The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell: Book Review
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The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell picks up the tangled story that began in The Family Upstairs, bringing back familiar characters while adding a new mystery and even more complications from the past.
I was especially curious to see whether a sequel was really necessary. By the time I reached the final few words of The Family Upstairs, I understood exactly why Lisa Jewell had more story to tell.
This second book is still dark and unsettling, but for me it felt slightly less creepy than the first – which was perfectly fine.
My Take: The Family Remains gave me exactly what I wanted from a sequel: familiar characters, unanswered questions from The Family Upstairs, and a new mystery that expands the story rather than simply repeating it. I found this one slightly less creepy than the first book, but still plenty dark and twisty. My Verdict? Read. Just don’t start here – I think this story works much better if you’ve already read The Family Upstairs.
What It’s About – The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
The Family Remains continues the stories of Lucy, Henry, Libby, and other characters from The Family Upstairs while introducing a new investigation after human remains are discovered in the Thames.
The mystery reaches back into the same complicated family history explored in the first book, while new characters – including Rachel Rimmer – reveal additional pieces of what happened before and after the events at the Chelsea house.
As the story moves among characters, locations, and timelines, old secrets begin colliding with new ones.
The Family Remains – What I Liked
The Characters
One of the most satisfying things about this sequel was getting more time with characters whose stories didn’t feel entirely finished at the end of The Family Upstairs.
I especially liked seeing Lucy, Henry, and Libby again and learning what their lives looked like after everything that happened in the first book.
Rachel also became much more important here, and I found her one of the strongest characters in this story.
For me, the sequel worked because I was already invested in these people. I wasn’t simply reading for the new mystery — I wanted to know what happened to the characters I’d left behind.
The Plot & Storyline
The story is filled with secrets, lies, and emotional baggage from the past, but it also introduces enough new material that it doesn’t feel like we’re simply revisiting the first book.
I found The Family Remains a little less creepy than The Family Upstairs, which actually worked well for me. There’s still plenty of psychological tension and disturbing material, but much of the darkest material is suggested or happens off-page rather than being pushed directly in front of the reader.
The result was still a fast-moving psychological thriller, but one that felt more focused on consequences and character than simply creating unease.
The Family Remains – What I Didn’t Like
Like the first book, The Family Remains uses multiple perspectives and timelines, and once again I found myself a little confused at first.
Some of the timeline changes weren’t immediately obvious to me, so I had to pay close attention to chapter headings and dates until I got everything straight.
Eventually I found my footing, but this is definitely one of those books where you don’t want to skim your way through the chapter headings.
Haven’t read the first book yet? You can catch up with my full review of The Family Upstairs – it’s where all the twisted fun begins.
Want to read everything from Lisa Jewell in the right order? Check out my full list of Lisa Jewell books in order, including this one.
The Family Remains – Read, ReRead, or Reconsider?
Read.
For me, The Family Remains is a Read – but very specifically after The Family Upstairs.
The sequel gives us more time with characters I already cared about while adding another mystery and filling in pieces of the larger story. I also appreciated that it didn’t simply try to recreate the same creepiness as the first book.
If you finished The Family Upstairs wanting answers about what happened next, this one delivers them.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
Do I need to read The Family Upstairs before The Family Remains?
I strongly recommend it. The Family Remains continues characters, relationships, and unresolved storylines from The Family Upstairs, and I think you’ll get much more from the sequel if you’ve read the first book.
Is The Family Remains part of a series?
Yes. It’s the second book in the Family Upstairs series, following The Family Upstairs. There’s also a related novel, None of This Is True, which shares thematic links.
What genre is The Family Remains?
It’s a psychological thriller with mystery, domestic suspense, and emotional drama. It leans heavily on character development and layered storylines.
Where is the story set?
The sequel broadens the geographic scope – starting in London, moving through Chicago and Botswana – but remains anchored in the emotional fallout from the Chelsea mansion.
Is The Family Remains scary?
It’s more emotionally disturbing than terrifying. Violence and trauma are explored through psychological depth rather than gore or horror tropes.
Is The Family Remains Worth Reading?
Yes – especially if you’ve already read The Family Upstairs.
I don’t think this sequel would have meant nearly as much to me without already knowing Lucy, Henry, Libby, and the strange history surrounding their family. The new mystery is interesting, but the real appeal was discovering what happened to these characters after the first book ended.
The shifting timelines took a little attention at first, but once I settled into the story, I was completely invested again.
For me, The Family Remains works because it doesn’t feel like a sequel written simply because the first book was successful. There really was more story to tell.
What To Read Next
- The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell – Start here if you haven’t read the first book yet; you’ll understand The Family Remains much better after knowing what happened in the Chelsea house.
- Lisa Jewell Books In Order – Browse Lisa Jewell’s full backlist and find another of her dark, twisty psychological thrillers.
- Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell – Try another Lisa Jewell thriller filled with secrets, uneasy relationships, and questions about who can be trusted.
- The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner – Another strong choice if you enjoy domestic suspense and increasingly unsettling family secrets.
- The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland – A fast psychological thriller with family tension, suspicion, and plenty of twists.
- Explore Mystery & Thriller – Browse more psychological thrillers, mysteries, and suspenseful reads on Looks Like Books.
