Absolutely loved this one! Perfect for fall and spooky season.

You will not want to put this down and makes sure to leave a light on! The twists and turns will keep you up at night.

Thank you for this ARC and can't wait for more reads by this author!

What a great creepy and haunting book! I love books that make me feel what the character is feeling and this book had I me feeling like I was going little crazy like the main character. This book hooked me from start to finish.

Social Media Influencer Sarah Slade and her husband bought the infamous “Murder House” to fix up and flip and update Sarah’s followers through the whole process. Nothing is what it seems. Not her husband, the town, Sarah herself, and the especially the house. Secrets are everywhere or so it seems to Sarah…

If you like creepy and spooky thrillers then I recommend this book to you. Read this at night in your house if you dare (wink face). It is a great read for spooky season.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Matlin, and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Book Summary:

Sarah Slade is on the verge of losing everything she worked for. Perhaps that's why she made a desperate move, nabbing up the infamous murder house (aka Black Wood House). Not only does this give her a project to fix, but it gets her into an otherwise unattainable neighborhood.

Naturally, things aren't quite going the way she hoped. The murder house is more of a challenge than she hoped or expected. Worse, her relationship is floundering, and Sarah struggles to focus on what is important.

My Review:

You know me, I like a good thriller. So when I saw this bright and pretty covered one on BOTM, I just had to snag it. The Stranger Upstairs promised to be a darker thriller about a social media influencer and a murder house. What could go wrong?

A lot, as it turns out. And I don't just mean drama for the main character. The truth is that I struggled to stay connected to this one. Sarah is just not a likable character. That's okay; not all main characters have to be likable. But it did make it harder to root for her.

Having an unlikable character that later becomes an unreliable narrator is an interesting choice. It works in some areas but not in others. Perhaps a bit more workshopping could have perfected it? I'm not sure.

One thing I am certain of: About halfway through The Stranger Upstairs, I found myself thinking, "huh, this sure sounds like [removed for spoiler reasons]." Turns out, I was right. I was not expecting to be right! If you had the same thought as me, please reach out. I would love to talk about it.

Highlights:
Murder House
Unreliable Narrator
Secrets Upon Secrets

Trigger Warnings:
Murdered Family
Stalking Behavior

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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC of this delightfully slow-burning thriller! I love getting debut novels and trying out new authors that I've never read before; there's always a chance I find a new favorite, and Lisa has definitely gained a new fan in me! I was very taken with the chilling atmosphere that was built and the twists that kept adding up after every turn. The house itself was molded into a character-- making every leaky faucet and creaky floorboard a voice to be heard. I've seen others describe the book as atmospheric, and they are right on the money. This novel transports you right into its depths with absolutely no warning.

When you arrive in the town of Beacon-- you'll meet Sarah Slade. She is the new owner of Black Wood House, which is an infamous murder house. As I'm sure everyone is aware, you can get good deals on houses where tragedies have occurred, and Sarah-- a burgeoning influencer-- wants to flip the house and detail her experiences on her lifestyle blog. However, things don't exactly go as planned. The other inhabitants of Beacon are none too happy with her presence, and for that matter, neither is her husband. All of the stress of her life as a whole plus the new haunting occurrences in the house itself cumulate into a head and leave Sarah questioning reality as she knows it.

I love a good Halloween read, and The Stranger Upstairs has surely ushered the season in with fanfare and choruses of skeletons in the closet. I very much recommend this to any reader who enjoys unreliable narrators, haunted houses, and hidden evils coming to light. The story flows like a familiar river in the mountains, and you become a stone at the bottom that has always been there-- worn by experience and knowledge. The characters feel like friends... even if para-social ones. It is just so easy to lose yourself in this tale, and it will just as easily keep you up into the wee hours of the night.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow! I read this book in hopes of getting spooked for spooky season...it did not disappoint!! The story was original and compelling. Haunted house?? Yes please

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!