Cover Image: The Family Upstairs

The Family Upstairs

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Member Reviews

Here's the thing. @lisajewelluk #TheFamilyUpstairs is creepy and menacing and tense. With layers of secrets and twists and turns. And is brilliant. Proper page turning. Proper thrilling. Loved it! Big fat 5* from me!

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Another diamond from Lisa Jewell. I couldn’t put it down. So many twists and turns and links which you know are going to happen, but it’s just a case of when. I’d love to read a follow up book to this as I want to know what happens to two of the characters next – eeeeeek!

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Enjoyed this book and the characters,some intriguing twists and turns on the way, quite a page turner and interesting end.

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I’m a big fan of Lisa Jewell, but this book is not up to her usual standard. I found the format very messy and complex juggling between three people in third or first person and in different eras and locations. Half the time I didn’t know who was whom or who was speaking. For me, the first part of the story needs a lot of attention. There were too many characters thrown into the mix too quickly before I could ascertain their measure or relate to them. The plot and the thinly defined characters didn’t arrest my attention. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK.

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This story follows the strands of three people until they finally merge to complete the picture. And it's not what you expect.

On turnfing 25, adopted Libby receives an inheritance from her birth parents that leaves her staggered. A dilapidated mansion in a fashionable and expensive area of London. But what is the story behind the legacy?

I really engaged with Libby and also Lucy, the two main characters. Trollope lives up to her usual great standard in this story.

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My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the ARC.
This was an absolutely absorbing read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Present day and Libby Jones, living a modest life in St Albans, has her 25th birthday. She was adopted as a baby having been told her parents died in a car crash. Expecting a small inheritance on this birthday her world is turned on its head when she finds she's inherited a large house in Chelsea worth millions of pounds.
Henry and Martina Lamb owned the house nearly 30 years ago and lived there with their 2 children, Henry (aged 11) and Lucy (aged 9). The family inherited their wealth from Henry Snr's father and were regarded as socialites.
Henry Jnr narrates the story of their life in the house over a period of 5 years, when rather strange people began to be welcomed there by the mother, and the destruction of their privileged lives began.
His first-person story runs alongside Libby's as she teams-up with the reporter who originally investigated the apparent suicide of her parents, together with the disappearance of Henry and Lucy from the house.
I'm trying to be as obtuse as possible so as not to give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that this is a complex, cleverly-woven mystery/thriller. Loads of twists which send your thoughts one way and then, just as quickly, snuffs them out. It's somewhat creepy and sinister in places - joyous in others.
Great read!

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This was the first book I ever read by Lisa Jewell and I couldn’t put it down! It had so many twists and turns that I had to keep reading until I knew what had happened. It was impossible to work out what exactly was going on. Was it suicide ? Or was it murder ? Or entirely an accident ? I will definitely be reading more books by this author in the future.

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This book gripped me from the beginning. The story of a woman who discovers she has been left a large house, the mystery of her origins unveil throughout the book with flashbacks to the past slowly unravelling the mystery as the book progresses. Really enjoyed it.

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Oh, no! So disappointing! I normally really enjoy Lisa Jewel’s books and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to preview this book. However, I’m afraid it just didn’t interest me at all. I found the storyline dull and boring and the characters one dimensional and uninteresting.

It’s obviously got loads of fans and other reviewers can do the plot much more justice than I. I so wanted to enjoy, just, not for me this one. In summary, the book is written from varying perspectives and covers a young woman who has inherited a house, the story of a young boy who lived in the house many years earlier and his experience, specifically following the arrival of ‘the family upstairs ‘ and then there’s a mother and her children, homeless and struggling.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

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I read so many books of the crime/mystery genre that it becomes harder to find a book that stands out. This one succeeded!! Hooked from page one, the story was novel with a sufficient amount of creepy.

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Took me a little while to get into this book, with so many different characters which was confusing at times. It was still an enjoyable read and a classic Lisa Jewel book. The only reason i am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the confusing characters at the start

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Full of twists and turns (somewhat confusing at times) this was a highly enjoyable book.

There’s three stories in one that all converge at the end. You have Libby, a 25 year old who has just inherited a large house in Chelsea. Lucy, a homeless mother trying to get back to London from France with no ID, and Henry, a young boy who tells the story of what happened to his family in London.

Great read, but you really do need to pay attention.

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Thank you for the review copy! I love Lisa Jewell, she is definitely one of my favourite authors - one that I look out for her new releases each year! Whilst it may not be my favourite by her, I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Think of a cult like scenario, ending in suspected suicide....or was it?

A bit of a slow burner, but stick with it and the twists will soon unravel! I found myself really wanting to know how all of the characters linked (there are a lot of them) which could be a little confusing at times - I was a bit like ummmm who is that again? But they do all link!

It’s quite rare for a psychological / thriller based book ending to satisfy me, but this one really did.

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I totally adored this book. All of Lisa Jewells books are fabulous but something about this one is extra special. A complex story involving numerous complex characters. I could easily see this being made into a film.

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Henry, his sister Lucy and his socialite parents live a privileged life in a house in Chelsea, then one day, people start arriving at the house. They looked harmless enough, but soon, things take a dark, sinister turn...

I read this book in a few hours, it was one of those “gripping, unputdownable thrillers” I enjoy so much! The story moved between Libby and Lucy in the present, and Henry, retelling the story of the house in Chelsea and its residents. The stories of what happened in the house were suitably sinister, and I found the characters all really interesting, particularly Miller.

The story is intricately woven together, and it took a while for me to unravel all the plot threads, but I had fun working it out. I found the narrative switches a little confusing at times, but got used to them fairly quickly. I loved seeing how everything fitted together, and the ending was satisfying, although I’d have liked to have had a bit more of Henry’s story.

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Lisa Jewel at her best. I have followed this author from her first book, and she just keeps giving. This book draws you in from the start and its hard to put down as it is compulsive reading.

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As ever, Lisa Jewell doesn't disappoint. I always look forward to her books and this one was no disappointment. I would certainly recommend. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one early.

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I loved this. Got into it instantly and couldn’t wait to unravel the mystery behind the three bodies and the baby. The story that follows is utterly captivating, full of intrigue and suspense, a real page turner - can’t recommend this enough.

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I love reading Lisa Jewell’s novel and this one hit the spot again. Loved it. Loved the characters. I will be recommending to everyone.

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Really enjoyed this book as I have with all this authors books. Found it took me a little while to get into in with the different characters but so glad I stuck with it. Amazing story & loved the strong characters. I’d highly recommend this book.

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