I have only read a couple of Lisa Jewell books so wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was a tad confusing at first as it jumps from present day to the past all the way through but I soon got to grips with it and it turned out to be a really good read with some good twists in it. It’s perfect for a rainy day snuggled up, so much so I read it in two sittings. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Lots of unexpected twists! I’ve barely put this down since I started it and finished it in a day. Very enjoyable. Recommended.

I love Lisa Jewell! All her novels move u or worry for the characters as layers are pulled apart mysteries are unravelled and characters outcomes shown through the past .how they get where they don't,the tragedy's of childhood and the lack of controll we can have when we are little
I thoroughly was involved and was drawn in from the start.how does a very wealthy functioning family lose it all Inc themselves so quickly .
You feel worried for the children and at times I dreaded where it was going but though dark it's not heavy.
This is a page turner where u don't skim u read as though I want to know the end you are invested in each characters journey . u want to see how it all pieces together and what happens.one character Henry in particular who was though well drawn became rather ambiguous and doubts creep in as to wether u know him
Roll on the next Lisa Jewell novel

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. It is really hard to say too much about this book without giving away some key things, However, this really is one fantastic read, I struggled to put this down, reading for hours at a time!

The story centres around Libby, who was adopted as a baby, everything is normal in her life until she reaches her 25th birthday and opens up a letter which will change her life forever and bring up the past in the most profound and disturbing ways.

Libby takes on the help of a well respected journalist called Miller (what a guy!), and begins a journey to discover the secret of her early life, triggered by the ‘letter’ she received. The story also touches upon a woman called Lucy and her children who have literally down hit rock bottom and are living shoddily on the streets of Nice. There is also a key character Called Henry who tells the story from his own point of view and brings the book together.

This really is one amazing book, its not usually the type of book I would choose to read, but I found it truly gripping, it really is one great thriller. The author also has a wonderfully descriptive style, that really brings the book to life and the way that it is written from several viewpoints really gives the book some depth. This is one of the best books that i have so far read this year!

I have loved Lisa Jewell's last couple of books and I think this is even better!

Libby celebrates her 25th birthday and inherits a huge house in Chelsea with a very dark secret.

Libby sets out to find out the truth about what happened to her family and uncovers unimaginable secrets.

Too much info will spoil this! But it's a great thriller and I'll definitely be recommending it to friends.

Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review

Lisa Jewell has once again done herself proud! I read this more or less in one go and what I particularly like about her writing, is that she doesn't waste time, energy and paper by going into huge reams of description. She gives enough background for the reader to be able to picture the story without becoming bored. I confess that I have skipped large sections of novels recently due to overwhelming amounts of description but with this I read every word. There were a couple of very small things that didn't add up for me (which I won't go into for fear of spoiling) but overall an entertaining and interesting tale. I would happily read her novels every day if she could produce enough!

I have never read a book by Lisa Jewell before but after reading this book it won’t the last. It had me hooked from the first page and I read it in two sittings. I love the characters and it had lots of twists and turns. The story is narrated in the voice pf three of the main characters so you get to view events from different perspectives. Love it!

A new novel from Lisa Jewell is always an event to be relished. The Family Upstairs is a rather dark, but incredibly readable, tale of abuse, obsession, death, scandal, secrets, and a big house in Chelsea.

Libby, adopted as a baby, leads an ordinary life until her twenty-fifth birthday opens up the past in unimaginable ways. With the help of Guardian journalist Miller Roe (love him), Libby sets out to discover the secrets of her own history. Meanwhile, a woman called Lucy and her children are literally down and out on the streets of Nice. And a man named Henry narrates the story of his extraordinary past...

It’s really best to know no more than this when you start reading... there are a few spoilery reviews out there which thankfully I managed to avoid. I always find it enhances my reading enjoyment to know next to nothing before starting a book, and that’s definitely the case here.

A beautifully crafted, always intriguing story which kept me engrossed throughout. Fantastic.

An atmospheric and gripping story that kept me absolutely hooked from page one. Jewell handles a complex family, multiple narratives and unreliable narrators with a deftness that allows the reader to never feel confused about who/what/when is happening. The perfect read for a cosy weekend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the review copy. This is an unbiased review of the author's work and style. If you want plot lines and spoilers please see the publishers blurb and other reviewers' reports.
This is my first Lisa Jewel but it will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the book. The author's style is authoritative and compelling. I was carried along at first puzzled as to what was going on then intrigued by the plot's development and finally hooked by the mystery.
It has been a long time since I have read a new to me author and so enjoyed the experience. If you are looking for a straight forward tale with introduction of the characters, the telling of the tale and a predictable ending then this volume is not for you.
If it's summer when you read this grab a jug of Pimms for Winter I recommend an open fire, phone turned off a bottle of your favourite tipple a snug armchair and a reading light. Put out the cat, walk the dog say goodnight to your nearest and dearest and read the night through - you'll be well rewarded.
A great read and well worth the five stars I'll give it.
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On her twenty-fifth birthday Libby - an ordinary suburbanite - inherits an incredible house. But the house has an intriguing and macabre past that holds the story of Libby’s own past.
This novel skips backwards and forwards in time and narrator, as the story of the extraordinary family who owned the house unfolds.
Jewell is a great story-teller and although this tale is objectively hard to believe, it seems completely believable in her expert hands.
The novel is pacey and original and Jewell ties everything up in a most satisfactory way.
Recommended for lovers of a good story with both great characterisation and plot.

I'm a big fan of Lisa Jewell's thrillers so was really excited to read this. There are a lot of characters in the book and the chapters flip between them and also periods in time so I found it a little hard to follow at times. Libby has just turned 25 and inherited a house from her birth parents. The house has a sketchy past and she starts to look into her history. The book is gripping and interesting but I did get confused with the number of characters telling the story from their point of view. Overall I did enjoy it but perhaps not as much as her previous novels.

** Spoilers!!!***

I actually requested this book as I thought it was by an author I had previously read but I was wrong. However, I am very glad I requested it!

I found Lucy to be the most interesting character throughout the book - I wanted to know how she had become homeless and how she would get out of the situation. I also liked the stories of what happened in the house 25 years ago and how it came to be how it was today.

I found the writing style excellent and the changing between the present day and 'before' to be seamless. There were a few surprises for me too which I like - I didn't want to be able to guess everything from the beginning and it certainly kept me thinking about who could be who.

The only slight criticism I have was that I felt the ending was rushed; it would have been good to have read of Henry and Phin (Finn)'s reunion, and how he got to the current country and occupation he was found in.

All in all, a good read and I look forward to reading more from this Author.

I’ve read most of Lisa Jewell’s previous books and really like how her style has evolved. This is a very dark novel with many negative overtones and plenty of twists. When twenty five year old Libby inherits her late parents house she has no idea that she’s opening Pandora’s box. Adopted as a baby she was aware her parents had died but had no clue as to the reality of the situation. Told from three alternating viewpoints this tells of what happened in the years running up to the discovery of Libby in her cot whilst downstairs there are three dead bodies. This is a very character based rather than high action story but definitely creepy and can’t help but make you wonder if you know just what goes on behind closed doors.

Couldn't put this book down and read it in two sessions. It wasn't what I was expecting but I instantly connected with that main protagonist- Libby, I liked the multiple narrators and time lines, especially going back to through time.
I'd definatley recomend this book to my friends.

I was so excited about reading the latest Lisa Jewell and this novel definitely lived up to my expectations. It’s such a page turner, full of mystery. I read it quickly but sometimes put it down just to delay getting to the end as I was so enjoying it. The situation in the house becomes disturbing and there are some dark moments but it’s a thoroughly good read with characters you’re rooting for (Libby, Lucy and her children and dog) and others who aren’t quite what they seem. The plot is original and full of surprises. A great read!

Libby lives in St Albans in a small flat she carefully saved for and bought, she works as a kitchen designer and is coming up to her 25th birthday. On her birthday she gets a surprise present - she inherits a huge house in Chelsea from the birth parents she knows little about.

Lucy and her two children are living a hand to mouth existence in Nice. Sometimes they are on the streets, sometimes in a hostel when Lucy can earn enough money busking with her violin.

How these two women’s stories are linked and what are the secrets of Libby’s family forms the plot of this latest thriller from Lisa Jewell. It’s a page turner and the twists don’t disappoint. It manages to be warm as well as chilling at times. I enjoyed it a

Another gripping read from Lisa Jewell! I literally couldn't put it down.

As usual, I will not reiterate any of the plot line (plenty of that type of review around if that's what you're looking for!) but will just record my own opinions and feelings.

I was fascinated and appalled by the way the family's lives could be taken over, and equally disturbed by some of the consequences. Equally disturbing was the fact that although few characters seemed to have any morals or scruples - and their behaviour was quite shocking at times - many of them were very likeable.

Happily, "The Baby" seems to have grown up in a different mould, and thank goodness for that!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Another stonker of a novel! Lisa’s books just get better and better. I really enjoyed this one, different from most, of stood out due to the precision of her writing.

I found this an enjoyable read. It is a complex story focussing on various times and characters. The author chooses not to indicate time, for example heading a chapter "now' or 'then" This can be confusing as the next chapter opens with different people in a different time without warning, It took the first part of the book to sort this out. I found it difficult to warm to any of the characters but I was interested to read on and find out more details as the story unfolded. The long years in the family house when the owners were taken over/brain washed seems improbable. There were social services in the 80s so how were these children allowed to disappear from the education system?
It is an unusual concept which makes it an interesting read.