The Family Upstairs
Ratings104
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings104
Average rating3.8
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 )
Featured Series
1 primary bookThe Family Upstairs is a 1-book series first released in 2019 with contributions by Lisa Jewell.
Reviews with the most likes.
WOW. Holy shit wow. I was so afraid that I was allowing the Bookstagram hype to get into my head too much over this book...and that when I finally got to read it I'd be sorely disappointed.
I had no reason to be afraid. And it was even better than I thought it could possibly be.
If you're looking for an action packed thriller than this isn't it. This is a slow burn. This slowly sinks it's claws into your brain and by the time you've realized it it's got a grip and it won't let go.
It's told from a couple of points of view and 2 timelines and every chapter it switches so you're basically always getting JUST enough before taking it away and feeding you something new.
I started last night and I'm already done even though I'm tired and should be sleeping because my kids, much like myself, are early risers. And now here I am, everyone is asleep, and I don't know wtf to do with myself. WORTH IT.
liked the unique story but last quarter of the book sucked and ruined everything
Not what I expected it to be.
This is my first read from Jewell, so I'm not entirely familiar with her work. This book is filled with dysfunctional family drama, secrets, and twisted stories. I'm a sucker for that so I definitely had to finish this book to find out what really happened in the mansion and what happened to Libby's family.
I wish it was a little more creepy. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, and it felt like the narration started going in circles, but overall I enjoyed the book.
This is a SOLID creepy thriller with good characters and a plot that moves along nicely. Libby is an interesting and complex character with a well-written history that added to her development and multi-layers - a feat I really appreciate when authors do right. A bit confusing at times, I will say, but still a thrill of a read and something I enjoyed a lot.
