I'm going to write this review starting at the end. I don't mean the end of the horror story. I mean, the Author's Notes. Lisa Matlin graciously bared her raw emotions in a few pages explaining what happened to her while she drafted The Stranger Upstairs. She states that she had a breakdown. From the sound of it, she was in a mental health crisis. She even lists the hotlines for Australia and the United States. She also included a link on how to test carbon monoxide detectors. For an author to take elements of her story to heart and use them to warn people in the real world who might be reading about characters who suffer emotionally and mentally, it goes above and beyond her role as a writer of entertainment.

Certainly, haunted houses are not a new subgenre of horror, but Lisa M. Matlin has made The Stranger Upstairs relevant for today's readers. This isn't about a couple who buys an old Victorian house that the neighborhood children believe is haunted. It is a little bit, but there's so much more. The first thing you'll notice is that the story is told 99.5% through the lens of main character, Sarah Slade. The perspective brings a lot of humor (my kind anyway) where readers get to know Sarah's inner thoughts like what she really thinks of her coworkers and husband and those nosy people in the neighborhood.

Sarah is a strong and extremely flawed protagonist. She's even unlikeable as her past reveals more and more. Her husband Joe has absolutely no interest in her whatsoever. Sarah is the one who makes more money and since Joe is deeply depressed, she has no problem being the one to call all the shots in their relationship. I won't spoil how deep Sarah's manipulation goes. She's conniving.

Now that Sarah has forced Joe to buy and live in Black Wood House, a house only known because of the terrible murders that occurred in the past, she finds herself paying the consequences. The townspeople want to raze the house. Sarah sees it as a money-making opportunity. She's a successful self help author and needs another best seller quick. She lives through social media sponsorships and the vapid world of influencing. Sarah believes that her fans will stick by her as she renovates Black Wood House and blogs all about the progress.

Life isn't that simple for Sarah. Soon she begins finding threatening notes around her creepy, haunted house. She tries talking to locals and the contractors to find out who could know more about the house's previous owners and most importantly, about Sarah's own past.

As the house "drives Sarah insane," her only friend Emily grows worried. Sarah drinks bottles of wine every day. She starts to ignore clients who come to her for therapy. Her boss has no pity for how difficult Sarah's life is. (because she keeps all of her marital troubles and renovation nightmares a secret).

Matlin does an incredible job of making readers live inside Sarah's mind. She types up blog posts exposing her real feelings but always deletes them. She talks to her house as if it's a living entity (is it?). Sarah loses chunks of time in blackouts. Is it stress or something supernatural? Is she being poisoned by the neighbor who is vocal about wanting that house torn down? Readers take this journey with Sarah which begins with hope and a falsely happy façade and struggle with her as she gets worse day after day. By the end, Matlin has to shift to Emily's point of view at the climax when Sarah too far gone mentally to keep up with her own story. It's an interesting choice to wait that long to change perspectives, but it does work.

The pacing is handled masterfully during all the frightening moments filled with Sarah's anxiety. There are short notes that she finds; her own raving voicemails to people; her actions driven by paranoia that Black Wood House is alive and doesn't want to be renovated. All of this comes with the mysteries of Who is Amanda, the previous owner and what happened to her? Who is Sarah Slade really?

*FYI: the cat lives.

Summary:
The Stranger Upstairs is perfect for the spooky October and November days that lose light and the air is chilly. (If you're in the northeast like me). Lisa Matlin's unreliable narrator, Sarah Slade, goes from shallow yet normal to full blown Jack Torrance mode. If you're susceptible to feeling the emotions of others and being affected by that, perhaps this isn't for you. If you enjoy mild horror with a ton of suspense, you won't be disappointed by The Stranger Upstairs.

Wow what a crazy read! I had no idea where the story was going and I didn’t see the ending coming which I like in a thriller. Also the epilogue just gave the book the extra creepy ending that really makes you think! Perfect book for spooky season! Also the authors note at the end was very touching and relatable!

This spooky story was definitely a page turner.

I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one, so I, honestly, was nervous going in. I really enjoyed this one. It turned into a page turner for me and I read it pretty fast. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator and that it was written in first person POV so as the reader I truly had no idea what to believe. I also enjoyed the setting of the spooky house, the question of mental illness and all the things packed in between. I also really enjoyed the ambiguity of the ending though I know many liked endings tied in a bow. I felt I knew enough about the character and the house to form my own opinions.

This is definitely a great spooky read for spooky season!

I really enjoyed this! Very impressive for an author's debut! I found the pacing perfect, I was engaged the entire time and didn't get into a slog like I find in so many thriller novels. I kept picking this up wanting to know what happened next. The characters were believable and the ending was very satisfying and on brand with what the character would do. Very atmospheric read and perfect for the spooky season. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next. *Also, I appreciated the author's note with her candid depiction of mental illness and the dedication at the front made me laugh out loud.

Sarah has just purchased a fixer upper. It is a beautiful Victorian home in a well sought after neighborhood. It is also the famous Black Wood House. An illustrious murder/suicide took place in this house. And the more Sarah delves into the renovations, the more she believes something is just plain wrong with this house!

Sarah is a character that I thought was a bit of a conundrum. I found her a bit selfish and pushy one minute and caring the next. But, sit tight…the story will reveal its secrets as it moves along.

Now y’all, this is just my opinion, but this book was a bit of a mess. It felt like it started as a creepy tale then the author changed her mind and wanted to write a psychological thriller. I guess both can be a possibility, but it just was not very smooth in the twists and turns. Now, don’t take my word for it. It is worth the read. I did stay interested in the story. I just had questions that went unanswered.

Need a creepy tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I knew very little about this book going into reading it. This book was wonderful! Kept my attention and I would definitely recommend to others.

2 stars.

Oh, look! Another woman with mental health issues in a haunted house thriller! What a surprise! *eyeroll* Let's watch another potentially "crazy" personal spiral! Yaaaay, never seen that before! "The Stranger Upstairs" by Lisa M. Matlin will definitely be popular with many readers, but I was so distracted by how much I disliked and did not relate to main character Susan Slade that I just found myself wanting this book to end. I almost did not finish this book on numerous occasions because I did not care about anyone in this book! I have never heard of a social media influencer being so BORING! How does Susan have as many followers as she has being as dull as she is?! Ugh. This is very trope-heavy, full of creaking doors and "don't kill me!!"s. The big reveal is severely lacking and pretty predictable if you follow certain clues dropped here and there. Disappointed by this one, it's like a dollar store Lisa Jewell novel. I loved the premise about buying a murder house and documenting it all on social media, but the author does little with that newness except fumble what could have been a unique angle on an overly done plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa M. Matlin, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Bantam for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

What a messed up story! I did eventually catch on but that didn’t stop me from devouring this story and wanting to know how it ends. You never know who Sarah is going to be and I loved that the most.

Thank you so much for the eARC.

First off, I will say that the cover is what drew me to this book. It is absolutely stunning.

Now the story itself. It is a wild ride. It really throws you around with all the twists and turns. It did a really good job keeping my attention and curious to see how it played out. I love an unreliable narrator and this one fit in perfectly. I don’t care how much money I save. I will never buy a murder house.

This was creepy and engrossing and weird. The ending was pretty good, but the big twist plus the ending were a little weird… still a fun read!

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but it drew me in.

Sarah-who is a social media influencer is trying to start over. She bought a house that she plans on renovating- but didn't expect to find all of the secrets "behind the walls". It was the gruesome scene of a murder suicide.

She thinks everything will be ok, but then strange things start happening with the builders.and creepy notes start appearing.

You won't guess how it ends!

A social media influencer with a past she would rather forget, decides to buy an abandoned house. Not just any abandoned house though a murder house. The town tries to warn her to walk away the house is haunted. But she decides she going to renovate the house and make it new. But after awhile…it comes to light is she going crazy or is it the house?

I really wanted to like this but it was a let down. I didn’t like how everything played out in the book.

So spooky and ghosty--the perfect spooky season read, this haunted house novel is riveting and fast-paced.

I thought it was an interesting story that kept you guessing on what was coming next. I also liked how realistic the plot was, I would recommend to a friend - especially one into scary/dark twisty stories!

📖 Book Review 📖

📱”The Stranger Upstairs" by Lisa M Matlin

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC of this novel. 

I struggled through most of this novel, but the last 25% I couldn’t put down. Sarah is a wannabe social media influencer, who gets a great deal on the infamous Black Wood House. After sitting empty for 40 years, after a gruesome murder, Sarah knows this fixer-upper will lead to sponsors and discount codes on her lifestyle blog. When builders and contractors act weird or even downright refuse to return, Sarah and her absent husband Joe must figure out what to do. Due to the attic making noises at night Sarah can hardly sleep. She begins to miss work, and when scary, all to personal notes appear everywhere she begins to think someone is trying to kill her.

A creepy book to start off October, with hateful, odd neighbors, a dark bloodstain in the bedroom carpet, and Sarah's terrifying cat Reaper, made this thriller a must-read. I never really liked Sarah as a character, because she was always hiding something, but when her life began to spiral out of control, I felt sorry for her. I loved the author's note at the end about mental illness, and how writing was so healing for her. For a debut novel, I was impressed with the author's writing and will defiantly read her next novel.

I have seen rave reviews for this haunted house story but it just wasn’t for me.

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I loved the premise of this book and had a good time reading it! While I didn't completely connect to the protagonist, I still enjoyed the story. Also loved the authors note that the end.

Pretty interesting story that revolves around a murder that happened in the past, and odd things happening now that the house has been sold and is getting remodeled. I wasn’t expecting the ending and thought it was kind of interesting. Even when there are so many reasons not to do something (buy a house or any major life changes really), sometimes we ignore the warning signs and do it anyway. Overall this was a decent book although I did feel that “Sarah” was a bit annoying, but that could also have been due to the mental illness part of the story.

My first ready by Lisa Matlin! It was super eerie and introduced a new aspect to a story that was different. While there can be a lot of stories about spooky houses, I really enjoyed where she went with it. I would love to read another book in the future by Matlin!!

This book was pretty good. It kept me entertained and it kept me guessing throughout. Definitely didn't see the ending coming, but I liked that it didn't end in the way I'd expected. I also love when thrillers that are talking about ghosts and the paranormal have a completely logical ending. Like oh...I wasn't actually being haunted? okay cool.