"I find myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway has been lost."

Wow! What a sparkling, amazing, and ..horrifying(in the good way!) debut! This is Australian but in North America, this might remind you of Amityville.

Sarah and Joe have just moved into their new house in Beacon. They could never afford a house like this with her salary as a therapist and his salary as a routinely unemployed freeloader. She did have some extra income from a self help book but it is drying up, as is the light Instagram influencing she was doing.

Enter Black Wood House. Cheap because literally no one besides YouTube ghost hunters want to step foot on the property since a murder-suicide occured many years ago. Sarah reckons she will capitalize on the notoriety and fix up the house and flip it, gaining followers and sponsorships along the way. Sadly, that was not meant to be..

Immediately upon moving in, strange things happened. The neighbors are nightmarishly cruel, the house is in way worse shape than she thought and it turns out she isn't the only one to come up with this idea and it didn't go so well then either.

The house seems to be its own entity, its own being. It seems to reject the change and the renovation. Is it paranoia or is this house alive, or should I say undead? Either way, Sarah is reaching her boiling point and the house is refusing to keep its secrets any longer.

This IS suspense! At times it could be slightly repetitive, but you were following a downfall and descent into madness -for whatever reason- that you could feel in your bones. It was gritty and raw. The main character was witty and self-deprecating. I kept finding myself highlighting paragraphs and quotes, not to use in the review, just because I felt it and loved how it was put into words. I can't wait to read more from this author. I absolutely loved this.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review. Coming soon!

One word... Killhouse. That's the word I read and had to have it. I'm a complete 🐔, so not only did I recruit a buddy to read with me, I also said I'd only read during the day. However, I have to say it wasn't as scary as I had expected. It was just the right level for a 🐔 like me! I ended up reading at night and while it was creepy in parts, it wasn't too bad. It was very suspenseful. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to find out what the heck was going on. I enjoyed Sarah's crazy side. She made me laugh quite a few times and others where I was just wondering wth is wrong with this chick! So, just go ahead and get the book. You won't be sorry.

This was a quick twisty read! I thought the premise was good but it kind of got a bit lost - think it was trying to be too twisty. However, I think as a debut there’s a lot of potential here. Will be interested to see what comes next for this author. Thank you to Net Galley for the free copy for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book was delightfully creepy and unhinged, and I could not get enough! Sarah is the girl on Instagram that we all hate with the perfectly styled life and fluffy self-help bestselling book. However, all the details of her specifically crafted persona are fake. In real life, Sarah is a total disaster with no friendships, a failing marriage, a sham of a career, and all of her savings sunk in a murder house she wants to flip for both money and publicity.

If nothing else, this book really teaches you to do your research before moving! Sarah and Joe (her distant husband) show up in this cold, mean town and have to face the decrepit and spooky murder house they’ve purchased, which absolutely does NOT want to be fixed. I am one of those readers who suspects every single character in the book to be the villain only to exclaim, “I KNEW IT!” when the truth is revealed - but I can honestly say that I did not see this ending coming.

Sarah was so much fun to hate, as were all of the characters in this book including the house! I couldn’t figure out if this book was going to end up with a paranormal or thriller bent, and I don’t want to spoil anything - but regardless of which genre you prefer, I think you’ll like this book. Sarah’s descent into madness, the house’s malevolent presence, and the hostile actions and attitudes of the townspeople all work together to make this a perfect spooky season read. I have to admit that I was too scared to read this one in the dark!

I was really surprised when I found out that Lisa M. Matlin was a debut author, and that just made me love the story even more. DEFINITELY take the time to read the author’s note at the end! I think I will be gifting this book to several friends who love to read creepy stories in the fall. Snuggle up with a blanket and glass of wine and be sure to leave the lights on unless you’re super brave!

The debut novel for Lisa M. Matlin is phenomenal!
The center of this story is a murder house and the current and past occupants.
Not only does the murder house hold secrets, but also the new owners.
Kept me on my toes the whole read. The ending was definitely a shock and I loved it!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! Super quick thriller just in time for spooky season.

Sarah a desperate wife looking to repair her marriage moves her husband and herself to Black Wood House. The house hasn’t been touched in years and is the place of a gruesome family murder. She already works as a therapist in town but is hoping she will grow closer with her a husband and flip the murder house making a fortune.

Makes you think about Amityville Horror while reading.

Definitely didn’t see that ending but I liked how it played out. Epilogue leaving it spooky!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me this ARC!

Oh my, where to start with this book? Well, first, I give Lisa M. Matlin props on her first novel. It’s not easy to write a book, let alone writing one about mental illness while you are dealing with your own mental illness. That said, it does come off as a little manic at times. I got so confused by so many things. Sarah buys a murder-suicide house but so much of the story is either scrambled or left unsaid. We never found out what happened to Janet. How did this famous couple manage to fly under the radar for so long? Did Joe have a personality, or did we see him from Sarah’s inaccurate mental state? Why was the entire town so afraid of a house? All in all, I’m grateful I was able to finish it, because none of the characters were likable and the ending wasn’t satisfying to me.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

What could be better than a haunted house story during spooky season??

The plot of The Stranger Upstairs is not uncommon: couple buys murder house intending to renovate and make a mint, then weird happenings ensue. And honestly, there's nothing hugely unique or mindblowing about this book. It's a perfectly fine unreliable narrator (or is she??) haunted house (or is it??) story. It will hold your interest and if you're looking for a creepy little book full of foreboding, this one will do the trick!

Most importantly, make sure to read the Author's Note at the end.

(Sidenote: If you're an animal lover like me, I did update the listing on Does the Dog Die, so animal TWs there!)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House - Ballentine for this eARC.

#PRHAudioPartner & @netgalley review!

The Stranger Upstairs by @lisa_m_matlin
Release Date: 9/12/23
Format: audio/ebook hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book wasn’t even on my radar until someone in one of my arc groups said “holy shit I was up all night reading this book in one sitting.” That is obviously high praise and I ran to request it immediately. It did not disappoint!

Did I read it in one sitting? No. Because I’m a wimp and it spooked me after dark last night 😂 But I woke up thinking about it and dove right back in today. So. Dang. Good.

I don’t want to say too much about what this book is or isn’t because I don’t want to spoil anything but if you enjoy thrillers or stories about murder houses, this one is a must read! It’s a roller coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning page after page because you simply must know what the heck is going on. I did listen to this half on audio and the narrator was fab as well!

And please make sure you read the authors note at the end 🖤 I’m so glad you got to share this story with us Lisa!

I feel kind of scammed and slightly betrayed. When reading the synopsis of The Stranger Upstairs, I was under the impression that the story would revolve with the spooky occurrences happening within the house to the MC(s). Instead, the amount of plot that pertained to the odd occurrences at the house was no more elaborated than basically what was touched upon in the synopsis. The storyline revolved around an unreliable female male character who (unshockingly) is portrayed as an alcoholic, who never eats, isn’t liked or trusted by anyone, and has no clear stream of consciousness. I LOATHE when the only character trait a woman has to make her “unreliable” is the mass amounts of wine she consumes and the clear mistrust of her family and colleagues. Why can’t we do better with character development. Along those lines, the other characters were just as shallow. We have the husband who is never around. How does he even have friends in a town they’ve never been to?! He works at a bar but it doesn’t appear he does much working? Ideally, if this book had multiple POV with either Amanda or Joe, it probably would’ve been exponentially better.
The plot was subpar at best. I found it disorganized, a lot of subplots that never took off or had a complete thought, and was so annoyed that we never focused on this “notorious murder house” and instead primarily focused on the delusions of Sarah. Honestly, I’m so glad this book was on the shorter side because by 40% I was so bored. I’m appreciative that the writing style was so easy to read. I also enjoyed the newspaper clippings and journal entries that broke up the chapters.

Side note: why did we have time to try and re-wallpaper a room but not scrub the 40 yr old bloodstain out of the carpet near the bed we sleep in?!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Stranger Upstairs in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting, harried, and hostile.

This book gives you all the spooky season feels. Would you buy a murder house? Sarah hoped to purchase, renovate, and gain influencer status for this endeavor. The complication? No one around slightly approves of the home being purchased, with quiet fear and worse than whispers that follow.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for such a great ARC experience for my honest review. The publication date is September 12th, be glad that you don’t have to wait long for this haunting gem!

This book is eerie and creepy! Sarah and her husband move into a house where a murder took place. It has been empty for many years. Right from the start strange things begin to happen. The neighbors want the house torn down and are wary. Have Sara and Joe made a terrible mistake moving in?

This book will have you guessing all the way through. It will be hard to put down as you want to know what will happen next. Is there someone in the house or is Sara just going crazy? As a reader I enjoy books that keep me guessing. I'm thinking that you will also enjoy this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LisaMMatlin, and #BantamBooks for a copy of this book.
#TheStrangerUpstairs

I couldn’t put this book down It was so good and I feel like it kept a creepy atmosphere through the whole book. Something creepy was always happening( The house, The notes, The cat). I really wanted to give this book a higher rating, but then we got to the reveal and…..It was pretty underwhelming to say the least. Also that plot twist involving her sister ,saw that one coming and honestly think it is pretty overdone and was not really needed in this book, but I guess I understand considering her tendency to copy people’s personality. Anyway solid read and I’ll probably pick up this author’s next book.

💄"Maybe its Maybelline.
Or maybe its murder." 🔪

If The Watcher TV Series and Riley Sager's Home Before Dark had a baby, it would be The Stranger Upstairs. Would you buy a murder house? The story revolves around a social media influencer who buys a murder house to renovate. Sarah Slade is busy repairing the house while trying to fix her failing marriage and keep her secret past burried.

While the pacing may feel uneven at times and some plot elements remain open-ended, the book is filled with unexpected twists, complex characters, and a good dose of craziness. If you love drama, creepy old houses, and bat shit crazy characters, you'll love this one. Overall an enjoyable read. 3.8 out of 5 stars and that gorgeous cover wins cover of the year for me! Stunning!

Debut author alert!! Firstly, I loved reading about Lisa’s journey to becoming an author in her notes at the end of the story. Even if I hadn’t thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I would support her because of her incredible path to writing success.

I love stories that make the setting a central character, but I find that it can be really hit or miss. This was a hit! A potentially haunted/notorious murder house with a blood stain in the master bedroom, creepy wallpaper, poor lighting and an attic. All ingredients for a spooky story that delivered. Particularly, I enjoyed the interactions with the neighbors, all keeping secrets about the past home owners. It gave off a small town vibe that only added to the checklist of things I love about a good suspense story. Highly recommend as we roll into spooky season, but honestly, this book can be read anytime. You’ll fly through it!

Oh boy, this was something else! Instagram star and self-help writer Sarah and her husband Joe sink all of their money into an old home that, 40 years ago, was the scene of a brutal murder/suicide. in the 1908s, Bill Campbell killed his wife, attempted to kill his daughter (she escaped never to be heard from again) and then killed himself. Thus, Black Wood House becomes a murder house that Sarah Slade intends to renovate and flip.

From Amazon:
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.

More from Me:
This book was creeyptakular! Had me on the very edge of my seat. It's part haunted house story, part mystery, park small town creepy.. Lots of secrets and nothing is what it seems. It was fast and fun and I devoured it. Looking forward to what this author gives us in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Publishers for the advanced copy. The novel will be published on
September 12, 2023. Get yourself a copy!

So it took me a bit to get into this one, but it was still creepy and held my attention. It was definitely worth the read. Some parts were a little predictable but things did eventually get surprising and tense. If you like a scary read but something where you won't have trouble sleeping,definitely pick this up. I was on edge for parts! It was a fun debut.

Out September 12.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own..

Combine one-part haunted house with one-part unreliable narrator to equal a chilling debut novel, The Stranger Upstairs, by Lisa M. Matlin, due out September 12. Sarah Slade, who works as a media influencer and a mental health counselor, decides the best way to start over with her life and her crumbling marriage is to buy and flip a house in which people were murdered because she believes she will make a ton on the investment.

Apparently, nothing fazes Sarah, an unlikable character, as she has chosen to make her bedroom the same second floor one in which a married woman was bludgeoned with a hammer, the blood stain on the floor firmly entrenched even after decades have gone by. Undaunted, Sarah sleeps alone there as her husband Joe Cosgrove plays video games until 3 a.m. and sleeps on the couch downstairs in the living room.

Not long after moving in, Sarah begins hearing footsteps in the attic. Then she starts finding sticky notes on places like her laptop. She already knows that the neighbors have long wanted Sarah’s house bulldozed because of the murder that happened there decades ago. In talking to one neighbor, Sarah learns that someone had purchased the home before her, and that woman was missing along with her dog.

Like those before her, Matlin has crafted a story in which the haunted house is just as much a character as Sarah and Joe. A bloody hammer in a cradle and footprints in the dust in the top-most floor add to Sarah’s belief that there is a stranger upstairs. However, the attic is not the only thing harboring secrets as Sarah and Joe have skeletons in their past as well.

Lisa M. Matlin switched from songwriting as a guitarist in a rock band to story writing. She lives in Australia, the setting for her first novel. She offers a narrative about her own struggles with mental health at the end of the book.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting September 4, 2023.

I would like to thank Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Silly silly novel with a familiar plot that has been done better before by other authors. Not for me but maybe for others.

Sarah Slade (well-known therapist, social media influencer, author) and her husband Joe, purchase the Black Wood House in the affluent city of Beacon. Black Wood House has a gruesome murder history in which a husband bludgeoned his wife to death, then attacked his daughter, before taking his own life. The locals say the house is haunted and want the property bulldozed. Sarah believes they will be able to renovate the home and made a handsome profit. As renovations get underway, weird things start happening in and around the house. Sarah’s life starts to spiral out of control. Is it the murder house that wants them out? Could it be the hostile neighbors? Or is Sarah truly losing her mind?

I know they say not to judge a book by the cover, but this one was too pretty to pass up. This story is dark and creepy. There were times where I found myself unable to read this at night. I loved that Sarah was a slightly unreliable narrator, it really gave those hot mess vibes that you’re almost expecting from someone that decides to buy and live in a murder house. This was great psychological thriller/horror debut and I’m excited to see what the author writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for a free digital copy of the book. This is my honest review. Publication date: September 12, 2023.