The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell | Audiobook Review

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Narrators: Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland, Dom Thornburn
Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Length: 352 pages / 9 hrs. 36 min.
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

A young woman unexpectedly inherits a dilapidated Chelsea mansion, opening up questions of who she is, why the house is hers and what could have happened in it?

From the Publisher

“Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now 25, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now, it’s hers.

As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?”

The Draw

• I’ve never read a Lisa Jewell book before, so it was definitely time.
• The busy fall season is a perfect time of year for a mystery.
• After listening to a lot of nonfiction, I was ready to get lost in a fiction audiobook.

{My Thoughts}

Twenty-five year old Libby Jones, adopted at under a year old, lived a normal life. She had a job she enjoyed, but felt she might want to do something different. She dated here and there, had friends, missed her dad, and had a tense relationship with her mom. Her life could have been called usual, until something extraordinary happened. Libby got a letter from an attorney about an inheritance. She’d somehow inherited a beautiful, but completely run down Chelsea townhouse, and it came from her birth parents.

This opened up question after question for Libby, and the answers proved disconcerting. Both her parents and another man had died in the house, and her two older siblings had completely vanished. Thus begins, Libby’s quest for answers.

Interspersed with Libby’s chapters are those from a man who grew up in the house. He parses out to the reader just what it was like to live in that house, as a young child with just his sister and parents, and then later after “the family upstairs” moved in. Also adding to the story is Lucy, a 40ish woman with two kids of her own. Lucy lives in France, just barely managing to keep her family off the streets with her meager earnings as a street musician. She, too holds pieces to the puzzle that Libby strives to put together.

I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Libby as she put together her own story. Though I easily guessed the major plot turns, somehow that didn’t bother me much. I so enjoyed listening to narrators Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland, and Dom Thornburn that I think it made up for any lack of real surprise. Through their wonderful reading, each of the characters came to life and I found myself always eager to hear more. The Family Upstairs, whether in print or audio, is a perfect book to pick up in this hectic time of year!
Grade: B
Narration: A-

 If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson – Another family drama. This one both a murder mystery, and a legal thriller, plus it’s also great on audio. (my review)
• The Stranger Inside by Lara Benedict – A mystery also revolving around a house, but in this a woman returns from a weekend away to find a stranger has completely inhabited her home. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this audiobook from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!