Libby inherits her birth parent's house at the age of 25. Located in prestigious Chelsea, Libby finds the house enormous and interesting - but in disrepair. Also the garden is quite unusual. She also finds out that her parents may have been murdered along with another man inside the house. Since Libby's brother and sister have not been found (or they may even be deceased) her attorney tells Libby that the estate is hers, alone.

Meanwhile, we meet Lucy, relatively homeless, in France. She has a daughter, Stella, and a son, Marco. Along with their dog, the three of them have been living on essentially nothing since Lucy's fiddle - her means of support - costs too much to repair. She receives an e-mail "The baby is 25. This springs her into action to go back to England. After obtaining money from her abusive ex-husband, the three of them (and the dog) start their journey.

Libby meets with a journalist who had already done a story on the "historical" goings on in the mansion, but now he wants the inside scoop. And what a scoop it is...

An unexpected ending!!! A great summer read.

Many Thanks to Aria Books and NetGalley for a rollercoaster ride.

THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS was slightly confusing at first, primarily because we are introduced rather quickly to three different narrators as well as two time periods. However, the story does eventually come together with Jewell's trademark twists and turns. As the novel progresses, it becomes easier to distinguish the POV characters and I was pretty anxious to find out the solution to the puzzle. The ending, while twisted and a bit morbid, was very satisfying. Fans of dark gothic-style suspense stories should love The Family Upstairs!

The Family Upstairs is a crazy ride full of twists and turns and an ending that is SO UNBELIEVABLE I think I am going to have to read it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I will admit, the beginning is a little disjointed- there are many players in this game, and different time periods. BUT, it all begins to come together and begins to add up beautifully.
The story revolves around the beautiful Lamb home, which is full of beautiful antiques and furniture. Henry and Lucy Lamb live a charmed life within its walls, and Henry is looking forward to beginning secondary school.
That all changes when David Thomsen, his wife Sally, and their two children move in. Everything begins to unravel and the consequences are devastating for all involved.
I loved this book so much. The ending is amazing and is by far the best Lisa Jewell book I have read. HOLD ON through the beginning as the story begins to take shape, you will not regret it!

Lisa Jewels book always draws me in keep me turning the pages.The Family Upstairs was particularly full of twists and turns kept me guessing till the end.Highly recommend this chilling read. #netgalley #atriareads.

A great, compulsively readable story told from alternating perspectives. This book continually toggles between the present and the past when something decidedly wrong went down in a house. You, the reader, are left picking up the pieces to figure out what happened and how things fit together.

This is my second Lisa Jewell book, and I must say she's a hell of a writer. She certainly gets interpersonal dynamics and knows how to write relationships well. This book also has excellent pacing. I regularly found myself barreling through a few more chapters because I wanted to follow up on a big reveal or clue.

I loved that this book managed to genuinely surprise me (at multiple points). That was mainly due to one of our three narrators being quite unreliable. Their perspectives on the past are tainted by having been a self-absorbed teenager at the time and not being able to fully grasp the complexity of the situation they found themselves in. Their perspectives on the present are tainted by not being completely honest with their motives. While I didn't see this character as a sociopath per se (which might have been a wee bit more interesting) they certainly were unstable enough to make the story a wild ride.

Anytime I give a book a high ranking I have to ask myself, "why not five stars?" After thinking things over while I write this review, I'd say that this book is probably more like a 4.5 for me. I can't find much that I DIDN'T like. I think ultimately I was left with questions about David and Birdie that I wanted answered. But we don't get those answers in this story because none of our three narrators really KNEW them or their motivations, even though those motivation are a huge driving force in the story. That was a little frustrating.

Aside: I'm not loving the promotional blurb for this book. I don't even remember the "cat in the wicker basket." What an odd tidbit to highlight where there are so many other ominous things to mention!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Lisa Jewell sure delivered in this spine-tingling suspense novel. The Family Upstairs is told from different points of view flipping between present-day between Libby and her life as she inherits a huge gloomy house from her family that she never met, and Lucy as she struggles to make ends meet living on the street. The story also flips back in time from before "The Baby" was born. All of these voices and stories come together, but keep the reader guessing right until the very end!
Highly recommended!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I genuinely love this author but this is twisted and morbid even for her, even for the genre. I know for many reader’s this is not a bad thing. I enjoyed the book but there were a few times I had to take a break because I felt queasy. 3.5 rounded up

Not as good as her other novels, but nonetheless a decent read. Would recommend. Plot was unique characters believable, and her writing as always very good,

The Family Upstairs might seem a little confusing at first, with there being two different timelines and three POVs. However, after the first 25 pages or so it all starts to come together perfectly. I highly recommend hanging in there!! This book is filled with some crazy family dynamics/drama and a great amount of twists & turns. I don’t want to spoil it for future readers so I will not go into detail because I feel like anything more will ruin the reading experience of this fast passed mystery. Going in blind is what I did and this book took me in a totally different direction then I thought it would. Add it to those TBR stacks!!





Thank you to the publisher @AtriaBooks and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



Release date: 10/29/2019

Lisa Jewel never disappoints and all her books are so different than the last! This one was equally pleasing as I had no idea where it was going. It's a little bit gothic, a lot creepy, but has wonderful characterization and a storyline that will keep you guessing until the end. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel allows us to see the unfolding of the family secrets when siblings get a cryptic text, "The baby is back". The 'baby" is 25-year-old Libby who has just inherited the family estate in London, but how will she get there as she is presently homeless with two young children? Enter siblings Lucy and Henry whose story about their family, crazy upbringing, fiendish characters, and cult-like setting set the ominous tone that follows throughout the book. I was delighted to get my hands on this ARC as it lives up to Jewell's reputation for fine storytelling!

I love Lisa Jewell, and this book is another winner.

The book is told from three perspectives, one of which is a 25 young woman who learns she was a survivor of what might be a suicide pact between her parents and an unknown adult male. As the survivor, she has inherited an expensive house in an affluent part of London. When she begins exploring the house she discovers plenty of questions and few answers.

Weaving through time, the book slowly presents the family who used to live in the house, the young woman's life now, and slowly reveals layers and layers of secrets.

I know this is vague, but the book is very tightly plotted, and I want to give nothing away. LIsa Jewell is a gem of an author, and, trust me, she is worth the read. The atmosphere, dialogue and plot are all excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley.com, the author and publisher for my advanced copy.

Wow! This is Lisa Jewell's best book yet!! I started it and ended it in no time because I couldn't put it down. I began it before going to work, read it during work when I could, came home slept for two hours before I got up and wanted to start reading it again. Its that good! I will admit that its a bit confusing at first with the different pov's but after 30 pages or so things begin coming together. Three different pov's, a couple different timelines, a whole lot of mystery, twists, shock moments, and a family dynamic that will keep you guessing. READ IT!!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

432 engrossing pages of pure psychopathic heaven and I read every one of them in the last 1o hours. I have been walking around our house all day resenting anyone in my family who needed me for anything...this book is THAT good.

We're ordering pizza tonight.

Sorry, not sorry.

Don't worry if, as you start this, you feel a little confused by the introduction of different characters and different time periods, it only feels like you don't know what's going on and it only lasts a little while because pretty soon? Bang, like jello it all gels together and the tension ramps and ramps and ramps. I could...not....put....it....down.

I'll let everyone else describe it; just read it!

Thank you to Lisa Jewel, Atria Books, and NetGalley for giving me this digital ARC (I received a widget!!) in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely brilliant! Libby Jones was adopted as an infant, and now at 25 finds out she is the sole beneficiary of a mansion in one of London's most posh neighborhoods. However when she discovers the nature of her birth parents death, the mysterious inheritance takes on a sinister quality that will lead to truths she never could have imagined.

Highly recommended!!

The Family Upstairs: A Novel by [Jewell, Lisa]

An unusually good book--unique, twisty, suspenseful.



Review copy provided by publisher.

I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoy reading Lisa Jewell and this book did not disappoint. It felt different from her other plots but it was enjoyable all the same. This is a quick read that keeps you guessing until the end. There is some back and forth with the chapters between past and present and towards the end of the book I kept trying to figure out how it was all going to come together. I didn't see the ending in the past and how it affected the present. Well written, easy read with some good plot twists!

Wow! I truly don’t know what to say about this book! I don’t think I have ever read anything like it before. It is truly unique. The story at first, for me, was a little confusing but then I couldn’t put the book down. Great writing, characters and very different storyline and plot. It is a thrilling and suspenseful family drama. I would definitely recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I always like to read this authors books. She has a good style of writing. Glad I got a chance to read this one before it is released to book stores.