The Family Upstairs

By: Lisa Jewell

Narrated by: Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland, Dominic Thorburn

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

PREPARE TO BE HOOKED

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF INVISIBLE GIRL

In a large house in London's fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up.

In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note.

They've been dead for several days.

Who has been looking after the baby?

And where did they go?

Two entangled families.

A house with the darkest of secrets.

A compulsive thriller from Lisa Jewell.

©2019 Lisa Jewell (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"I swear I didn’t breathe the whole time.... Gripping, pacy, brilliantly twisty." (Clare Mackintosh)

"Creepy, intricate and utterly immersive...." (Guardian)

"A twisty and engrossing story of betrayal and redemption." (Ian Rankin)

Brilliant

Absolutely brilliant! A perfect book during this period of confinement... I just couldn’t put it down.

"The weakness of men."

Firstly, the narration: three people are listed here, reading the chapters appropriate to their character as the point of view switches between Henry, nicely performed by Dominic Thorburn, Libby and Lucy read by Tamaryn Payne and Bea Holland. Unfortunately, the credits do not say who read which part. Not that it matters as both were good, clear and maintained an interest and were so similar in sound that I didn't realise that there was more than one female narrator. There were a couple of pronunciations but little of consequence and the male/ female voice variation helped provide a textural interest.

The actual story was, however, disappointing. It started well with the mystery of three dead, one woman and two men, found on the kitchen floor of a house in Cheney Walk, a very select and expensive street by the Thames in London. Two of the bodies were identified as husband and wife, the owners, but the third victim was unknown. It was an apparent suicide pact. But there was also the complication of a live baby on the floor above, well fed and cared for, secure in a cot. Although believed to be the dead couple's child, who had cared for her in the time between the deaths and the discovery of the bodies? Twenty four years later, that same baby who had been given for adoption, was surprised when she inherited the house and set out to find out more about her birth parents. This story, which moves back and forth in time and between protagonists, reveals all. Not so much a who-dun-it? mystery but a who are you?

Interesting enough to carry this reader to the end, just, by virtue of the good narration, but it dragged especially towards the end and despite the final resolutions, did not have the anticipated feel good factor but instead just rather shabby sad and unlikely.
So five stars for the readers and, being generous, three for the convoluted tale itself.

Tantalising but truly very sad

It was a gripping book but a few times I had to fast forward because I did not want to feel the misery of the caracters. I also expected another twist at the end but also feared it as it might have been sinister.

Great storytelling and twists everywhere

It was so engaging to have the 3 different perspectives. The story was filled with twists that I didn't expect! Overall, a book that makes you ponder and think about even after it's finished. Thoroughly entertaining and not a single dull moment! The ending made me want more of the book!

enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book, there were some parts I couldn't stop listening but some parts dragged a bit. Narration was great too. I look forward to the next one

Great listen!

Great story from start to finish, so many twists! narration was easy listen to. would definitely recommend!

Very disappointing

I will start on a positive note and say that the narration for this book was pretty good, and I like chapters giving the perspective of different characters. I was really into this book, waiting for the dramatic twist at the end, but it never came. To make matters worse the ending was, in my opinion, totally unbelievable. When reading fiction you always have to allow for some literary licence, but in this case its like the author ran out of steam and just threw an ending together. I feel like I wasted a good weekend on this book.

Not impressive but good enough

What I liked the most about this book is that it made me feel good inside (considering) and I needed that at the moment.

Could see the twists coming

Overall an engaging and very enjoyable audio book. Very well read by the actors, and I think the experience was better on audio because of their talent. I was looking forward to some great twists, as promised in other reviews, but I could see them coming from a mile off.
This was my first but I will be definitely reading/ listening to more of this author.

Excellent writing,

Beautiful story about the struggles of the children and the most amazing ending. The actors are Supreme

A real stunner what a read !

I love the more recent novels by Lisa Jewell and this was an absolute triumph. Her recent novels manage to develop great characters with real depth and combine with really unusual psychological thrilling storylines. This book was so different from the usual thrillers and all of the characters were great. I loved the way the story unfolded from three different perspectives and I enjoyed all three narrators. I simply have nothing negative to say about this book apart from it kept me awake at night as I could not stop listening until it was finished.

Brilliant!! Thoroughly enjoyed!

This was a brilliant listen, I was a bit dubious at first, but stuck to it and I am really glad that I did.

Great story, great twists, kept me guessing all the way through and great narration.

Wish there were more audible books like this.

Well written but depressing themes not for me

I have to say this was not my favourite Lisa Jewell thriller and of the past few, for me "Then She Was Gone" and "Watching You" were just so much more enjoyable. However I am still giving 5 stars as it was a very well written and tightly woven story with lots of plot twists and interesting backstories.
I just did not like any of the characters or themes and found it all quite depressing.
The narration was very good apart from a few mispronunciations including ennui and some other commonly used words which was jarring.
I also thought the two South African mentions were going to lead to another twist in the ending but unless there will be a sequel it then just seemed like a strange coincidence - don't worry that is not in anyway a spoiler just it could have been an interesting extra element to the ending but wasn't. Odd.
Even had I known the themes I would have still pre-ordered this book based on having so much enjoyed "Then She Was Gone" and "Watching You" but was just a bit bleak for me, which made it seem like it dragged, probably as I just was not enjoying the themes, only the mystery and suspense. Or perhaps, unlike other Lisa Jewell books, it seemed overlong as there was not one likeable character in the whole book so I found myself not really caring that much what happened to them, only to solve the intricately plotted puzzle of just what did happen.

Am I Missing Something?

Having eaten up Lisa Jewell’s books in the past, I was really looking forward to this one. But somehow ‘The Family Upstairs’ just didn’t connect with me. The first part felt a little drawn out with lots of different characters..As the story evolved, I enjoyed it more but overall.. it felt too wordy and tired me rather than enlivened my reading senses

Her best yet!

Totally gripping and brilliantly read. It feels like her writing has gone to another level with this novel: it’s more complex and subtle, and thoroughly
good read.

A bit flat & disheartening

I notice that many reviewers love this book and I usually enjoy books by Lisa Jewell, so my experience with this one may be unusual. I persevered until chapter 20, but, although it’s very well written, I found it flat, and a bit miserable. I will return it.

So much more than I expected

I really enjoyed this book, a perfectly addictive summer listen, and a story that there was so much more to than I had expected. It reminded me of a Kate Morton novel, only darker.

Lisa Jewell you never fail to impress me!!!!

I have been a fan of Lisa Jewell for many years and have read all of her books, this book does not disappoint!!!!! The story is so good as always and the characters well... Lisa Jewell has a way of breathing life it to characters like no other authors can do!!!! It was simply fantastic and the only thing that’s made me sad about this book is that it has finished and I have to wait another year for this fabulous authors next book.....fingers crossed.

Brilliant Thriller

This is the first Lisa Jewell book I've listened to or read, but am so glad I did. Couldn't stop listening and became invested in the fortunes of the lead characters. Had some great little twists. Really recommend!

slow and a bit boring

struggled to finish very slow and a bit boring but will try again sometime soon