By Lisa Jewell
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Goodreads: 3.89)
GENRE: Thriller/Mystery/Suspense
PART OF A SERIES? Yes {The Family Upstairs, no. 2}
WORTH READING? Yes
SUMMARY
DCI Owusu is investigating the discovery of a bag of human bones. They turn out to belong to a young woman killed by a blow to the head many years ago. The bag also contains clues that lead the DCI to a mansion where a single baby was the only surviving person in a house where three people lay dead.
Rachel has received news that her husband has been found dead in France. The police want her to come urgently to answer questions which she very much does not want to answer.
Lucy is finally in the process purchasing her first-ever house, whilst her brother flies off to find the boy from their shared past.
Four deaths. Mysteries. A family whose secrets are about to surface.
Opening line: 'Groggy with sleep, Rachel peered at the screen of her phone.'
In The Family Remains, Jewell weaves another fascinating mystery – one that I didn't want to stop reading. The novel explores the impact of terrible trauma on several characters’ lives – both in the past and in the present.
I liked that the who-dunnit angle is really only one trajectory. It doesn’t form the basis of the book. The characters and what happened to them are what’s at the heart of this tale.
There are several main characters, some of whom have reinvented themselves with new identities and histories. The characters are all solid characters with different voices, so it’s easy to keep track of them. Just when I thought I'd worked out a character’s personality, and what makes him/her tick, a new side emerged that I didn’t see coming.
The story flicks across several timelines (although only over a period of about 4 years). This can sometimes be a bit tricky for an audiobook listener, so I borrowed the physical book from my sister-in-law as well – that way, I could refer to it if I found myself getting a bit lost in the timeline.
As with any good thriller, several unpredictable things happen – this definitely kept me absorbed and excited to read more. I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the ending, though; I felt it was just a bit over the top.
Keep an eye out for what I believe is a plot inconsistency in Chapter 67, when Lucy sees Rachel (I can’t write about it here, as I’d definitely spoil it for you).
N.B: Although I also awarded The Family Upstairs (book 1 in the series) ⭐⭐⭐⭐, I can't do a review on it, as it’s been too long since I’ve read it. The Family Remains is marketed as a standalone sequel (surely this is an oxymoron?), but I’ve identified it as part of a series, because I really think it’s be better to read The Family Upstairs first.
N.B (2): I had a bit of an issue with the audiobook narrator pronouncing things with the wrong syllable emphasised and in a disjointed way. E.g. She pronounced it as HeathROW airport and a lounge as upHOLSTered {Obviously not the fault of the author, but I did find this a bit irritating, as someone should have picked these errors up}
Click here to buy The Family Remains paperback on Amazon
Click here to buy The Family Upstairs (book 1)
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