The Family Upstairs: A Novel

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA COVER TO COVER BOOK CLUB PICK

"Rich, dark, and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect." --Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author

"A haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read." --Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True comes another page-turning look inside one family's past as buried secrets threaten to come to light.

Be careful who you let in.

Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she's been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London's fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby's life is about to change. But what she can't possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well--and she is on a collision course to meet them.

Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.

In The Family Upstairs, the master of "bone-chilling suspense" (People) brings us the can't-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets.

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384 pages

Average rating: 7.5

892 RATINGS

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42 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

bookshelf.at.tiffanys
Dec 19, 2024
8/10 stars
Libby just turned 25 and has learned that she’s inherited a huge house worth millions. A house that belonged to her birth parents. Libby’s parents died by suicide when she was an infant, the police found her safely in her crib. The book tells Libby’s story in the present and her family’s disturbing history.

Okay, I think it’s just the author’s style to confuse you right of the gate. I felt this way with the last book I read by her… but this one was worse. I struggled to get into the story because we kept going back and forth between characters - past and present. Slow burn… but it eventually makes sense and the dots connect.

The storyline was pretty good and kind of wild. A little predictable at times but a lot of curveballs. I was almost 3/4 if the book before I felt like I couldn’t put it down.

⚠️ Trigger warning: domestic violence, child abuse, rape, murder/suicide, adultery.
Anonymous
Dec 12, 2024
6/10 stars
3.25 - I liked that every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it would shift slightly leaving me shocked. I also like how dark and twisted the plot was. BUT I feel like the author just gave up like 70% through and gave everything away point blank for a feel good happy ending which was not the vibe.
Anonymous
Dec 11, 2024
8/10 stars
3.5 Weird and gothic. Took a bit to keep narrators straight.
readwithinsoul
Dec 11, 2024
10/10 stars
If I could, I would rate this book more than 5 stars; it's definitely a perfect 10.

'The Family Upstairs' by Lisa Jewell is a gripping psychological thriller which kept me on the edge of their seats until the very end and now I am absolutely obsessed with this book. The story takes place in a large London mansion, revealing the hidden secrets and complicated relationships of its residents. It has complex themes such as family dynamics, betrayal, and the lasting impact of trauma with the thrill of homicide disguised as suicide.

This book was truly a remarkable experience for me. With its skillful storytelling and haunting atmosphere, it's a must-read for fans of the genre.
Dramamug
Dec 04, 2024
10/10 stars
Fantastic book and mind boggling

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