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.
Read More
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.
Read More
Cover Reveal & Exclusive Excerpt: HAVE YOU SEEN ME? by Kate White
I’m absolutely thrilled to give CBTB readers an exclusive sneak peek inside the newest psychological suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author Kate White! Have You Seen Me? will be available April 28, 2020, but CBTB readers can check out the book’s gorgeous cover and read an exclusive excerpt of the book’s first two chapters right here. I’ve read through these first couple chapters of Kate’s newest book a couple times now, and I can already say I’m hooked, and I can’t wait for you to check them out, too! Have You Seen Me? tells a gripping story of one woman’s quest to recover her missing memories—memories that someone would rather she never find. Kate White is perhaps best known as the author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series, but Have You Seen Me? is a standalone psychological thriller. If you haven’t yet dipped into Kate’s work, this might just be the perfect place to start.
Read More
Book Review: GOOD GIRLS LIE by J.T. Ellison
Welcome to The Goode School: an elite all-girls boarding school dedicated to preparing the daughters of the world’s most powerful men and women for Ivy League college degrees and high-powered careers. Nestled among the rolling hills of rural Virginia, The Goode School - and its students - are a picture of elegance, success, and wealth. But a newcomer has arrived at Goode, and she’s bringing with her secrets that aren’t just shocking—they’re deadly. Enter the world of J.T. Ellison’s pitch-perfect boarding school suspense novel, GOOD GIRLS LIE. Following a young woman who moves from the UK to attend The Goode School in the wake of a family tragedy, GOOD GIRLS LIE traces the fallout from our protagonist’s arrival at Goode and examines the series of events that led her to Goode in the first place. Intricately woven and cleverly plotted, GOOD GIRLS LIE is a masterclass in psychological suspense writing. It’s a story with as many dark corners and hidden secrets as the fabled school in which it’s set. Blending drama worthy of Pretty Little Liars with layered, intricate plotting and seriously sinister secrets, GOOD GIRLS LIE is, simply put, a heck of a lot of fun to read. This wicked psychological thriller is my new favorite Ellison book, and that’s saying something—I’ve loved every book of hers I’ve reviewed here. Readers looking for an adult suspense novel in the vein of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: add this book to your holiday wishlist immediately.
Read More
Q&A: Lisa Unger, Author of THE STRANGER INSIDE
I’m delighted to welcome bestselling, beloved crime writer Lisa Unger to Crime by the Book today for a Q&A on her newest release, THE STRANGER INSIDE. An expert balance of page-turning plotting and rich character development, THE STRANGER INSIDE is an excellent choice if you’re in the market for a crime novel to cozy up with - and stay up all night reading - this fall. THE STRANGER INSIDE follows a new mother living a picture-perfect suburban life… only she has a very dark secret lurking in her past, and it’s about to be unearthed. In her childhood, our protagonist had a near brush with death; she escaped a kidnapping attempt, but her closest childhood friends weren’t so lucky. One was brutally murdered, and another was held captive and subjected to unspeakable trauma before he managed to flee his captor. Now, in the present day, a series of vigilante killings have begun, and our protagonist has reason to believe they might be connected to her own dark past. THE STRANGER INSIDE is gripping, page-turning suspense - a psychological thriller that delves deep into the inner lives of its protagonists and its villains. I loved this book, and am betting a whole lot of you will love it, too. It was such a pleasure to get to ask Lisa Unger a few of my most pressing questions on her excellent new release, and I’m so excited to share this Q&A with CBTB readers today!
Read More