With me so far? Honestly there was so much to remember from the first book. I highly recommend skim-reading it like I did, or at least have a copy handy to refer to if you get lost. POV’s alternated between Henry, Lucy, and Marco (and their search for Phin), DCI Samuel Owusu (investigating Birdie’s murder), and Rachel Gold (Michael Rimmer’s second wife). This is going to sound weird, but even though this was an engrossing read, with top-notch writing, I don’t think a sequel was really needed. Don’t get me wrong, it was great to re-visit these characters, I was emotionally invested, and I appreciated the closure regarding certain characters fates, but by the end of this book, I felt we were at the same place as the end of The Family Upstairs. Rachel’s story arc was my favourite, likely because she was a new character with a fresh take, but the hunt for Phin became rather tedious in the second half. Also, I really missed Libby’s POV, and thought she would’ve had more of an active role in the search for her father. From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families and deadly obsessions in this stand-alone sequel to the “brilliantly chilling” ( Ruth Ware , New York Times bestselling author) THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS . Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. The book wasn't terrible until the last 25% or so. I was going to give it a generous three stars because I was caught up in the drama of it all, but then Lisa Jewell said HOLD MY BEER and this story nosedived into one-star territory at the speed of light. There are a few minor twists that are somewhat predictable, but overall I enjoyed these characters and am glad to have found out what happened next in their lives.

In "The Family Remains," that is exactly what readersget – more. More storylines, more characters and more suspense. Well, turns out Jewell had quite a bit left to say about the now-grown occupants of 16 Cheyne Walk. A: I do not believe that Henry will ever be healed, no, and in the corners of my mind I see a dozen more adventures for Henry to have in various guises. He could be a real Tom Ripley if I were prepared to revisit him. I also do still believe he could kill again, in certain scenarios! But I think I will leave him there, in the corners of my mind. It is time to move on from Henry now. Lisa Jewell has written a spellbinding conclusion to her family drama that is surprisingly tense in places, leaving me holding my breath, heart pounding. The characters are complex, as we expect them to be; the plot twisty and compelling; the denouement just perfect.

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this standalone sequel to the “brilliantly chilling” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs . When Detective Owusu lets Henry go, Henry has a desire to be reunited with his family and go home. Were you surprised by Henry’s reaction here? What did you think Henry was going to do in this situation? First things first, I did not read book #1. However, I did read a super long spoiler review of it to get a grasp on wassup because I was mad confused at first. My rating does not reflect the fact I didn't read #1... so pls refrain from the "YoU nEeD tO rEaD tHe FiRsT oNe" comments, respectfully. Lisa Jewell is my all time favorite authors! I read anything she writes with full contentment by canceling everything in my life. Overall: I love the conclusion and I enjoyed to revisit the characters of the book who are middle aged in the new book and I am so happy Michael got what he deserved.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this stand-alone sequel to the “brilliantly chilling” ( Ruth Ware , New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs .And as I told, the bones of a young woman found in Thames and another murder case in France may be linked to the Lamb siblings! Do you think Phin meeting Libby and potentially returning to the lives of the Lamb family will allow them all to heal? Do you see a brighter future for the Lamb family with the re-emergence of Phin?

The most richly accomplished of the brothers’ pairings to date—and given Connelly’s high standards, that’s saying a lot. Well, I am afraid to say that this morning the body of your husband, Michael Rimmer, was discovered by his housekeeper in the basement of his house in Antibes.” Do you think Rachel and Lucy will continue to be friends, or do you think their bond in common is too painful for them to maintain a relationship?

1: July 2018

I absolutely loved The Family Upstairs, unfortunately this sequel didn’t have quite the same tension and atmosphere that I loved so much in the first book. The pacing felt slower, more of a police procedural than an edge of your seat thriller. It became a little repetitive after a while, I just wanted everything to hurry up. That being said, it was always going to be difficult to live up to the first book for me!