Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc. Such a great story and so very hard to put down.

This was a great debut novel by Lisa Marlin. It was thrilling and kept me engrossed the entire time. I will definitely read more by this author!

This is one of those books where up until the end I’m very invested and then something happens that make me slightly dislike it. This is a debut thriller taking place in Australia. I would say this is similar to Rachel Hawkins novels and if you like her books, then this is a great book to read as well.

A social media influencer Sarah Slade buys a murder house to renovate and document for her blog. Ever since her and her husband move into the house, things seem to be going wrong. It’s as if the house doesn’t want them there. Sarah also has a dark past along with the fact that she’s a fraud. This is one of those books where you have a very unlikable main character but at the same time, you can’t help but root for them.

I was terrified to read while reading this. I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen next. Emily was one of my favorite characters but I was always questioning if she was a good person or not. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in this book and it is so enjoyable. After the haze, I started questioning a lot of things, especially the ending. I really didn’t understand what’s up with the murder house and I don’t believe that there was carbon monoxide poisoning.

I 100% recommend this book to thriller fans. I think this is great and I have enjoyed reading peoples reviews on Goodreads because everyone has a different take on what happened and Sarah’s personality. This is a great summer read as well.

The Stranger Upstairs was a fantastic debut novel. It’s a page turning atmospheric thriller that kept me engaged until the very last page. It also solidified the fact that I was absolutely never buy a murder house.

An amazingly thrilling story. I could not believe what I was reading and never wanted the story to end! Definitely a page turner and very quick read.

Buy a house someone was murdered in?? No thank you! The Stranger Upstairs confirmed my fear of this, but was such a good read.

OH MY GOODNESS!! What an INCREDIBLE debut novel!! Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a creepy psychological/horror thriller that keeps readers engaged to the very end!! When I saw this beautiful cover with all the pretty colors and read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book! However, do not let the cover fool you because the story is haunting, shocking, dark, and twisted. I recommend not reading it late at night like I did because I wanted to put my Kindle in the freezer and might have slept with a light on in my room!😬 There are so many harrowing twists and turns and you will find yourself questioning everything!


I was completely captivated from start to finish! If you are looking for a unique and creepy thriller to read that will keep you guessing then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book and it deserves a million stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah 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 potent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is as tainted as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor. This a dark and disturbing story and full of somewhat unlikeable characters. It held my interest until the end in spite of that and I ended up enjoying the read.

The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller/suspense debut by Lisa M. Matlin. Sarah Slade and her husband Joe need to get away. They purchase Black Wood House (home of a murder/suicide) with the intentions of Sarah recording the remodel on her blog. But from the beginning, things aren't as they seem. Sarah hears noises, voices, and finds notes hidden in her home addressed to her with things that no one else would know. Sarah and her husband are both running from secrets in their past - has someone found out who they really are? And what about the girl that purchased the home before them...there is no record of her purchase and she's gone missing.

This wasn't a hit for me, but it wasn't really a miss, either. I thought that the story seemed a little disjointed in parts and the writing style wasn't for me. I also thought that I didn't really connect with any of the characters except one and she wasn't really in much of the book. I thought that there was a good twist near the end. It wasn't the explanation I was anticipating. But I didn't like the ending. And I think I'm kinda over the whole "the female main character is crazy' trope. But these are just my thoughts and I there are many higher ratings out there. If you like suspenseful stories, creepy settings, unreliable narrators, and unexpected endings, this one is for you.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty, dark, atmospheric story! It was very unsettling, in a great way. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, but found this author's writing very engrossing. The Stranger Upstairs consumed me until the last page, and I look forward to reading whatever else Lisa Matlin writes.

Social media therapist and her husband buy a house that no one else wants. It’s the scene of a gruesome crime 40 years earlier.Soon they are doubting their choice to buy this house when menacing messages begin to appear.

There were plenty of twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming and kept the flow of everything moving along nicely

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin was definitely a creepy and scary read. I like the premise of the story, an author moves into a house where a famous murder took place years before. I especially enjoyed the parts telling about the previous murder and what happened 40 years prior. This was a very fast read, and I can’t wait to find more books by this author. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

I’ve had this on my list for a hot minute! I haven’t been much of a horror reader, but it is a genre I want to explore. Sometimes you just need your heart to pound really hard.

Unfortunately, this book was okay for me. Not necessarily scary or heart racing, but definitely suspenseful. I just wish there was MORE. It was mostly just the FMC Sarah’s guilt, a little bit of horror trope, some squeaking, more guilt, mental decline, ending. The motive of the neighborhood kind of feels a bit random and the ending was unfulfilling for me. And then the stranger upstairs really wasn’t explored on. It was kind of just…there.

Some positives I enjoyed is seeing the relationship between the FMC and her husband. That was honestly the most interesting thing for me. Why did they carry so much guilt? Why did they hate each other? Who is right in this marriage? Learning about their past was so enticing, I kind of wanted the book to be about just that. Sarah herself is an interesting character throughout the book and in the ending. A book just about her and her crazy past and journey would have been an enticing read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Lisa, and Bantam for an advance copy of The Stranger Upstairs. I did read this book back in September buttttt, I’m awful at timely reviewing.

Sarah is starting over. As a blogger with a pretty significant following, her fresh start is also her new material - she has purchased Black Wood House, an infamous house with a dark history. Her plan is to fix up the old house and draw new subscribers in with the notoriety of the property.

Unfortunately, this is more than just a simple fixer upper. Sarah starts to hear noises as if there is someone walking around in the attic, only to find no one there. The contractors hired to help with the reno start acting strangely, and then threatening notes start to turn up. Sarah isn’t sure who or what could be closing in on her, could it be her past or is the house out to get her?

I always say that psychological thrillers are ambitious for a debut novel. They are not easy to write, obviously as the entire point is to confuse readers to the point that we’re questioning our own sanity. I think this book deserves a higher average rating than the 3.48 that is listed on Goodreads…and yes I know I gave it 3.5 stars. First of all, it’s being marketed as a horror novel and I really think that’s doing it disservice. It’s not a horror novel. That’s like calling some of Riley Sager’s later books horror novels. They’re not and neither is The Stranger Upstairs. This book has horror influence, yes absolutely, but it is at its heart a psychological mystery thriller. My opinion is that your normal horror reader will pick this book up and ultimately be disappointed, however if you’re truly a thriller lover then you’ll enjoy this one.

I thought the backstory was a great way to introduce Sarah and the journey we were about to take together. Obviously social media influencer / online angle is popular right now, but I enjoy it and I think this was one of the more unique ways to thread social media into the plot.

I also enjoyed the setting - it was obviously current day Australia but there was a great gothic feel to it and I think Lisa did a nice job with the atmosphere and tone of the book.

Overall I thought this was a solid psychological debut. I’d be interested in reading additional works by Lisa.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

This book was not for me. I read this via audio and while the narrater was great, I just couldn't follow the story. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, something else weird would happen!

4.5 stars. Really loved this suspenseful mystery. Very broken and flawed characters who are not particularly likable, but yet I found myself hoping they would come through stronger in the end. At first I thought the mysterious events were a bit too over the top, but it came to a satisfying conclusion. The author's afterwords is also well worth reading.

Lisa Matlin's The Stranger Upstairs will be a good recommendation for readers who enjoy suspense. There is plenty of haunted house-ish creepiness! Those who enjoy an unreliable narrator as well as shifting perspectives will find a lot here to like as well. Spoiler alert: the cat does not die, but for people who have low tolerance for bad things happening to an animal, this might be problematic. It was for me as I have very little tolerance for reading about such things.

There were some loose ends that I would have liked to have seen resolved. For example, what did become of Janet Campbell? The initial murder mentioned in the book was in 1980, so it's not some 100 year old mystery. It's a bit hard to believe that no one knew what happened to this kid after her father murdered her mother. Why on earth did Sarah and Joe marry? What was the story on Amanda and her boyfriend? It makes me wonder if these ends were left untied with possible plans for more stories related to Black Wood House.

One murder house, one social media influencer, one rocky marriage and a neighborhood of people that hate you. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?! enjoyed this thank you net galley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a reveiw