Book Review Wednesday: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

 I read The Family Upstairs back in 2019 before it was released and loved it. When I found out that Lisa Jewell was writing a sequel to the story, I was immediately sold. I didn't know where the story could go since The Family Upstairs was so enticing and really told the whole back story, but I knew I trusted Lisa Jewell and I was going to read The Family Remains.

Lucky for me I was able to receive an ARC from Net Galley and immediately started reading. I was not disappointed in the slightest and you pick up right where Jewell left us last.

I will admit that I had a hard time remembering what happened in the first book since it had been two years since I last read it so if you've been wanting to read The Family Upstairs I recommend reading these back to back so the story is fresh in your mind.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book and felt it added a nice wrap-up to the original story.

Publisher's Summary

Early one morning on the shore of the Thames, DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene of a gruesome discovery. When Owusu sends the evidence for examination, he learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago.

Rachel Rimmer has also received a shock—news that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France. All signs point to an intruder, and the French police need her to come urgently to answer questions about Michael and his past that she very much doesn’t want to answer.

After fleeing London thirty years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home. While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first-ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present.

As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they could have never imagined.

In this masterful standalone sequel to her haunting New York Times bestseller, The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell proves she is writing at the height of her powers with another jaw-dropping, intricate, and affecting novel about the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love and uncover the truth.

My Thoughts

This book centered heavily on the investigation into the death of Birdie, the grifter and musician from the previous book, along with a new character - Rachel, and the story of Henry Lamb. We have never met Rachel or Michael before and I was unsure of how they fit into the story of 16 Cheyenne Way but eventually, as all good thrillers do, it comes together in the end.

That being said, I don't know how necessary Rachel and her husband Michael were to the story - it wasn't the best connection.

However, Henry Lamb's runaway tricks were interesting and I enjoyed the investigation of Birdie's death. It tied up a lot of loose ends and added a lot more authenticity to the story. The Family Upstairs was so much of Henry's story and I loved having the continuation of that; I loved the exploration of his life. 

The writing was superb, the twisted tales unraveled at a perfect pace and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was the kind of novel where you weren't sure where it was going, not because Jewell wasn't sure but because it seemed like the characters themselves were unsure. It felt so real, like the characters and their flaws jumped off the page. It was honestly unlike anything else I have ever read because it's a unique story and a unique writing style. 

The Family Upstairs/Remains is one of my favorite thriller series and by far my favorite Lisa Jewell novels. If you read the first book, you need to read the follow-up as well. The Family Remains does not disappoint!  

xoxo

B