(Spoiler if you want to go in knowing as little as possible) I like a thriller that doesn’t tie up everything at the end. Feels more authentic. I had a good time with this one and will happily recommend it it others. The author’s note at the end was especially great and I wish her all the best for the future and will pick up her next book if that is what she chooses to do.. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to an advanced copy.

Sarah Slade just bought a murder house so that they can renovate and flip it. Who does that? A therapist and self-help guru that's who. She thought that this would be fun and help bring her and her husband back together. Well, hold your thoughts on that as this is an interesting tale and it will grip your almost from the moment you open the book.

I felt the protagonist's anxiety the entire time I was reading this book. It was a great read for spooky season and kept you second guessing your predictions for the ending. One of the better unreliable narrator stories I've read and I wanted more of it.

A really satisfying mystery with twists and turns you don’t see coming! It’s creepy, fast paced, and suspenseful so you can’t help but want to read just one more chapter til the end!

Every time I thought I had this figured out, I discovered I didn't. I have a deep appreciation for that as one who can usually see what's coming! A great debut novel - suspenseful, mysterious, and enjoyable. I didn't find the characters particularly likable, but that contributed to the story. An overall worthwhile read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

Sarah Slade is an influencer. She and her husband appear to have the perfect life when they move into a "murder house" intending to restore it. However, it seems the house doesn't want them there...

I enjoyed reading this book, but I found that it didn't stick with me. When I sat down to do my review, it took me looking the book up to even remember it. Still, it's a quick read,. I will say if you're looking for a book that is twisty and will keep you guessing the whole time, this probably isn't it.

I loved this book! It was a real thriller that had me guessing until the end. Stunning cover and creepy story! Perfectly executed!

I really wanted to like this book, but I could never get into the story. A social media influencer, Sarah, and her husband purchase a house with a haunted past. Sarah plans to document their renovations of the house on her social media page for her many followers. However, things don’t go as planned and Sarah’s secretive past starts to surface. The premise of the story sucked me in, but I felt let down in the end.

Good book. Never would have predicted the ending. This author will be going places. Not normally a fan of this type of book but it kept me interested throughout the entire book

I don’t have the words to described this book. It is intriguing and kept my interest. I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen next. The whole situation I found bizarre. I need to read this again and recommend others give it a shot.

If there's a book with a haunted house in it- sign, me. up. This book drew me in immediately and definitely had me reading as fast as my eyes would allow me. Now I'm not a big fan of the social media influencer type stories but this one was perfect for me. I would 100% be invested in someone renovating a house with a horrific past. There was a lot to unpack in Sara's life, the house's history, and the people who resided in this town, but I enjoyed every second of it. There were some parts of the story that I enjoyed more than others and I definitely didn't trust a single character, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It kind of took me away from everything that I had learned. Definitely a debut well done!

I really enjoyed this. The story kept my attention and I really liked the cover art. I liked the premise and the Murder house. It kept you guessing if it was really haunted or in her head.

Sarah Slade is one of those characters you love to hate. She's a therapist, best-selling self help author, and social media influencer who will do just about anything for a like. Including purchase a house that was the scene of a murder/suicide 40 years ago and sleep in the room with the bloodstained floorboards. She's got lots of secrets, but so does the Murder House. It's Sarah vs. the Murder House, and there can only be one winner.

Loved the Australian setting with lots of details about cockatoos and kangaroos as just part of the normal neighborhood landscape. Sarah's cat Reaper was one of the best characters, too. Could tell this is a first novel, but I would check out a future book from this author.

**Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book.***

This one didn't capture my attention like I had hoped it would. It was fairly predictable ending, with some twists and turns thrown in. However, it was a quick fun, read! Thanks for this ARC from NetGalley and the author/publisher.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just wanted to scream ‘DO SOMETHING NEW’ and the scary attic story is so overdone in every way. I hated Sarah. I hated her husband. I hated that I kept reading.

Rant over.

I read this gradually, as part of an Instagram group read, and the way the coordinator broke up the chapters left me hanging on the edge of my seat every single day. So many questions! Loads of red herrings! So much to talk about and try to figure out! All of which lent itself to a super fun, engaging read. It did feel like there were a lot of loose ends and unanswered questions by the end of the book, but I still had a great time reading this and really look forward to reading another book by Matlin in the future!

(3.5 rounded up)

Buying a murder house is a good idea in theory But Sarah Slide quickly finds out she took on much more than she bargained for in Stranger Upstairs. Sarah Slade is a lifestyle blogger who wanted to mix up her content and grow her audience. She thought buying the infamous Black Wood House would be her ticket to leveling up. It only takes a few hours until she realizes her dream is much more of a nightmare.

Everything you imagine could go wrong in a murder house starts to happen to Sarah. She starts hearing footsteps, receiving frightening letters, and fighting with her neighbors; all the while her marriage is falling apart.

She is determined to get to the bottom of what’s happening- but will it be too late?

I devoured this book and just couldn't get enough! From the horror element to watching Sarah slowly go mad to seeing the mystery unravel, I was totally into it!

Black Wood house was creepy and almost a character itself. I loved the descriptions and how the house basically rebelled against being updated.

Sarah was such a complex character and I loved how her secret past was revealed in bits and pieces. It was so hard to tell if she was an unreliable narrator (she was always drunk and definitely losing her mind) or if the house was truly haunted or if the townsfolk of Beacon were just tormenting her. I always love a good story about an influencer and while this was such a small piece of the book, I did still enjoy that aspect. I also loved that she was a therapist so we got her self-assessments as well as seeing her visibly decline.

I loved that we got different formats for the narration. For example, we heard from different characters and we also got blog posts, social media posts, and news articles. The way information was conveyed and the non-linear timeline really captured my attention and piqued my interest.

If you love a good mystery/thriller with horror elements, this one cannot be missed.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the copy.

Sarah Slade purchases an old Victorian house a steep discount and has high aspirations of renovating the house, then selling it to make a ton of money. The whole process is being documented on her Instagram that handles therapy advice. As the house is being renovated, Sarah’s life is going down hill from her marriage to her work.

The book definitely had some twists and turns. Unexpected surprises that you don’t see coming.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy!

I really liked this book. I totally never would have guessed the ending either. I’ve been in a little bit of a reading rut and haven’t really been able to get into a lot of books lately but this one really helped me get out of it. This was the first book I read by this author and I am excited to read more of her work.