been waiting, despite the years it’s been closed up, even if Libby was too young to absorb everything that led to that ill fated day in 1977, the traces remain like a haunt. The story begs to be told, and there are others who have been waiting for Libby too. One person in particular in another part of the world, and they know more than they can stomach, for they have been living their own nightmare, dealing in lies, subterfuge and know all too well the weight of identity. As she researches the chilling story of her own origins, she paints a terrifying picture, shocked to learn she had siblings is the least of it the bigger jolt is that they seemed to vanish without a trace. Worse, there were more bodies, other missing children- what exactly was her biological family caught up in? This birthday gift is a trapdoor that will take her into a chilling past. Every answer comes with bigger questions. Why were they living in poverty? Her father Henry came from wealth, heir to his father’s money, so what went wrong? Who were these other people, why were they living in her parent’s home? What about the robes, were they a cult?

Without giving away the story, the sheer terror for children is the control, the power of the adult world. There are many ways mommy and daddy can fail their children, not every trauma comes from a raised fist. There are a million ways to neglect duty, the Lambs’ demise is in opening their home. Minds close, purses tighten, blindness sets in and their entire world shrinks within the walls of the gorgeous home. There can only be one head of this family, naturally it will be the most charismatic force and it will be the collapse of them all.

As Libby unearths every skeleton of the past and attempts to assemble the remains of her family, every truth also contains the germ of a lie. Before the end, she will uncover the entire tale, and discover that the things she imagined all her life about her biological family pales in comparison to the twisted reality of just who they were.

I can’t wait for Lisa Jewell’s next novel. She writes of the fractures within’ families so perfectly, because often the things people do really come out of nowhere and leave you wondering if you knew them, and let’s face it sometimes yourself, at all.

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Atria Books

Sometimes the more points of view a mystery has, the better for me, especially if it’s executed well, and friends, it’s done SO well here. There are three distinct viewpoints and each was equally gripping for me, short chapters and multiple POV are my jam. Then throw in an old unsolved mystery, a stifling and creepy atmosphere and the hint of cult like vibes? My cold, black heart is swooning! 🖤🖤🖤

My biggest complaint with thrillers in general lately has been how boring and predictable they’ve all seemed and I was so impressed that this was completely unpredictable for me. There were quite a few intricate details that I didn’t see coming and the whole thing was just mapped out really well. This had serious gothic vibes, I kept being reminded of old school V. C. Andrews books but without the crazy, over the top plot lines, just the awesome settings and edgy vibes. While this was most definitely dark it would be great for readers that don’t want something super disturbing, it’s still addictive and intriguing but not nightmare inducing. I have to note that Jewell is an incredibly gifted writer, the whole book is seamless and was such an effortless read. Highly recommended for thriller fans, if you’re already a LJ fan you’ll be happy!

The Family Upstairs in three words: Atmospheric, Gripping and Tense

I devoured this book! It's been a long time since I've read a true page turner. One of her best books! Thank your Netgalley!

On Libby Jones 25th birthday she finally discovers the truth of her identity. She learns that she’s to inherit a mansion on the Thames in Chelsea London. The details of her family are shrouded with mystery. She was found in a crib of this large house with her parents and a strange man dead in the kitchen due to a cult suicide pact. What’s more is the four children said to live in the house mysteriously disappeared 25 years ago and have never been seen again. Libby sets on a path to find out the answers to who she truly is.
.
.
.
In Ms. Jewell’s expert way, she weaves together a suspenseful narrative from multiple view points and time periods. Their are 25 year old secrets uncovered along the way, and acts that require more secrets to be kept.

Libby Jones, a.k.a., Serenity, receives a letter on her 25th birthday informing her that she has inherited a big Victorian mansion that was in her family years before. Libby was left an orphan at 10 months and was adopted. From there, the story starts to unfold with numerous characters, plots and in somewhat of a confusing fashion. I really liked this book but I found it very confusing. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this very interesting and confusing read in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Lisa Jewell book, and will not be my last. Despite having her other books recommended to me several times, somehow I went this long without reading them. That will be changing for sure.
The beginning of this book was kind of confusing. Different characters, different time periods. It all does eventually come together, though. I won't say it was surprising, as other than a small twist near the end, major events were pretty well alluded to.
I really enjoyed how the author made the characters seem like real people. This whole book is almost like a documentary, a family as it breaks apart and becomes something disjointed.

Lisa Jewell delivers a novel that will have the reader enthralled well after they have finished the last chapter. The story is told from multiple perspectives and periods in time. It is not a quick read, it needs to be appreciated and absorbed. The writing is outspend and everything one is to expect of Jewell. She layered mystery around fantastic, well developed characters while holding steady to an dark, ominous underpinning. Absolutely loved this. 5 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #TheFamilyUpstairs, which I read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First line: It would be inaccurate to say that my childhood was normal before they came.

Summary: When Libby Jones turned twenty-five she receives and envelope telling her that she has inherited a house from the estate of her dead parents. She never knew who she was or where she came from but the answers are finally being revealed.

Twenty-four years before the police were summoned to a mansion along the Thames. Inside were the three dead bodies and a baby girl in a crib. It appears to be a suicide pact as part of a cult ritual. But neighbors reported seeing older children in the house but none are found on the night in question. What happened at 16 Cheyne Walk that fateful night?

My Thoughts: I love Lisa Jewell! Every book I have read by her has been a lot of fun. This one is no exception. I really considered giving it a 5 star rating. It flipped between three characters. Libby, the baby, who recently inherited the house. Henry, who is telling the story of what happened in the house. And Lucy, who is struggling to keep her family afloat while living abroad in France.

Henry was by far my favorite chapters because we got to see how life at 16 Cheyne Walk changed over time. His story is told chronologically from the beginning to the end. It fills in the gaps that Libby is trying to uncover. But his narrative is much darker and more sinister than the others.

I struggled to understand that point behind Lucy’s chapters. It seemed like they were filler or a separate story. She lives in France with her children and is trying to find a way to get back to England. It just did not seem to fit with everything else.

But the ending. It literally gave me goosebumps and sent a chill down my spine. What a way to close a book. Great job again Ms. Jewell!

FYI: Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Gillian Flynn.