The Family Upstairs

A Novel , #1

Paperback, 384 pages

English language

Published June 1, 2020 by Atria Books.

ISBN:
978-1-5011-9011-7
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(19 reviews)

Jewell has a way with the quietly creepy subgenre of domestic suspense. Her books, this one included, often rely on the kind of passive spying we do on our neighbors and loved ones—the kind of spying that uncovers unsettling secrets. In this book, the heroine, Libby Jones, has reached her twenty-fifth birthday and thus learns what her long-dead parents left to her: a house in London’s chichi Kensington neighborhood. But while Libby has been going about her life without incident when she becomes an heiress everything changes: she also learns of the violence in her family’s past and has no choice but to try and figure out what happened to her parents. (Review by Lisa Levy on crimereads.com )

11 editions

None

The best crime novel I've read so far this year, and among the top five books I've read this year too.

When Henry Lamb was 10, and his sister was 9, and his family were living a comfortable and fairly prosperous life in Chelsea, another couple came to spend the night, and ended up staying for more than five years and destroying the life of the family, till in the end most of the adults were dead and the children scattered, until Libby, the youngest, comes to collect her inheritance, and discovers she was not who she thought she was, at all.

When my wife read it, she said it was like one of the books written by crime novelist [a:Ruth Rendell|10890|Ruth Rendell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1196257541p2/10890.jpg], and especially Ruth Rendell when she was writing as [a:Barbara Vine|47687|Barbara Vine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263385982p2/47687.jpg]. If you liked [b:The House of Stairs|468664|The House of Stairs|Barbara Vine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571621315l/468664.SY75.jpg|2407553] or [b:Asta's …

reviewed The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (The Family Upstairs, #1)

A complex and engaging drama, not without its humour

This is a sort of 'back and forth in time' story, describing things that happened and are happening in a thoughtful and intricate reveal.

The characters are believable and real. The plot is well crafted and exciting. It was enjoyable and interesting, so I'm glad to have spent time with it 👍

Review of 'The Family Upstairs' on 'Goodreads'

I'd give this one 3.5 stars, and maybe even 4 for its genre, which I'd describe as "modern thriller" along the lines of "The Girl on the Train" or "Gone Girl." It's a fun summer read with short chapters and a good bit of intrigue. It could've been even stronger if it hadn't been so over-the-top (in a VC Andrews/Flowers in the Attic kind of way) in employing sex as a plot device. Even so, it was a fun fast read.

reviewed The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (The Family Upstairs, #1)

Review of 'The Family Upstairs' on 'Goodreads'

I had high hopes for this novel. The synopsis was fascinating and the family dynamic(s) were interesting enough. Instead of offering an emotionally gripping tale of abuse, isolation, and neglect, the main story (the one which begins in 1988) fell short. I felt for the children, but as I was reading I felt like the author was telling me how I should feel rather than provoking me to react in a particular way through descriptions and compelling dialogue. Overall, this was underwhelming.

Review of 'The Family Upstairs' on 'Goodreads'

I'm a bit torn on this book. I raced through it. It was very easy reading, and with the perspective changing (between 3 characters) each chapter, there was a feeling of just needing to keep going to get each story. But the mystery of what happened in the 80s never felt satisfying. It felt unrealistic, and the further I got into the book, the more I realised that I just didn't believe it. The end left me rolling my eyes rather than sighing in contentment.

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Subjects

  • Mystery
  • Thriller
  • Fiction