I have mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted the title to be literal and really wanted to feel like Sarah was living in a haunted house. Instead the book seemed to be more about all the ongoing crazy thoughts in Sarah's mind. How much of that came from all the alcohol consumed? Then there's also the relationship between Sarah and Joe. That was a complete train wreck and really made no sense. Sarah certainly had some mental health issues along with the strange habit of assuming other people's lives. A few spots looked like it might be a little about a haunted house, but that was the epilogue at the end. Just wasn't what I expected and found it disappointing.

Sarah Slade is a therapist and a famous Instagram influencer. Her and her husband, Joe, have decided to purchase and renovate The Blackwood House. Joe does it reluctantly but Sarah is thrilled with the opportunity. Back in the 80's a husband and father killed his wife with a hammer to the head and then went after his 17 year old daughter who thankfully escaped. He later killed himself in the home before authorities arrived. Blackwood House has been sitting vacant ever since. Or has it? You'll have to read this to find out!

Holy Bananas! The main character, Sarah, is one of those pill popping, wine guzzling, snarky as can be, unreliable narrators and Matlin nailed it. I was completely fascinated with watching this woman unravel. At one point when the first twist was revealed my smug self thought I had this one figured out but I was nothing but a clueless idiot. Matlin continued to surprise me time and time again. This is a psychological thriller with nods to horror and that's a cocktail I'm always fond of. 🍹 I also commend the author for sharing her own mental health journey in the authors note.

From the gorgeous cover to the very last page I was completely riveted and I can't wait to see what she treats us to next! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.

Summary: A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.

But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.
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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts: I loved this one ! It was genuinely spooky and some sections actually freaked me out! Sarah was just a fantastic unreliable narrator. I loved every minute of this book and finished it within a day. I could not put it down or stop thinking about this one! Such a fun and unique read with fun and surprising twist at the end. That ending was just SO good! Fantastic book; probably my favorite of September ! Thank you @netgalley @bantambooksuk for the advanced copy!
*
QOTD: what is something that scares you ?! I’m terrified of being trapped on an elevator, creepy clowns, and big spiders 😂

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine Books Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut thriller by Lisa M. Matlin - 4 stars!

Sarah, a therapist and social media influencer, and her husband, Joe, are fleeing from their past and buy a house cheap because a gruesome murder-suicide happened there. They have plans to refurnish the house and sell for a quick profit, while Sarah posts about the experience. But the reality is much different - the house is creepy with sounds coming from the attic, Joe is totally checked out, and the neighbors angry.

I love a creepy, haunted house story with unreliable narrators and characters abounding! This was a smart, twisty thriller that kept the tension high throughout. I can't wait to read more from this author!

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐

In this twisted tale of a creepy murder house you'll find plenty of chills to keep you up at night.

Sarah is an unreliable narrator teetering on the edge of madness after moving into the house where a murder/suicide occurred 40 years ago. The town wants it bulldozed but Sarah is determined to fix it up and flip it. The problem is, will she be able to do that before the house flips her?

I really enjoyed this thrilling debut. It's pretty well written and the plot kept me on my toes. There are many things to like about the story but for me Sarah herself wasn't one of them but I think that's exactly what the author wanted me to feel. It's a quick read that can be devoured in a couple of sittings.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for granting me an e-ARC to read, review and enjoy.

TW: Language, drinking, alcoholism, shopping addiction, toxic relationships, gaslight, addiction, overdose, death of parent, depression, suicide

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐️

What I Liked:
1. Very atmospheric
2. Writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
1. The tone of the book
2. Sarah and her husband fighting - annoying
3. Sarah is not likeable
4. Thriller NOT a horror

Overall Thoughts:
I'm soooooo curious how a house that's sat for 40 years without caretakers is in okay enough condition that they can move in and live there while fixing it up. When Sarah describes the house it sounds like it's in pretty good shape. Has the author never seen an abandoned house?

I do not like Sarah.

Honestly the neighbor coming back to warn Sarah. Telling her that Bill said someone was in the attic. They never found out what it was or who it was. It just seems silly that the neighbor would give her this warning when it's been forty years. He also mentions that there have been others that lived in the house that thought they'd be okay too.

If Sarah has so many followers on Instagram why is she using a website to upload updates with? Why not Instagram/Youtube/Tik tok? A website seems so old.

A married couple buying a house to fix up when they are already having issues. Isn't it stressful to 1)buy a house and 2)renovate it?

I was annoyed at the constant fighting of Sarah and her husband. It felt so non-stop and over the top. Their fights felt very fake because they would just leave in the middle of the sentence. I tried to follow the conflict but it was like;
Sarah was frustrated. He was mad. Sarah didn't know why he was mad. She wanted to ask him why but instead she asked if he took the trash out. He gave her a look of hate and stormed off. Sarah wondered why she was so unloved."
Thanks author for adding those pointless things that did nothing for the plot or characters.

I didn't understand the concept of going to the effort of getting a fake identity, staying in the same country, and the posting your face all over social media and even writing a book. Isn't the point of another identity to hid your old identity? Sorry, I'm still waiting for my convenient fake identity to show up in the mail so I'm unsure how this works. So then she gets scared when someone is sending her a dvd and a post it on her car! Hello you let everyone know where you live!!

Whoa... She got a crew of contractors to come to her house on a Saturday?

I was confused when she came home from her run and they workers had laid ceramic titles in the kitchen and the wooden floor, but she got sick. Was she sick that they were actually able to work or was she sick because they did something wrong?

By the second sticky note I was pretty sure she was the one writing them.

Stupid Emily coming in and saying the neighbor Jeff was bad when he was a kid and now he is worse. Ummm Sarah presses for details but Emily tells her to not worry about it. She tells her some stuff even mentions that Jeff has tried to get the house bulldozed every year but the counsel has denied it. Sarah gets distracted by a stain and doesn't ask why. But seriously why?? Then Emily says another woman lived in the house before her but get this - she looked just like Sarah! *dramatic music* Her name was Amanda and she just disappeared.

I don't get this book holding back so much. Are we going to move forward with this plot or are we going to not learn anything and then when the ending comes everything is thrown at us?

I swear if this is just a book about phrogging I'm going to be mad.

It just drives me crazy when in a book everything could be just solved if they just talked. He comes home they never talk she never talks to him he never talks to her she starts to think he's having an affair because he's always gone but God forbid she actually talk to him.

Well we finally turned out to speak mixture and why they had to leave their town. Oh this big dark deep secret they've been keeping and why they had to change their identity and everything is because Joe was her sisters boyfriend and she stole him. That's it. That's something that they've been building for for 40% of this book.

It's so odd to me how Sarah aká Lizzy would think the neighbors and people in town would all be so happy she bought this house where a family was slaughtered at. She keeps making out like she's the victim when she's the one who came in with a fun idea of redoing the house.

I wish I would havw known anything about Joe, but he has so little of an appearance in this book I just don't care about him.

Want to read a book about a woman that jumps to conclusions every step of the way even if there is zero proof of anything? This is the perfect book for you.

Is this book over yet?

I'm shocked that the neighbors haven't burned the house down already. They clearly don't want the house there and what was stopping them from getting rid of it themselves.

Don't worry Darren is hot - Sarah has only mentioned it 1000 times.

What are the chances that the person that moves into the house are two women that look so alike that everyone thinks they are the same person? *shakes head*

Darren getting Amanda's name tattooed on him after only a few weeks of knowing her. Who's the psycho here? Definitely him.

Another drunk depressed woman in an unreliable storyline. I thought we were done with these.

Wtf is that letter to Andy... Teehee?

Honestly, I've been trying to figure out what this book is trying to be. Is it trying to be a horror book that has ghosts living in an abandoned house? Is it a thriller with a couple that has secrets and a missing woman? Is it a story of a couple that has issues and they are trying to get through them? How can one short book try to be so much and come out making me feel so unsatisfied?

Random pov from Emily.... Okay!

SO apparently Lizzy strangled Sarah and staged her suicide. Nevermind that to strangle someone you'll leave marks on the neck that a hanging wouldn't match up with.

This whole time I was trying to figure out why it took so long to identify Emily's body and then they said they didn't have anyone to identify her, but that isn't how that happens. They will identify you by your finger prints or dental records, so they don't need someone to show up.

Honestly the real villain is Carbon Monoxide so please remember to check that your detectors are updated. Alright folks have a good night. I'm out!

Final Thoughts:
No twist here. If you’ve read any other thriller where a woman is driven crazy then you pretty much know what’s going to happen in this book.

Recommend For:
• Every basic thriller

I feel conflicted with this. The premise and the plot line really got me interested. Also the cover is really eye-catching. But this was sadly just okay for me. 3.0 to 3.5 stars. Really middle of the road for me.

Self-help influencer and therapist Sarah Slade and her husband Joe Cosgrove have just purchased the infamous Black Wood House in the small town of Beacon, Australia. 40 years prior Black Wood House was the site of a brutal murder-suicide, since then the house has been empty and the bane of the town. With many neighbors and residents wanting for the house to be demolished, Sarah and Joe are not exactly met with open arms to their new community. As Sarah and Joe start their renovations on the house, bad things start happening and seemingly inexplainable things go bumping the night. Sarah becomes determined to figure out what is happening in the house, what her neighbors are hiding, and who knows about her and Joe's past before coming to Beacon.

Like I said, the plot is good. Spooky house. Untrustworthy neighbors. Secret past. Sounds perfect for going into spooky season. However, I found Sarah absolutely insufferable. I know she's supposed to be a terrible person but the stakes seemed very high for what was ultimately revealed to be not that shocking of a secret. I found myself going "that's it? that's the reason?" The ending seemed a little cliché and the reason for the "haunted" house was so practical it just pulled me out of the creepy, eerie atmosphere. The story wasn't bad by any means, but nothing to gush over. This is Lisa M. Matlin's first novel and she certainly has potential and I want to see how she grows as a writer. If you're a casual thriller/horror reader or a mood reader, you might really enjoy this.

Thank you to Penguin Random House-Bantam, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

On the outside, Sarah’s life is perfect. Bestselling author with a perfect husband. But reality is quite different. Sarah is hoping that flipping a house and making a profit will help her marriage. But the opposite happens. As soon as she moves in, horrible things begin to happen. I enjoyed this book even if it was a little scary for me. I would recommend to anyone who likes a little thriller and an unreliable narrator.

Sarah Slade takes the opportunity of fixing up a murder house for profit. None of the neighbors are happy about it and she keeps thinking about the murder that happened there, and the last owner that went missing.

I didn’t love the main character. She was annoying and got worse as time went by but I had to find out what was going on! I liked the story because it truly felt like a descent into madness. I was worried about the cat the entire time though!

“Most people sweep monsters under the bed, pull the covers back and let them crawl in.”

The Stranger Upstairs is available now.

👻👻👻👻👻
“Want a great deal on a house?
BUY ONE WHERE SOMEONE WAS MURDERED!”

This book has one of the best author notes I’ve read! She talks about her mental health experiences, which are very relatable, and comes across as a very compassionate person. I loved it!

<b>The Stranger Upstairs</b> is an amazing haunted house read, with so many layers. Perfect for a dark October night!

Sarah Slade and her husband just purchased the Black Wood House. Dilapidated and empty since the murder/suicide years ago. She plans to renovate and flip it for a nice profit and she’s hopeful this adventure will repair her failing marriage. Sarah is a very well-developed and complex character. An influencer and therapist that is unusual and awkward. An all-around strange combination and not someone you want as a BFF!

News Reports and Sarah’s Blog Posts are infused into the narrative. This adds some intensity while boosting the creepiness. I loved these! The entire story is unique and nothing like I expected. Quite impressive for a debut!

Sincere thanks to Random House Publishing-Ballantine/Bantam for providing this complimentary ARC through NetGalley (a granted wish, yay). As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#TheStrangerUpstairs #netgalley #LisaMMatlin #randomhousepublishing #ballantine #bantam #spookyread #justfinished #newrelease #giftedARC #igbookreels #thriller #honestreview #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #suspense #mystery #lovetoread #bookworms #lovebooks #lovetoreadbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booknerd #bookreviewer

A debut novel for Lisa Matlin - will absolutely read her next one!!

What I loved about this book: Really should be a 3.5!!
1. It was fast paced and quite the page turner!
2. That the house is a character and quite an interesting one!
3. Creepiness was just the right level....and loved the ending!

What I didn't like about the book:
1. Not a lot of characters to like in the book!
2. The stretches of the book where I felt there could have been stronger editing.


Published September 26, 2023.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for an ARC of this book.

The way I would describe this book is: It’s kinda like the Amityville Horror Story, but with a a female protagonist.

And I thought it was awesome!

I loved the slow descent into madness, the inevitable dark thoughts, the coincidental accidents, the paranoia, the memory issues, the sordid backstory, and the absolutely bothered cat! All of it together made for a creepy and entertaining tale!

Is it supernatural? Is it someone from Sarah’s past trying to bring her history to the present? Is it the town’s Mr. Popularity trying to drive her out of her house? These are all things you will be thinking as you read this story. It’s impossible to know until the end.

I recommend this book! It’s a super fast and fun read!

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin was a tense, creepy read. In other words, perfect for the spooky Halloween season! It’s a dark read- it takes place in a house where a murder occurred after all, but if you are into nerve-wracking, sinister stories then this is absolutely for you. Personally, I would never buy an old house where someone was killed, even if it was a rock-bottom price.



A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.

But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.

Out now, get a copy if you want to be biting your nails off while reading a frightening story.

What is wrong with Susan Slade? Susan and her husband have just invested all their money into the infamous monstrosity the Blackwood House. The house has been vacant since the 70's when an unexpected brutal tragedy occurred in the the peaceful upscale neighborhood and people have said the house has since been haunted.

Susan plans to make a ton of money renovating the old eye sore but she wasn't prepared for hatred from all the neighbors who just wanted the house burned to the ground with all the painful memories. From the first night Susan hears strange and creepy noises that continually get worse where she can't sleep, eat and gets so distracted that she loses clients at her workplace. Sarah even finds notes left for her so she knows someone is out to get her and her emotions are getting out of control so she's even losing her husband as well. Susan was in over her head from day one but now she's about to lose her mind and she doesn't even have a clue to who, what and why is everyone out to get her or could there really be ghosts forever living in Blackwood House.

This was an entertaining and creepy book with the most unlikable main character (ever). Susan Slade is someone I hope to never have the displeasure of meeting. She is such a narcissistic personality yet I still wanted to see how she would handle the situations she found herself in. I found pleasure in her getting tastes of her own medicine but sometimes I would find.myself feeling sorry for her. Underneath her pretty exterior lies a very troubled woman with an ugly past which she never tried to seek any help to change. So, why feel sorry for her? Susan has met more than her match in the Blackwood House and I would feel very bad for anyone who had the misfortune of living there again!

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" for the book which was given to me as a gift request and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating if 3 1/2 HAUNTING AND DARK 🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

This has things I like rolled into one. You’ve got a haunted house meets domestic murder mystery. And that cover is so pretty it drew me in.

Sarah and her husband are buying an old Victorian house that they want to renovate and flip. It’s part of a wealthy neighborhood that they hope will attract and appeal others to buy it once they’re done. They win the bid on the home for such a good price that it’s hard to believe. But once Sarah starts working on the home she want to learn more about its history, which comes with a dark past.

We have a creepy house, we have a main character with mental health, we have secrets. What’s not to love. Sarah is a blogger who suffers from things she doesn’t want others to know. But that’s hard to do when a house keeps making the past come alive.

This book was addictive. I mean it has all the elements that pull you in and make you want to stay and go on the journey of what happened in the house and Sarah’s past. Is she really losing it or is there something more sinister.

For a debut novel, it had all the twists and turns I enjoy and I can’t wait to read the others next books

Lisa M. Matlin’s debut novel has one of the most exquisite book covers.

The narrative revolves around Sarah Slade and her husband, who acquire an ageing Victorian residence in Beacon, Australia, with the intention of renovating it for a profitable resale. Situated in a neighbourhood where home values soar to over a million dollars each, the couple views this purchase as a lucrative opportunity. However, as Sarah immerses herself in the renovation process, she begins to unravel the eerie history concealed within the home’s dark past.

Without delving into further details to avoid spoilers, I must mention that this book offers a great blend of horror and mystery. In sum, it’s an ideal read for the spooky season, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I rated this one 3.5 and will round up to 4 for this review. I absolutely loved the premise of this. Old murder house? Social media influencer wanting to renovate and document the process? Sleeping in the bedroom that still has the blood stains from the murder-suicide? Count me in for all these things and more!! Unfortunately, after the initial setup, I was left wanting more and feeling unfulfilled. I could have done without the relationship challenges as I feel that took away from the storyline.

A beautiful cover by any other name means a terrifically chilling debut novel. Take a social media influencer with some mental health issues, a broken marriage, and a home renovation project at their new house meant to bring them closer together and you have a terrific premise for a thriller. THEN, toss in to the mix the fact that the new house is actually a murder house and no one has lived in it for years after the murders and you have the makings of a great novel. Thanks to Goodreads and NetGalley for this chilling novel….. not sure I’ll be turning out the lights anytime soon.

This was an interesting thriller, some twists. Sarah Slade and her husband buy a house where a murder previously happened. Once they move in, strange things happen. Sarah is trying to keep her husband and also has a pet cat involved in this story as well. The first twist was interesting. As it unfolded it was an interesting concept for the book. It moved a little slow, but overall was entertaining.

Sarah and Joe buy a house where years ago a man murdered his wife and attempted to kill his daughter. Everyone in town hates the house and want Sarah and Joe gone. They want to renovate the house but struggle to find anyone who will come there to work on it.

It becomes obvious that Sarah, an influencer and therapist, has some deep issues of her own.

This story sucks you in immediately and there are some twists you don't see coming, and one I didn't love.

This was a great book heading into fall and spooky season.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.