September 1, 2019
Three siblings who have been out of touch for more than 20 years grapple with their unsettling childhoods, but when the youngest inherits the family home, all are drawn back together. At the age of 25, Libby Jones learns she has inherited a large London house that was held in a trust left to her by her birthparents. When she visits the lawyer, she is shocked to find out that she was put up for adoption when she was 10 months old after her parents died in the house in an apparent suicide pact with an unidentified man and that she has an older brother and sister who were teenagers at the time of their parents' deaths and haven't been seen since. Meanwhile, in alternating narratives, we're introduced to Libby's sister, Lucy Lamb, who's on the verge of homelessness with her two children in the south of France, and her brother, Henry Lamb, who's attempting to recall the last few disturbing years with his parents during which they lost their wealth and were manipulated into letting friends move into their home. These friends included the controlling but charismatic David Thomsen, who moved his own wife and two children into the rooms upstairs. Henry also remembers his painful adolescent confusion as he became wildly infatuated with Phineas, David's teenage son. Meanwhile, Libby connects with Miller Roe, the journalist who covered the story about her family, and the pair work together to find her brother and sister, determine what happened when she was an infant, and uncover who has recently been staying in the vacant house waiting for Libby to return. As Jewell (Watching You, 2018, etc.) moves back and forth from the past to the present, the narratives move swiftly toward convergence in her signature style, yet with the exception of Lucy's story, little suspense is built up and the twists can't quite make up for the lack of deep characters and emotionally weighty moments. This thriller is taut and fast-paced but lacks compelling protagonists.
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Starred review from September 9, 2019
Twenty-five years before the present-day action of this un-put-downable psychological thriller from bestseller Jewell (Watching You), the bodies of Henry and Martina Lamb and an unknown man were found in the Lambs’ mansion in London’s exclusive Chelsea district. How did they die, and where were the Lambs’ children? Three entwined stories provide some answers. Homeless Lucy, a busking violinist, is sitting on a French beach with her son when she receives a message on her phone: “The baby is 25.” Lucy’s account of her voyage to London merges with that of Libby Jones. Libby, adopted when she was around a year old, is working for a kitchen design company in St. Albans when she receives the news that she has inherited the Lambs’ family home. Henry, the Lambs’ son, describes his childhood and the terrifying events that changed all their lives when the charismatic charlatan David Thomsen came to stay. Investigating her past, Libby gets much more than she bargained for. Distinct, well-developed characters, shifting points of view, and a disturbing narrative that pulses with life create an enthralling tale full of surprises. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary.
Starred review from September 1, 2019
Libby receives a surprise inheritance on her twenty-fifth birthday: she's been left a mansion in London's Chelsea neighborhood, the house where she was abandoned as a baby. It was a huge scandal at the time, as she was clean and cared for, but her parents were long dead in the kitchen, having entered into a suicide pact. All of this had been hidden from Libby until now, and she's determined to find out the truth behind her family's history. Meanwhile, in France, Lucy travels from hostel to hostel with her two children in tow, barely getting by as a street musician, when she gets a mysterious text that drives her to extremes in order to get back to London. Her connection to the Chelsea house (and therefore Libby) is at the heart of Jewell's latest thriller. The suspense mounts, moving from Libby to Lucy in the present as well as in mesmerizing flashbacks. No one is quite whom they seem to be, and everyone is willing to do whatever is needed in order to get what they want. Another dark winner from Jewell, who expertly teases out her tricky tale with stunning moments and richly drawn characters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
Starred review from October 1, 2019
Jewell's tenth novel (after Watching You) starts with Libby, who just turned 25, inheriting a London townhouse worth millions from her biological parents. She was told that her parents died in a car crash, but that was a lie to shield her. In fact, she was discovered as a baby in the townhouse, well cared for but with the decaying bodies of her parents and an unknown man. The police report says that all three adults died in a suicide pact. But did they? Neighbors, although rarely seeing anyone, thought several children and adults were living there. Where are they? And where is Libby's older brother and sister? Libby can't rest until she discovers what happened to her and her family all those years ago. VERDICT Readers won't be able to put this novel down. Just when they think they have figured it all out, the story twists and turns right up to the last chilling line. Highly recommended for fans of authors such as Gillian Flynn and V.C. Andrews. [See Prepub Alert, 4/8/19.]--Susan Moritz, Silver Spring, MD
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2019
Orphaned as a baby, 25-year-old Libby Jones is astonished to learn that she has inherited a tumbling-down townhouse in a classy London neighborhood, a house to which street musician Clemency Thompson and her childhood friend Lucy also have connections. Now the two are heading there, ready to protect secrets. Following the LJ-starred Watching You; with a 200,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.