This sequel has me reeling! I should have gone back and read the first book before diving back in, but as I read along the memories came flooding back. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire read, needing answers! Cynical, brooding and then hits you right in the feels, is that even possible with a thriller?!

I did not read the book that preceded this, The Family Upstairs, but I do not think that it made a difference as The Family Remains works well as a stand-alone novel. The plot, well summarized by others, is not so complicated that it cannot be followed by readers, and is enhanced by good character development. Jewell is an experienced and talented author who makes more than the most of what could have been a trite story featuring stereotypical characters. Instead, she weaves a story that keeps the reader in suspense until the end. Although The Family Remains will be in high demand by readers of The Family Upstairs, I hope that others will discover it as well. Recommended.

I have to admit I was skeptical when I read that Lisa Jewell was inspired to write The Family Remains after fans begged for a continuation of the story she told in The Family Upstairs. I liked the way that book ended, so I wasn't really sure that the residents of 16 Cheyne Walk needed to be revisited. Well, as it turns out, Jewell still had a lot to say about those characters, and I was here for it.

This novel begins with the discovery of a dead body in the mudflats of the Thames, and branches out into several subplots involving a 20-year-old murder, a toxic marriage, an obsessive stalker, and family drama galore. The way these various threads are woven together in the end is thoroughly satisfying.

Well-plotted and nuanced and emotionally compelling, and told in her trademark luscious prose, The Family Remains is Lisa Jewell writing at the top of her game. Her real strength has always been her vivid, vibrant characters, and the ones in this book are no exception. Henry Lamb is in my opinion one of the most complex, disturbing characters she's ever created -- he's kind of Patrick Bateman-esque in that he is unhinged but still likable. He's so fascinating and twisted and unpredictable. Even though we're in his head for a large portion of the book, we have no idea what he's going to do or say next. I couldn't wait to get back to his sections to see what was going to happen. I was riveted to Rachel's sections, too, in horror and anticipation as her story unfolds -- the ending of which we're given at the beginning of the book.

This is being billed as a stand-alone sequel, but I do highly recommend reading The Family Upstairs first. Jewell does a great job reminding us of a lot of that book's major plot points, but I'd definitely be missing out on some important backstory and deeper characterization if I hadn't read it first. Being familiar with many of these characters already made for a richer reading experience.

A prequel? to The Family Upstairs, this novel is well able to stand on its own.

Twenty five year old remains are found in the Thames, and the local authorities must try to identify whose they are. There are multiple story lines told from different perspectives and while there is a connection, it is not always clear. The characters are all hiding something while the police keep digging. It all revolves around a "house of horrors" where many of the characters grew up and were victims.

Each of the story lines is believable and it all comes together neatly in the end. The suspense builds nicely making it a novel that will keep you reading and guessing until the end.

This is a sequel to The Family Upstairs - and I would recommend reading that before this one to really understand the characters and motivations. I had to refresh myself on TFU, as it had been so long since I've read it, and I found that refresher to be very helpful. This is not really a typical thriller that you would expect from Lisa Jewell recently, but more of a character study of the family from TFU. I thought it was interesting, but kind of boring and not what I expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for honest opinions.

- 3.5 Stars -

I have to start this review off by saying that when I saw that Lisa Jewell was releasing a second book to one of my favorites (The Family Upstairs) I was so excited and could not contain myself. When I was approved for this book on NetGalley I literally screamed out loud.

Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the hype that I had put in my brain. It is labeled as a thriller but honestly there were no thriller aspects with this at all. I don’t even know if you could categorize it as a suspense book? I was wholly let down if I’m being totally honest though. I love Lisa Jewell and this definitely won’t stop me from reading other books by her, but I was so so hopeful for a creepy addition to the first book, but this one turned out rather wholesome I suppose you could say? I’m just left feeling bummed, underwhelmed and overall disappointed.

All that to be said, I really did enjoy the addition of Rachel’s perspectives into this story. It definitely added to the plot and is what kept me engaged. I also love that Henry Lamb just cannot be happy with who he is as a person himself, so that twist at the end was something that I didn’t really see coming. These things are what led to my higher rating compared to what I was originally thinking of giving this book!

Thank you, @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars!
In this sequel, we see how the Lamb siblings are faring as adults after their escape from their dysfunctional (to say the least) upbringing. When remains turn up in the Thames River, a detective suddenly becomes very re-interested in what happened at the house on Cheyne Walk all those years ago. We also get a separate plot line about Rachel Rimmer, who doesn’t seem disappointed when her husband, Michael, turns up dead in his vacation home.

Lisa Jewell’s writing style is always so digestible to me. I just love the flow and feel of the words she uses to shape her characters. The continuation of the Lamb family characters was so intriguing to me, and I enjoyed seeing Henry and Lucy in their current states. Rachel’s story was also extremely well written, I totally got sucked into the development of her relationship with Michael. The ending had me squealing cause man, is Henry ever a nutcase! It was perfect. At times there was a lot to keep track of and I found myself flipping back to the family tree at the start of the book fairly often. I think if I had re-read The Family Upstairs right before, it would have been easier to follow! It can definitely be read as a standalone, however you would get much more if you’ve read the first book.

Wow, this book was captivating but also very confusing. There were so many pieces to keep straight and while reading I kept wondering how all the people and timeliness were connected. It is a fast read but not a light read reminiscent of VC Andrews.

Sequel to a previous book that claims to be a stand-alone. I had to go to my Kindle and skim previous book. Neither of the gripped me to a point I couldn't put them down. Too many storyline, none of which are fully-developed. Hard to follow without scrolling back. Very annoying.
Loved Jewell's early stuff. Lately.. meh.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Family Remains picks up where The Family Upstairs left off. This sequel is great for anyone who wonders what happened to the characters after the first book ends. It can be read as a standalone, but I'd definitely recommend reading the Family Upstairs first so you can have context for the cult years and/or remember all the details if it's been a while. Mostly written from Lucy and Henry's POV, we also meet a new character, Rachel, whose husband has just been found murdered. I find Henry to be an extremely unlikable character but his was the most compelling study of the long term effects of the children's upbringing. Overall a fast-paced, interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I have previously devoured all of Lisa Jewell's books, and this one was no different. It took me a little while to remember exactly what had happened in The Family Upstairs, but once I did everything clicked into place and Jewell did a good job of integrating reminders about important parts/people into the books. The book had a high velocity starting off, and the pace raced along, but I felt that the last 3rd didn't quite match with the mood/pace of the first sections. An all-around happy ending with very few plot twists, I ended the book feeling satisfied, but that something was slightly missing. I felt like I kept waiting for a twist that never came, like she is so known for in her other books.
I did like the character development of Rachel and found myself rooting for little Marco, hoping that he would be the key to figuring it all out in time, and maybe this would ignite a passion for detective work.
I was also a little confused about the tone left with Owusu and Henry's last meeting - won't explain here because NO SPOILERS, but yeah...

Overall, good book, had be reading it late into the night, but felt slightly like there was something still missing by the end.

"The Family Remains" will make little sense to readers who don't start with "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell first. The story picks up with Henry and Lucy Lamb back in center stage and sprinkles some other POVs as Detective Inspector Samuel Owusu reopens the cold case from the ill-fated Chelsea House.

Overall impressions is that unfortunately, "The Family Remains" left little to none on me. This was nearly 400 pages of simply sitting with the characters from "The Family Upstairs" with some (rather lackluster) suspense woven in. Even with Jewell's knack for writing suspense fiction, this story dragged on and felt more like a character study than a thriller, and is sure to leave readers underwhelmed unless "The Family Upstairs" was a top book of the year.

It's possible that reading both back-to-back would make more of an impact on some readers; I personally didn't care enough about the characters from "The Family Upstairs" to keep reading about them, simply put.

The Family Upstairs was such a great read and I found the ending to be oddly satisfying. I was thrilled when I found out that Jewell would be writing a sequel… and admittedly a bit apprehensive. Some sequels have changed my perception of the original, but thankfully this was not the case with The Family Remains.

One of the biggest issues I had with The Family Upstairs was how law enforcement seemed to fail the children involved. So having a policemen reopen the case in The Family Remains felt fitting… although searching for justice for Birdie was hard to wrap my head around…

In an effort to keep this as short and concise as possible- this book was excellent. I actually preferred it more than the first! The introduction of new characters, while getting more time with the original cast worked so well. Jewell has proven herself again and again to write slow burn thrillers that are so intoxicating! I highly recommend this five star read to anyone!

I don’t think I was prepared to love this book as much as I did!

THE FAMILY REMAINS is the sequel to THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, and I cannot give this book enough praise. Lisa Jewel’s writing is absolute perfection and I found myself deeply immersed in the story of the Lamb children who escaped the house of horror they were living in 25 years prior. We also have the introduction of Rachel, who marries the man of her dreams and discovers she has something in common with Lucy Lamb. The star of the book is Harry, whose flawed character was so fascinating. I found myself holding my breath during his chapters. His character was so creepy and intense! Every chapter packs a punch, and I didn’t find myself bored or wanting the story to move along faster. I thought it came together perfectly in the end. I was a little worried I wouldn’t remember details from The Family Upstairs but after some Googling I was able to pick right up where it ended and I felt the two stories flowed together perfectly.

My only gripe is the mention of In N Out in Chicago! There is no In N Out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC.

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell is a wonderful follow up to The Family Upstairs. The book picks up where the other left off and rolls right in and is awesome! It is so very well written. The chapters jumped a little from person to person a little fast for me but I was easily able to catch on to what was going on.
I know it was stated this could be a stand-alone book but I disagree a little as Henry’s story and especially what happened in the house as kids would would be better understood if read together.
It’s described well enough some may be without reading book one. I love Lisa Jewell’s writing and hope to see much more from her.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with a arc in exchange for my honest review.

A sequel from a popular thriller, Lisa Jewell does a great job continuing the story along! I would absolutely read the first book again so you can get a continuum of the mystery, which will lead to less questions as you read the sequel! I enjoyed this book very much, and hope you do as well!

thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sadly, this book was a let down for me. I loved the Family Upstairs when I read it a few years ago, I remember reading it in two sittings because I could not put it down. Absolutely my favorite of Lisa Jewell's books that I've read, so I was really excited about a sequel. However, I don't really know what the point of this book was. I felt like a really drawn out epilogue to the first book, and is just giving more context without furthering the plot. We know everything that happens in the first book, and this follow up was us just watching other people (detectives, etc) try to figure out what we have already seen and read in book one. There was no new plot line, no advancement of the story, and was like 300 something pages of really boring background context.

I hadn't realized that this book was a sequel. It didn't matter - I found the characters to be captivating, somewhat tragic, for the most part likeable, with villains and heroes mixed in.
We meet Henry Lamb again, pining for his lost crush Phin. His sister Lucy, currently living with Henry along with her two children. Rachel, the jewelry designer and her dark and dashing new husband, Michael Rimmer.
Whose bones were found by a mudlarker? So many twists and turns, you can't wait to see how it all plays out!

Rachel Rimmer had married the seemingly perfect Michael perhaps rather too quickly, the abusive Michael is Lucy's ex, and he has now been found dead at his home in France and
the French police want to talk to her. Lucy is living with her brother, and seeking safety, stability and security after experiencing a challenging set of circumstances and periods
of homelessness. The fragile and lonely Henry, with his self-esteem issues, is feeling a tangle of mixed emotions and feelings, not all straight forward, he is obsessed with Phin Thomsen, wanting to know where he is, with rumours of him being in Africa. This is a dark, intense and thrilling read, never less than compelling, which includes trauma, blackmail, abuse, murder, in this superior narrative where the separate
threads are expertly woven together and connected.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This might be my favourite Lisa Jewell work to date.

I’m not going to spoil anything but she did an incredible job of weaving be stories of multiple characters together while somehow keeping me guessing the entire time about how the story would come together.

This is like 3 mysteries in one and every single one is worth reading! Loved every second of this fast paced thriller.