2 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly excited getting approved for this! Family upstairs was so so good. This unfortunately did not hit the mark at all.

I found that the plot was all over the place. So many characters and perspectives and side plots that I really didn’t care about. A lot of things kept getting put out then taken back too many times. I understand that switching perspectives during a plot point but this did it while nothing was happening so instead of building suspense it was just annoying.

Going back to my point of the plot being all over the place towards the end is just recapping and info dumping so even the book had to put everything down knowing how confusing it was.

I will still pick up Lisa Jewell as the Family Upstairs is one of my favourites!

This book follows three different storylines, and waits for them to collide. You have Saffyre, a troubled 17 year old with unresolved issues from her past. Then there’s Owen Pick, a 33 year old virgin, living with his disinterested aunt, recently left his job as a teacher after students made allegations of sexual misconduct.

Then you have the Fours family: Cate, Roan and their children Georgia and Josh. They have recently moved across the road from Owen, and when there’s a spate of sexual assaults in the area, Cate identifies him as the likely suspect. In fairness, you probably would too; he’s a bit odd, though as a reader, you can clearly identify him as harmless.

When Saffyre, who it transpires has links to Roan Fours, goes missing, Owen is the only suspect. What follows is a life unravelling as there’s a race against time to locate the young girl. The question isn’t who has a secret, but who has the most to lose by theirs coming out?

I’ll be honest, it doesn’t take a genius to work out how this book is going to play out; however, that’s not really the point. Jewell is such a clever writer, dropping crumbs, pulling you around, and then grabbing it all back together, that you don’t mind. It’s the journey, rather than an element of “ooh, didn’t see that coming”. I don’t think I’d call this a thriller, per se, but definitely a mystery, and it’s a dark one (though, not twisty).

Another good book by Lisa Jewell. Fast paced so gripped me from the very beginning and read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book and author.

Saffyre went through a traumatic event when she was just 10 years old. She struggled to cope for years and even self harmed up until she started therapy with Roan. Her treatment went well and she was eventually discharged. However, Saffyre then goes missing and it just happens to take place outside Roans apartment. The finger is pointed at Owen, the village 'weirdo' who has also been discharged from work for sexual misconduct. We follow multiple perspectives as we try find out what happened to Saffyre and how everyone is connected in one way or another.

Lisa Jewell's writing style can only be described as addictive. You're hooked in after the first chapter, needing to know where the story is heading. The characters are all developed well and I liked how everyone was complex.

The suspense and pacing was excellent and there was definitely twists I didn't see coming. I did find the ending wrapped up a little too quickly.

Also, this does tackle the difficult topic of sexual abuse so please be aware if you are sensitive to this!

Like many of Lisa Jewell's book this ends on a real cliffhanger which I find frustrating because I want to know more!

Overall, a really great, fast paced thriller which will keep you on your toes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me a copy to review.

Lisa Jewell fans, get excited. Invisible Girl is everything we hoped it would be and more: a perfectly plotted, expertly paced read-in-one-sitting kind of book that will hook you in from the very first chapters and refuse to let go. We think you’ll love it.

Gritty and spine chilling right up to the end. I am a fan of Lisa Jewell and this story does not disappoint. I sat and read this book in one go.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone/Century for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Invisible Girl’ by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell has again delivered a highly engaging psychological thriller/domestic noir. Its plot focuses on the concept of social invisibility.

The invisible girl of the title is Saffyre Maddox, who was ten when something terrible happened to her. She was sent to therapist, Roan Fours, though she doesn’t feel that he healed her. When he ends their therapeutic relationship she begins to shadow him, learning his secrets.

Across the street from Roan and his family wife lives Owen Pick. He is thirty-three years old and socially awkward. Without a girlfriend or even a friend, no one sees him. He, too, is invisible.

Then Saffyre Maddox disappears with the last sighting of her on Valentine’s night opposite Owen’s house. Suddenly the whole world is looking at him and to the police he’s become a person of interest. He’s certainly the type... a loner and yes bit creepy.

The narrative also follows Cate, Roan’s wife, and deals with some quite disturbing subjects along the way. Certainly there are twists though I felt that they emerged organically from the narrative.

Lisa Jewell brings her characters vividly to life, even Owen, who could have easily been portrayed as a caricature.

Overall, another thumbs up for Lisa Jewell for a page-turning psychological thriller that also addresses social issues.

I had mixed feeling before reading this book. Having not been a big fan of “The family Upstairs” I was worried about being disappointed with this book too. I couldn’t have been proven more wrong!
This book was dark and creepy, intense and full of twists.

It is set in London, in a quite well known area and Lisa Jewell, as in all of her books, described the set perfectly.

Her characters were really interesting and the whole plot was flawless! I really like how her characters have their flaws and are sometimes “social misfits” as it makes the book quite relatable and realistic.

Throughout the read there was always a feeling of unease and I just needed to find out what happened so, I have to say, I’ve read this book in a day.

Although it is a slow burner, this book has a bit of everything: deceit , revenge, secrets, trauma, injustice, series of bad judgement, lies... and also some happiness and hope!

I was really impressed and l loved how Lisa Jewell so well depicted the complexity that is the human being. I can’t wait for her future books!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone and Century for an advanced copy of The Invisible Girl in exchange for an honest review.

Truly chilling!

This dark psychological thriller centres around the Fours family, a young girl once treated by father and husband Roan, and other characters caught up in the crosshairs of their lives.

With a carefully managed plot this novel's characters all feel untrustworthy and devious at points! All bar Georgia with her sugar induced blissful ignorance and Cate, who bring some lightness to the story with Cate wanting to see the best in everyone and therefore being blinkered as to what is actually going on right under her nose.

Owen is a character you empathise with as he blindly stumbles into a world of trouble, with life changing repercussions.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout and really enjoyed the rich atmosphere created and clear sense of location. The themes of nature, sexual abuse, self awareness and the masks that people wear are all handled very well, keeping a pace to the storyline but also tackling some truely terrifying elements head on.

Lisa Jewell often leaves you unnerved or chilled and this latest offering certainly does not disappoint. Would definitely recommend and would like to thank NetGalley for my copy.

‘Invisible Girl’ is the latest book by Lisa Jewell.

When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she’s carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn’t, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows. Owen Pick is invisible too. He’s never had a girlfriend; he’s never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares. But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine’s night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen. Accusing him, holding him responsible for Saffyre’s disappearance.

Yesterday was the publication day for ‘Invisible Girl’ and the previous day, I was fortunate to spend my day reading the latest book from Lisa Jewell.

The story is seen from the narrative of 3 characters, Saffyre, Cate and Owen and starts at the point on Valentines’ Day, when teenager Saffyre Maddox goes missing. Written through the different narratives and the different time periods really set the tone and scene for the story.

A troubled teen Saffyre Maddox develops a bit of an obsession with her counsellor Roan, who finds herself following his every move. He never sees her, hence Saffrye being the ‘Invisible Girl’. Roan is Cate’s husband and Cate is worried about the new area that they are renting in as there has been a spate of sexual attacks whilst teacher Owen finds himself being accused of sexual misconduct on the teenagers at he teaches at. He’s a reclusive 33 year old who spends his day on forums and doesn’t engage in the real world and he’s become the main suspect in Saffyre’s disappearance.

The 3 characters are a mix of personalities and all live within the close proximity of each other setting the tone of this claustrophobic thriller. At the core of the book of is the missing girl but weaved throughout the story is the troubling reality that everyone has a secret to hide and even the most highly respected individuals have secrets to hide.

Lisa has created a story that concentrates on predatory characters, toxic masculinity as well as self harm and sexual abuse that does make for unsettling reading. She also includes a world that naive people like myself never knew existed such as Incel forums, where bitter men would rip women to pieces and declare sick fantasies.

The story is an emotive one and I found myself veering from anger at the men’s attitudes and sympathy towards Saffrye as she tried to finds herself and recover from an ordeal that happened to her child that has moulded her into the person that she become. A person, who prefers to hide away from the world and the only time she’s at her happiest is when she’s with nature.

Lisa is currently number one on the New York bestsellers list for her previous book called ‘Then She Was Gone’ and ‘Invisible Girl’ will soon be behind it. A thrilling and emotional book about society and identify that made for gripping reading, filled with unlikable and unreliable characters and a strong storyline that comes seamlessly at the end page, ‘Invisible Girl’ is truly Lisa at her very best, compulsive and dark reading, that will even more make people reconsider walking alone at night time!

You can buy ‘Invisible Girl’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Saffyre Maddox has gone missing and the prime suspect is Owen Pick a loner who lives with his aunt. Everything about him screams he could easily be behind this but was he? How does this all connect to the Fours family? The father treated Saffyre after a trauma when she was younger and she was last seen outside his house.

This is a real twist filled thriller. I really like Lisa Jewell so knew this would be a good read and it didn't disappoint. The plot is steady but builds to an amazing ending. I loved the very last hint that not everything was quite right. The story is well written. It jumps from present day to the past with Saffyre as we slowly learn who this invisible girl is and what she's been through. The story leads you one way and you think you know the answer then suddenly there's a different possibility. I also liked the parts with Alicia, giving her more depth then I expected. A brilliant thriller with some clever twists.

I’ve been reading Lisa Jewell books for about 20 years, back in the days when she used to write about flat sharing, first dates and first jobs, at the same time I was living through it. I’ve been impressed by her transition to more mature, psychological thriller-type novels, as she manages to combine the character-led stories she used to write with darker elements, without resorting to the “scariest, most chilling novel you’ll read this year” nonsense used to promote a lot of books in this genre.

The Invisible Girl is Saffyre Madox, a free-spirited 17 year old London girl who, despite seeming fairly mature and level headed on the surface, has had a troubled childhood which saw her come into the care of child psychologist, Roan Fours. By the time we meet Saffyre, for reasons which are explained as the book evolves, she is basically stalking Roan and his family and events come to a head on Valentine’s night when Saffyre goes missing.

A lot of psychological thrillers of the type I mentioned earlier sacrifice characterisation and credibility for the sake of action and ever more ridiculous and far-fetched storylines. However, Lisa Jewell has always proved to be very reliable in producing relatable and compelling novels and I’m really enjoying the added edge of darkness and danger in her most recent books. The only niggle for me with this one was that I didn’t think Saffyre would have treated her lovely uncle so uncaringly (I didn’t quite buy her explanation) but it

Having given 4 stars to the previous books I have read by this author I was not as enamoured with this title. It was a good story with strong characters which highlighted how we treat people who are different to the norm. We judge people who are not like 'us', who are not comfortable in themselves. There were ares of the book where I felt the story got a little lost and didn't keep up the momentum. Having said that it was a good read with the twists and turns we have come to expect from this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Lisa Jewell/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kate Fours and her family are temporarily living in Hampstead, North London. When her teenage daughter is followed home by a strange man, Kate thinks she knows who it was, but will she follow her gut? 33-year old Owen Rudd lives with his elderly aunt in Hampstead. Following his suspension from his teaching job after complaints about inappropriate behaviour, he finds himself in an online community of lonely men, just like him. Men who resent others for their own social failures. When Saffyre was ten, something horrific happened to her. Something so terrible that she has not told a soul, not even her therapist, Roan Fours.
The lives of the three very different people are about to collide in a shocking and unimaginable story.

This was a great dark psychological mystery more than a thriller. It was fast-paced and gripping - perfect for devouring in a single sitting! I liked that it broke the mold of the average mystery, as it raised some really interesting topics. Why is it that we, as humans, always immediately point the blame onto the weirdo/oddball? The book exemplified how prejudiced people can be with their views towards others, Also, how well can we actually know or trust someone? Regardless of their position in society, or the length of time that you've known them, some people are actually just going through life wearing a very convincing mask.
The multiple POV got a big thumbs up from me as I find it ups the pace, whilst also allowing us to get to know the characters. My only gripe was the twist at the end. I was quite happy with how things initially ended, but it's only a minor detail!

All in all, this was a fantastic psychological mystery that I binge read in one sitting. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell has written a beguiling domestic psychological thriller that lives up to its expectations, and then some. Her characterisation is compelling and totally believable even when the characters themselves may be people we don’t feel entirely comfortable with.

This author doesn’t shy away from the unsavoury and seedy side of life as she depicts some potential trigger areas here, such as rape, sexual abuse and mental health issues. But she handles these topics sensitively, and succeeds in drawing attention to the plight of those who suffer in that way without oversentimentalising them or withholding compassion or sympathy.

The story centres around 17 year old Saffyre, who cannot easily fit in with her peers because of her family history and personal experiences. She likes to hide in the shadows, all the while trying to conceal her undeniable beauty, which is both gift and curse. Other main characters include Owen, a reclusive man in his 30’s who hasn’t yet found his place in life, and is shady enough in his looks and behaviour to fall foul of his neighbour’s perceptions.

Then there is Cate, the beleaguered wife of Rowan, a charismatic Child Psychologist who has treated Saffyre in the past but struggles to understand his own family dynamics. All these characters' lives intersect and become unwittingly tangled together by circumstance. Tension rises in the neighbourhood when a spate of sexual assaults take place and the finger of suspicion gets pointed in several directions before the true culprit comes to light.

One of the finest pieces of writing that has the most pathos is the scenario where Owen is in prison. The description of how helpless and bewildered he is to be in that position is written with great depth and feeling. We cannot help but feel sorry for him even if we suspect he might be the culprit and deserves to be there. This is another gem of a read from Lisa Jewell. Grateful thanks to Cornerstone UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so was very excited to read her latest book. As I have come to expect this was another great read. A psychological thriller that was very well written and it kept me gripped from start to finish. I would definitely recommend reading this book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great plot and great characters, but I have to admit that I was feeling a bit underwhelmed by this book until halfway through and then it all just fell into place and it was what I would expect from a great LJ book. Twisty and full of suspense it makes you think about how much we judge people at face value for better or worse they are not always what we expect underneath.

Only predictable in that it’s another Lisa Jewell smash, Invisible Girl feels like a bit of a rollercoaster as you try to work out what’s going on, and who did it. A fantastic ending too!

Why do we trust some people and not others? And are we necessarily wrong to act on our first instincts? What does it mean to be weird and when is it OK to be so and when should we take responsibility for our weirdness? This is what the new thriller from Lisa Jewell, Invisible Girl, is all about.

Invisible Girl is bookended (and bookstarted?) by two Lisa Jewell trademarks: a first person narrative from a strong teenage female lead, and a punchy twist in the last sentence that serves us right for lazily thinking that the final chapter denotes a happy ending. In between, there is a rollercoaster exploration of various power imbalances, presentations of abuse (both physical and emotional), a fairly incompetent police investigation and several betrayals of trust.

As usual with Jewell, we are presented with a rich cast of three-dimensional and flawed characters. Saffyre, the 17 year-old who goes missing; Cate, whose world revolves around her family and who finds their temporary home in swanky Hampstead discombobulating; Roan, the healer who pounds the local pavements; Georgia, teenager who ‘arrives with news and moods and announcements and atmospheres’; Owen, who everyone agrees is a creep, the antithesis of Roan except in that their names rhyme, a man who understands the inadequacies of London snow. They’re all good, solid characters: Owen is perhaps the most interesting as Jewell goes out of her way to make us sympathetic towards him, even when he is working through what we believe to be injustice by spending time on incel websites and meeting an incel activist. We can judge none of them on first impressions.

There’s a bit of a dip in the middle - probably necessary to prepare us for later on - but the longer the novel goes on, the more we realise its cleverness. We change our mind about each of the characters, in some cases more than once. People lie, some obviously, but some lie to themselves (which is handy given the device of first-person narration) and some of those whom we assume are lying are not, and vice versa. Occasionally we get to see both sides of a story and recognise that the truth is more complex. We continually question ourselves and we don’t get to sit smugly and assume that we are better and more sophisticated than some of the more gullible who sit within the novel’s pages. No one is who they seem. Are you, dear reader, asks Jewell.

There’s a lot of stalking: Saffyre in particular is watching Roan as did Cate ’til it all went wrong - I dig out my review on previous Jewell mystery Watching You and note that the clues there, as here, are all available to us. On that occasion, I used the phrase ‘hidden in plain sight’. It’s a phrase we often use, don’t we, when we’re talking about mysteries when the clues are really there, but that’s easy to say when we have everything set out for us on the page. Is it true to say that Saffyre (the eponymous girl) is hiding in plain sight? If you’re behind a hoodie or a balaclava, or looking out from a building site, your physique is not really obvious. No: what Lisa Jewell seems to be more interested in this time is our willingness to take things at face value. It’s why so much abuse has been done by people holding positions of trust, both formal positions in our community but also people who are meant to provide care. No spoilers, and all that, but my word Owen’s father and aunt are a disgrace. And there is darkness in this novel: not as much as in The Family Upstairs but there are a few pages which are more detailed than they might be, in particular as Saffyre’s back story is spelled out.

By the way, I don’t know what Camden Council has done to Lisa Jewell. She has both Cate and Roan visit the Branch Hill estate in Hampstead, a council estate built in the 1970s both notorious (even its defenders say it was probably the most expensive council housing ever) and gloriously modern. ‘A failed experiment’ say both Cate and Roan, which probably proves they deserve each other after all.* But this book is all about other sides to the story, so here is the counter-argument.
And we should acknowledge the role that the villages of north London play, as a usually-neutral, occasionally-malevolent backdrop.

For this is a book that requires there to be a community. Without that, we can’t organise media pile-ons, or wreck each other’s reputations. Reputations are all. Jewell gets us to question the means through which that happens.

The ending is good: there is redemption for most, though it has to be earned. But did I mention that final twist…?





* An obviously tongue-in-cheek statement. Don’t @ me.

INVISIBLE GIRL is an intense, absorbing, character-driven domestic psychological thriller. The narrative, told through the experiences of three viewpoint characters, concerns sexual assault, infidelity, suspicion, trial by media and social media. The 'action' takes place in the largely dark, claustrophobic streets of a village-like district of London.

Cate Four, mother of two teenagers, wife to psychologist, Roan, lives with her family in the temporary accommodation of a flat in Hampstead, as the family home in Kilburn is renovated. It should be an adventure, the desirable and affluent area known for intellectuals and artists. But Cate, who came close to separating from her husband when he had an affair suspects that Roan may be wandering but, having accused him of infidelity a year previously, buries her fears.

Owen Pick, a strange, socially awkward teacher, who lives opposite the Fours, is suspended from his job following accusations of sexual harassment from female students. When Cate's daughter, Georgia, is followed home along dark streets and her friend Tilly claims she was assaulted by a stranger, the Fours wonder about their neighbour.

Saffyre Maddox is a 17-year old former patient of Roan Four, whom she saw because she was self-harming, caused by something which happened to her when she was 10. Having developed an attachment to her psychologist, she misses her regular appointments and secretly follows Roan, frequently spying on the Fours' home. When Saffyre goes missing, and is found to have been near the Fours, suspicion naturally falls on their neighbour, Owen Pick.

Lisa Jewell draws her characters so well conveying emotions through their actions and reactions. We see the trauma caused by a lack of communication, the married couple tiptoeing around each other, the mother unable to confront her children, suspicions growing in relationships because people are afraid to ask questions. Owen Pick is adjudged guilty by the media and, as other sexual attacks are revealed in the area, we begin to question whether his embarrassment and discomfort around women is hiding more dangerous traits.

The story's shifts in viewpoint and timelines keeps the reader on edge throughout. In reality, not an awful lot happens, the action largely in the minds of her characters, but Jewell ramps up the tension expertly and we never really fully know any of the protagonists. There is some wonderfully descriptive writing too, particularly in the sections narrated in the first person by Saffyre, an incredibly perceptive 17-year old. One particular passage, as Saffyre describes Roan Four's consulation room, is among the best, most atmospheric scenes I have read this year, but throughout there are little touches that make INVISIBLE GIRL a joy to read. The story is tense and oppressive, the underlying subject matter harrowing and distasteful, none of the characters truly what they initially seem, but the Lisa Jewell skilfully holds this all together and delivers a satisfying mystery while raising questions which will stay with the reader long after the story is done.