Following the amazing narrative of ‘The Family Upstairs’, review of which you can read here, its sequel does not deliver.

A bag of bones is discovered in the Thames. The investigation leads DCI Samuel Owusu down the rabbit hole of a cold case relating to three bodies found in Chelsea mansion – and through that, to the protagonists of the prequel.

In parallel, Rachel learns of passing of her husband, Michael, who also happens to be Lucy’s ex. Rachel’s perspective provides a light into her and Michael’s past and acts as a buffer for the main story.

Having read ‘The Family Upstairs’ shortly prior to starting this sequel, I found it too repetitive. Past events were mentioned and explained far too many times.

It was a disappointing read all in all. the plot did not make much sense. A lot of it involved characters chasing one another for no good reason and climax of the story fell flat.

There was no point to this novel that I could find. It offered nothing new or significant in terms of content. I found it severely underwhelming and simply a let down after a good storyline of ‘The Family Upstairs’, topped with a satisfying ending – now made redundant.