Review: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

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The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell is the chilling follow-up to her bestselling thriller The Family Upstairs, and it picks up right where the story left off. With its eerie tone, tangled relationships, and fresh mystery woven into familiar trauma, this sequel adds new depth to characters we already know – and introduces a few we definitely won’t forget.

In this review, I’ll break down what worked (and what didn’t) in this dark and twisty continuation of Jewell’s psychological suspense universe.

Key Takeaways: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

The Family Remains is the much-anticipated sequel to The Family Upstairs, published in 2022.
It reintroduces familiar characters (Henry, Phin, Lucy, Rachel) while adding new players embroiled in a fresh mystery: a bag of bones found in the Thames.
Jewell writes multiple timelines and POVs with clarity, keeping the layered plot coherent and compelling.
Expect a blend of forensic thriller, character-driven drama, and plenty of emotional tension as past and new secrets collide.

book cover for the family remains by lisa jewell

What It’s About – The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

Months after her debut in The Family Upstairs, Lucy, Henry, and Phin are still picking up the pieces of their fractured lives. Phin is distant, Henry is uneasy, and Lucy is trying to keep everything together when a discovery in the Thames reignites the family’s darkest secrets.

Enter Rachel Rimmer—widow of the cult leader Michael Rimmer—who becomes entangled with the Lamb family’s past. Alongside new protagonist Samuel Owusu, a determined investigator, Jewell weaves a tangled web that spans from London to Chicago, keeping the thrill rising as loyalties shift, motives twist, and the bones in the river demand answers.

The Family Remains: A Novel

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My Review Rating – 4 out of 5 stars.

I gave this book 4 stars. It’s a layered, emotional sequel with just enough creep factor to keep you turning pages – especially if you loved the characters from The Family Upstairs.

What I Liked

The Characters

One of the most satisfying parts of this sequel is seeing familiar characters grow up—or at least try to. We revisit Henry, Lucy, and Libby years after the events of The Family Upstairs, and I especially appreciated getting to see Libby as a full character now, no longer just the baby at the center of the mystery.

Rachel, who barely appeared in the first book, really comes into her own here. She’s strong, complex, and one of my favorite characters in this story.

The Plot & Storyline

The plot is filled with secrets, lies, and emotional baggage from the past. There’s plenty of mystery to unravel, but it’s all grounded in the psychological trauma from the first book. While The Family Remains isn’t quite as creepy as The Family Upstairs, the tension is still there—and for me, the balance was just right. Some of the darkest material is only hinted at or takes place off-page, which keeps things unsettling without being overwhelming.

This felt like a true psychological thriller: fast-paced, layered, and deeply emotional.

What I Disliked

Like the first book, The Family Remains uses multiple perspectives and timelines. And like before, I found myself getting a bit confused at first. Some of the timeline shifts weren’t immediately clear, and I had to keep reminding myself to check the chapter headers for clues. Eventually, I found my footing—but it did take some effort to track how everything fit together.

Author Note:

Lisa Jewell didn’t follow a traditional path into publishing. After losing her job in the fashion industry, she accepted a playful challenge from a friend: write three chapters of a novel in exchange for dinner. That impromptu project became her debut novel, Ralph’s Party, and launched a career that’s now filled with dark psychological thrillers and international bestsellers.

Published in 2022, The Family Remains is one of her most anticipated sequels and shows just how far her storytelling has evolved, from quirky rom-coms to twisty, unsettling mysteries with emotional depth.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Do I need to read The Family Upstairs before The Family Remains?

Yes. While Jewell has said The Family Remains can work as a standalone, most readers – myself included – agree it’s richer and more coherent with the emotional context from 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.

Conclusion: A Satisfying Sequel That Delivers on Twists

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell is everything you want in a follow-up: familiar characters, a fresh mystery, and just enough darkness to keep you hooked without feeling overwhelmed. While the timeline structure can be a little disorienting at first, the payoff is worth it, especially if you’ve already read The Family Upstairs.

If you enjoyed the first book, this one offers the perfect opportunity to dive back into that unsettling world and see what happens next. Just make sure you’re paying attention to those chapter dates.

If you enjoy dark, character-driven suspense like this, don’t miss my Mystery & Thriller Book Guide for more page-turners.