This is only the second Lisa Jewell I've read (the first being The Family Upstairs, which I got through in three days) and I set myself a personal best for this author, finishing in just 2 days.

The story itself is an extension of the first book which ended in somewhat of a cliffhanger despite all its jaw-dropping twists, turns, reveals and resolutions.

We continue to follow the lives of the characters from the hell house that featured in TFU – and if you haven't read the first book it's probably wise to do that before taking on this sequel, in my opinion. While The Family Remains does its best to fill in the gaps and back story from book one, even I found myself a tad confused at times trying to remember the full details from TFU and I only read it about 9 months ago.

Overall, this is a pretty good read and if you love Lisa Jewell you will absolutely love this. There are some truly despicable and hateful characters here but also some nice tie ins and overlaps from TFU.

The Family Remains is the follow up to Lisa Jewel’s The Family Upstairs and while it isn’t as fast paced as I would usually want from my thrillers, it is an utterly unnerving and compelling nerve.

If you’re not familiar with The Family Upstairs, it starts with Libby Jones who has just inherited a multi-million abandoned mansion from her birth parents. She has never known her birth parents, her family or background and she’s hoping this will provide her with the answers she’s been looking for. While one timeline follows her in the present and her quest to find out about her origins, the other timeline takes us back to 25 years ago where 3 dead bodies were discovered in the kitchen, a baby was found cooing in her crib and 4 children who were reported to live there were gone.

This provided a great background to The Family Remains which begins with a bag of bones that have washed up on the River Thames while in France, a man has been discovered in his cellar. Dead.

While these two events may not seem connected, the plotline unravels itself in a way that joins both deaths as well as concluding the events from The Family Upstairs.

As with most sequels, you could probably read TFR as a standalone but I highly recommend reading TFU first in order to gain some much appreciated background and depth. The insight you’ll gain of the characters and their history will pay off much more too.

Absolutely loved it from page one I couldn’t put it down. I did re read The Family Upstairs before starting this sequel and pleased to refresh my mind. Such great characters and so pleased to get the chance to catch up with them.
Thanks as always to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone. Century

A great follow up to The Family Upstairs.
It`s full of twists to keep you thinking just couldn`t put it down.
In London a mudlark discovers the remains of a dead body which relates to a cold case from 30yr ago when 3 people where found dead in a mansion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

Wow!! I’m so pleased book 2 has been written. At the end of the first book I had so many un answered questions. I was so pleased to hear that there would be a sequel. This book is up to Lisa’s usual standards- gripping, twisted and all very believable. I love the sass of the characters and the realistic, modern plot. I really enjoyed this book as I’d finally got some answers.

3.5 stars. Anyone who reads my reviews will know that I often inadvertently end up picking up a book part way through a series because I don’t like reading the bumpf on the back and spoiling the plot.

In 9/10 instances it doesn’t make a difference but here you are definitely at a huge disadvantage if you haven’t read The Family Upstairs before reading what turns out to be its sequel. I know, it’s probably my own fault but I would say put this down, read the books in order and then you’ll be far more invested in the characters you meet here than I was.

I feel I’m being stingy but I can’t honestly rate it higher when I spent half of my time reading it going, hang on, what, why, 🤔?

We thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone, for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a much requested sequel to the psychological thriller The Family Upstairs although the story is complete and engrossing enough to stand alone as a novel in its own right.

The story opens with the discovery of a bag of bones in the River Thames. The bones have been around for around twenty-five years although their move to the the river is fairly recent. The bag also contains plenty of forensic evidence including the seeds of a poisonous plant. A detective and his partner set about who the person is, what happened to them and who murdered them and placed them in the river.

The story is interspersed with different characters at different times is a variety of tenses. Some are deeply unpleasant and their individual quirks are often quite disturbing. It is also human with elements of affection as well as guilt, longing, redemption and obsession. The characters are well rounded and easy to identify despite one who initially appears to be a very camp stereotype, but he develops into quite a unique persona with a fascinating storyline.

This is a well written book with a good pace, imagery, grace and effortlessly smooth. The plot is tight and really does hold the attention to the very last page.

I absolutely loved this book, since the moment I finished the first book ‘The Family Upstairs’ I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was everything I was expecting and so much more. You don’t need to have read the first one, this second one is written to be a stand alone, but it’s just tied everything thing in from the first book so well.
I give this book 5⭐️‘S

I’m a massive Lisa Jewell fan, so when I got a message asking if I’d like to be a part of this tour I immediately accepted. I read The Family Upstairs in January 2020 and gave it 4 stars. When the sequel, The Family Remains, was announced, I wasn’t sure how to feel. I thought that the first book had wrapped up well enough that there didn’t need to be a sequel, but boy was I wrong! I found that so many questions I’d had whilst reading the first book had answers, and further questions I hadn’t considered from the second. I loved it! It was good to see some of the same characters from the first book as well. I think that even if you had not read The Family Upstairs beforehand, you would be able to pick up The Family Remains and read it no problem. However I do think having that added context and knowledge helped my reading experience more. Going into this book I wasn’t sure how much I remembered from the first one, but there are enough hints and mentions of events that I never worried I was missing something. I’d definitely recommend reading the first book (or rereading it) before reading book 2 though!

I love the way Lisa Jewell writes, I never find myself bored by the writing or pacing in Jewell’s books! I especially loved the multiple points of views in this book. Henry, Lucy, Samuel, and Rachel all had such distinct voices that it was easy to tell whose chapter I was reading. I think having the story told over multiple years also helped, and echoed the first book, which also jumps between timelines. I never felt like The Family Remains jumped about too much which was great, the different timelines always added to the story and weren’t placed randomly.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars. It was a solid mystery which had twists and turns around every corner. Despite it being over 400 pages long, I read it in just over a day. The pacing was excellent and every chapter ended in such a way that I needed to know what happened next – I love that in books! I would highly recommend this book, especially if you have read and loved the first, or any of Lisa Jewell’s other books, but please make sure to check out any content warnings first, as it does touch on some difficult topics.

The Family Remains is the sequel to “The Family Upstairs” I would definitely recommend reading the first one as I think you do need to know the background of the characters to understand what is happening, but don’t worry the first book is well worth the read!
This book picks up where the last one finished which is Henry, Lucy and Libby trying to track down Phin. Meanwhile DI Samuel Owusu is investigating bones that have been found in a river but are 25 years old. Through evidence found on the bones they are tracked to a house in London, one that has stood empty for years. Who has moved the remains after all this time and why?
This is a fast paced, short chapter read which is my favourite kind of read. I enjoyed this from start to finish and read it in 24 hours. Sometimes sequels don’t work but this one definitely does.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Had not read The Family Upstairs before reading this book but managed with some concentration to keep up with all the characters and time scales. This was a long thrilling, gripping and complex storyline that kept your interest from page one with. great characters. Will now look forward to reading book one.

I was happy to read a sequel to The Family Upstairs and to find out what happened after the first book had ended. This book tells the tale through the POV of different characters and we see less of Libby and more of Henry and Lucy. Lucy is getting her life on track whilst Henry, well is just being Henry and gives the reader some anxious moments.
A welcome addition to the familiar family members is Rachel, we were aware of her existence in the first book but she didn't really feature. Now we get to know her back story and what a story it is. I liked Rachel.

I was so pleased when I heard that Lisa Jewell was writing a follow-up to “The Family Upstairs! So many questions remained unanswered.

In this sequel LJ has gone so much further than just fitting all the pieces of the jigsaw together. She kept me on the edge of my seat with the heightened tension and the dread of what will they do next scenarios.

I loved it!

I don’t usually read sequels, however, I enjoyed The Family Upstairs so much and was intrigued to find out what happened to Henry, Lucy, Libby and Phin and The Family Remains didn’t disappoint. Lisa Jewell uses alternate timelines to weave their back stories and more, into The Family Remains so that even if you have forgotten some of the plot you are brought up to speed. This was a brilliant summer read and I really recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy of The Family Remains in exchange for an honest review. I love Lisa Jewell's books.

‘Four deaths. An unsolved mystery. A family whose secrets can't stay buried for ever ...

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Family Remains’ by Lisa Jewell.

This much anticipated novel is a follow up to Jewell’s 2019 ‘The Family Upstairs’. I was glad that I had read the first book as I know that I would have found it confusing to read this without the character development and perspective on events provided by ‘Upstairs’.

So a few plot details to set the scene: In June 2019 a mud-larker finds a bag of human bones on the banks of the Thames. DCI Samuel Owusu is assigned the case. When the bones are examined it is discovered that they are those of a young woman, killed by a blow to the head many years ago.

Among the clues found in the bag are the seeds of a rare tree that leads Owusu to a mansion in Chelsea, where nearly thirty years previously, three people were found dead in a kitchen, and a baby girl was discovered abandoned upstairs….

Jewell opens with a list of the original residents of 16 Cheyne Walk, which proved a useful aid to memory. Still, I did have to refer back to my copy of ‘The Family Upstairs’ a number of times to refresh my memory. As always I was grateful for the Kindle search function.

The narrative moves between various characters: Libby, Lucy, and Henry from the first book as well as DCI Owusu and Rachel, the second wife of Michael Rimmer, Lucy’s ex-husband. Add to this we are bounced around between the present and various points in the past. It certainly demanded close attention.

‘The Family Remains’ does address plot points that were left unanswered at the end of ‘Upstairs’ and I found it quite satisfying even if all the bopping about was at times a little exhausting.

The sequel to the brilliant Family Upstairs -which is every bit as good as the first one. Weaving little snippets of the first book into the second brings everything together and ties up those loose ends.
A bag of human bones is found which threatens to unearth more secrets surrounding the Lamb family and the detective in charge will stop at nothing to solve this mystery.
Loved it

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second instalment from the Lamb family, and it was great to see how their lives progressed from the first book.

We read across different timelines, and read from different characters. The writing was excellent as always, and the chapters were short but full of twists and turns in the story.

I love all the characters, even the ones that shouldn’t be loved. They are all relatable in their own individual ways.

An excellent read, and well worth the wait.

I did not realise that this book was a sequel. I have said before that I like to read books in order but this can be a standalone book and I did not feel I missed anything by not reading the first one. A bag of bones is found in the river by a group of mudlarkers. It transpires that this opens a mystery which is twenty years old. DCI Samual Owusu is the police man in charge of this mystery and he is like a dog with a bone. The forensics lead the police to a home in Chelsea after a lot of investigation and this is where the story gets interesting. It becomes apparent that bad things happened in this house which affected children. The ages of the children differ and some escape the trauma, or do they. Rachel’s story is shocking. Henry is interesting and I could not decide when reading the story what his roll in the household would turn out to be. The story is really about the Lamb family being used and abused by another group and it causes the Lamb family to have so many issues. Rachel is looking for love and meets Michael and subsequently marries him to the detriment of her wellbeing. It turns out that Michael is involved in the drama with one of the children in the past. Henry is insecure and Libby has issues of her own from her past which affects her own children. She struggles to settle and eventually turns to Henry for support. Coming into the story is Phineas living in Botswana. Part of the story revolves around him and Henry’s obsession to find him. The story wends its way through the years to get to the point where DCI Owuzu is so obsessed in finding out the truth about the body that he keeps on interviewing until he has the answers. Eventually the story comes together and the puzzle is complete. I really enjoyed the intrigue and pace of this book and recommend it as a good read

I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan. I have read all of her books, ranging from her early romcom days through to her spot on thrillers. 'The Family Upstairs' is one of her intriguing works but did not leave me as thrilled as some of her others (Call me when 'Watching You' is surpassed!). I went into 'The Family Remains' asking myself why a sequel was necessary. And I left my reading experience... once again shouting 'WHY?!?'

We know that the events at Cheyne Walk were deeply disturbing and traumatic for the children who grew up there from the first novel's narrative. We left them receiving a nice big inheritance from the sale of the house, with the authorities none the wiser to the truth behind the mysterious cult suicides which took place there. We follow Lucy and her brother Henry on the trail of Phineas who lived with the in the house... as a sack of bones washes up on the shore of the Thames and threatens the safety of the whole family. Who is this body? (If you have read the first novel, you can probably guess). And will any of the family face repercussions the events of so many years before?

This narrative is presented in parallel to the news of the death of Lucy's ex-husband Michael. We see the story of Rachel, who is romantically involved with Michael, as she gets caught up in him being her dream man, only to be horrified by the abusive reality underneath. This part of the story far surpasses Lucy and Henry's run arounds in the way it is bone chilling and horrible to witness. These were the chapters which kept me reading in the hope that Rachel escaped this man safely.

Overall, there are some interesting moments. However, Lucy and Henry's hunt for Phin is drawn out and gets a bit farcical at points. This did not stop me appreciating the final chapter - an appropriately psychologically disturbing note to leave this story on and adding a complexity Henry's character sorely needed. Do the Lamb family get a happy ending? Read and decide for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sequel to The Family Upstairs, The Family Remains re-introduces us to the children (now fully grown) from that house in Cheyne Walk. Lucy, Phin and Henry all broken and damaged from their early experiences are cobbling together lives based on seclusion and secrecy. When the bones of Birdie are discovered, also from that house, the lies all of their lives have been painstakingly constructed upon threaten to come tumbling down.

This is branded a ‘standalone sequel’ but I wouldn’t put that to the test, the Family Upstairs is complex and is really worth diving into before committing yourself to to this, number 2. Also worth noting that although this starts out as a murder mystery, it’s much more than that, think more along the lines of family drama, intricate relationships and of course lies, lies, lies.

I totally, one hundred percent recommend this book, it’s true Lisa Jewell, complex plot, highly flawed characters not averse to being ruthless when needed and always with an air of menace that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.