On her 25th birthday Libby Jones opens the letter she has been waiting for most of her life. Not only does she find out her birth parents are she also discovers she has inherited their mansion in a fashionable neighborhood in London. It is worth millions of pounds.
Twenty-five years ago Libby was found abandoned in an upstairs bedroom of the mansion. Dressed in black robes, three bodies were discovered in the kitchen the victims of an apparent suicide. The other four children that were living in the house at the time disappeared without a trace.
Libby embarks on an investigation to find out what happened that led to her being adopted.
THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS did not disappoint. I enjoy Lisa Jewell’s style of writing. The characters are interesting, the stories are well plotted and the endings are satisfying.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel THE FAMILY REMAINS which is coming out in a few months.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley.

It comes as no surprise that this book was read in one sitting. Jewel's books always do this to me. So captivating and had me hooked at page one. Lots of twists and turns, can't really discuss because spoilers ... but another successful thriller/mystery that you need to add to your shelf!

I’m not even sure where to begin.

I really like Jewel’s writing style, and I thought the premise of this book had potential. Plus, a house as a character always appeals to me (Rebecca & The Dutch House do this perfectly). However, in this book, I don’t think Jewel quite gets there in a way that worked for me. I liked Libby a lot - she made some awful choices, but she at least had a head on her shoulders in a way that is lacking in so many female characters in this genre.

This book was filled to the brim with tropes and cliches that have been done, time and again: poor woman inherits massive amounts of money / evil gays / abused woman / cult figures enthralling young women / unreliable narrators - I could go on.

I found the shifting perspectives hard to follow; was there any point to Lucy’s perspective? Her abusive relationship with her ex-husband felt like a waste of time, entirely. I also felt like the voices from each chapter bled into each other in that none of them felt distinctive. In terms of Henry’s chapters, I found it completely perplexing that he was talking directly to Libby. I didn’t get it. It was weird. It didn’t work.

The adult characters are unconvincing. Cult leader David showed no charisma whatsoever, but the audience is meant to buy into the fact that he has enthralled Henry’s entire family into ceding all of their earthly possessions to him? Not buying it.

What did I like? The somewhat happy ending. The family reunion (weird as they all are). The unreliable narrators (despite how obvious their unreliability was) because I always find it fun to pick out the details the author has included to make this work. But overall: Not much to like for me, to be honest.

If you want to read a Jewel, start with Then She Was Gone.

Another thriller that was good for passing the time, but not much else. Prepare to suspend your disbelief with this one.

I liked this book, bit not as much I liked other books from Lisa Jewell. Still worth the read though. Thank you for the copy.

With a premise like that, you know I wasn’t going to pass it up! But the story itself wasn’t executed that well. There are 3 rotating perspectives to the story: Harry, Lucy, and Libby. I really liked reading from Harry’s perspective, which was mostly through journal entries because they had the creepiness I was looking for … but it quickly became all about “telling” rather than “showing”. Lucy’s perspective was also interesting but there just wasn’t enough of it for me. As for Libby, this is where I wanted the author to deliver more; sequences of events were very choppy and I needed a lot more clarification to really understand what was going on. I also found Libby to be a bit boring and her investigative skills were nothing to brag about. While I enjoyed trying to piece together the mystery, I felt that the choppiness took away from the story.

This was a wonderfully atmospheric and creepy book by one of my favourite authors. Libby receives a letter from a lawyer on her 25th birthday. The letter is supposed to help Libby discover her birth family as she was adopted as a small child. Instead of answering some of Libby’s questions it brings up more of the mystery as to who Libby is. Libby’s 25th birthday also is a milestone for other people as well. This was a great thriller and the writing was so descriptive you have chills up your spine while reading it. Another great book by Lisa Jewell.

Libby Jones turns 25 and gets the ultimate gift – a huge home in the much-coveted London Chelsea neighbourhood. Libby was adopted at 10 months when her parents were found dead in their home – an apparently cult suicide – and is now the proud owner of the home worth millions. As Libby learns more and more about her past and her family, she discovers that the home is hiding more than just a story…

I loved this book so much! I really enjoyed that it switched from one narrator to another and also that it went back and forth throughout time in order to build the suspense and creep factor I was looking for. Although I wasn’t as satisfied as I would have liked, I found the ending to be smart and twisted. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller that you can devour in a single sitting.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors. I've been trying to read all her books and I'm always happy when she has a new one out.

I love her writing style and her characters always seem to have a quirkiness to them that I very much enjoy. Her scenarios are always unique and fresh.

This story revolves around an old family home in an up-to do neighbourhood in London. Twenty-five years ago 3 adults were found dead in the home and 2 teenaged children went missing. One thing left behind was a 10 month old baby in her crib. The story is told through three points of view and in the beginning it is a little bit confusing. Soon things become more clear.

I have to say this is probably my least favourite Lisa Jewell book. The story was interesting but did not grab my attention like her other books have. It is a testament to her writing that I still wanted to continue reading and find out what really happened all those years ago.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy

A phenomenal book! I inhaled this story within two days. Lisa Jewell has been one of my favourite authors since the late 90s, and every new book is a pure delight to read. Excellent story line, beautifully written characters and a plot so twisty and compelling I almost forgot to breathe.

This is the third book I have read by Lisa Jewell and she proves herself to once again be a master of the gothic psychological thriller. The suspense she creates not only through her mysterious characters but through her plot twists and creepy atmosphere lends to a thriller that is as intriguing as it is disturbing.

This particular novel moves between past and present and is told through multiple perspectives which I really enjoyed. The dysfunctional family dynamics and unsettling atmosphere make this a darker read than her previous novels, but she weaves all the pieces together expertly, creating a page turner that I could not get enough of.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors so my expectations are always high. This book while not my favourite of hers did not disappoint. She’s a great writer and always knows how to keep the reader in suspense. This book is told from multiple perspectives and gives a creepy, twisty vibe which really picks up pace near the middle.

The Family Upstairs is a psychological thriller that focuses on Libby, a young woman who just turned 25 and inherited a multi-million dollar home. The home was left to her by her biological parents, with whom she has no relationship as she was raised by a foster family. Meanwhile, the alternating chapters flip to other characters who are exchanging texts that read, "The baby is 25". This immediately drew me in. I'm being very careful about spoilers here, but the book is laced with different perspectives and some clever liars. Normally I'm able to figure out the ending before it's revealed. I did predict some parts of the plot but there are two twists towards the end of the novel that were very unexpected. The last two pages of this book knocked me off my feet.

I'm rating this novel four stars because some parts of the book were a little confusing so I had to revisit prior chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This is my 2nd or 3rd book by Lisa Jewell she doesn’t disappoint. But, this one gave me weird vibes. The first part was a bit slow and I was somewhat confused at first but soon I got to know who was whom in the story.
The story had a good flow, found out the truth about Libby, her mother, half siblings etc... but at the end I wanted more; Phin what about him. It wasn’t totally explored. Felt unfinished to me. I wanted more.
I want to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for an early copy in exchange of an honest review.

Wow! The Family Upstairs is absolutely full of twists and turns. Not only will it keep you guessing, but you won't know what hit you by the end of the book.
If you were/are a fan of V.C. Andrews, then you need to put this book on your to read list.... right now!

This was such a creepy story.

There were three different alternating narratives. Two were in third person, and followed Libby and Lucy. The third narrative was in first person, told by Henry. It took a while for these narratives to come together, but each story was thrilling in itself.

There were so many creepy parts to the story. I couldn’t figure out how everyone was related for a long time, but I really wanted to find out. I couldn’t put the book down.

I highly recommend this book if you like fast paced thrillers!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my fourth Lisa Jewell book. I liked it but it was not everything I was expecting. It was interesting to read about the cults, family drama, and all the all mysteries that were coming together. I will still continue to pick up Lisa Jewells books and stioonhave some on my TBR to get to.
You did it again Lisa Jewell! Another great story to get sucked into.

So creepy and intense!

I absolutely loved everything about this book! The characters, the tone, and the plot, everything was deliciously sinister!

Fabulous writing and positively enthralling, The Family Upstairs will not allow you to put it down. Make sure you eat, drink, and have a potty break before you start, because once you go in, you won't be coming back it till it's done.

Truly one of my favourite thrillers of 2019!

I’m sorry I’m late with this one! But this novel was completely absorbing from start to finish. It alternates between present day and Libby whose just been informed she’s inherited a grand house in a fashionable and very expensive area of London, left to her by her late parents. Libby knows she was adopted but she has no idea of her past.

Going back 25 years + we learn about the original family of that home and all the other occupants that came to stay during that time frame.

We also have 2 more present day points of view of 2 other house members but were not quite sure who. They act as the narrator for that time period.

Some truly bad things occur in the home. And the after shocks do have some far reaching consequences.. a story of lives destroyed, innocence lost, corruption, power and greed and the coming together of family.

A highly engrossing read that never drags or let’s up with the action and the mysteries.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this great novel.

Omg I loved this book. I read it in less than a 24 hour period while on holidays and had a hard time putting it down. It's all kinds of crazy and multi dimensional and INTENSE.

Libby is now 25 years old and the day she has been waiting for her entire life has arrived. The day she finds out who her birth parents are. But she also finds out that she's now the owner of a multi million dollar home in London. In alternating chapters, we also quickly learn that Libby isn't the only one who has been waiting for this day.

25 years ago, horrible things happened in the house on Cheyne Walk. Police arrived on scene to find 3 dead bodies on the floor, a suicide note and a healthy, thriving 10 month old baby (Libby). What events and secrets led to their deaths, but the survival of Libby? What happened to the other children reportedly living in the home?

It was crazy to read the chapters about the past, about what really went down behind the doors of the mansion. There's something weirdly fascinating about cults, as horrifying as they may be. And then trying to piece together how the past meets up with the present and who, if anyone, is not to be trusted or is the "bad guy"...it's hard to get this out in words, but man, I had no idea how it was all going to play out, but it was quite the ride!


Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.