I’m a self-confessed latecomer to Lisa Jewell’s work, and I’ll be the first to admit it: I’ve been missing out. I devoured Jewell’s newest release THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS earlier this fall, and there’s no going back—I’m a Lisa Jewell fan for life. Jewell is the author of seventeen internationally bestselling novels, and her newest release, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list. All of this is to say: Lisa Jewell really needs no introduction, but on the off chance that you, too, are a latecomer to Jewell and her binge-worthy brand of psychological suspense, allow this blog post to serve as your point of entry into this prolific author’s work. I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Lisa Jewell to Crime by the Book today to discuss her newest release, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS. In this twisty, dark story of psychological suspense, a young woman inherits her birth parents’ abandoned mansion in a posh London neighborhood—and inherits a dark legacy, too. Years earlier, that mansion was the site of a bizarre - and unsolved - tragedy, involving the deaths of the home’s adult residents, and the disappearance of children who were thought to be living at the house at the time, too. Using multiple narrators and shifting timelines to pitch-perfect effect, Jewell crafts an utterly addictive and engrossing story of family secrets in THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS. If you’re looking for a fresh take on a domestic suspense novel, this book might just be your perfect fit. I’m so excited to share my Q&A with Lisa Jewell on her newest release with you today! Many thanks to Lisa Jewell for taking the time to answer my questions so thoughtfully, and to her fantastic US publicist for facilitating this conversation. Read on for more information about THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, a direct link to my full review of the book, and, of course, my conversation with Lisa Jewell.
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Cover Reveal and Mini Q&A: HE STARTED IT by Samantha Downing
Raise your hand if you loved Samantha Downing’s inventive, clever, personality-filled debut novel My Lovely Wife - I know I sure did, and I’m so honored to team up with her US publisher, Berkley, to reveal the cover for her sophomore novel: HE STARTED IT, releasing April 28, 2020. There’s nothing I love more than discovering an author with a voice and style uniquely her own, and that’s exactly how I would define Samantha Downing’s work. In My Lovely Wife, Downing centered a story of suspense around a married couple whose date nights involved serial murder; now, in HE STARTED IT, she turns her eye towards sibling relationships and a cross-country road trip fueled by secrets and revenge. I couldn’t be more excited to give CBTB readers this sneak peek into Samantha Downing’s newest release! In today’s blog post, you can check out the book’s gorgeous cover, learn more about its plot, catch a mini Q&A with the author herself, and pre-order the book, should you wish to do so!
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Book Review: THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS by Lisa Jewell
Some family secrets should never see the light of day. In Lisa Jewell’s thrilling, addictive new release, a surprise inheritance sends a young woman on a journey into her own personal history—and what she discovers might be deadly. Libby Jones always dreamed of learning more about her origins. One day, not long after turning 25, Libby comes home to find an envelope waiting for her, its contents revealing the true identity of her birth parents… and the fact that she has inherited their vast mansion in a posh London neighborhood. Libby’s life suddenly seems to be changing for the better. But by claiming this inheritance, Libby is claiming a darker inheritance, too: a connection to an unsolved crime and an obscure, cult-like society, one which has been waiting, biding its time, until Libby makes herself known. THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is a fresh, inventive take on domestic suspense; effortlessly traversing intimate family secrets and vast, far-reaching conspiracies, Lisa Jewell’s newest release is a masterclass in psychological thriller plotting. Come for this book’s gorgeous cover and twisty plot, stay for its genuinely surprising and original variations on a story of family secrets and interpersonal suspense. An excellent new release and a standout among 2019’s psychological thriller offerings.
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Book Preview: How Quickly She Disappears By Raymond Fleischmann
Some books just scream “read me” from the first moment you learn about them. Raymond Fleischmann’s debut is one such book for me. A literary crime novel being billed as The Dry meets The Silence of the Lambs, and boasting a fantastic praise quote from CBTB-favorite Riley Sager (among tons of additional early praise!), HOW QUICKLY SHE DISAPPEARS looks practically tailor-made for CBTB readers. Thanks to the book’s publisher, I’m thrilled to share a sneak peek into the book with you today! It’s still a bit of a wait until the book goes on sale in January, but CBTB readers can dig into an early excerpt from HOW QUICKLY SHE DISAPPEARS right here on the blog! Huge thanks to the book’s publisher, Berkley, for providing us with this early sneak peek into what’s sure to be a very buzzy early 2020 release.
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Crime Festival Preview: Bouchercon 2019
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Bouchercon time! Every fall, crime writers and readers gather for Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. Last year’s Bouchercon took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, and this year we’ve traveled to Dallas, Texas for the festival’s 50th Anniversary convention! I went to college in Texas, so I’m particularly excited to be back down south for this year’s convention. As an added bonus, this year marks Bouchercon’s 50th Anniversary—it’s going to be a very special convention, filled with big-name author appearances, parties, awards, and a whole lot more. I’m here in Dallas, Texas, ready for the convention fun to begin, and I can’t wait to take you along for the adventure with me!
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