I loved how Jewell kept me guessing throughout the story. As with Libby, I found myself completely invested in these character’s lives and desperately wanting to know how Libby, Lucy, and Henry would fit together by the end of the book. He spends much of his time dwelling on his own past and the fact that his parents fell victim to scammers and lost their (and by extension, his) fortune. When we meet Henry, he seems a little off, like he might be struggling with some sort of mental health issue.

As we follow her, we start to learn more about her past and about how she has ended up in the desperate spot she finds herself in. When we meet Lucy, she is living on the streets with her two children. In addition to Libby, the story also unfolds from the perspective of two other characters, Lucy and Henry, who on the surface, appear to have no connection whatsoever to Libby. It has been a huge hole in her family history for 25 years now that needs to be filled. Libby is a sweet, likable character and I completely understood why she wanted to know the truth about what happened to her parents. When Libby learns some of the mysterious circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths and what had been going on in the house prior to their deaths, including whisperings about a cult and about some missing children, she becomes determined to learn the truth about her parents and thus begins to investigate. When the novel opens, Libby has just unexpectedly inherited a mansion worth millions from her birth parents, who died when she was an infant. Twenty-five year old Libby Jones is one of the three main characters. I was immediately immersed in the seemingly unrelated lives of her three main characters and couldn’t wait to see how Jewell ultimately brought them all together and had their lives intertwine. What especially drew me to The Family Upstairs was the promise of a domestic drama filled with dark family secrets and Jewell does not disappoint. What I love about Jewell’s novels is that she does such a tremendous job of creating tension, building suspense, and weaving in enough twists and turns to keep me guessing all the way to the big reveal.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is one of the most riveting thrillers I’ve read so far this year. Published by Atria Books on November 5, 2019Īmazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book DepositoryįTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. Also by this author: Watching You, The Night She Disappeared

The family upstairs lisa jewell