Just finished The Perfect Couple? Next up read The Family Upstairs…
Fresh off the scandalous wedding woes in Elin Hilderbrand's The Perfect Couple? Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs invites you into a haunted Chelsea mansion where a shocking discovery unravels decades of deception, sibling bonds, and sinister motives—perfect for those craving more family intrigue without the beachside vows.
"I'm just about to finish it. I love it so far. I'm pretty sure Henry makes a reference to her name being Lucy which doesn't make sense since she says Lucy isn't her real name."— Levvy1705, Reddit
Imagine trading Nantucket's sun-soaked shores for the shadowy elegance of a London mansion, but keeping that addictive mix of family secrets and high-society drama that made The Perfect Couple such a page-turner. Lisa Jewell delivers a gripping mystery centered on Libby Jones, who inherits a grand but eerie home on her 25th birthday, only to uncover its connection to a long-ago tragedy involving cults, disappearances, and fractured sibling relationships.
It's got that same ensemble vibe with characters whose polished exteriors hide messy truths, but Jewell amps up the psychological tension, making it feel like a moodier cousin to Hilderbrand's beachy suspense—ideal for readers who want to explore affluent lives gone awry without retreading the exact wedding-murder plot.
What sets this apart is its clever structure, jumping between timelines and perspectives to build suspense, much like the investigative layers in The Perfect Couple, but with a dash more darkness and intrigue. Published in 2019, it's fresh enough to feel current, tapping into our fascination with inheritance tales and hidden family histories.
"Confusing, disturbing, creepy, and I didn't want to look away. The audio is excellent and it's the male that adds so much of the creepy, dangerous atmosphere although the story really doesn't need help in building up the creepiness."— MarilynW, Goodreads
Fans will appreciate how it balances emotional depth with twisty plotting, offering escapist thrills that dissect privilege and betrayal in a way that's accessible yet smarter than your average beach read. Think a less glamorous Succession meets domestic thriller.
Ultimately, if Hilderbrand's novel left you hooked on mysteries that peel back the layers of seemingly perfect lives, this one's a seamless next step—proving Jewell is a master at crafting stories that keep you guessing while delivering relatable human drama.
