The Family Upstairs is a novel by Lisa Jewell, published in 2019. Lisa Jewell is a New York Times bestselling author best known for her gripping thriller novels.
With the exception of The Girls, which I wasn’t a massive fan of, I always find Lisa Jewell’s novels to be really good reads. The Night She Disappeared was particularly gripping. I’ve therefore tried to read more of her previous books.
The Family Upstairs was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and I found the premise to be really interesting.
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Plot
In a large house in London, a baby is found awake in her cot. She’s well-fed and cared for and happily waiting for someone to pick her up.
Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, three decomposing corpses are lying next to a hastily scrawled note.
The bodies have been there for days, so who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go?
The Family Upstairs Book Review
I found The Family Upstairs to be one of Lisa Jewell’s best novels. It had me gripped from start to finish.
I love a family mystery and stories about creepy old houses (hence my love of Eve Chase novels!) This book had all the ingredients to create my ideal read and it didn’t disappoint. It was atmospheric and gripping and I was keen to know how all the threads would tie together.
The three different viewpoints entwined nicely and had me constantly questioning the narrators’ reliability.
It was quite bleak and unsettling in places and I did find, as with so many thrillers, that you have to suspend belief at times. I found many elements of the novel implausible but I’m learning to overlook that. It is fiction after all!
I particularly loved the ending and I was pleased to learn there was a sequel released in 2022. I was left with a few questions so hopefully they will be answered in the next book.
What to read next
If you enjoyed The Family Upstairs then you definitely need to check out the sequel, The Family Remains. I would also recommend None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, as it’s one of my favourites by her.
If you’re looking to try a different author with a similar to feel to Lisa Jewell books, I would recommend Claire Douglas and Gillian McAllister books.
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