Libby Jones has been waiting for a letter her entire life. Following her twenty-fifth birthday, it finally arrives and as Libby reads it contents. she hopes it will answer the one question she never could – who is she?

Adopted at a young age, Libby finally learns who her birth parents are as she inherits their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames river in London, 16 Cheyne Walk.

The same house where twenty-five years ago police arrived to find a healthy 10-month old baby in her crib upstairs, all while three adult bodies lay in the downstairs kitchen.

All dressed in black, with a hastily written note laying beside, the case was written off as a suicide pact made by cult members. And the four children reported to live at 16 Cheyne Walk were never found.

Lives of members of three unique families are entangled in this suspense thriller full of secrets.

The narrative of this story is split three ways – Libby, a 40-year old woman named Lucy living in France, and first person perspective from a male whose identity remains a mystery. I found it to be an engaging feature of the book, linking the past and the present to connect the story and all its characters for the reader.

“They weren’t bad books,” Phin countered patiently. “They were books that you didn’t enjoy. It’s not the same thing at all. The only bad books are books that are so badly written that no one will publish them. Any book that has been published is going to be a ‘good book’ for someone.”

The Family Upstairs Quotes by Lisa Jewell | Goodreads

The amount of characters in the book is its one, heavy downside. They are introduced numerously and quite quickly right at the beginning of the novel and it was hard to remember who is who. Unfortunately, I can see this putting a lot of people off from continuing reading the book, which would be a pity, because it is damn worth it.

It is a well written novel, with captivating story that kept me at the edge of my seat right till the very end. The ending itself was wrapped up in a satisfying manner. It’s chaotic and crazy throughout, even disturbing at times, which might not be for everyone, but if you decide to stick with it through it all, it will reveal all its secrets.