This is very intriguing and I enjoyed it more than the Family Upstairs, which I found rather far fetched in places. I did feel the ending of this one was all a little to convenient though. Very easy to read.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Family Remains’ by Lisa Jewell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Samuel Owusu is called to the river bank beside the Thames when a mud-larker finds a bag containing human bones. They’re sent to forensics who say they belong to a young woman who was killed by a blow to the head many years ago and the clues lead Samuel to a house in Chelsea.

It wasn’t until I’d started reading ‘The Family Remains’ that I learnt it follows on from ‘The Family Upstairs’ which I didn’t enjoy and couldn’t finish. Unfortunately I’m not enjoying this latest novel either which is a pity as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s other books. I found the first few chapters really confusing as they go backwards and forwards in time and I couldn’t find it in me to empathise with the characters. From the reviews I’ve read I’m definitely in the minority but I thought the story was slow and lacking in the suspense and drama I look for in a novel. I apologise that I can’t give a more positive review but this won’t stop me from looking for other novels by this author.

It doesn’t feel like it was two minutes since I was reading my first Lisa Jewell, and falling in love with her domestic psychological thrillers. She’s now one of my go-to authors and I automatically add each of her new releases to the top of my TBR list. This latest novel did not disappoint!

Okay, so the first thing to say is that this isn’t a stand-alone novel, and that you do definitely need to read ‘The Family Upstairs’ first. It does recap on the basic plot of the first book, but the real joy in reading this one is that it fills in all the gaps that were gaping wide open after the first. If you’ve forgotten what happened in the first novel, then you can find a reminder here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Family-Upstairs/Lisa-Jewell/9781501190117

So if you know the background to the family (or families), then you’ll know about Lucy, Henry and Phin’s twisted past, and the uncomfortable circumstances surrounding Libby’s birth. Well, now it’s 2019 and we’re back in London. The house has been sold, but a bag of human bones is discovered on the foreshore of the river Thames. When a mudlark resurrects the bones, he brings to the surface painful memories for the surviving family memories.

DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene and quickly send the bag of bones for forensic examination. It is revealed that that the bones are those of a young woman, killed by a blow to the head many years ago. Is this sparking any memories for you yet? Can you see where we’re being taken with this murder investigation? The forensic clues lead DCI Oswusu back the house in Chelsea, and inevitably leads him to Lucy, Henry, Phil and Libby.

‘The Family Remains’ is a terrific sequel to ‘The Family Upstairs’. This second instalment will fill in all of the gaps and tie up all of the lose ends from the original novel, whilst adding a couple more layers to this psychological thriller. If ever there’s a new Netflix series waiting to happen, then this is it!

I read this book without realising it was a sequel and found it gripping and compelling from the start. A bag of bones is found in the Thames by a mud larker. The mystery as to the identity of the body leads to a recently vacated and neglected town house previously linked to another mystery, namely the suicide of a married couple and a possible cult leader several decades before. With detectives seeking out the heirs and the heirs themselves seeking out people from their own past, the reader is kept fully engaged through the crisis crossing plot-lines linking the distant past, the more current past and the present, with a cast of compelling and believable characters. Skilfully plotted, highly accomplished and extremely well written, this has been one of this summer’s best reads for me.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review.

I really enjoyed this but although you can read this as a standalone, I wish I had reread The Family Upstairs first to remind me of the backstory. Nevertheless, Lisa Jewell is an absolute master at tension and complex family scenarios, so I would definitely recommend.

I honestly didn’t realise it was the follow up to The Family Upstairs so was thrilled to know everything that happened next. The book starts off with a bag of bones being found in the Thames, after forensic examination it was found that the victim was murdered by a blunt object to the head. As the story enfolds the murder leads them to a Chelsea House where 3 bodies were found 30 years ago. It was a very good thriller I would recommend you read The Family Upstairs first to get the gist of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

WOW! WOW! WOW! What the heck have I just read!!!.
I absolutely loved this sequel to The Family Upstairs. The plot is immersive and it doesn't let you go until you have reached the unforgettable ending. This in my opinion is Lisa Jewell's best book to date and it needs to be commissioned for TV, it would make a gripping boxset. It's full of secrets, liars, obsession, brilliant but sometimes dark characters and it left me breathless. The suspense and tension builds as more of the story unfolds but it's definitely a one sit read. I loved the cast of characters list at the beginning of the book, it was a nice reminder of who the characters are. I will definitely be reading both books again when I receive my pre-order, that's how much I loved this book, I just want to read it again and again. LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT. Congratulations to Lisa for another stunning, unforgettable, twisty, immersive read, it will be a bestseller without a shadow of a doubt.

I have read and loved all of Lisa Jewell’s previous books, including The Family Upstairs, so I was looking forward to this one. However, it just wasn’t for me. I read about 15% and had to give up. The different timelines and characters were not easy to keep up with and I lost interest. I think I should have revisited The Family Upstairs before picking this up - which I might do in the future and then have another go with this one. As I haven’t finished it, I will not review it elsewhere. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC. I look forward to Lisa’s next book.

I didn't know there was going to be a sequel to The Family Upstairs so I was utterly surprised to find out about The Family Remains. At first, I was a little confused by the names of some of the characters, but as I read further, I became hooked! I was eager to find out about what had happened to the characters and family. I would definitely recommend this book and it's prequel.

I cannot believe how good this book is! Three years ago I read The Family Upstairs and I remember thinking it was one of Lisa Jewell’s best books, I loved it. Finding out she had written book two, The Family Remains, I was very pleased but also slightly worried. Could it possibly be as good? I had no need to fret. The Family Remains is outstanding. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. To find out what happened next was very satisfying and well planned by the author. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great follow up to the family upstairs. Well written, good plot full of twists. Good gripping thriller and with interesting characters. Can be read as a stand alone but better if you've read previous one first. Would recommend to others to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.4/5

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Family Upstairs" and gave it a 5-star review, which is something of a rarity for me. Given the success that it achieved, both creatively and commercially, there was always likely to be the temptation to produce a sequel at some point. History has shown that bringing out a sequel to a novel that was originally intended as a standalone is not always a good idea - so I went into this one hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. The result was actually somewhere in between.

Firstly, I would like to address whether "The Family Remains" could happily be read by someone who is not already familiar with the first book. Well, Lisa Jewell does show some consideration for her readers by giving some brief background on key characters at the beginning of the book. She also uses one of the early chapters (written from Henry's perspective) to provide background information from book one. That said, I think this works better as a refresher for people who have actually read the first book rather than fully enabling completely new readers to be fully up to speed.

The novel itself delivers much of what you might expect from Lisa Jewell: The writing is fluent, engaging and draws the reader in with the author's usual page-turning style. The characterisation is, as ever, impressive with the key protagonists being well-drawn, if not always likeable. The pace is good throughout and the plot has been carefully constructed, without glaring plot holes or stretching credulity too far beyond the acceptable boundaries of dramatic fiction. And yet, in spite of all that, there is something missing when compared with "The Family Upstairs" ... It doesn't have quite the same sense of originality, intrigue or suspense - and, as a result, it is less impactful than its predecessor.

If "The Family Upstairs" was to your liking, I would expect you to enjoy this too - but probably not quite as much. If you didn't like "The Family Upstairs", then I very much doubt you will enjoy this either. And if you haven't read "The Family Upstairs", I would suggest that you do so before reading this, as I don't think you will derive the maximum amount of satisfaction from "The Family Remains" otherwise.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

After reading the first book I was looking forward to The Family remains and to be able to tie at least some of the lose ends.
I found this to be even twistier than the first, absolutely loved it and highly recommend both!
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I did enjoy this book although it isn’t as addictive as her other books. But as usual the writing is beautiful, Lisa writes effortlessly and every book is a treat. I had to go back to the previous book to remind myself of the characters as have read quite a few books since then! But once again, an excellent book, cannot wait for her next offering!

To start with I was confused and bewildered by this sequel to The family upstairs as it turns out I should have reread the first one before starting this. My memory is terrible and it has been a while. However, that said, I gradually got to grips with the characters and got immersed in the story. I really enjoyed it and found it a definite candidate for a tv adaptation. It’s a page turner and a very different story of survival after chaos. Loved the detective Samuel, would love to read more with him featured.

Another solid Lisa Jewell novel. I enjoyed this sequel to The Family Upstairs. It’s everything that a thriller should be: fast-paced, intriguing, keeps you guessing…

Do you have to have read the first one? No, I don’t actually think so as she refers back to the important bits throughout. (I’m terrible for remembering those details, so was grateful for that!)

Was it as good as the first? I’m not sure… I did like how it addressed a fair few things that had been left open-ended, but I did wonder whether the focus needed to be on what it was (sorry to be vague, don’t want to give anything away). Then again, I’m all for female empowerment, so maybe it was just right.

Did everything get resolved in the end? I don’t think so. I mean, Henry…?! Perhaps there’ll be a third?!

With many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the advance ebook.

I read The Family Upstairs last year, but I could not remember much about it, apart from having enjoyed it. This sequel can be read quite easily as a standalone.]
I found the characters rather difficult to follow at first and kept checking back to the list of the two main families to confirm who was who. The story moves between the end of 2016/beginning of 2017 and 2019.
DI Samuel Owusu is brought in to investigate a cold case after someone finds a bag of human bones washed up on the mudbanks of the Thames. The bones have been in the water for about a year but death occurred about 25 years previously and Samuel is determined to get to the bottom of it.
The story has many related strands, is well written and a compulsive read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Lisa Jewell/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In the beginning I struggled with this book and had to go back and reread the first. The sequel is very linked to the original book so you cant read one without the other in my opinion.

However given that, and taking away some artistic license I did really enjoy the book and it kept my attention.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

The sequel to The Family Upstairs had me hooked from the intriguing start to the very satisfying end. I enjoyed being reintroduced to the children from the first novel now grown up but also other characters who were invaluable to the fast paced narrative. A brilliant, emotive and compelling read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I couldn’t quite remember the previous book but reading this one brought it all back and made me want to read the other one again! Lisa Jewell always writes amazing books and this is no exception!

Thanks for the read