A twisty slow burn that left me wanting a little bit more…. It was definitely hard to watch Sarah unravel and I was SO worried about the cat at pretty much all times, but there were moments when I really had to suspend disbelief (would she really act that way? Would no one really step in at that point?). However, the end was kind of a shocker, and the author did a great job getting you there with Sarah’s increasingly bizarre incidents and actions along the way.

Oh my word, this book was so fun! Lisa A. Matlin’s debut The Stranger Upstairs is a twisty, spooky thriller, showing the lengths people will go to for online attention.

Sarah Slade is a successful social media influencer, therapist and writer, with a seemingly perfect life. But as interest in Sarah starts to wane, she takes a drastic step to quench her desire for attention - she buys a murder house. What could possibly go wrong? Well, so, so much.

Sarah’s neighbors are openly hostile and secretive, her husband is evasive, and there are strange noises in the house. And then when Sarah begins to find notes containing information she thought she had buried long ago, things get very messy indeed.

The Stranger Upstairs was an absolute blast. This is Lisa A. Matlin’s debut, but she has such an immensely readable and concise style. Sarah’s voice is so clear; with the right narrator, this will be a very entertaining audiobook (my vote goes to Sarah Snook!).

There are so many twists in this story, but it always stays within the realms of “entertaining” rather than “absurd”. Matlin plants tantalizing seeds throughout; I especially loved the newspaper articles that are interspersed between chapters.

I have such high standards when it comes to thrillers; Gone Girl is the pinnacle for me. But I absolutely loved The Stranger Upstairs. It’s entertaining, funny, exciting, and easy to read. Matlin is a writer to watch!

Deliciously creepy! I loved the suspense leading up to who or what is upstairs of this house. The paranoia begins to set in along with the possibility that something is truly terrorizing her-- but what?

Really enjoyed this book. It was quick read, but it was so engaging that I really can't complain. I can't wait to tell everyone about this book and get them all to buy it.

Okay, this book was a lot better than I expected it to be! I was thinking this was going to be a normal ol’ popcorn thriller, and it kind of is, but it’s also just a plain old good novel.

This is a super quick and gripping novel from debut author, Lisa M. Matlin. I read this in one sitting and did not anticipate that at all. From page one, Matlin sets a breakneck pace that doesn’t let up.

Sarah Slade is a therapist, she’s an influencer, she’s an author, and she’s completely untrustworthy. I love a good unreliable narrator! But also, you can’t trust anyone…

Sarah buys an old mansion that has a history of a gruesome murder 40 years ago. Ever since, no one has wanted to live there and the neighbors really don’t want anyone encroaching on their space and elite status. Sarah unsteadily deals with her immoral past, creepy sounds, hidden notes only for her to see, and a graveyard in her backyard. Meanwhile, her neighbors are trying to eradicate her from the neighborhood and plot heavily against her. Interspersed throughout the book, readers are allowed glimpses into what’s to come in the form of news articles. I thought this was a great way to get the reader thinking and also to throw us off the path of figuring out the plot’s twists and turns.

This all sounds familiar like you’ve read it before right? But, Matlin puts a spin on it with astounding prose and a dashing pace that won’t let you put this book down. I was so creeped out while reading that my skin was crawling and I found myself examining the shadows in the corners of my room. I also loved the ending, and that’s what really makes a book memorable to me.

Overall, I gave this a hard 4 out of 5. I liked it, I would recommend it, and I will read more by this author. The only thing I didn’t like was that there was a part of this book that I felt could have been left out, as it’s only task was to create suspicion of one of the characters and didn’t make sense in the end.

Trigger warnings- mental health disorders and suicide.

A great thank you goes out to Lisa M. Matlin, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great thriller! I was impressed with this debut novel by Lisa Matlin. I look forward to further books from her.

A spooky, murder house that everyone thinks is haunted is the focus of this novel. The new owners come in with the great plans of making the house a showplace again but soon find that their efforts are stalled by forces beyond their control. It is difficult to discuss any further points in the book without giving away some of the special events.

I will just say that it was an exciting, creepy ride with a very surprising ending.

As soon as I read the description for The Stranger Upstairs I was so excited to read it, “A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house.” I’m in! There were moments when I was reading part one late at night and was a bit creeped out. I feel beyond the initial book description it is best to go into reading this with no other information as to not risk getting any spoilers. There is a lot that happens and unfolds in part two. I definitely wasn’t expecting the outcome.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for ARC!

Release date: September 26, 2023

I am not sure what Lisa Matlin put in this book, but WOW. This was such a great DEBUT novel.

I love a book when I get chills and there were a few times I was laying in bed thinking “ummm I need to watch something before I go to bed, because I can’t after reading that!” SO GOOD.

When it got to the twist I was like “oh okay” but then WHAM! another one and wait for it…. ANOTHER.

You should definitely pick this one up when it releases!

Thank you Lisa M. Matlin, Random House Publishing- Ballantine-Bantam, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Stranger Upstairs. These are my true and honest thoughts.

The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller by Lisa Matlin. It starts out with a young couple purchasing a new home, where a famous murder-suicide occurred. Sarah Slade, an author and life coach, and her husband Joe move into Blackwood House with the goal of renovating it. Sarah hopes to continue her success as an Instagram influencer and blogger by showing all the house renovations. However nothing is what it seems.
Sarah's marriage is failing. The repairs are taking forever. Her career is stalling. Her whole life is essentially a lie and now she feels like she is losing her mind. Is the house haunted or is she?
This story starts out with a nice premise of a woman trying to dispel the myth of the haunted house. Then it is all over the place. You have no idea what is going on or when. Is this Sarah's past? Her present? Her imagination? Is she crazy or drunk or is the house messing with her? The story becomes hard to follow because it's all over the place. Sarah is the absolute most unreliable narrator ever. Even though you may be confused and a little frustrated, I urge you to stick it out because the surprises and twists that await you are worth it.
I was annoyed by the character and the story design. However in the end it all made sense and ended up being an good thriller. If you are a fan of The Silent Patient and The Girl on the Train, you will also like this story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam Books for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

That was amazing! I’m shocked this was a debut novel, and sad because I was fully ready to go read every other Lisa M. Matlin book.

I was sucked in right away and couldn’t stop reading. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the book and when I’d be able to read more.

Sarah is a marriage therapist/struggling social media influencer, who buys an old house where a grizzly murder took place decades earlier. Her plan is to renovate the controversial home, while documenting it on social media. The end goal is to grow a larger following, get brand deals, then sell the house for way more than it was purchased for after reno. But, of course the house has a different plan for Sarah.

The twists and turns through this book were wild! At some points I felt like I was losing my mind right along with Sarah. I can’t wait for any other book that Lisa writes because I’m buying them all!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this ARC for free on netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Sarah's character is intriguing, but I wasn't sure if she was the person to root for or against from the get go. Without giving away spoilers, I can say that the book addresses issues like binge drinking, suicide, murder, mental health issues and animal cruelty. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be kept guessing until the end.

This book kept me reading and kept me guessing! Such a great story.
The buildup was perfect and the twist did not disappoint.
Very creepy ending, too!

Could not believe this was a debut! It was fantastic! Wannabe Instagram influencer/therapist and her husband purchase a house that was the scene of a grizzly murder/suicide. They are also on the run from some shady things that happened in their past, and aren't really who they say they are. As soon as the move in, everything in their life starts going bad. Unputdownable - finished it in a day! Looking forward to more from this author!

The cover is what for me interested in this book. And the plot line was worth it. I love stories about the history of homes and this one was… wow. It was fast paced and hard to put down. Everything was relatable. Some of the twists were expected. Can’t trust anyone in your neighborhood. Great debut book!

This was my first book by this author and trust me I will be looking for more. Who was murdered in her new dream home and but can she handle all the secrets this home is about to cough up to her? I'm tell you put this on your TBR list now.

I just finished reading a book that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story was fast-paced and kept me guessing until the very end. I found the plot to be incredibly engaging. The main character, Sarah, is eccentric to madness, making for a thrilling read. However, I have to say that I didn't find Joe's character to be all that interesting. He seemed like he was just written into the story without much thought, and didn't really support or help the plot along in any significant way. In fact, I thought the ending involving Joe was far-fetched and didn't really make much sense. Despite this, I must admit that the ending itself was simple yet brilliant. It left me with more questions than answers, much like the movie "Shutter Island." I can't help but wonder if Sarah is truly crazy, or if there's something else going on that we don't know about. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had such a fun time with this book, it absolutely took me by surprise. The story starts out with a couple buying a house that a murder took place in years ago. You follow the wife, Sarah Slade, who is the main character as she tries to renovate it while also posting updates for her followers online. Things start to quickly go down hill when strange things start happening with the house and with her. You get to follow an unreliable narrator and you don’t know who to trust. This book had some creepy moments and it had me wanting to know what was really going on as you slowly unravel the details. I highly recommend this fantastic debut. I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author in the future.

I enjoyed this one. It took me a while to get into but it was still such a fun read. I would recommend it!

The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller by Lisa M. Matlin. This is my first book by this author, and last. I wanted to give up reading it before I even hit the halfway mark and actually had to force myself to finish it. This story is about a couple that buys a murder house intending to flip it. The whole story is creepy, weird and the characters are unlikeable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One murder house, one social media influencer, one rocky marriage and a neighborhood of people that hate you. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Well......... A lot it seems.

Sara is a bestselling author and therapist and also a social media influencer who promotes wellness, when she decides to buy a murder house and renovate it to sell for a profit with her husband, 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.

I was really excited to read this book, but I will admit I was left disappointed. I really liked the premise and it's why I wanted to read the book but unfortunately, I found myself not being able to invest in the story. There really isn't one character I could find myself rooting for and the one sympathetic character that was in the book wasn't fleshed out enough for me to form an emotional connection with. The writing style was enjoyable but there was too much exposition for my liking and not enough actual pivotal action scenes that propelled the plot forward and the ending left me feeling kind of unsatisfied.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Bantam for the gifted arc