bookish_ginger
30/01/2023Did we really need a sequel?'The family remains' picks up where 'The family upstairs' left off, so maybe you should skim the first book to remember the characters in case you read the first one a while ago. The story is resumed by the finding of a pile of bones by the side of Thames, leading Detective Samuel Owusu to chase down leads connected to a thirty-year-old cold case. Meanwhile, Henry Lamb is determined to track down Phin (has he ever given that up?), and lots of the story will involve this search.
This book was fine, but I felt I didn't actually need this sequel. None of the characters are particularly likeable, not even the added Samuel and Rachel. The side plot involving Rachel is interesting separately but it is unnecessary to the story, especially since a lot of that ground was covered in the first book.
However, the pace picks up a bit while Henry is in Chicago, at least enough to keep me reading and interested. On a personal note, this is more of a character-based novel rather than a true mystery, but there are some interesting twists and turns.