Lisa Jewell’s thriller novel I Found You appeared on shelves back in 2017. Now, after the release of her newest novels – The Family Upstairs (2019), and Invisible Girl (2020), the novel has found a new lease of life and is taking pride of place back on bookshelves across the UK. It concerns the life of 3 protagonists, Alice - a single mother living in an idyllic costal village in East-Yorkshire called Ridinghouse Bay, Lily – a newlywed Ukrainian living in London, whose husband has mysteriously vanished without trace, and Gray, a 17-year-old on holiday with his family in what soon becomes clear is Ridinghouse Bay. The story takes place in 21st century England, where we see Alice find a mysterious man on the seafront who is suffering from amnesia, and inadvisably invites him into her home – the beginning of this fast-paced adventure, that skilfully blends “crime, romance and psychological thriller” (Sunday Mirror). A tri perspective piece, as a reader you get different pieces of the same story, and each page turn feels like a new piece of the puzzle. As with many Lisa Jewell novels, the question is – what is it that links the 3 perspectives together?
The book has gained an impressive 5/5 Waterstones rating, and was described by the Sunday Express as, “A gripping, unputdownable page-turning mystery”. So why has it gained so much traction? The classic Lisa Jewell style has been shown to sell fast, with ‘the family upstairs’ quickly becoming a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller from the same structure. But what sets this book apart is the sheer magnetism of the characters, their own perspectives making for a more connected feel towards them, and the love or hate Jewell creates through her coherent and convincing personalities of the characters. You finish the book feeling as if you know them in real life. So, if you are looking for your next “fast paced must-read” (Good Housekeeping) look no further.
