This was the first book I've read by Lisa Jewell. I will be reading more. Even though this book is titled "The Family Upstairs" it is not about a family living above a family living below.

This book tells the story of Libby, who discovers she has inherited a house in London. Libby was adopted and the house belonged to her biological parents. They left the house to her in their will. The house has a history - 3 adults were found dead in the kitchen while Libby, as an infant, was upstairs in a crib with a lucky rabbit's foot tucked in the crib with her.

An investigative journalist had written a story about the dead people found in the house. A former socialite and her husband and another man. There were other children living in the home but they were not there when the bodies were discovered.

The book alternates between Libby's story, Lucy's story and the story leading up to the murder.

Very well written, which is why I will be reading more from her going forward. ( )

Family Saga

A bit of a creepy story of a family who invited people that no place to live. These same people included one man who was a con artist and turned the place into a cult with him as the leader. The story continues after the children learn to escape and one of them learns how to drug the adults that turned out to be deadly. Kirkus: This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. Learn moreGot it!Kirkus logo SIGN IN Profile Picturekirkus nav logo Book Reviews News & Features Kirkus Prize Magazine Writers' Center More Profile Picture search THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS bookshelfThis thriller is taut and fast-paced but lacks compelling protagonists.READ REVIEW Like Counts 6 Share via Facebook Share via Twitter Share via Email PrintTHE FAMILY UPSTAIRSby Lisa Jewell RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019Three siblings who have been out of touch for more than 20 years grapple with their unsettling childhoods, but when the youngest inherits the family home, all are drawn back together.At the age of 25, Libby Jones learns she has inherited a large London house that was held in a trust left to her by her birthparents. When she visits the lawyer, she is shocked to find out that she was put up for adoption when she was 10 months old after her parents died in the house in an apparent suicide pact with an unidentified man and that she has an older brother and sister who were teenagers at the time of their parents' deaths and haven't been seen since. Meanwhile, in alternating narratives, we're introduced to Libby's sister, Lucy Lamb, who's on the verge of homelessness with her two children in the south of France, and her brother, Henry Lamb, who's attempting to recall the last few disturbing years with his parents during which they lost their wealth and were manipulated into letting friends move into their home. These friends included the controlling but charismatic David Thomsen, who moved his own wife and two children into the rooms upstairs. Henry also remembers his painful adolescent confusion as he became wildly infatuated with Phineas, David?s teenage son. Meanwhile, Libby connects with Miller Roe, the journalist who covered the story about her family, and the pair work together to find her brother and sister, determine what happened when she was an infant, and uncover who has recently been staying in the vacant house waiting for Libby to return. As Jewell (Watching You, 2018, etc.) moves back and forth from the past to the present, the narratives move swiftly toward convergence in her signature style, yet with the exception of Lucy?s story, little suspense is built up and the twists can?t quite make up for the lack of deep characters and emotionally weighty moments.This thriller is taut and fast-paced but lacks compelling protagonists.

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Do not Drink the Kool-Aid

If you follow my reviews at all this year then you know that Lisa Jewell is a new Gem to add to my Thriller bracelet. I read Watching You to get a feel for how Lisa writes and I was an instant fan. The Family Upstairs should be on everyone’s book shelf if you love THRILLERS! What makes this a MUST READ! Is the duel perspective that is beautifully mastered by Ms. Jewell. On Libby’s 25th birthday, she finds out she has inherited a Chelsea mansion that is been held in trust. She soon discovers the house has a dark history based on scant decades-old news coverage. Apparently, there were three cult-related suicides, but 10-month-old Libby was found unharmed and healthy within. Libby’s chapters are so intriguing because once the house is in her universe, she becomes curious about her past and so do we as the reader.
If you are disturbed by cults and taboo topics then you must sadly skip this read, I feel so sorry for you. You really do miss out. Then you have the chapters of Lucy. She is living day to day in France when she gets a reminder that the baby is 25 today…. I think Lucy by far might be my favorite character in this entire read because she is the most real. Libby is this angsty needs to find where she belongs character. Henry who is the last piece of this puzzle is this dark and spooky soul that knows everything that happened in the house and as you read his chapters you realize that he is going down this dark rabbit hole and that it is scary and wonderful all at the same time. If this review sounds like the ramblings of a mad woman, I assure you I just cannot put everything that should be said about this book on one page and I am not crazy. Go out and read it. Might be the best thing you do for yourself book wise. Thank You NetGalley for my digital arc of this stunning read and my apologize that I am so late on my review. This was stunning. I am disappointed that life got in the way and that I could not get to this sooner.


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A great ride with a creepy edge, solid Lisa Jewell probably my favorite of hers. ( )