The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell

Rate 4.5 ⭐

Henry and Lucy grew up in the gorgeous mansion that is The Chelsea Mansion with their rich, socialite parents.. That is until New families begin to move in and their entire lives are flipped upside down. One day everyone disappears, everyone except their parents, an unidentified man found dead after a suspected suicide pact and a baby. When they are found they notice the baby is well looked after.. But there is nobody there to do so. That baby is Libby and she's now turning 25 meaning that the lavish Chelsea Mansion is now hers and she's curious to find out all about it, the house AND the families who lived there..What did happened behind closed doors?

"It all happened so slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly, the change to our parents, to our home, to our lives after they arrived. But that first night, when Birdie appeared on our front step with two large suitcases and a cat in a wicker box, we could never have guessed the impact she would have, the other people she would bring into our lives, that it would all end the way it did.

We thought she had just come to stay for the weekend."

This story is wonderful with many dark aspects,depth to all the characters. The story told by Henry who grew up in this house point of view. 

 Lucy her younger sister perspective  who live in france lead an miserable life and had two childern .

Lisa did a fantastic job developing all the characters and putting layer after layer of motivation of what ultimately happens.The book start slow paced but in the middle of the book it really takes off. The story told alternation between past and present. I loved trying to figure out the mystery of who was who and what their motives were. I also really enjoyed how dark the book was, especially from Henry's perspective, even if he did weird me out and has a evil soul.I finally understand why he did or what he did it. His obsession over Phin is eerie but I also feel bad for him. How weak he was for Phin.The ending where the book ends I really hoped Lisa gave us an another epilogue for Henry and Phin.

'All my father’s opinions were either black or white; things were either right or wrong, good or bad: there was no nuance to his world view.'

This has the most twisted and darkest of books, depth in all the characters, as revelation after revelation unfolds which makes for an uncomfortable and never less than a compelling reading experience. also liked the fact that it was told from multiple perspective.
All in all I liked the family upstairs, it was a good read. I will for sure be picking up more by Lisa Jewell.