Wow, this book was a lot! I didn’t know what was really happening, or what was being imagined. I had thought maybe Sarah was getting mold poisoning from the attic, so it was interesting to find out what it really was. I hated that it ended that way for Emily, and that Sarah took her personality. She really needs stopped, and on medication!
I also couldn’t believe the epilogue. Why would anyone else move into that house?!

This was an awesome thriller. It definitely got to the point that there was no way I was going to put it down until the end, you just have to know what's going to happen! And, a little bit of a cliffhanger too!!

I'm impressed and grateful that the author shared her mental health story in the afterword. Way to go Lisa, this book was amazing!!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was ok for me. I didn't really connect to the characters that much and felt like some of it was repetitive or had a lull in the pacing.

This was a mess. I never give books ONE STAR. I usually DNF way before it gets to that point. If I hadn't listened to most of this on audio, I don't think I would have gotten through it.

First off, if you're looking for a haunted house story - this is *not* it. It's more about this miserable woman and her horrible marriage and delusional personality. In fact, if you wanted anything the synopsjs promised, this ain't it. It was such a cool idea too! Influencer moves into haunted house, old house renovations, creepy murder history. That just all went out the window in favor of ???

This mystery went off in 100 different directions, each less satisfying than the next. There were just too many questions, too many layers. Horrible character development, I could not love or hate any of these people because they were just... sort of there. A lot of the more compelling mysteries just went unanswered. And, that ending, just no.

I'm shocked so many people loved this. I'm gobsmacked it was a Book of the Month pick. I can appreciate the author's candor about her personal struggles, but that doesn't make this a good book. I'm glad the cat is okay, I guess.

I was very into this book starting off. I wanted to know what was going to happen every step of the way. Her backstory had me wanting to read more about it, but I wanted more on her and her husband's relationship. I also was pretty indifferent to the ending, I wanted something more, but I'm not sure I felt as connected to the main character to really care about how it ended. Overall, a solid read.

Sarah Slade and her husband decide to buy and renovate a notorious “murder house” in a posh neighborhood. As the story progresses, we learn more about Sarah’s hidden past and her rocky relationship, as her whole life continues to unravel. This was a quick thriller with a ton going on. It had me questioning the main character/narrator, and pretty much everyone else in the book (including the house itself). A great debut novel!

This was such a good, fun read and something different then the genre I usually read I really enjoyed it

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Published: September 12, 2023
Bantam
Genre: Horror Suspense
Pages: 278
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

LISA M. MATLIN was a guitarist in a rock band before switching from songwriting to story writing. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, pug, and golden retriever. She’s probably re-watching The Walking Dead right now and trying not to laugh at her own jokes. Lisa is a passionate mental health advocate and your dog’s number one fan. The Stranger Upstairs is her debut novel.

“Maybe it’s Maybelline. Or maybe it’s murder.”

This book was so good. I was captivated by the first chapter. The writing, the characters, the development, the plot, everything was so well done!

As a debut goes, this one is fantastic! I loved the dark elements and how the storyline kept twisting and turning. I did not see any of this coming!

I liked the characters; Sarah was likable until she wasn’t. Joe was a jerk completely. Emily was kind and compassionate. The way this story tells both the past and present of the main character is brilliant.

I predict Lisa will become a well-known thriller-writing queen!

To be honest this started out slow and I wasn’t feeling it but I kept reading it and glad I did the second half of the book was great !

This book is a perfect October read. The house provides the perfect atmosphere for supernatural activity. I would love to visit despite the tragic history. Sarah quite the witch herself, so there wasn't a lot of love lost on her or any of the other characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I enjoyed this, but I have hang ups that I can't quite put my finger on. There's a lot going on in a short book, which I enjoyed.

Rating: 3/5

This is your typical haunted house style plot, but it has a few twists and turns. There were tons of things that I didn’t see coming and kept the flow of everything moving along nicely without confusuion. The character development supports the plot and provided a well-rounded story that was really enjoyable.

Sarah is the main character and she brings a lot to the table in this one. As the observer, you will watch her full transition throughout this one and it’s really interesting! The author seems to lean on her own experiences with mental health issues to give you a really deep understanding of Sarah and what her experience is like.
The husband Joe is essential to Sarah’s development, but ultimately an unimportant character. Other than that, you have a few other supporting characters, but the emphasis of this one is all about Sarah.

I loved the ending. I loved how the author let the Murder House situation play out and Sarah’s open ended conclusion in the story. I walked away from this one with more questions than answers and it left me thinking about it for days. A great psychological thriller that will have you pointing fingers at everyone!

Sarah Slade is determined to live like an influencer, and what better way than to purchase and renovate historic Black Wood House. The catch - the house has a morbid past. After Sarah and her husband move in, a series of more and more disturbing events start to occur. Will they succeed, or will they be the home’s next tragedy?

A fantastic thriller for fans of home renovations, murder documentaries, and elite neighborhoods. An incredibly well written and captivating story that unfortunately lost a star for me after an ending that I didn’t love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

This book was just ok for me. I was never fully invested in the story. The cover is an eye catcher and while I didn’t love the book, I would definitely consider reading more from the author.

The Stranger Upstairs is a thrilling debut novel that masterfully blends gothic psychological horror with a social media twist. The author's vivid descriptions and realistic dialogues create a creepy and suspenseful atmosphere, drawing readers into the story from the very first page.
The book follows Sarah Slade, a self-help writer and influencer, who purchases a notorious murder house with the aim of renovating it and documenting the process on her blog. However, as she delves deeper into the house's dark history, she realizes that it holds a sinister presence that haunts her every move.
What sets this book apart is the way the author skillfully combines horror, mystery, and drama to create a captivating plot with complex narration. The house itself becomes a character, with its hidden rooms, creaky noises, and bloody stains. The chapters alternate between Sarah's perspective, her blog posts, diary entries, and press releases, adding to the narration's richness and unreliability.

Haunted house stories are really intriguing to me, thanks to a love of Amityville Horror. I think I read these types of books chasing that same enjoyment.

In The Stranger Upstairs, main character Sarah is immediately unreliable. She’s keeping secrets, she drinks, she lies, and it’s hard to know if what she’s experiencing is real. She bought a “murder house” hoping to renovate and flip it, growing her online platform at the same time. But word things start to happen, particularly noises from the attic. Is the house haunted? Or is it all in Sarah’s head?

I enjoyed this book. Unreliable narrators are always interesting and add to the tension of books like this. I was interested in Sarah’s unraveling, both in the sense of her mentality but also in learning her secrets.

If you like haunted house stories, thrillers, and/or unreliable narrators, I think you’d like this one.

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way too late reading. Had the title been different I likely would have read this first from my ARCs. Don’t let the title fool you, this book is so different and intriguing! Murders, scary surroundings, Instagram famous personas, and a crumbling marriage. Lots of drama!

I thought this was a fun thriller, but the ending plot twist was so out of this world to me. The setting in Australia was neat to read about. Our MC was such an awful woman.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This debut thriller set in Australia was a totally wild ride and I’m still reeling over the ending days later! The twists were clever and unique, and the ending will make you want to IMMEDIATELY discuss with someone.

I’m a sucker for any type of ‘is the house haunted’ storyline and this one definitely delivered!

I wish the beginning was a littleee faster paced and the ending tied up a bit more, but overall this was such a fun, wild ride!

Trope recommendations - read if you like haunted house tropes and unreliable narrators.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful.