A British detective is called to where a body has been found. The person has been deceased for some time, but the body has been moved only recently. The deceased is none other than Birdie who is connected to a cold case from many years ago. He will try his best to crack that case wide open, but as he notes several times throughout the book, that isn't likely with cases of this age. A jump away in France, Rachel Rimmer has received news that her deplorable husband, Michael was murdered in his home -- likely the victim of an intruder...or was there some other motive? The core of the book, however, deals with Lucy Lamb and her brother, Henry, who is obsessed with Phin -- or is it Finn now? Phin has eluded Henry for years now, but is that about to come to an end? If Henry does find Phin, what is he doing to do? These mysteries and questions will be unraveled in the followup to The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself racing through it to get to the answers behind the twisted characters in this sequel. I do find it a bit odd that it's being marketed as a standalone novel when my whole reason for reading it was to build off of the first book. I think readers will WANT to know what happened to Lucy and Henry and Phin. Can they ever be a normal family? (Doubtful!) A fun, quick read for those wanting to pickup where we left off in The Family UpStairs.

I found this a satisfying sequel to The Family Upstairs. I would recommend to readers who love multiple POV stories and dark and twisty storylines. This a compulsively readable thriller that I finished in one sitting.

Lisa Jewell does it again. Loved the intensity and emotion of the story. So many relationships tested and so much intrigue and drama. I had a hard time putting this down. Every page pushed me deeper into the lives woven through various character narrative and I needed to know the outcome. The ending was a chef kiss …a sure bestseller.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

THE FAMILY REMAINS is the sequel to Lisa Jewell’s beloved THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS. Admittedly, I thought The Family Upstairs was fine but I wasn’t as entertained as other readers seemed to be. Based on where the original story left off, I was expecting a riveting search for a missing man in a lush safari setting. Unfortunately, there was no safari backdrop to get immersed in.

While there are multiple mysteries to solve, I kept waiting for a big twist that didn’t come. Rather, this is a slow burn mystery and an in-depth character study that explores the motivations behind many of the original characters. I’m not a publisher/marketer but I personally would not classify The Family Remains as a thriller. I didn’t feel the suspense or narrative drive that a propulsive thriller has.

In Jewell’s author note she mentioned that she doesn’t typically write sequels but her readers kept begging for one and she was happy to be back in Henry Lamb’s mind. In my opinion, this sequel may offer readers some closure but I don’t feel like it was a necessary addition. The story felt too lengthy and slow-paced for a breezy summer read.

Readers who loved THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS will likely welcome this sequel with anticipation and be more invested than I was. I’ll continue to read whatever Jewell writes, but this one wasn’t a personal favorite.

RATING: 3/5
PUB DATE: August 9, 2022

A big thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

I have read Lisa Jewell’s books in the past. And this is exactly what I was looking for. I was entranced in the book, the mystery and slowly putting things together. I was excited and exhausted throughout but I couldn’t have asked for anything better! 5/5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for the advanced copy of The Family Remains in exchange for my honest review!

Lisa Jewell has done it again, my friends. I flew through this one, always needing to know what was happening next and how all these storylines were going to weave themselves together.

I read The Family Upstairs in January of 2020, so I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to remember enough details to read the sequel (and let's be real who has the time to re-read books!?) I googled and found a couple different reviews with spoilers to refresh my memory, and I did feel that was sufficient. Jewell does a great job of referencing the first book without being too obvious, so I personally was never left wondering what was happening.

I loved the character developments, the pacing, and the alternating point of view chapters. Based on that ending I can't help but wonder if she's got book three in the works?! I could certainly seeing it go either way.

The Family Remains will be on bookshelves in the US August 9!

The Family Remains is an unexpected sequel to The Family Upstairs. I say unexpected because I believe the author has said no to sequels before. In this sequel, three children who were abused and locked in a house with a psychopath for 5 years grow up and become reunited with a baby that was left behind. They attempt to seek out another child who was also kept with them. Many interesting aspects and answers to some things lingering from the first book are answered when a body is discovered and linked to that house. Once again Lisa Jewell has it it out of the ball park with an edge of your seat thriller.

This might turn into an unpopular opinion, but I was not a huge fan of this one. Loved the first book! I found the alternating POV to be a little confusing at first. I love this author’s writing, but there weren’t any twists or surprises in this one. I was left with a “that’s it?…” feeling.

I’m definitely a mood reader, and maybe I wasn’t in the right mood to pick this one up. The storytelling and writing was great, I just think this one wasn’t for me. I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan, and can’t wait to see what she releases next!

I loved this one. I liked it better than the first. I love following up with characters and storylines, so this one was perfect for me. It has been a few years since the first one, and I didn’t go back and read it, but I don’t think that took away from this one. I was wondering the whole time where it was going and could not put this one down.

I love a good psychological thriller, and this one... wow!
It might not be quite a 5, but it is easily a 4+

I won't tell you about the story, you can read that on the book description, or in like every other review out there. That gets to be redundant. But I will say this story had me, hook like and sinker, and I could hardly put it down.
The author did a good job at weaving the different elements together and building the suspense.
I came away at the end with a good "book high" from the energy.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A follow-up to The Family Upstairs, I enjoyed this, but not quite as much as the first. I was super excited to see what became of all these interesting characters. Though the ending wasn’t nearly as satisfying, it was still an enjoyable and quick read.

If you know me at all, you know I’m a big Lisa Jewell fan. As such, I have been super excited to read her latest. It did not disappoint.

This is the sequel to The Family Upstairs, and I felt it did an excellent job revisiting the first book and addressing some unfinished business.

You’ll read the story from many different characters’ perspectives, and the narrative spans several years. You’ll also catch up with the old characters and meet some new ones.

It was a bit of a slow start for me because it’s been a while since I read the first book. But once my memory was refreshed, it picked right up.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the second book in her series about a family destroyed by abuse , neglect and murder. The author has a talent for winding the different character's stories together to a shocking conclusion. Many of the charcters here from the first book she delves deeper into what happened in their family home for the reader and we learn what type of twisted people they truly are. Some abuse scenes were very upsetting so I skipped pages. The author brings this interesting twisted story home in a way expected from her mysterious first book. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley. My review opinion is my own.

The Family Remains
by Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: August 9, 2022
Atria
* Thriller *Mystery
When I found out this was the sequel to The Family Upstairs I had to read this! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. After fleeing London thirty years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home. While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first-ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present.

As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they could have never imagined.
Great Book! Readers who enjoy Ruth Ware, Alice Feeney, and Riley Sager would enjoy reading this author.
I highly recommend it and have purchased it for our library.

When I heard there was a sequel coming out to Lisa Jewell's "The Family Upstairs", I couldn't wait to get my hands on it - and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Something I always love about her books is how she fleshes the characters out so well and focuses on the relationship dynamics as opposed to just focusing on the mystery. It's been a while since I've stayed up all night because I just had to finish a book but this kept me up flipping pages, having to know what was going to happen to the Lamb family. 4 out of 5 stars!

I was a huge fan of the family upstairs and greatly anticipated this read. This book is unique because it takes place after and prior to the first book the family upstairs. If you read the first book I would recommend you continue this series.

This story returns to the story of the Lamb children, victims of abuse who escaped a house of horrors. The Family Upstairs left us hanging; the Family Remains lets us know the rest of the story. It’s a mystery, not a thriller, and a story of family secrets. If you liked the first book you will enjoy the sequel. It was well-written, and introduced new characters in a way that cleared up seeming loopholes from the first story.

This was better than I expected with some twists and turns. I think it is best if you read The Family Upstairs first. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The Family Remains is a sequel to The Family Upstairs. If it's been a while since you have read The Family Upstairs, I highly recommend you reread it or at least skim it to be reminded of the characters and how it ended. The Family Remains is just that, it's an update to the children that escaped from the horrible home after the adults are left dead on the kitchen floor from a seemingly murder suicide. Henry, Lucy, and Phin are all middle age now. The baby, Serenity, was fostered and is now a lovely young adult named Libby. Lucy has been running since that day of escape, never using her real name. She marries and divorces Michael Rimmer, who is later found dead in his basement. Lucy and her children now live with Henry in his meticulous and lavish apartment. Henry is searching for Phin, who has tried to remain anonymous and hidden. All comes to a head when a body is washed ashore and is identified as Birdie, one of the adults from the house of horrors. This less of a mystery and more of an update to the lives of the children.

This was a great sequel to The Family Upstairs. My library has a lot of Lisa Jewell fans so we will definitely be getting it and recommending it to patrons. I did have a couple issues with the book. I didn't realize it was a sequel and although I read the first book, it was years ago, and a quick recap at the beginning would've been helpful. Also, at one point the characters are in Chicago, eating at an In n Out - fans of the burger joint will know that the closest one to Chicago would actually be in Texas.