The Family Remains

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell is the sequel to Jewell’s New York Times bestselling thriller The Family Upstairs (2019). Through a variety of character narrators and timelines, Jewell follows the lives of the Lamb children 25 years after their escape from a dark and twisted childhood home. The mystery novel follows the investigation of Detective Samuel Owusu, who digs into the past when Birdie Dunlop-Evers’s remains are discovered and she is linked to the house on Cheyne Walk.

The Family Remains was published in 2022 and explores themes such as Trauma and Moral Responsibility, The Strength of Family Bonds, and Secrets and Lies.

This guide refers to the 2022 Atria paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of sexual assault and mentions of suicide.

Plot Summary

In the summer of 2016, Rachel Gold, a 30-something jewelry designer in London, is lonely and looking for a casual fling when she meets Michael Rimmer. Michael is charming and wealthy, and Rachel quickly falls in love with him despite a few red flags. They marry after only a few months of dating. When conflict occurs on their honeymoon, Michael becomes distant, controlling, and violent.