Lisa Jewell is one of my all-time favourite authors. When she has a book out, you know I’ll be reading it. Her latest book, The Family Upstairs is a delightfully sinister psychological thriller with a bit of a gothic vibe that was engrossing until its final pages.

The story occurs in two different time frames and is told using three different points of view (and short chapters) which keeps the tension high and the pages turning quick. The pieces of the story surrounding a dysfunctional family, their posh manor house and their guests, gradually come together as the mystery of what happened to the manor’s earlier occupants unfolds for the reader.

There are a lot of characters, but Jewell gives them distinct voices and an impressive amount of depth. This is distinctly darker than Jewell’s previous books but just as gripping and I enjoyed the clever twists and even the disturbing feel. While I’m not a fan of open-ended stories, the loose ends in this book didn’t bother me as much as I would have expected.

Overall, this was a wonderfully gripping, slightly ominous, twisted family drama. Without divulging the plot, I’ll just say that this is another must-read book by Lisa Jewell.  WPL has ordered paper copies and audiobook on CD for this book that publishes November 5th.

— Laurie P.