This book is a crime/mystery/thriller with a difference, not at all what I expected, which made it an all the more intriguing read. There are plenty of twists and turns and wondering who/why - some tense, breath taking moments and a few surprises. It is a story of a girl with a troubled past and characters with a troubled present - of characters' relationships and infidelity - some disturbing mixes and accused characters that make for tense reading at times. Can you trust those who you think you know or should be able to? The story's main characters are described well and I could picture them and their surroundings clearly. The story kept me guessing to the end... and did not end quite how I had imagined, even right towards the concluding chapter - recommended!

Lisa Jewell really is at the top of her writing game. She is at her best when weaving together the dark, imperfect lives of those who live in close proximity to one another. This is easily as good as her last offering which I adored. Yes it's looking at the unlikeable sides of individuals and the ending will leave you thinking long after you have finished it (no spoilers from me!) but the page on the eyebrow industry made me laugh out loud - she is a very astute writer who can find funny rich material in the most mundane things in life. Enjoy!

This is the first novel I’ve read by Lisa Jewell although she is a prolific writer, if not quite a book machine! However, there is nothing wrong with that and I was impressed.

Saffyre Maddox is the invisible girl in question coming from a bit of a tough upbringing and now being looked after by her older brother. Something bad happened to Saffyre when she was ten years old and she is still trying to expiate the damage done to her.

Also central to the story is Cate, mother of two teenagers George and Josh and married to psychotherapist Roan. The family have moved temporarily to a house in Hampstead while their house in Kilburn is worked over by builders and Hampstead is where this story takes place.

The action revolves around a series of groping sex attacks and the way that suspicion falls on a loner called Owen Pick who lives almost across the road. A genuine strength of the novel is the way that Lisa Jewell builds up the case against him – a mixture of prejudice, teenage (slight) hysteria and circumstance. It’s not overstated but eventually leads to his arrest.

He’s not the only problem for Cate because Roan, rather too suave and smooth for his own good, is receiving Valentine cards from strange women. Cate spends a long time on the edge of things but eventually is forced to confront a series of family crises and it all gets resolved.

Not only well written, the book is paced effectively so that different points of view follow on logically one from the other and the suspense builds slowly. That’s shorthand for saying this book is better than some you might describe as chicklit! If you’re stuck in quarantine after your summer holiday it would be a good way to pass a couple of days!

I really don't understand the less than 5 stars reviews: this books was fantastic, it kept me reading well into the early hours! What i love about Lisa Jewell's writing is that it just flows and is very very realistic. I like learning new things when i read books and learning about "incels" was fascintating. I thought it was made up but after an internet search, incels really are a thing.

A Lisa Jewell novel is always a treat and I am always sorry when they end. Cannot wait for her next one!

2 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly excited getting approved for this! Family upstairs was so so good. This unfortunately did not hit the mark at all.

I found that the plot was all over the place. So many characters and perspectives and side plots that I really didn’t care about. A lot of things kept getting put out then taken back too many times. I understand that switching perspectives during a plot point but this did it while nothing was happening so instead of building suspense it was just annoying.

Going back to my point of the plot being all over the place towards the end is just recapping and info dumping so even the book had to put everything down knowing how confusing it was.

I will still pick up Lisa Jewell as the Family Upstairs is one of my favourites!

This book follows three different storylines, and waits for them to collide. You have Saffyre, a troubled 17 year old with unresolved issues from her past. Then there’s Owen Pick, a 33 year old virgin, living with his disinterested aunt, recently left his job as a teacher after students made allegations of sexual misconduct.

Then you have the Fours family: Cate, Roan and their children Georgia and Josh. They have recently moved across the road from Owen, and when there’s a spate of sexual assaults in the area, Cate identifies him as the likely suspect. In fairness, you probably would too; he’s a bit odd, though as a reader, you can clearly identify him as harmless.

When Saffyre, who it transpires has links to Roan Fours, goes missing, Owen is the only suspect. What follows is a life unravelling as there’s a race against time to locate the young girl. The question isn’t who has a secret, but who has the most to lose by theirs coming out?

I’ll be honest, it doesn’t take a genius to work out how this book is going to play out; however, that’s not really the point. Jewell is such a clever writer, dropping crumbs, pulling you around, and then grabbing it all back together, that you don’t mind. It’s the journey, rather than an element of “ooh, didn’t see that coming”. I don’t think I’d call this a thriller, per se, but definitely a mystery, and it’s a dark one (though, not twisty).

Another good book by Lisa Jewell. Fast paced so gripped me from the very beginning and read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book and author.

Saffyre went through a traumatic event when she was just 10 years old. She struggled to cope for years and even self harmed up until she started therapy with Roan. Her treatment went well and she was eventually discharged. However, Saffyre then goes missing and it just happens to take place outside Roans apartment. The finger is pointed at Owen, the village 'weirdo' who has also been discharged from work for sexual misconduct. We follow multiple perspectives as we try find out what happened to Saffyre and how everyone is connected in one way or another.

Lisa Jewell's writing style can only be described as addictive. You're hooked in after the first chapter, needing to know where the story is heading. The characters are all developed well and I liked how everyone was complex.

The suspense and pacing was excellent and there was definitely twists I didn't see coming. I did find the ending wrapped up a little too quickly.

Also, this does tackle the difficult topic of sexual abuse so please be aware if you are sensitive to this!

Like many of Lisa Jewell's book this ends on a real cliffhanger which I find frustrating because I want to know more!

Overall, a really great, fast paced thriller which will keep you on your toes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me a copy to review.

Lisa Jewell fans, get excited. Invisible Girl is everything we hoped it would be and more: a perfectly plotted, expertly paced read-in-one-sitting kind of book that will hook you in from the very first chapters and refuse to let go. We think you’ll love it.

Gritty and spine chilling right up to the end. I am a fan of Lisa Jewell and this story does not disappoint. I sat and read this book in one go.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone/Century for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Invisible Girl’ by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell has again delivered a highly engaging psychological thriller/domestic noir. Its plot focuses on the concept of social invisibility.

The invisible girl of the title is Saffyre Maddox, who was ten when something terrible happened to her. She was sent to therapist, Roan Fours, though she doesn’t feel that he healed her. When he ends their therapeutic relationship she begins to shadow him, learning his secrets.

Across the street from Roan and his family wife lives Owen Pick. He is thirty-three years old and socially awkward. Without a girlfriend or even a friend, no one sees him. He, too, is invisible.

Then Saffyre Maddox disappears with the last sighting of her on Valentine’s night opposite Owen’s house. Suddenly the whole world is looking at him and to the police he’s become a person of interest. He’s certainly the type... a loner and yes bit creepy.

The narrative also follows Cate, Roan’s wife, and deals with some quite disturbing subjects along the way. Certainly there are twists though I felt that they emerged organically from the narrative.

Lisa Jewell brings her characters vividly to life, even Owen, who could have easily been portrayed as a caricature.

Overall, another thumbs up for Lisa Jewell for a page-turning psychological thriller that also addresses social issues.

I had mixed feeling before reading this book. Having not been a big fan of “The family Upstairs” I was worried about being disappointed with this book too. I couldn’t have been proven more wrong!
This book was dark and creepy, intense and full of twists.

It is set in London, in a quite well known area and Lisa Jewell, as in all of her books, described the set perfectly.

Her characters were really interesting and the whole plot was flawless! I really like how her characters have their flaws and are sometimes “social misfits” as it makes the book quite relatable and realistic.

Throughout the read there was always a feeling of unease and I just needed to find out what happened so, I have to say, I’ve read this book in a day.

Although it is a slow burner, this book has a bit of everything: deceit , revenge, secrets, trauma, injustice, series of bad judgement, lies... and also some happiness and hope!

I was really impressed and l loved how Lisa Jewell so well depicted the complexity that is the human being. I can’t wait for her future books!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone and Century for an advanced copy of The Invisible Girl in exchange for an honest review.

Truly chilling!

This dark psychological thriller centres around the Fours family, a young girl once treated by father and husband Roan, and other characters caught up in the crosshairs of their lives.

With a carefully managed plot this novel's characters all feel untrustworthy and devious at points! All bar Georgia with her sugar induced blissful ignorance and Cate, who bring some lightness to the story with Cate wanting to see the best in everyone and therefore being blinkered as to what is actually going on right under her nose.

Owen is a character you empathise with as he blindly stumbles into a world of trouble, with life changing repercussions.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout and really enjoyed the rich atmosphere created and clear sense of location. The themes of nature, sexual abuse, self awareness and the masks that people wear are all handled very well, keeping a pace to the storyline but also tackling some truely terrifying elements head on.

Lisa Jewell often leaves you unnerved or chilled and this latest offering certainly does not disappoint. Would definitely recommend and would like to thank NetGalley for my copy.

‘Invisible Girl’ is the latest book by Lisa Jewell.

When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she’s carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn’t, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows. Owen Pick is invisible too. He’s never had a girlfriend; he’s never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares. But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine’s night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen. Accusing him, holding him responsible for Saffyre’s disappearance.

Yesterday was the publication day for ‘Invisible Girl’ and the previous day, I was fortunate to spend my day reading the latest book from Lisa Jewell.

The story is seen from the narrative of 3 characters, Saffyre, Cate and Owen and starts at the point on Valentines’ Day, when teenager Saffyre Maddox goes missing. Written through the different narratives and the different time periods really set the tone and scene for the story.

A troubled teen Saffyre Maddox develops a bit of an obsession with her counsellor Roan, who finds herself following his every move. He never sees her, hence Saffrye being the ‘Invisible Girl’. Roan is Cate’s husband and Cate is worried about the new area that they are renting in as there has been a spate of sexual attacks whilst teacher Owen finds himself being accused of sexual misconduct on the teenagers at he teaches at. He’s a reclusive 33 year old who spends his day on forums and doesn’t engage in the real world and he’s become the main suspect in Saffyre’s disappearance.

The 3 characters are a mix of personalities and all live within the close proximity of each other setting the tone of this claustrophobic thriller. At the core of the book of is the missing girl but weaved throughout the story is the troubling reality that everyone has a secret to hide and even the most highly respected individuals have secrets to hide.

Lisa has created a story that concentrates on predatory characters, toxic masculinity as well as self harm and sexual abuse that does make for unsettling reading. She also includes a world that naive people like myself never knew existed such as Incel forums, where bitter men would rip women to pieces and declare sick fantasies.

The story is an emotive one and I found myself veering from anger at the men’s attitudes and sympathy towards Saffrye as she tried to finds herself and recover from an ordeal that happened to her child that has moulded her into the person that she become. A person, who prefers to hide away from the world and the only time she’s at her happiest is when she’s with nature.

Lisa is currently number one on the New York bestsellers list for her previous book called ‘Then She Was Gone’ and ‘Invisible Girl’ will soon be behind it. A thrilling and emotional book about society and identify that made for gripping reading, filled with unlikable and unreliable characters and a strong storyline that comes seamlessly at the end page, ‘Invisible Girl’ is truly Lisa at her very best, compulsive and dark reading, that will even more make people reconsider walking alone at night time!

You can buy ‘Invisible Girl’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Saffyre Maddox has gone missing and the prime suspect is Owen Pick a loner who lives with his aunt. Everything about him screams he could easily be behind this but was he? How does this all connect to the Fours family? The father treated Saffyre after a trauma when she was younger and she was last seen outside his house.

This is a real twist filled thriller. I really like Lisa Jewell so knew this would be a good read and it didn't disappoint. The plot is steady but builds to an amazing ending. I loved the very last hint that not everything was quite right. The story is well written. It jumps from present day to the past with Saffyre as we slowly learn who this invisible girl is and what she's been through. The story leads you one way and you think you know the answer then suddenly there's a different possibility. I also liked the parts with Alicia, giving her more depth then I expected. A brilliant thriller with some clever twists.

I’ve been reading Lisa Jewell books for about 20 years, back in the days when she used to write about flat sharing, first dates and first jobs, at the same time I was living through it. I’ve been impressed by her transition to more mature, psychological thriller-type novels, as she manages to combine the character-led stories she used to write with darker elements, without resorting to the “scariest, most chilling novel you’ll read this year” nonsense used to promote a lot of books in this genre.

The Invisible Girl is Saffyre Madox, a free-spirited 17 year old London girl who, despite seeming fairly mature and level headed on the surface, has had a troubled childhood which saw her come into the care of child psychologist, Roan Fours. By the time we meet Saffyre, for reasons which are explained as the book evolves, she is basically stalking Roan and his family and events come to a head on Valentine’s night when Saffyre goes missing.

A lot of psychological thrillers of the type I mentioned earlier sacrifice characterisation and credibility for the sake of action and ever more ridiculous and far-fetched storylines. However, Lisa Jewell has always proved to be very reliable in producing relatable and compelling novels and I’m really enjoying the added edge of darkness and danger in her most recent books. The only niggle for me with this one was that I didn’t think Saffyre would have treated her lovely uncle so uncaringly (I didn’t quite buy her explanation) but it

Having given 4 stars to the previous books I have read by this author I was not as enamoured with this title. It was a good story with strong characters which highlighted how we treat people who are different to the norm. We judge people who are not like 'us', who are not comfortable in themselves. There were ares of the book where I felt the story got a little lost and didn't keep up the momentum. Having said that it was a good read with the twists and turns we have come to expect from this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Lisa Jewell/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kate Fours and her family are temporarily living in Hampstead, North London. When her teenage daughter is followed home by a strange man, Kate thinks she knows who it was, but will she follow her gut? 33-year old Owen Rudd lives with his elderly aunt in Hampstead. Following his suspension from his teaching job after complaints about inappropriate behaviour, he finds himself in an online community of lonely men, just like him. Men who resent others for their own social failures. When Saffyre was ten, something horrific happened to her. Something so terrible that she has not told a soul, not even her therapist, Roan Fours.
The lives of the three very different people are about to collide in a shocking and unimaginable story.

This was a great dark psychological mystery more than a thriller. It was fast-paced and gripping - perfect for devouring in a single sitting! I liked that it broke the mold of the average mystery, as it raised some really interesting topics. Why is it that we, as humans, always immediately point the blame onto the weirdo/oddball? The book exemplified how prejudiced people can be with their views towards others, Also, how well can we actually know or trust someone? Regardless of their position in society, or the length of time that you've known them, some people are actually just going through life wearing a very convincing mask.
The multiple POV got a big thumbs up from me as I find it ups the pace, whilst also allowing us to get to know the characters. My only gripe was the twist at the end. I was quite happy with how things initially ended, but it's only a minor detail!

All in all, this was a fantastic psychological mystery that I binge read in one sitting. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell has written a beguiling domestic psychological thriller that lives up to its expectations, and then some. Her characterisation is compelling and totally believable even when the characters themselves may be people we don’t feel entirely comfortable with.

This author doesn’t shy away from the unsavoury and seedy side of life as she depicts some potential trigger areas here, such as rape, sexual abuse and mental health issues. But she handles these topics sensitively, and succeeds in drawing attention to the plight of those who suffer in that way without oversentimentalising them or withholding compassion or sympathy.

The story centres around 17 year old Saffyre, who cannot easily fit in with her peers because of her family history and personal experiences. She likes to hide in the shadows, all the while trying to conceal her undeniable beauty, which is both gift and curse. Other main characters include Owen, a reclusive man in his 30’s who hasn’t yet found his place in life, and is shady enough in his looks and behaviour to fall foul of his neighbour’s perceptions.

Then there is Cate, the beleaguered wife of Rowan, a charismatic Child Psychologist who has treated Saffyre in the past but struggles to understand his own family dynamics. All these characters' lives intersect and become unwittingly tangled together by circumstance. Tension rises in the neighbourhood when a spate of sexual assaults take place and the finger of suspicion gets pointed in several directions before the true culprit comes to light.

One of the finest pieces of writing that has the most pathos is the scenario where Owen is in prison. The description of how helpless and bewildered he is to be in that position is written with great depth and feeling. We cannot help but feel sorry for him even if we suspect he might be the culprit and deserves to be there. This is another gem of a read from Lisa Jewell. Grateful thanks to Cornerstone UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so was very excited to read her latest book. As I have come to expect this was another great read. A psychological thriller that was very well written and it kept me gripped from start to finish. I would definitely recommend reading this book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.