Tells the story of an unexpected heiress to a neglected, multi-million dollar home in Chelsea and how she and the house are intertwined with the death of her parents and an unknown man. Told from multiple viewpoints (which at times can be very confusing), the plot unfolds slowly through the first half of the book. It picks up and the back half of the book is impossible to put down (stick with it!). Such a twisted, layered story that leaves you wondering how it will end long after the last page. Loved it!

This was my first Lisa Jewell novel and now I completely understand why she has such a following!

The Family Upstairs checks off all of the boxes. It opens on a dark vignette, shrouded in mystery. A gruesome trio of corpses, an abandoned baby, and more questions than answers, greet the officers who come to investigate an anonymous tip in an affluent neighborhood. The story is narrated from multiple perspectives, twisting and turning through the physical and emotional trauma leading to that fateful day. Fast-paced, with well-developed characters, and a bit of an edge, The Family Upstairs is the ideal read for a chilly fall evening!

Lisa Jewell gets better and better with each new book and that is saying a lot because every book has been great.

In this story, Libby finds out she has inherited a house, a rather large, expensive house, on her 25th birthday. Libby was adopted and this house belonged to her birth family. The house has a history as her parents and another man were found dead of an apparent suicide pact. They seemed to have been part of a cult. Libby was found in her crib. As Libby finds out more about her family and the house, we are also learning of the story in two other voices. Her brother Henry tells us how the people who came to live upstairs in their house changed everything. Our other narrator Lucy is homeless with her two children and when she gets a message saying that “the baby is 25”, does everything to get back to England. Just when you think you have it figured out, oh no you don’t!

I sat reading this book with a feeling of dread. You know everything is leading up to what happened and how this is going to change everything, but you just don’t know how. I had to make myself stop from turning to the end to see what happened. You know that’s the sign of a great thriller when you just need to know! The characters are all compelling. Henry is especially complex. That ending! It still gives me chills.

You will want to pre-order this one right away. Ric Munoz, this has your name written all over it. I can’t wait for the next book and the next and the next….

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this wonderful book.

Twenty-five years ago, a tragedy occurred at the large house at 16 Cheyne Walk. When the police arrived, they found three dead adults, an apparent suicide note, and, upstairs, a healthy ten-month-old baby. The neighbors spoke of other children who lived in the house, but there was no trace of them. The house is left in trust, and twenty-five years later, Libby Jones receives the letter she's been waiting for. In it, she learns about her birth parents and that she's inherited their home on Cheyne Walk: making her an instant millionaire. But others have been waiting for this day for years, too, and now Libby is about to learn more about her past and what happened so long ago at Cheyne Walk.

"Now she owns a house in Chelsea and the proportions of her existence have been blown apart."

In typical Lisa Jewell fashion, The Family Upstairs is a dark and twisted story of family secrets, and betrayal. It's told from the perspective of Libby, who inherits the house; Lucy, a mother in France struggling to find shelter and safety for herself and her two children; and Henry, who tells his story from the past, when he lived at Cheyne Walk.

As their three stories intertwine, we learn more about the horrors that happened at the house all those years ago, and how exactly Libby, Lucy, and Henry are tied together. It's an enthralling story and not easy to put down. It's dark, with plenty of twists and turns, and it certainly kept me guessing. There's lots of wondering who is who, and lots of awful things that happen to people. There were a lot of surprises at every turn. I was drawn to Libby, along with Lucy and her children, even if I sometimes wasn't sure if everyone was making the right decisions.

I was really into this book until the end, where the vagueness of the ending disappointed me a bit. But it's still an interesting thriller, no matter what: lots to keep you entertained, tons of dark and twisted bits, and plenty that kept me wondering right up to the end. 4 stars.

In The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell composes a creepy family saga that employs multiple narrators across multiple time periods. Libby has just inherited a house in posh Chelsea that she never knew existed from a family she's never met, kind of like Elvira in Mistress of the Dark. Libby quickly learns that the house has a dark past, culminating in the ritualistic death of some of its inhabitants, and the disappearance of others. Who was Lucy's birth family, and what really happened to them in that house?

With her signature talent for crafting tense family relationships and secret-burdened characters, Jewell has created an engrossing and satisfying tale of a family's unraveling.

3.5 stars

The Family Upstairs is a compulsively readable psychological thriller that features multiple storylines, three POV’s, an unreliable narrator, a sociopath, several mysteries, many murders, a crazy cult, a sick obsession, and much more! Needless to say, there’s a whole lot going on.

When Libby, who was adopted when she was a baby, discovers that she will inherit a mansion on her 25th birthday, she is stunned. She wants to know more about her birth parents and why she is the sole heir to a large fortune. She begins to investigate, and with the help of a reporter, she soon finds she might not want to know where she came from after all.

Henry, a child who grew up in the mansion, shares the story of his family’s riches to rags story.

Lucy, a single mom of two, living in France is homeless and desperate to put a roof over her children’s heads. When she receives a calendar reminder that the baby has turned 25, she stops at nothing to return to the home from which she fled.

I enjoyed the first ¾ of this book. It’s fast-paced, easy to read--I couldn’t put it down. I was taken in by all three narrators and was eager to find out all of their secrets. However, I reached a point when it just turned chaotic and crazy. In addition to trying to cover too much and do too much, The Family Upstairs was trying to be too many genres in one--family drama vs. mystery vs. twisted thriller, which took me out of the story and had me shaking my head. The last few pages were eye-roll worthy--I just wasn’t buying Henry’s character. In no way is this book bad, I was just expecting more in the end.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I inhaled this book. It is absolute thriller gold. Told from the viewpoint of multiple narrators, and across different timelines it's culty, exciting, murderous fun. A secret baby, a poison garden, monetary scandal, and potential revenge, this book has it all plus a cast of gloriously fun to love and hate characters. Highly recommend.

All the stars ✨⭐️✨WOW what an emotional roller coaster of a thrill!! Lisa Jewell you did it again, I loved it!!

Thanks to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great premise. Adoption, missing children, and orphans all grown up. Betrayal, survival and family...all important elements in this book. It was creepy, suspenseful and heart warming all at the same time. Fabulous ending. Loved it.

Loved this one! Thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for a copy to read and review! This is told from three different perspectives and as the story starts it took me a minute to figure them all out. There are so many twists and turns! I didn’t know what direction this was headed! It starts off that Libby who was adopted learns that she inherited a house. From then on woah! This comes out November 5. I think it is one of my favorite if not favorite Lisa Jewell book I’ve read.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is one deliciously creepy, suspenseful and disturbing read! Prepare to clear your calendar as once you start reading, you won’t want to stop except to pop your head up from under the covers to eat and grab some tea or coffee (not that you’ll need anything else to jangle your nerves!) to sustain you so you can return to finish what is sure to be one of the best books of the year!

Libby Jones, an upscale kitchen designer in London, has just turned 25. She has always known she was adopted as an infant, but not much about the details. Returning home from work one day, she finds a letter informing her that she has inherited a large house held in trust for her in one of the choicest areas of London. She has inherited the property at Sixteen Cheyne Walk SW3 in Chelsea from her parents Henry and Martina Lamb. Her life has been changed in an instant. She is now an extremely wealthy woman.

The story is told through three POVs, that of Libby, and that of two others who we learn more about during the telling of the tale. The time frames alternate between current day, and the past, telling of how things came to change at the house over the years. Though this was a confusing technique at first, once I had figured out who the characters were, I saw with appreciation how well it lent itself to the darkness and suspense of the story.

When Libby goes to see the house with one of the trustees, she finds a gorgeous, though severely run-down home. She also learns that the house has a dark history, three adults were found dead together in the home, the owners Henry and Martina Lamb, and an unidentified adult male – all dressed in black. The four children typically seen (or unseen) who would have been teenagers by then, had disappeared. A baby girl was also found, well-tended, in her crib a few rooms away. Realizing that she was the baby girl, named Serenity, she is determined to find out more of what happened within the walls of the house she now owns.

Jewell’s ability to create the complex characters which populate the story, and to bring to life and maintain an ever-growing dark, disturbing gothic atmosphere is put to wonderful use in these pages. She has woven a fine and intricately plotted tale indeed!

Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR pile now. If you don’t you just may miss out on one of the best books published this year!

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Milena Brown and Atria Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Personally, I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan. I pretty much have read every book that she has written. I was so excited when I received a galley of this book. And while I enjoyed this book, it was definitely not my favorite.

This story centers around 3 main characters. Libby who just found out she inherited a home worth millions from her dead parents. Lucy a single mother of two who is struggling to stay afloat and a third character that certainly develops as the story goes on.

This is the type of book that you can’t say much without giving the plot away, but from a high level view, this story centers around the house and what happened in it one day approx 25 years ago.

I really enjoyed Jewell’s short chapters which really perpetuated the story. It was fast paced and enjoyable. Some of the story was a bit predictable, but Jewell managed to get a few surprises in there. If you like Lisa Jewell, you will like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Libby is turning 25 but she doesn't really know who she is. She was found at 10 months old, alone in her crib, with 3 dead bodies downstairs.
I liked following Lucy's journey. She does what she can with her kids even when she has horrible controlling men she's trying to escape. She gets by with playing the fiddle.
Henry is an odd one and I hated David and his "cult" behavior that he forced upon these people people as he took over there lives.
We have a lot of perspectives in this story. I didn't find the story particularly creepy as I thought I would. But it's still a good Lisa Jewell book

I don't want to give any spoilers. I am going to say this: If you want a spine-tingling gothic thriller - read this book! If you like a page-turner that will keep you up all night reading - read this book! Jewell knows what she's doing and has created an atmosphere, characters, and a time jumping plot that thickens as the pages turn. It is that good.

Luckily for me, I received an ARC from NetGalley and Atria books so I could read it in the spookiest season of all!

I love Lisa Jewell’s style of writing. It just keeps you turning the pages. I tore through this book in a couple of days, however, I found it very confusing. This is a crazy story with many twists and turns, unreliable narrators, you don’t quite know who or what to believe. Keeps you guessing right up to the very end, but upon finishing, I’m left with questions. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I'm honestly still not quite sure how I feel about this book. The storyline kept me interested and I think the details unfolded at a good pace, but in the end, I'm not sure why I should care about any of the characters involved. I think there was too much focus on the story and not enough on who the characters were. The book follows Libby on her journey to discover who here biological parents were and how they died. However, I don't feel like we know that much about Libby and I'm really not made to care about her that much. I mean sure being adopted after the death of your parents when your a baby is sad, but empathy aside, I don't know why I'm supposed to care. The narrative moved at a decent pace though, and I'm a sucker for a good mystery no matter who or what's involved.

Libby was looking forward to her 25th birthday because she knew she would be coming into an inheritance.

What she didn’t know was what she had inherited.

Libby finds out she has inherited her family’s million-dollar home that was haunted by horrible events the family endured.

Meanwhile there are some other people who know about the day she turned 25 and what Libby inherited.

We meet Lucy who says she MUST be there for Libby’s 25th birthday, and we meet Henry who lived in the house with all the strangers during the events and when the tragedy struck.

Henry’s story is the most bizarre and terrifying.

Phin is also a frightening character who lived in the house.

David is a character that I immensely disliked and was the cause of all the evilness.

When Libby arrives and is taking a look after all these years at the empty house with its locked-from-the-outside doors, with a ladder leading to the attic, and a garden of illegal plants you will be pulled in by the description and simple curiosity. All this made me wonder what really went on in that house and how no one noticed.

THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS has many characters, odd characters, and multiple story lines but story lines that all fit together and center around the inherited house that held evil.

Readers who enjoy Lisa Jewell’s books will not be disappointed in her newest.

THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is creepy, bizarre, and disturbing. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

Good read for fans of suspense and thrillers. I found the early chapters somewhat tedious, but once the action of the story caught me, I was hooked! There is enough of a creepiness factor to give a few spine tingles. And it feels a bit like Lisa Jewell may not be "done" yet with Henry, whose character is intriguing and disturbing. There were a few characters in the early chapters of the book that could have been left out or mentioned in passing, but perhaps they were included to give the reader a feel for Lucy's life. She and Libby are really the only characters who have a "presence" in the outside world, which I found interesting.

***Thank you to Atria Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!***

Lisa Jewell is the queen of writing thrillers with multiple story lines that come together in an expected way. The Family Upstairs is no different. This book successfully combines three entangled story lines that converge half way through in a way that answers all the reader's questions, but still leaves something for the imagination at the end. Centered around an old English mansion and three families' stories that revolve around it's walls.

The Family Upstairs revolves around the story of an old, abandoned mansion, worth several million, that Libby Jones unexpectedly inherits on her 25th birthday. Libby was adopted and does not know much about her birth parents, other than the fact that 25 years prior, her birth family lived in this mansion and were found dead, with baby Libby left upstairs, crying in her crib. When Libby inherits their family mansion, she is hoping to finally learn who she is and the family she came from.

The Family Upstairs follows Libby's identity search, using the mansion she inherited, her close friend, and a reporter who was involved in the story of her parents death. Twenty five years prior, when police were dispatched to the mansion on account of a crying baby, they found three bodies, dead on the kitchen floor, all dressed in black cloaks. The scene looked cultish and though two of the bodies were identified as Libby's parents, the other was an unidentified male. While Libby uncovers her family history, miles away, Lucy is in France, with her son, young daughter, and pet dog, struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Lucy uses her fiddle to play on street corners for cash from strangers. She has a dark past with an wealthy, but abusive ex husband and is working to get back to England. She wakes up one morning to a notification on her phone, "the baby is twenty five."

The third storyline is Henry and his family, who lived in the mansion (presumably Libby's brother and parents.) Henry describes a bizarre woman who asks to use the mansion for a music video shoot, but then never leaves. She brings her boyfriend over and eventually a bizarre family, whose patriarch is a charismatic man who seems on par with Jim Jones. These people come to visit, but end up staying and living with Henry and his easily influenced mother and father. Henry describes the bizarre things that take place inside the walls of the mansion and his story eventually intertwines with Libby and Lucy's.

Lisa Jewell is amazing on creating rich characters with gothic undertones. Each story line was suspenseful and kept me wanting more. The stories begin to converge in the middle of the novel, but as is typical Jewell style, she keeps you guessing until the very end. Jewell has a way of diving into the human psyche and creating characters that push the envelope. It is hard to get invested in one of her characters, because I find that most of them are hiding a deep, dark secret that does not come out until the end. The Family Upstairs is eerie and haunting, with cult references, a spooky mansion, and bizarre family situations. I am a sucker for anything with a cult type storyline, so that instantly drew me in. I wanted to learn more about Libby and where she came from and also figure out what was going on with Lucy and her family. Jewell did an amazing job crafting each story, which were told in different timelines and from different perspectives. The ending brought closure to the stories, but not complete closure. As is typical with Jewell's writing, there is something left unsaid at the end that keeps you wanting more. I felt like I finished The Family Upstairs and then needed to discuss it immediately. I had so many unanswered questions! But that is a sign of a great novel, they leave you wanting more.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is probably my favorite Jewell book to date, with Then She Was Gone in a close second. I gave this thriller ★★★★.5 stars and highly recommend it if you are a fan of dark and brooding thrillers. Jewell is a thriller genius!

A story of survival, uncovering truths, and closure.

I've only read one other book by this author (Then She Was Gone) and I felt this one to be a much slower pace, and more of mystery than thriller. The story is told from three POVs:
Libby Louise Jones (3rd person)
Lucy (3rd person)
Henry Lamb (1st person)
Early on, we learn that they all have a connection to a mansion in Chelsea, 16 Cheyne Walk. What we don't know is how they connect to one another. Chapter by chapter, we are taken on a journey to uncover that mystery.

Henry
For this young man's story, we learn of how his family came to live at 16 Cheyne
Walk, and how their opulent life there gradually deteriorated. The beginning of that downfall began when an odd woman, Birdie Dunlop-Evers moves into the house with them. With each chapter of his that follows, there are signs of how that decline occurred, and how those signs were so small, they were only noticeable when looking back.

I was indifferent to Henry at first. He seems to have a grasp of what is right or wrong, but is powerless. What was most intriguing about his POV was his infatuation with Phineas "Phin" Thomsen, who later moved in along with his parents, David and Sally, and sister, Clemency. With time, he forms a friendship to Phin that proves to be costly for both of them. And while I didn't agree with some of Henry's actions, I don't think he had much choice given the control David and Birdie held over the household.

My opinion of Henry changed dramatically as the other main characters meet him up with him, late in the book. That's all I'll say to avoid spoilers.

Lucy
While Henry's POV is in the past, Lucy's is in the present, as she is trying to keep her and her kids, Marco and Stella, from starving. A series of incidents has her down on her luck and desperate. Unless I missed it, we don't learn until later how Lucy is connected to the house, only that she receives a text:
The baby is 25.

From that moment on, her only goal is to get back to Cheyne Walk, by whatever means necessary. There is an interesting event involving her ex-husband, that is a pretty big deal, in my opinion, but doesn't seem to be resolved, just forgotten. Lucky for Lucy I would guess.

Libby
The baby that is referred to in Lucy's text is Libby. Her story, also told in the present, begins we she discovers that as part of a trust, the house on Cheyne Walk is now hers. While the house offers great financial possibilities for Libby, she seems more interested in figuring out the mysteries of the home, and her family. With her part of the story, the pieces begin to come together and we get a clearer picture of what went down at this house and how she was abandoned, then later adopted.

Although the pace of this story is slow, as I previously mentioned, the alternating POVs and story-lines kept me guessing as to where the plot would lead. There isn't any huge A-HA moment, but there definitely was a surprise regarding Libby's parents. Yikes, is all I'll say!

While I didn't connect with any of this book's characters, I thought their story was a compelling one. If you are looking for a methodical mystery of a family with some dark secrets, this is one worth checking out.