Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind, she's better off on her own. She's made a good life for herself and her son and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years she faints—and when she comes round she starts to remember. After being made redundant, Jewell accepted a challenge from her friend, Yasmin Boland, to write three chapters of a novel in exchange for dinner at her favourite restaurant. Those three chapters were eventually developed into Jewell's debut novel Ralph's Party, which then became the UK's bestselling debut novel in 1999. [5] [6] The wonderful novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone and The Family Upstairs. A master at unspooling tightly told tales, Jewell specializes in perfectly-pitched thrillers without sacrificing a drop of her characters’ complexities, secrets, and desires, and this latest one is no exception." The Seattle Review of Books Stellar domestic drama... Expert misdirection keeps the reader guessing, and the rug-pulled-out-from-beneath-your-feet conclusion—coupled with one final, bonechilling revelation—is stunning. Best not to bet on anyone. A compulsive read guaranteed to please fans of A. J. Finn and Ruth Ware." Booklist (starred review)

Melody is a single mom in her thirties, raising her seventeen year old son. At the age of nine Melody suffered a tragic event when her home burnt to the ground. It left her with no possessions and no memories of anything before this time. Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind. She's better off on her own.But with every mystery she solves another one materialises, with every question she answers another appears. And Melody begins to wonder if she'll ever know the truth about her past . . . Melody is a character I felt very protective of and I'm sure that is in large part due to the fact you see her as a child for half of the story. The young Melody is the driving force but adult Melody is interesting too. Her kid, who she singlehandedly raised, will be leaving the nest soon and so she is at a point in which she will need to redefine her life because she is no longer needed in the day to day mothering role. And so you have this typical storyline of a woman trying to find her place in life along with this slightly bizarre, soap opera amnesia plot but yet they both work well together. Melody Browne had a falling out with her parents, left home and became an unwed mother all at the age of fifteen. Eighteen years later she has spent her life working as a school lunch lady and raising her son into a wonderful young man, with no time for dating or thoughts of what she will do with her live once he moves on. When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames. This is such a beautifully written novel with a whole array of characters. Each character seems to be quite flawed, some are an absolute joy to read about where as some others, I was cross with, yet my heart went out to them.

She opened her eyes! Did you see? Just for a second!” Another voice. The man with the bald head. Her father. Jewell excels in creating complex characters, building tension and keeping readers in the dark yet riveted until the "Aha!" moments...this thriller unfolds and concludes in a very satisfying way." Shelf AwarenessShe was unconscious for a while,” she heard her mother saying to somebody. “Out cold for about five minutes.” I was pleasantly surprised to see Lisa Jewell take a darker turn in The Family Upstairs with the storyline and the characters. The Truth About Melody Browne has some similarities to it but is a lighter, easier read with colorful, rich, likeable characters. While there is a little dark to the story, drama drives the story forward, and it has a heartwarming tone to it with the likeable characters. I thought it was a refreshing change of pace that still had suspense and tension to keep me engaged in the story. Melody is now contentedly thrumming along, working as a cafeteria lady in her son's school, when a quirky event changes her life. Melody meets a gentleman named Ben on a bus, accepts an invitation to go out, and attends a hypnotist show.