I have always liked Jewell's books but this one really dragged for me. I had read the Family Upstairs which I enjoyed so I was familiar with the characters. I don’t find this a thriller or that it really had a mystery. At times I was confused who was speaking as there are timelines going back and forth. Also didn’t like how it rushed an ending.

The Family Remains
My thanks to #NetGalley and #Simon&Schuster for the advance copy ebook of #TheFamilyRemains by Lisa Jewell, in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan, and I eagerly await new titles, and this one did not disappoint! A continuation of #TheFamilyUpstairs, The Family Remains brings us back to the Lamb family and all their glory. I highly recommend reading The Family Upstairs first, as it will help the reader better understand the nuance of this sequel. I just love the drama that surrounds this family! It’s a suspenseful, psyc

I am always a huge Lisa fan, and this one was amazing per usual. I loved the sequel diving into Henry’s life! I would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to review this book.
One of my favorite questions to ask other readers is, “What authors are on your auto-read list?” Lisa Jewell has been one of mine for the last couple of years, so I was excited when I first heard about her new book, The Family Remains. I was even more excited to hear that it was a continuation of The Family Upstairs, published back in 2019.

First off, you do not need to read The Family Upstairs prior to reading this book. You can absolutely read The Family Remains as a standalone. In fact, I think you can argue that the book is more exciting if you read it as a standalone because much of the plot of The Family Upstairs is rehashed in The Family Remains. It’s been several years since I’ve read The Family Upstairs, and even though it took me a second to keep the characters straight in my head, I was glad I did not refresh my memory by reading a summary of The Family Upstairs first. However, reading the second book first will absolutely spoil the “surprises” in The Family Upstairs (as will reading the rest of this review).

The Family Remains picks up soon after The Family Upstairs left off. Libby Jones has just sold her childhood home, and she’s splitting the money between her mom, Lucy Lamb, and her uncle, Henry Lamb. The family has also made arrangements to go see Libby’s birth father, Phin Thomsen, in Botswana. Henry, who is still nursing an obsession with Phin so deeply ingrained that he dyed his hair and had plastic surgery to look like him, catches wind of the trip and tries to casually tag along. However, his obsession shows through the cracks. Shortly after Lucy and Libby reveal that Henry is coming with them, Phin suddenly disappears. Henry can’t bear to let Phin slip through his fingers again, so he pulls off some next-level stalker moves and finds out that Phin went to Chicago. Henry frantically pursues Phin to Chicago and begins closing in on his location. When Lucy figures out that Henry is gone, she enlists the help of her son, Marco, to find his location. Then, uneasy by her brother’s stalker-ish behavior and the intentions behind it, she chases after him before it’s too late.

While the Lambs are in Chicago, Libby’s life begins to crumble after she is contacted by local police. A mudracker found a bag of bones in the Thames River, and the police soon identify them as belong to Birdie Dunlop-Evers. Birdie played a prominent role in The Family Upstairs, so this storyline brings her tale to fruition. Libby tries to protect her family from the fallout, but she keeps getting caught in her lies. Journalist Miller Roe is also back, and he’s having no more luck with the police. Will the authorities find out what happened in the Lambs’ house of horror?

If two storylines aren’t enough, we have a third one that plays out in this book. Rachel Gold, a 20-something jewelry designer, meets a magnetic older man named Michael Rimmer in a drugstore. Within a few months, the couple is married in a whirlwind romance. Michael seems like the perfect husband until their honeymoon, when Rachel suggests that they make things a little more interesting in the bedroom. This suggestion unleashes Michael’s dark side, and Rachel begins to see the danger lurking to the surface. Before she knows it, Rachel finds herself deeply entwined with Michael’s ex-wife, Lucy Lamb. When Michael ends up dead, Rachel has some explaining to do.

This book adds depth to The Family Upstairs and gives fans of the book a satisfying sequel to the original. Questions I had at the end of the first book were definitely answered. However, while it adds depth to the original story, there’s not a lot of new material. Most of the book chronicles Henry’s hunt for Phin, which was among my least favorite parts of the book. I really enjoyed Rachel’s story, but it only accounted for 1/3 of the plot. If you read The Family Upstairs, I think you leave this book thinking, “That felt like a summary of the first book.” If you didn’t read The Family Upstairs, I think you leave the book thinking, “I’m a little confused about what happened in that house, and I want to know more about that.” I’m torn between whether I think this book should have been a sequel or whether it should have been a couple extra chapters in the original book. While I think The Family Upstairs is a must-read for thriller fans, The Family Remains is one I could take or leave.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

When I heard Lisa Jewell was returning to the Lamb universe with a sequel to "The Family Upstairs," I was a bit wary. "The Family Upstairs" had been so carefully crafted, so intricately plotted that I worried a sequel may not live up to the first novel. I am thrilled to report that I was entirely mistaken. "The Family Remains" is everything I could have hoped for in a second installation of the Lamb family saga. We revisited some of our favorite characters, Libby, Lucy, and Henry, we learned more about the only very briefly mentioned Rachel Rimmer from the first novel, and we met the intrepid DI Samuel Owusu.

DI Owusu appears on the scene when a mudlarking group unearths a bag of bones tossed into the Thames. When he discovers their connection to the murder-suicide of suspected cult members at 16 Cheyenne Walk, he can't help but wonder if he will be the one to finally put this decades-old cold case to rest.

Rachel Rimmer wakes with a start as an early morning phone call informs her that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his vacation home. Police find themselves grasping at straws and turn to Rachel to provide answers about her marriage and her husband. Answers Rachel is desparately trying to avoid giving.

Finally, we return to Libby, Lucy, and Henry Lamb. Everything should be turning up roses for our golden trio after the sale of their ancestral home and the millions waiting for each of them in their respective bank accounts. Instead, Lucy finds herself unable to relax with the specter of Michael's murder lingering over her shoulder. Henry finds the constant intrusion of Lucy and her two children too much to bear, and upon receiving the news that Phinn has fled his Botswana Game Lodge, takes off on a manic and unplanned trip to track him down.

With all of the suspense and the action of the first novel, "The Family Remains" is a must-read for fans of Lucy Foley, Sarah Pinborough, and Ruth Ware, this is truly Lisa Jewell at her finest. Readers will be unable to tear themselves away from the story and will be left with as many questions as they have resolved.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

'The Family Remains,' by Lisa Jewell is a follow up to 'The Family Upstairs.' If you enjoyed the former you will be gloriously sucked back into the family drama. The pacing was perfect, the plotting well done. Great read - but I would recommend it as a sequel and not a stand alone for maximum impact.

Lisa Jewell did it again! She had created another page-turner. I loved The Family Upstairs and was thrilled when I got the chance to read The Family Remains, the sequel.

So. THE family is back, and together with them, the Chelsea mansion, the place that started and ‘almost’ ended everything. Why almost? Because if it ended, we wouldn’t be having a sequel. Ok, bad joke. Let’s move on.

We learn of three events taking place. First, a dead body has been found in the Thames River, and brought to the hands of Detective Owusu. He soon learned that it was connected to a cold case, thirty years ago, which took place in the Chelsea mansion. Second, Lucy was finally returning home after fleeing London thirty years ago, and was about to purchase her first home with her children, until suddenly her brother, Henry took off in search of a boy he was obsessed with many years ago. Then, we are introduced to Rachel Rimmer, who fell head over heels with Michael Rimmer, Lucy’s ex-husband, and married him. But this man didn’t appear anything that he claimed to be. These mysteries would soon reveal how connected these characters are to one another and how it will come to an unexpected end.

I loved meeting the characters again ESPECIALLY Henry (he’s my absolute favourite) and was happy for Lucy who had finally move on, trying to start a new life. What kept me turning the pages were those told by Henry and Rachel. Henry was crazy creepy yet there was something dark and weird about him that kept me turning the pages, wanting to find out how it would all turn out for him on his hunt for Phin. Then we have Rachel whose life changed after she married Michael. But the marriage didn’t end well. Michael was manipulative, conniving and vengeful, and I was hoping to see that he received deserving ending!

Overall, a satisfying ending to this series. I’d recommend it to Jewell fans, especially those who have read its prequel. I agree with some readers who mentioned that you’d appreciate the sequel more if you’d have read The Family Upstairs, because in the prequel, the reader would learn more about the characters. Reading its sequel helped me recall them and the events, but were it read as a standalone, I feel like it wouldn’t do it justice. So, if you’re interested in getting started (which I highly recommend!), read this series in sequence. And if you aren’t already a fan of this author, and you love a good slow-burn thriller, try this series!

I started seeing quite a number of reviews on this book before I picked it up which made me reluctant to do so. What I kept hearing was "what is the purpose of this book" and it was "not needed." While I may tend to slightly agree I still had a good time reading it. I love Lisa Jewell's writing and she just has a way of sucking you in to a story from page 1. It was also fun to be with the characters again for book 2. I will always love reading about Henry's shenanigans and would read a book while he is solely the main character.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read a copy!

For lovers of The Family Upstairs, this follow up book satisfies the desire to see what happened to the characters who had such a chilling start to life. Lucy, Libby, and Henry are back as well as some other characters are back to help us finish the story. We are brought back to the Chelsea mansion where a body has been found nearby. As the detective starts to investigate, he is quickly introduced to the history of this house and the once children who used to live there. Do they have a connection to this body? Both those who have read the first book and those who haven't will find an intriguing mystery wrapped up in a very intersting family drama. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Night She Disappeared so I was excited to read this new book by Lisa Jewell. I did not enjoy this book at all. I did not read The Family Upstairs and maybe that would have helped with making sense of this story. There was no mystery and it was more of a confusing domestic drama. Thank you #NetGalley for my copy.

The Family Remains is a fantastic thriller by Lisa Jewell.
This book is a follow up sequel to The Family Upstairs.

I really loved this book. The author digs into more of the story from the previous book.

The characters are complex, flawed and unpredictable.

The twists kept me reading until the very end.

This is yet another good read by this author. I love most everything she writes and this is no exception. The plot is always fast paced and engaging and it always has characters which are believable and beautifully broken .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

I read all of Lisa Jewell's books and knew that this one would be no exception. The only problem...it's a sequel of a prior book that I certainly couldn't remember all of the details. Fortunately, I found a good recap, spoilers and all, online that helped fill in the back story, because you will definitely need that knowledge to appreciate this book. This book is another win for this author. Great story, detailed characters, and a nice tight mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was perfect, since it had been awhile since I read the family upstairs I decided to re-read it and honestly it was not necessary, this book could be read as a standalone but I am SO GLAD we got a sequel!! I am glad we got a chapter form henry's perspective. The writing was excellent.

You may hear that his is a standalone book, and you don’t need to have read The Family Upstairs first but I disagree. The Family Remains continues the story of Lucy, Libby, Henry, and Phin and switches between the same two narrators as the first book. If you can’t grab The Family Upstairs from your local library, you can find a detailed recap online to catch you up. In The Family Remains, we are updated on Lucy’s, Henry’s, and Libby’s lives and are introduced to new characters Rachel, Michael, and Samuel. The Rachel/Michael narrative is related to the “main” story but seemed a bit out of place at times. I loved learning more about what Lucy has been doing and seeing her relationship with Libby. Henry is as creepy as ever and on a mission to reconnect with Phin. I appreciated the conclusion of the story and as always, I look forward to Lisa Jewell’s next book!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

Pick up with the Lamb family one year after their reconnection. They have just settled the family's estate when a detective with London's PD starts to ask questions about the triple murder-suicide that occurred 25 years ago. The family scatters as they try to hunt down old family members while racing against Detective Owusu as he starts to solve the decades old cold case.

This sequel wrapped up a few loose ends from the previous novel. Not sure I'd read it as a stand alone. I do like that we were able to learn more about characters from the first novel that were only just mentioned (Rachel Rimmer, Michael Rimmer's second wife).

I enjoyed the multiple timelines and POVs. I actually liked this one more than #TheFamilyUpstairs. I really enjoyed Rachel’s POV. I thought this was a fun deeper dive into all the characters and liked seeing where they ended up several years later.

This was a disappointment. The first Lisa Jewell I haven't loved. Having a sequel to the Family Upstairs seems tired. I wasn't able to fall in love with the mystery in this one because it really didn't have one. I became bored of the story and didn't like the twists.

The Family Remains is a follow-up to author Lisa Jewell's best seller The Family Upstairs. I loved The Family Upstairs (5 stars), but there were several loose threads left at the end. So I was excited to see that Jewell was releasing a follow-up. I have to be honest though, The Family Remains is a tough book to get through if you haven't read (and remembered) The Family Upstairs. I chose -- wrongly -- to not go back and reread The Family Upstairs because The Family Remains is really not a standalone novel. I found myself constantly trying to remember characters and events that I read about over three years ago, and my memory is honestly not that good.

In this new novel, police in London retrieve the body of a young woman from the Thames River. While the body is newly discovered, they quickly learn that the woman died many years ago and is not a drowning victim. What's more, they are able to trace the body to the creepy home from The Family Upstairs. Thus the reader is reintroduced to Henry and Lucy Lamb, as well as Lucy's daughter, Libby. We are also tangentially reintroduced to another character from the first book, Phineas, a boy with whom Henry was obsessed. Henry gets a lead on Phineas's whereabouts and decides to take off to Chicago to find him somehow. A good percentage of the book follows Henry and his misadventures in Chicago. The third narrative stream is about Lucy Lamb's ex-husband (Michael) who has been killed in France. This introduces us to a new character named Rachel, Michael's wife.

It's a lot of characters, several plotlines, and for me, a lot of confusion. If I had read this book directly after reading The Family Upstairs, I probably would have given it 4 or 5 stars. However, because this is not written as a stand-alone, I'm dropping it to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eGalley. I still love Lisa Jewell, but this was a miss for me for the reason stated.

This is the follow up to The Family Upstairs and although it might be able to be enjoyed as a standalone story, it really builds on the previous plot. I was interested to find out how Lucy and Henry moved forward in life and how strongly the character of Phin still impacted their existence (especially Henry). There is a mystery plot that runs alongside their story and that was some of my favorite material in this book. I loved the DI character and finding out how the story of Rachel connected to the characters we already knew. Overall, I enjoyed this book but not as much as The Family Upstairs. The first book is a shocking psychological thriller while this one is more of a slow burn mystery. I definitely recommend reading it if you read the first because it was interesting to revisit this tortured family and see how they continue to navigate the world.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.