THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS by Lisa Jewell
Atria Books; 11/5/19
CBTB Rating: 4.5/5
The Verdict: A dark, twisty, engrossing family saga
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.
Plot Details:
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.
How rare is it to find a book that completely defies your expectations but does so in a truly thrilling way? For me, that seems to be an increasingly tall order—but maybe that’s just because I haven’t been reading as much Lisa Jewell as I should have been. Lesson learned. THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is one of the most genuinely surprising, boundary-pushing psychological suspense novels I have read this year. A story that begins with a familiar classic mystery plotline (a protagonist receiving a surprise inheritance), THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS builds and morphs to encompass elements of domestic noir, Gothic atmosphere, and even international intrigue. It’s an impressive juggling act that appears effortless, and readers looking for a psychological thriller that marches to the beat of its own drum will adore Jewell’s newest offering.
It all begins with a letter. Libby Jones, an ordinary young woman working a relatively mundane job, living in a relatively mundane apartment, returns home from work one night to discover the letter she has been waiting for: one which will reveal to her the identity of her birth parents. As though that weren’t life-altering enough, the letter also reveals to Libby that she has inherited her parents’ vast, now-abandoned mansion, located in an affluent London neighborhood. Libby has just turned 25, and it seems that life is opening up for her. But across an ocean, a mysterious woman playing violin on the streets to feed her children receives a text message: the baby has turned 25. Libby, by claiming her inheritance, has put herself on the radar of a shadowy group of individuals somehow connected to her birth parents, and they are determined to find her. This premise is ambitious even at face value, but what this premise can’t encompass is the sheer level of detail, scene-setting, and world-building that goes into this superbly crafted thriller. From Libby’s life in London to our mysterious woman overseas to the history of the house Libby has inherited itself, every element in THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is crafted thoughtfully and carefully—and it is this care that makes the ultimate collision of these seemingly disparate threads so effective and authentic.
Grounding this sweeping story of suspense is Libby, an “everywoman” with relatable concerns and life experiences. Anyone who is currently or has ever been in their twenties will surely recognize in Libby the uncertainty of that decade, and the vulnerability that comes with it. Jewell’s decision to give this larger-than-life story such a grounded protagonist worked beautifully for me, keeping THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS anchored in a character whose fundamental traits and concerns felt realistic, even while the rest of her world becomes inarguably over-the-top. Halfway around the world, readers will also become acquainted with Lucy, a mysterious woman busking on the streets of France in order to feed her young children and keep a roof over their head. Lucy’s connection to Libby is not immediately apparent, but readers will instantly be intrigued by the shadowy ties that seem to link these two together—a connection of which Libby remains blissfully unaware… for now. THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS employs multiple narrators to tell this intricate story, and it’s entirely to Jewell’s credit that each of these narrators bears equal weight and carries equal entertainment value. I never found myself wishing to skip through any of these characters’ chapters; each is developed thoughtfully and authentically, each narrator carrying with him or her enough secrets and intrigue to constantly keep the reader wanting more.
THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is as much a story about people as it is about the house that connects them all. In a “past” timeline infused with touches of Gothic suspense, Jewell traces the history of the house Libby has just inherited. When Libby inherits her parents’ mansion, she begins to dig into the history of the building—and what she discovers shocks her to her core. Years prior, this home was the site of a bizarre tragedy: an apparent group suicide, in which a number of adults were found dead, lying side by side, all dressed in black. Upstairs in the house was the building’s only living resident: a young baby, unharmed. Who were the victims of this tragedy? What drove them to commit this terrible act? Why were they dressed in this strange garb, and what happened to the other children who were supposedly living in the house at the time of the tragedy? In the present day, Libby employs the help of a local journalist to research this bizarre case, and in the past, a resident of the house recounts the progression of events leading up to this tragedy. This “past” thread quickly became my personal favorite. Here, Jewell effectively explores “group think” and how individuals can be influenced and compelled to act contrary to their personal beliefs or desires. It’s a sinister, utterly chilling subplot, one that rings true even while delivering deliciously dark entertainment value. And as past and present collide, readers will be riveted to see how Libby’s fate connects to and will forever be defined by the history held within this mansion’s walls.
THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is as ambitious as anything I’ve read this year, and it delivers in a big way. Through twists and turns, shocks and reveals, Jewell never loses sight of her story’s biggest question: can you ever be free of your past? THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS explores familial inheritance - the good, the bad, and the downright deadly - in a dark and engrossing story of psychological suspense. I can’t wait to see what Lisa Jewell does next.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions my own.
Book Details:
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Atria Books (November 5, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1501190105
ISBN-13: 978-1501190100
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