The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

This is an intricate and captivating novel about desire, belonging, identity and family.

The story is told on three levels by three different people at different times. The first is from a woman who, on her twenty-fifth birthday, inherits a large house in Chelsea, London. She knows that she was found as a baby in her cot in that house, with only three adult corpses. Two of these were her parents but her teenage siblings have vanished.

There is also the story of a homeless woman in France. She has two children, a dog and an abusive ex-husband. The third tale is from the perspective of a disturbed teenage boy who gradually and tantalisingly links the stories together. The adoptee, with the aid of a journalist, tries to decipher her past and her identity along with the perverse and mysterious situation in which she was discovered.

An original psychological thriller written with great atmosphere and including quirky characters. Well paced tension, superbly crafted. There is also an equally fascinating sequel that exposes more secrets: The Family Remains.

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Published by Cornerstone Digital on 8 August 2019.