Audiobook, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell @lisajewelluk #DominicThorburn @bea_holland @HughQuarshie #JoshDylan #ThomasJudd @ETomlinson @SimonAudio

Jonetta | Blue Mood Café


the setup…

Let me start by saying this is not a standalone! If you don’t read The Family Upstairs first…prepare to be lost. The Lamb siblings are back, this time adjusting to their reunion with each other and Lucy’s return to London. She and her oldest daughter, Libby Jones, are beginning to bond as they both are looking to create a new normal. However, when they locate Libby’s father and attempt to set up a visit with him in Botswana, he suddenly pulls up stakes and leaves. Henry gets a lead on where he might have gone and surreptitiously sets out to find him as he’s still obsessed with the man. Meanwhile, the human remains of Bridget Dunlop-Evers, known as Birdie, are discovered by a mudlarker on the shores of the Thames and DCI Samuel Owusu is doggedly determined to find out who killed her. Rachel Rimmer, Lucy’s ex-husband Michael Rimmer’s wife, gives us a view of the man from the time they first met until his death.

the heart of the story…

There’s so much backstory from the first book I had to read a summary (Googled it!) to remind myself of certain details. It all came flooding back quickly and I got so hooked I abandoned sleep to finish. There’s not a lot of drama, except as it relates to Henry and his relentless pursuit of Phin. We know what he’s capable of so it was beyond creepy. Lucy has also taken her children with her to chase behind Henry, fearing he’d do something rash. Rachel’s point of view was extremely compelling, especially after knowing her as a self assured modern woman who’s taken in by Michael’s veneer. I was so invested in what happened to her and couldn’t wait until the story would transition back to her. DCI Owusu is always in the background, his investigation creeping closer to the truth of what happened in that house of horrors where the children were raised.

the narration…

I was in heaven listening to this full cast narration. Everyone delivered the performance I needed, especially Dominic Thorburn as Henry. He was that man, full of arrogance and a little bit of crazy. This was the best in audiobook listening experiences.

the bottom line…

I was satisfied with the ending in the first book but still had lots of unresolved issues that this story answered. It totally enthralled me as I worried for Phin, got caught up in Rachel’s unfolding drama and felt the tension brought on by DCI Owusu as he closed in on the Lambs. My expectations were high and this still managed to surpass them. I’m sparse on details for a reason and highly recommend the book in any format but the audio version is special. Jewell is an auto listen and remains so. It feels like we’ve seen the last of this family but there was a tiny little crack opened for possibly more. If so, I’m definitely in!

Book Info

  • Release Date: August 9, 2022
  • Series: The Family Upstairs #2
  • Narrators: Dominic Thorburn, Bea Holland, Hugh Quarshie, Josh Dylan, Thomas Judd & Eleanor Tomlinson
  • Audio Length: 11 hours, 14 minutes
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

 

 

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm

 

 

Excerpt

 

Chapter One
JULY 2018Groggy with sleep, Rachel peered at the screen of her phone. A French number. The phone slipped from her hand onto the floor and she grabbed it up again, staring at the number with wide eyes, adrenaline charging through her even though it was barely seven in the morning.Finally she pressed reply. She drew in her breath. “Hello?”“Bonjour, good morning. This is Detective Avril Loubet from the Police Municipale in Nice. Is this Mrs. Rachel Rimmer?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Speaking.”

“Mrs. Rimmer. I am afraid I am calling you with some very distressing news. Please, tell me. Are you alone?”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Is there anyone you can ask to be with you now?”

“My father. He lives close. But please. Just tell me.”

“Well, I am afraid to say that this morning the body of your husband, Michael Rimmer, was discovered by his housekeeper in the basement of his house in Antibes.”

Rachel made a sound, a hard intake of breath with a whoosh, like a steam train. “Oh,” she said. “No!”

“I’m so sorry. But yes. And he appears to have been murdered, with a stab wound, several days ago. He has been dead at least since the weekend.”

Rachel sat up straight and moved the phone to her other ear. “Is it—Do you know why? Or who?”

“The crime scene officers are in attendance. We will uncover every piece of evidence we can. But it seems that Mr. Rimmer had not been operating his security cameras and his back door was unlocked. I am very sorry, I don’t have anything more definite to share with you at this point, Mrs. Rimmer. Very sorry indeed.”

Rachel turned off her phone and let it drop onto her lap.

She stared blankly for a moment toward the window, where the summer sun was leaking through the edges of the blind. She sighed heavily. Then she pulled her sleep mask down, turned onto her side, and went back to sleep.

 

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

Published by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

16 thoughts on “The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell @lisajewelluk #DominicThorburn @bea_holland @HughQuarshie #JoshDylan #ThomasJudd @ETomlinson @SimonAudio”

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  4. I’m looking forward to reading this one and your review makes me wish I could read it sooner. I’m going to have to reread my review of The Family Upstairs before I do though to jog my memory. Excellent review!

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  7. Great review, Jo. I will have to read the summary as well, as it has been awhile since I read the first one. I requested the audio, but I am still waiting. I will probably just read this one.

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