this is a complicated read. It is book 2 in the Family Upstairs series and I would highly recommend reading it first. The characters are numerous and some go by several names. I read book one and maybe I should have reread it before starting this one. Not sure why I don't remember half that story.
The suspense factor isn't real high. I've enjoyed her other books more than this one.

I really loved The Family Upstairs, but I feel like this one was even better! The complexity of the characters kept me hooked the entire time.

A decent sequel to The Family Upstairs. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the first one so was thrilled to find out Jewell was releasing a sequel. I thought it did a decent job wrapping it all together and followed the things that occurred after the first book. While interesting and entertaining, I ultimately found the Rachel perspective unnecessary and everything ultimately anti-climactic. The ending with Finn and Henry did surprise me, however. But I find it hard to believe that given Henry's character arc.

3.5/5 stars

The Family Remains is marketed as a standalone sequel to The Family Upstairs. So did it work as a standalone for me? Unfortunately not; however, it can work as one. I did read The Family Upstairs, but three years later, I forgot most of what happened. I didn’t know what I should have remembered and what I didn’t know yet, which took away some of the suspense in the story. I didn’t need to remember anything, as Lisa Jewell provides us with the background we need to know. Reading both back to back would be the best reading experience to get to know the characters and the horror they endured while living in the house of horrors. If you read The Family Upstairs and don’t remember much or haven’t read it, you are in good hands with Lisa Jewell

The hook and pace: Was the story a page-turner?

The story opens in 2019, when human remains are discovered, creating questions about who and how long they have been there. Then we are taken back to 2018 London, where Rachel Rimmer is awoken by a phone call informing her that her husband, Michael, was found murdered. DCI Samuel Owusu suspects the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago, known to us as “the house of horrors.” Then we’re taken back to 2019, where Henry Lamb now lives with his sister Lucy and her children in London.

It sounds a bit confusing with a lot going on, and Lisa Jewell had me turning the pages as she juggles the three storylines and weave together four narratives that eventually overlap and come together nicely. However, she takes her time, slowing down the pace, and waits too long to show us the connections. That was slightly off from her signature writing style. BUT Lisa Jewell has given her readers what they ask for here in The Family Remains: to find out what happens next for the characters who survived the house of horrors after that line in The Family Upstairs.

The Characters

Jewell dives back into the psyche of Henry Lamb, one of her most unsettling characters from TFU. Libby locates her birth father, Phin Thomsen, who also survived the house of horror. Phin disappears again, and Henry becomes obsessed with finding Phin. I loved the creepy feeling Henry gave me, TFU, and the last chapters left me chilled to the bone. With so much going on, I didn’t get that chilling feeling I wanted from Henry in this one, which detracts from the suspense of Henry’s pursuit of Phin. I wanted to spend more time in Henry’s head.

Lisa Jewell introduces us to a new character Rachel Rimmer as she remembers her disastrous marriage with her abusive husband, Micheal.

Payoff: Are the twists and turns exciting and shocking with a rewarding payoff in the end?

Yes, Even though things didn’t quite go as I wanted them to, I did find them exciting and rewarding in the end.

Overall I enjoyed it and I am glad Jewell allowed us to see what happens next for the characters.

I had a difficult time with this one. It was just super dark and a bit hard to follow. Perhaps I would have had a better experience if I had re-read the Family Upstairs, but I found it tough to get through.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book and its earlier one, The Family Upstairs, provides a clear indication of just how one's family and early developmental years have impacted on one's outlook and goals. Many of us come from unfortunate backgrounds, and many of us are trying, as in this book, to overcome the misdeeds of the past and make amends for family members' shortcomings. This is very sad story but so very true in its telling. A must read for anyone in developmental psychology or in family practices. I loved both these books and felt the protagonists' anguish.

I am a fan of Lisa Jewell's books. Each one seems to capture my attention more then the previous one. The book begins with a a discovery of bones that are connected to a cold case from 30 years ago. Rachel Rimmer receives news that her husband has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France. Lucy Lamb is coming back to London after being gone for 30 years. They all are surrounded by mysteries and come to find that they are connected in ways they didn't imagine. Family secrets become unburied. Great writing of complex themes.

I was so excited to read the sequel of The Family Upstairs because I loved the original book.
It was great to meet all the characters again and see what they were up to.
The book introduces some new characters like a detective and an old character’s ex wife.
The story takes some more twists and turns but all in all I was quite pleased with the ending.
A must read for fans of the original book.

Somehow I totally and completely didn't realize this one is a sequel! But thankfully I had already read the 1st book, and liked it! If I wanted the full and total experience I probably would have re-read The Family Upstairs, as it has been a whole, but I can attest that it definitely works as a standalone, as I didn't remember all that much from the 1st one. I loved the addition of Rachel's POV in this one, very realistic and raw. I would check trigger warnings if you have any sensitivities though. I really loved this book, and was totally into every POV and story line. I will say a warning that I give most people for Jewell which is she doesn't wrote "gotcha" mysteries, she writes unfolding creepy stories, which I love, but I know if you are thinking it's more a traditional mystery can really throw you off. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Here we have yet another stimulating read by Lisa Jewell. I don’t think there are any of her books that I’ve read and not highly enjoyed. I will always love short chapters that keep you on your toes.

The family dynamics throughout this one are very complex, for good reason. I enjoyed that it was told with multiple points of view. Michael, Rachel, Lucy, and Henry are who we hear from. I loved the way the author had the characters lives intersect.

I was very happy to see the author gave you a lot of backstory, without boring me, since I read the first not so long ago. I would highly recommend reading The Family Upstairs first, even though it can technically be read as a stand-alone.

I purchased The Family Upstairs as one of my BOTMs ages ago and finally decided to push it to the top of my tbr when I was given an advanced reader copy of the second book. I’m glad that I did, because it was absolutely phenomenal, despite being a bit predictable.

I was excited to read The Family Remains, so I started it immediately, and boy, oh, boy, was I disappointed.

If you've just finished the first book and feel the need to know the rest of the story, then go for it! It's a super quick read, but prepare yourself for disappointment. However, Henry’s point of view is the only interesting one, and he seems like an entirely different person. Rachel is a spoiled rich girl, so her perspective is hard to read (even after the horrifying incident) and Lucy’s perspective is beyond boring. Plus, the ending is EXTREMELY disappointing and doesn’t fit in with the genre at all. I highly recommend the first book, but I could have done without the second. Now to add Lisa Jewell’s other novels to my never-ending tbr.

Thank you to Netgalley & Publishers for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me engaged the entire time. I would definitely recommend it to someone or even (possibly) read it again. It made me want to check out the author's other work.

This was a great sequel to the The Family Upstairs, which previously was my least favorite Lisa Jewell. I feel this book helped tie up the parts I felt were missing previously. I liked how they gave everyone a good ending, and Henry stayed just as strange.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria books for the advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVE Lisa Jewell's stories, so when I heard about this one I knew it was a must-read for me. I listened to the first book on audio a few months ago in preparation for this release. I think that wasnt the best for that book because I don't think I retained enough to get a good understanding for this sequel.

None the less, I loved this book. It was a great story with compelling characters. I love the way this authir can take a slow burn book and give it a huge twist ending that makes the slow-ness worth it. I also really enjoyed the short but concise chapters - makes it a quicker and more devourable read for me!

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Lisa's books have become such a staple for my fall reads TBR and I look forward to them every year now!

My biggest complaint about this book is that the American characters (those they encountered in Chicago) spoke like Brits. For example, an American would never say, "I picked him up from the airport and took him back to ours for dinner." This author needs to learn how Americans speak or at least have an American edit that dialog.

The back-and-forth between different POVs got a little confusing; would have been better if each chapter was labeled with the character's name.

I really enjoyed this read. There were some parts that I was a but confused at only because there were so many different characters but in the end it all made sense. I really liked the ending, although I have to say I was expecting another crazy twist but it was almost refreshing that it didn’t go in that direction.

I am typically a huge Lisa Jewell fan, but unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me. I read The Family Upstairs a while back and really enjoyed that novel. I found that this one was a REALLY slow burn, and I often got lost when it came to who's point of view i was reading. This book is marketed as a sequel, but also could be a standalone. I don't think this would be a great standalone, as it was confusing keeping up with the characters. I think it would be especially confusing if you didn't read The Family Upstairs. Overall, this book was alright, however not very memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to read this one. Just as good in my opinion. I love the twisty way several stories come together. 4 stars

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for a copy of Lisa Jewell’s The Family Remains.

The Family Remains is a sequel to Jewell’s 2019 novel, The Family Upstairs. The first novel in the series ended without necessarily requiring a sequel, yet left many of the characters adrift after escaping a traumatizing situation. The Family Remains brings a sense of closure to their lives, allowing the characters time to rebuild and process. Although, of course the story is not so simple, as that would make for a very dull book!

In The Family Remains, siblings Lucy and Henry are faced with confronting their past, when Henry decided to track down an old friend. Henry is a mysterious character and it is unclear if unresolved childhood damage has turned him into a dangerous adult. Lucy, who has been living under a different identity and fears exposure, is compelled to risk her secrecy and fly to Chicago to find Henry. Exposure for the siblings is further risked when the body of a pop-star washes ashore on the Thames, a decades old murder that involves the siblings.

You do not need to have read The Family Upstairs to understand or enjoy The Family Remains. They are independent books. However, I feel that my experience of the sequel was enhanced by reading the first book. I wish I had read them back-to-back, as I had forgotten many details of The Family Upstairs Jewell does not often write sequels, but I was pleased that she decided to revisit these memorable characters and give them closure, especially Henry.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and I have read most of her books. Although I enjoyed The Family Remains, I felt it was a little slower paced and not as engaging as her other books. Perhaps it was due to the necessary information drops to remind us of the events in The Family Upstairs. Also, the first book was very chilling and unexpected, while The Family Remains had less overall tension. It was more of a closure story than a straight-up mystery, which made me feel happy for the characters that I had grown to like, but also didn’t lends itself to the normal surprise of her other books.

One small thing that drove this California native crazy…Lucy’s family goes to burger chain In-and-Out during their visit to Chicago. This chain does not exist in Chicago! Because I knew this, it momentarily took me out of the story.

If you’re a fan, absolutely read The Family Remains. If you’re new to Jewell, read The Family Upstairs.