I was so excited I almost didn’t believe it when I saw Lisa Jewell was writing a Family Upstairs sequel. I loved the first book so much, and it still I with me for years. Returning to Lucy and Henry’s lives was another immersive, twisty experience. Henry is such a layered, unique character and I truly enjoyed seeing him navigate everything that was thrown back at him in this book. The conclusion of the Lambs’ story was bittersweet, but also very fitting. If you loved The Family Upstairs, you’ll love spending more time with these characters.

I enjoyed this book it was engrossing and a fast-paced read. Jewell masterfully weaves the storyline from The Family Upstairs into this sequel and the story I had read a couple years ago quickly came back to me. I liked getting to know the characters better, their weaknesses and strengths. I highly recommend this book and for a better experience suggest reading The Family Upstairs first.

ARC was provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Pub Date: 23 Aug 2022

I’ve read all of Lisa Jewell’s books and this is hands down her best. Much more emotional than her previous stories and I loved the detective! She’s already on my library’s auto-buy list, but I will be recommending this to patrons left and right!

I just read the family upstairs in March, and it amazes me with how many of the details I had forgotten! Thankfully I have persuaded a friend to read it and she just finished it so we were able to discuss The Family Upstairs as a recap!
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The Family Remains has such a perfect title for the story. While Lucy and Henry are still using different names to hide their identity, all of that changes when the truth starts to come out in this book. When Birdies remains are found, much investigating starts to lead back to the house in Chelsea, the House of horrors. All of this investigating has police asking questions, and people's true identities and the secrets that everyone thought died in that house coming alive.
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Some things you can't run away from forever. While reading the first book, you may not realize that there are loose ends, but after you finish this one you will feel that everything has been tied up in a perfect bow.
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I highly recommend this series, if you haven't read the first one, make sure you get it and preorder the The Family Remains !

You need to read the Family Upstairs before you read this book as it has same characters and starts off where the other book ended.

A mudlarker finds human bones along the Thames and calls the police. The bones lead them to Chelsea, and the house of horrors. It has finally been sold and the former residents are trying to move on with their lives. They are all damaged and the bones bring back memories they would rather not have. Lucy and Henry will have to face their past in order to move forward.

What I liked is you aren't sure exactly who the killer is. They are so many different small stories going on and fun to see how they all connect. Such a gripping page turner you just want to block out the world and read in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This is the long-awaited sequal to the Family Upstairs (a book that will stay with you long after setting it down). This book contains two stories/crimes (the deaths of Michael Rimmer and Birdie Dunlop-Evers) as well as the quest for Phin. Fans of the first book will certainly want to pick this one up and should be satisfied overall with the story and characters. 4.5 stars.

This was the perfect addition to the Family Upstairs. It’s laced with mystery, drama, and kept me guessing until the end while also giving great background and fill in to the original story. I do wish I would have reread the first one just to familiarize myself with the story and the people again. In the beginning I was trying so hard to remember the first book and piece it to this one but once I just let the story unfold, the story flew by. I liked the alternating timelines and multiple POVs. I admire the way Jewell was able to weave together the different storylines and characters so well while still keeping the mystery throughout. This is more a family drama mystery than an out right thriller but I enjoyed it immensely.

Thirty years after the events that changed all their lives, the children of the Cheyne Walk have all grown up and moved on, mostly. Their lives are far from usual but they’ve all done their best to piece together their lives. Lucy and Henry are eager to hunt down the mysterious Phin, halfway around the world. But when bones are found and traced back to their childhood home, they’re thrown into the investigation and the lives they’ve done to know could be at jeopardy.


I do wish each chapter would have mentioned whos POV it was like it was down with Samuel, sometimes it would take me a bit to figure out where we were in the story and it took away from the enjoyment a bit, especially in the beginning.

Thank you atria and NetGalley for early access!

In The Family Remains we are presented with the "stand-alone" sequel to The Family Upstairs. I'm not sure I agree with that categorization as it certainly tied up a lot of loose ends from the previous book and built upon the events of that book. Jewell does a wonderful job filling in any gaps in the readers memories, but at the same time I think this is a book best enjoyed having read the first book about the tragic and troubled Lamb family.

As I mentioned, the story lines are wrapped up neatly and very nicely. Perhaps a bit too nicely, but it was satisfying to see happy endings for Lucy and her children especially. I'm glad I was able to read this novel and would certainly recommend it to readers of The Family Upstairs who were left with far too many questions at its conclusion.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I'm not really sure The Family Upstairs demanded a sequel. I hadn't actually realized this was a sequel until I started reading and thinking these plot points feel very familiar. I looked up a summary of The Family Upstairs to refresh my memory and instead found a review that was very upset about how the author seemed to equate homosexuality with being psychotic. I have to admit, this ended up coloring my own feelings toward Henry in this book. Henry is characterized as an aging queer, vain and deeply sociopathic and it does make it feel like his sexuality is somehow tied into these other traits. I'm not certain it's homophobic but problematic at best. Ultimately too, for a character painted as the family's Dexter, it's disappointing that really all he needed was for someone to care and someone to talk to. Well, no shit - some therapy would probably greatly help everyone in this family. The Family Remains didn't really add much to the character journeys of Henry and Lucy. It introduces the character of Rachel, Lucy's ex-husband's second wife. While Rachel is very likable and I rooted for her, her story is so unnecessary. It literally reads like Lucy's marriage to Michael and just adds that he was a serial abuser. I like Jewell's books but ultimately I don't think this one added anything to the original.

Such a good follow up to the family upstairs. I loved revisiting all the characters and seeing how everything came back to add up in the end. I felt really nostalgic reading this. Overall it was a “feel good” book for me. One of my favorite parts was the kids tracking down Henry, it felt thrilling to read them use their skills at such a young age to catch up to him. Also loved the different timelines and POVS and how it made me feel like I just needed to keep reading one more chapter to figure out actually happened. This book kept me up until 3AM because I literally couldn’t stop. Loved it!

In a sequel to the dark thriller, The Family Upstairs, the police have discovered Birdie's remains and start to investigate what really happened in the house. With the police asking questions, Lucy is terrified they will find out that she killed her ex-husband, while at the same time we learn the backstory of Michael and his second wife. Meanwhile, Henry's obsession with Finn continues as he tries to track Finn down in Chicago.

Confused? You need to read the first book (and probably refresh your memory with a summary) because Jewell jumps right in where the last book left off. Admittedly, it was fun to see what happened to all the characters from The Family Remains. Yet, on the whole, the sequel felt completely unnecessary. Far from adding much to the story, Jewell stripped out the darker elements that made The Family Upstairs so memorable and went with a slow-burn character study.

QUICK TAKE: not sure why we had to give the minor rape storyline from THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS an even bigger spotlight, but here we are. As a standalone book, I had big issues with THE FAMILY REMAINS. The stalker brother storyline never really lands, and ultimately I found the entire book a bit soft (I needed more cults and murder). That being said, I think reading TFU and TFR back-to-back as one big story might be a more rewarding reading experience.

After reading The Family Upstairs, I was excited to get this sequel! I was confused through the majority of it with name changes from the first one to hide their identity after fleeing their home 3 decades ago. The Lamb family suffered the influence of a drifter David moving into their mansion and taking over their household and abusing the children. He was a cult leader and brainwashed the parents. Later, the parents would be found dead with the leader of apparent suicide. The children escaped, but had lingering scars physically and psychologically.

Thirty years later, bones were found in the Thames tied to the Lamb family. The detective in revolving chapters tries to connect the dots to solve this case. The other chapters involve what happened to the children Lucy, Henry and Phinn when they grew up and how their situation is dark and grim. Some of them have made bad choices and are dealing with guilt and obsession.

Rachel has married Lucy's ex and has been told he has been found murdered in his basement. This is an interesting take on the book with these new characters introduced.
*Trigger warnings for spousal abuse.
I enjoyed it and feel like Lisa Jewell did a great job creating a sequel to The Family Upstairs. I'm not sure I would read it as a stand alone even though I did read it and was still confused. I wish I had refreshed my memory of the book before starting this one. I could not put it down and read it one day. It is very fast paced and intriguing.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

want to start by saying this is not a standalone!! To really get the story you must read The Family Upstairs first.

I think Lisa Jewell is a fabulous writer and has a way of hooking you in with each story she writes. I love how this book was clever and dark, had dual timelines, multiple POVs and followed an investigation. She does a great job reminding you of the events in the first book and adding in the necessary details when relevant. Also, some of the book takes place in the US, which is definitely a fun change. However, I will say that the story did not read like a thriller as much as Jewell's previous books and at times, parts of the plot were a bit over-dramatic/ unrealistic. I was waiting for a big twist and “wow” moment, but it never came. Still a worthwhile read if you read and enjoyed The Family Upstairs!

Thank you Atria for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: 8/9/22

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this novel. I am rating this book based the stars due to lack of time to leave a full review. #NetGalley #TheFamilyRemains

*instagram post to be linked shortly

This is the LONG AWAITED sequel to The Family Upstairs. The family dynamics in this book are even more *chefs kiss* than the first one. I don’t want to give too much away and give spoilers but you are going to want to read this if you like: multi-POVs, multi-timeline, family dynamics, family drama, domestic thrillers… the list goes on. Basically… just read this!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🍃

𝓟𝓾𝓫 𝓓𝓪𝓽𝓮: August 9th 2022

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This is the sequel to Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs, an intricate and complex psychological thriller with some old and new characters. Jewell uses her magic with her disturbed and unsettling storytelling.

The Family Remains will definitely give the reader some closure on what happens next and lets the reader see how the survivors are coping.

Once again Jewell delivered — chilling, disturbing, and unsettling in the best way!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩: 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 & 𝙁𝙪𝙣

Thank you @netgalley & @atriabooks @simonandschuster for my ARC of #TheFamilyRemains #LisaJewell #Netgalley #SimonandSchuster #AtriaBooks

This is the sequel that you didn't know you were waiting for! For this book, you will enjoy it more if you read book one, The Family Upstairs first. Book two is the aftermath and it's important to understand who is left and why they are there and if they have anything to prove.

There are mysteries and multiple timelines and pov running simultaneously. Everything does fall into place at the end in a real way, neither forced, nor false. If you enjoyed book one, love stories about cults, children who survive them or just one to jump on an English mystery, this is a book for you! #Atriabooks # netgalley #Netgalleybooks #TheFamilyRemains

Unlike others apparently, I was perfectly happy with the ending of 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗨𝗣𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦. A sequel to it never crossed my mind as needed, but I knew I had to read it once it was available.

Perfectly titled, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦 follows Henry on his obsession to find Phin, Lucy to now find Henry, and a detective deadset on finding out what happened years ago while trying to find the murderer of a bag of bones found in the Thames River. Rachel's story, who happens to be Lucy's ex-husband's wife, is also revealed. The author does a great job, refreshing the reader's memory on the first book, but I wouldn't recommend starting this book until you have finished 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗨𝗣𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦.

Overall, I am not sure what I expected. It wasn't as twisty and page turning as her other books. It does accomplish its purpose of providing the closure that others wanted. I was content before and remain content after.

🏡𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥'𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫…𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 - 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭!

I was thrilled to receive a NetGalley e-ARC of The Family Remains - one of my most anticipated sumner reads!
I decided to start with a reread of The Family Upstairs, as it has been a few years since I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing it the first time. I’m so glad I did!! To go from reading the very last page of The Family Upstairs to immediately beginning The Family Remains is a delicious treat - highly recommend doing so! You’ll be delighted! They are both absolutely awesome!

Massive gratitude to NetGalley, the brilliant Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this gem of a sequel in exchange for my honest and wholly independent opinion.