The story of The Stranger Upstairs feels a little overdone; another social media influencer, another house where a gruesome murder took place and neighbors who want nothing to do with the house. However, there is more to Sarah Slade and her husband Joe than you expect and you learn how far they're willing to go to keep their secrets. While I was reading Matlin's debut, it made me think of One Night by Georgina Cross and The Only One Left by Riley Sager. Fans of (possible) haunted houses, unreliable narrators, deep, dark secrets as well as authors like Georgina Cross, Riley Sagar, Alices Feeney, should add The Stranger Upstairs to their TBR.

Wow! This was a wild, twisted ride! I thought I knew where this was going, and to some extent I was a little bit right, but only because it was one of the several running suspicions I had. I could never fully rest on the solution. And even that was so far from the ultimate conclusion. I was left feeling as if I had been run through with a wrecking ball.

While I was never a fan of the protagonist, and this bothered me for much of the story, once things started to unravel it no longer mattered. I loved how the truth of what was happening was slowly revealed allowing my imagination to run wild and my expectations to ramp up. By the time I reached the end I was flush with amazement at the intricate web this author laid out for me.

This is well worth the read and made even more so by the author’s note at the end. I applaud her for her journey and look forward to anything else she chooses to release into the world in the future.

Holy smokes - what a trip! I could not put this book down!!! I stayed up super late reading to finish and then couldn’t go to sleep because I was seriously creeped out! 🤣
This book had everything I could ever want in a thriller. An unstable MC, a creepy haunted house, murder mysteries, and mind blowing plot twists. I found myself guessing until the very end having multiple theories throughout…and then as if the ending wasn’t crazy enough, the mic drop in the epilogue got me 😮‍💨
Highly recommend this one, especially for a spooky fall read!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and Lisa M. Matlin for a #gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book! Wow! What a debut! I read so many thrillers that rarely do I come across one that thoroughly creeps me out like this one successfully managed to do! Read it with the lights on!

I love a book that makes you question reality, especially if it involves a spooky house with a sordid past. This book was so atmospheric and just worked perfectly as a “I bought a Murder house” trope. I loved how unlikeable the main character was. She was fascinating and made so many questionable decisions that you’ll never be able to relate to, but as a reader, you couldn’t take your eyes off the pages as you follow her into utter madness!

I will say, there are quite a few storylines that start to blur once you get about half way in, and I was nervous about how they would all come together. However, the ending just nailed it for me! There is one storyline I’m still wondering a bit about, but I’ve never hated a little ambiguity in a thriller, so it doesn’t bother me too much! This will make for the best spooky season read and if you are a fan of the classic, Haunting of Hill House, then look no further!

Thank you so much to Bantam Books and PRH for this #gifted ARC!

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS by Lisa M Matlin. I’m not going to lie, it was the cover of this book that stopped me in my tracks, but it was the premise of the book that had me click request. I am a sucker for a haunted house story. Sarah and Joe decide to buy the Murder House in Black Wood. They want to flip it and figure it would be easy and that’s where the fun or shall I say fear begins. This book has all things creepy, scary and chilling. Sarah starts to hear strange noises coming from the attic. What does she find there? Why do the contractors not even want to go in? Why do things that get fixed break again? Is Sarah losing it? So many questions. This was such a fun ride for me. I did love the cover so much that I picked this book as my BOTM read just to have it in my library. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for saying yes to my request!

This is a debut novel that held my interest for the most part but lost me in others. The pacing is good, but the characters are not totally believable. That is not to say that they are not developed, just hard to believe everything going on in their lives. There is a haunted house that Sarah decides to renovate, a failing marriage with her husband, a murder mystery and weird neighbors. All in all, there is a lot packed into this novel which made it a little hard for me to keep up with all of the events. The narrator herself is not reliable which adds to the storyline but also added to my ability to always follow the story. I did not particularly like or relate to any of the characters but I did sympathize with the plight of the social media influencer who is trying to make a go of renovating a haunted house. There are secrets that are not revealed until the story unwinds some, and that adds to the mysterious tone of the whole book. This is a gothic mystery, haunted house thriller and domestic drama all packed into one volume, so it is a very busy book. I would give it 3.5 stars but I am rounding up because the author did a great job of pulling everything together at the end.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e-arc of The Stranger Upstairs: A Novel by Lisa M. Matlin.

This is a suspense thriller novel. 4-4.5*; one unique aspect the gothic vibes and a sense of not knowing what is happening until close to the end which builds the suspense.

Synopsis: "Most people wouldn’t buy an infamous murder house to renovate for fun . . . but Sarah Slade is not most people... But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. ... 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."

Things I liked:
1. Genre (thriller/suspense) is one of my favorite genres
2. Atmospheric- gothic woodsy vibes
3. Great fall read
4. The dedication and notes after

Things I disliked (if you can call it that):
1. The unknown is what I liked and hated most about this book... I usually guess, but did not with this one
2. I would have liked more of the ending to be expanded
3. I prefer 3rd person to first person generally, but it did work with this read and did not hinder my enjoyment

There were many plot points that were satisfying to my inner reader, among them being that there almost always is a reasonable explanation behind certain occurrences. Seeing the main character’s progression and descent into madness, especially when that hint of suspicion lurks in the foreground, resulted in an ending that knocked me off my feet.

I was initially drawn in by the cover of the book, and the synopsis sounded so intriguing, so I dove in. Oh my goodness, what a fun ride! I devoured this book. It's a fun, fast-paced, and oh so creepy story. I enjoyed it. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the E-ARC

Book Releases September 12, 2023

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

I devoured this compelling page-turner in two days. I loved the creepy setting/atmosphere, our unreliable narrator Sarah, and the twists and turns I did not see coming. Such a fun read! Thank you for the advanced digital copy!

A bestselling author, therapist, and social media influencer decides to document her renovation of a house where a tragic murder occurred. Unfortunately, a shattering marriage and the slow unraveling of her long-buried family secrets threaten both the project and her life. Will the madness of the house’s former murderous family be respawned in the influencer’s family? Find out in the new debut thriller, The Stranger Upstairs.

The book is very fast paced while also maintaining the ghostly atmosphere required of a haunted house tale. I felt compelled to read it well past my bedtime. The main character is believable, but I wish more time had been spent fleshing out her husband’s point of view. Both characters are extremely unlikable, but that made my fascination with them only stronger.

The Stranger Upstairs is a genuinely enthralling psychological thriller. It is highly recommended to thriller readers who like a bit of a dark side to their plots. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

In The Stranger Upstairs, therapist/self-help writer/aspiring lifestyle influencer Sarah Slade buys the infamous Black Wood House to flip and renovate it, hoping that the content she creates will help launch the next stage of her career and put her life back on track. However, that proves hard, as the home was the site of a murder several decades prior, and the neighbors are skeptical about having the house occupied again. Quickly, things start to go wrong at the house: Sarah finds threatening notes, hears footsteps in the attic in the dead of night, and grows suspicious of her standoffish neighbors. The longer Sarah is in the house, the more dire the situation becomes.

This book is definitely spooky and grisly, if a bit unbelievably so (there's still a bloodstain from the aforementioned murder in the master bedroom, after nearly 40 years later??). I also think the book would've benefitted from more extensive use of the second POV, particularly as Sarah's deteriorating mental state makes her an increasingly unreliable narrator. I usually love an unreliable narrator, but this one simply didn't make sense to me. There were still remaining pieces that confused me, which seems at odds with how quickly/tidily the story was wrapped up. More grounding outside of Sarah's POV might have helped. An atmospheric, if unsatisfying, read.

Billed as a psychological mystery, this was a horror story, pure and simple, complete with ghosts. Or maybe I should say it was an old fashioned ghost story without a hint of reality. It had quite a bloody and macabre plot.

Sadly, there was not one likeable nor sympathetic character in the whole book. Just nothing nor no one to pin your hopes on.

I appreciate this early reader’s copy from Net Galley and the publisher, Ballentine Books, in exchange for an honest review. Best wishes with the publication.

Sarah Slade is a "therapist" and writer, who along with her husband just bought Black Wood house. Also known as the murder house, since the grissly murders that took place there 40 years ago. As Sarah tries to update the house things keep coming apart. Most of the contractors she has tried to hire refuse to even enter the house. Sarah starts to hear noises in the attic. Eventually she goes upstairs only to find a note regarding herself. She is starting to believe the house is alive. She starts to confide to a coworker about all the strang thing going on. Is Sarah losing her mind or is there really something really going on with the house.

I mostly liked this story. It is fast paced, I loved the news stories interspersed throughout -- it lets us know there's something that has happened but we don't know many details.

Would recommend if you love:
-Your thriller to come with horror vibes (I loved it!)
-questionable characters (I couldn't find ANY redeeming qualities for our main characters)
-fast paced and decent twists!

My reasoning for not giving more stars is that I'm left with a lot of questions and confusion. Unless I'm missing something (rather many things) there were several things left unresolved.
[[[SOME MINI SPOILERS AHEAD]]]
-Sarah is drinking a bottle of wine (or more) a day on her meds that she specifically knows she's not supposed to be drinking with? How much of what she thinks she sees is due to that? What's the interaction between the two/ effects of that?
-What's with the arm thing? I'm not a mental health professional so I don't know what that means, specifically, or how it ties into the story. It wasn't really ever explained in detail.
-Did she get diagnosed with something as a child or not? Was that a random mention in the story to throw us off what was really happening?
-Joe's character..... just why?
-Amanda's disappearance: did the whole town really know she was there and then she was not? Did they all just ignore it? You're telling me there isn't ONE person in the town that would have asked questions? (I guess when the police are in the pocket of someone powerful maybe not?)
[[[END SPOILERS]]]

I think it was a decent story. The ending wasn't my favorite but I think some readers will like it.

The Stranger Upstairs is a book that keeps you guessing the whole time as Sarah Slade, therapist extraordinaire takes you on the adventure of her buying the famous Murder Home in the town of Black Wood. At least, that is what she would like you to think. The house has been known to be haunted since the previous owners husband killed the wife and then himself. Sarah Slade buys the house thinking it will be the amazing follow up to her recent book which was a best seller. She works at the local clinic for mental health while purchasing the house that she and Joe plan to renovate, share all the details and make a lot of money. We also can't forget her beloved cat - Reaper. I loved the book and read it in two days!

Sara is a bestselling author and therapist and also a social media influencer who promotes wellness, when she & her husband, Joe, decide to buy a murder house and renovate it to sell for a profit. She thinks she has everything in hand. Little does she know that her whole life is about to be turned upside down. Strange noises, intrusive thoughts, menacing neighbors and a marriage that is on the verge of imploding. Sara is keeping too many secrets and she may have finally run out of luck.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this e-arc.*

3 Stars

Thank you to Lisa M. Martin, Random House Publishing-Bantam, and NetGalley for this ARC

"Most people sweep monsters under the bed. I pull the covers back and let them crawl in."

Did I download this book based solely on the cover? Yes, yes, I did.

I liked this book, until the end. I was waiting for a bigger reveal. I was kind of disappointed, not going to lie.

I did not like Sarah or Joe if I am being honest. Let's start with Sarah, she ran away from her family, she didn't want them to find her, yet she's a social media influencer? How does that work? Don't you think someone from her past would recognize her? Also, she was so self-absorbed and she basically begged for sponsors. I just did not like her.

Now Joe, Mr. Shy anxious Joe. The guy who couldn't talk to strangers yet went out and got a girlfriend. Okay. And what was with his phone suddenly being disconnected a few hours after she left him that voicemail?

I wanted to know how Amanda wound up on the roof. I wish we would have gotten a flashback chapter from her perspective.

Let's take a second and talk about Emily. Sarah admitted she wasn't who she said she was, yet Emily kept that to herself. Don't you think she should have told someone, seeing that Sarah was still seeing patients?

"You repeat what you don't repair."

I did like the news breaks and the diary entries. I also liked Reaper the cat.

This was a solid debut novel by Lisa Matlin. It's addicting and hard to put down, with enough of an underlying mystery to keep the reader guessing! I was intrigued by the premise of restoring a murder house and documenting it on social media for profit, but that, the main storyline, almost seemed like background noise with all of the character development and side stories. Also, the murder house itself reads like a character. For me, this was a 3.5 star book, but I rounded up. After I finished this whirlwind of a book, I was left pondering some plot holes, inconsistencies, and loose ends. Not enough to ruin the book, by any means! If you're looking for a dark, mysterious, quick read...this is it!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access. Opinions are my own.

I was completely enthralled from the first to last line!

This novel kept me up late, flipping page after page (and at times switching the lights on and looking around the room!). What a fantastic debut novel for Lisa Matlin!

This is a bit outside my psychological thriller/thriller/mystery preference, but I will lean more into psychological thriller-gothic-horror in the future because of this read. The fast pace of the story kept me engaged and returning again and again, any chance I had to pick it back up (neglecting housework, errands...etc). I loved it from the first to last line. I went into this book not knowing the premise or reading any reviews, which is the way I prefer to read. I did notice it a few times on different book forums and I am so glad I was able to gain access to a copy via NetGalley.

First of all, the cover is beautiful! I am a sucker for a beautiful book and I love the cover and I will be purchasing a hardcopy, not only because of this, but to support this author as I was touched by her honesty in her author's note and acknowledgements.

Quick premise: Sarah is a social media influencer who purchases Black Wood House in hopes to renovate it and make a quick and sizable profit. It doesn't take long before she realizes "murder house" isn't going to be the easy flip she thought is would be.

Put this one at the top of your TBR if you are looking a chilling thriller that will keep you guessing through its twists and turns. I am already (I finished it twenty minutes ago) recommending this book to others.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author for taking me on an amazing journey and I can't wait to dive into future reads from you!