The premise of this book was so interesting and I was so excited to see how it all unfolded. It held my attention from the very beginning. This was one of those stories that had me turning a light on and looking over my shoulder. It was creepy and scary and such a great read!

I’m not quite finished with this book yet, but I have not been able to put it down since I started reading it! There are some parts where I feel like I got confused on what timeline I was reading in, like if it was a memory that Sarah was recalling or something that was actively happening to her in the present. I love Lisa’s writing style and how relatable the book is, and her humor is right up my alley. This book has done a really good job at keeping me engaged and guessing at what is going to happen next. Overall I 100% recommend this book to anyone who wants a good mystery. Will def be buying this when it comes out so I can-read it whenever I want :)

I don’t think I’ve ever given 5 stars to a horror/thriller book. Well, this book deserves one. The writing could have been hard as heck to follow, but I was able to keep up with the protagonist as she flipped between personalities and the alternating chapters between characters. I really enjoyed the twist at the end (without giving it away) and how it played into Sarah/Lizzie’s demise.

When I read the synopsis of The Stranger Upstairs, I was immediately drawn to it, and when I got a copy from NetGally I was happy but once I started reading it, I just couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days, this book blew my mind! If you are a fan of fast paced psychological thrillers, then this book is 100% for you. Make sure to grab a copy on September 26, 2023.

Many thanks to the author and random house publishing and NetGalley for this advance review copy In exchange for my honest review
I love the cover
I enjoyed this but felt something was missing.
Slated to publish 9/26/23

A house takes center stage in this thriller. Sarah is a bestselling author who sinks every last dime in a murder house. Because it is in an affluent neighborhood she sees dollar signs and relies heavily on endorsements to fund her renovations. Then things take a turn. The neighbors despise her, her husband is a few steps away from leaving her and she becomes increasingly paranoid that someone is out to get her. I loved the multiple points of view and the dirty secrets that hide underneath Sarah's polished social media image.

A horror book about a character’s shady past and a haunted house and creepy, secretive community? Yes, please!

This book was incredible and well-written. I was captivated by the story plot and how things get complicated and twisty.

Thank you NetGalley & Lisa M. Matlin for honoring me with the ability to receive an ARC of The Stranger Upstairs. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Stranger Upstairs. If you are interested in reading about a spooky haunted house, this is the book for you.
A social influencer, Sarah, decides to do that. She believes she can take an old house but not just any house. One where a murder took place and renovate it all for her audience.
Things don’t go as planned and she gets a lot more than she bargained for in this eerie novel. Plenty of bumps in the dark. Quick read! 3.5 stars

I just finished “The Stranger Upstairs” and I’m conflicted. The book started out strong, but then really jumped the shark plot wise.
The main character was completely unlikeable and so obviously having a mental breakdown that it was so hard to believe that she was ultimately the villain.

Loved this book. I read the last part really fast because I couldn’t wait to see what happened and was hoping for the best. I loved to hate the social media obsessed lead character Sarah Slade and her terrible husband Joe. There were lots of things going on in this book that left me wondering what was coming and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it last night. I would say very suspenseful and am giving this a solid 4 stars! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

Great scary book! Totally unreliable narrator, I loved it! Lisa Matlin has a way with words and a good sense of humor. The story was not funny, however, the narrative was modern and somewhat ironic, with the protagonist as a famous influencer who gets in over her head after buying a haunted mansion in an upscale town, trying to expand her followers, make a killing flipping the house and fit in with the locals.
I loved the "Before" and "After" inserts with the news headlines. It really peaks the reader's interest and keeps the plot going. And what a creepy ending....

This book was my first by this author but definitely won’t be my last. I loved it so much and I love a compulsive page turning thriller. Def recommend.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️

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

Reading The Stranger Upstairs was like watching a slow-moving train wreck of destruction - oh how I wanted to look away but I was fascinated by the flames! Black Wood House was the perfect creepy setting for the plot, with the added delight of a town deeply set in its ways and steeped in old money.

Sarah may be the most morally corrupt main character I've read in quite a while. Her narcissism and foulness were downright captivating. She held my attention from page one and the more I learned about her past, the more I questioned who I was rooting for in the end, Sarah? Or the house?

Joe was a hard character to understand, especially because we only saw him through Sarah's eyes which were unreliable at best. Their relationship was rocky from the start and it doesn't look like anyone is innocent in their marriage.

Social media and its role in self-esteem added a deeper layer to the plot that I wasn't expecting. Sarah was admittedly dependent on validation from strangers to justify her self-worth and normalcy. Her character stands as a stark warning sign that we never truly know the true lies that hide behind curated content.

"I love the little likes, heart emojis, and congratulations. I feed off that puerile bullshit. Without it, I starve." - Sarah

None of the characters in the book seemed to be able to move on from their past mistakes. They all were so wrapped up in the past that they continued to dig their own graves until they dropped right in.

Lisa M. Matlin proved herself to be an enchanting storyteller. Despite her awfulness, even I found myself flip-flopping between feeling sorry for Sarah and wishing she gets what she deserves, holding my breath to the end. There were so many twists and unsettling turns, I was always questioning what was fact or fiction.

I’m still not sure what to think about Black Wood House, the town of Beacon, or especially Sarah herself. Did Black Wood drive Sarah to madness or was she in the grips of insanity all along? Grab this book as soon as it comes out, you won't be disappointed.


*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! Sarah Slade is an influencer, a self-help writer, and a therapist. She buys a creepy old house (it has sat empty for 40 years after a husband killed his wife, tried to kill his daughter, and then committed suicide in the bathroom) that she plans to restore and flip for a big profit. She intends to keep her followers updated on her progress.

I honestly can't say too much about the plot without giving away spoilers, but I loved the upbeat social media posts sprinkled throughout a dark, rather sinister story of Sarah's experiences in the house and the uncovering of her sordid history.

I also liked that the ending legitimately surprised me! Writing a thriller that is hard to put down AND has real plot twists is a true feat.

really enjoyed this book! What a great thriller as Lisa Matlin's debut book. It begins with a not so happily married couple buying an infamous Murder House for 50% off the going rate. What a bad idea on so many levels. Why would you want to do that? Aman killed his wife in a bruta way, and then tried to kill his daughter, but she escaped. After that, he killed himself.I sure wouldn't want to. The wife Sarah Slade writes a blog about the renovations they're doing the house; but from the start its as if the house says "why are you here? We don't want you here! Go away!" And after living there just 3 weeks strange thing things begin happening, especially when Sarah is home alone. There's so many twists and turns in this book. I didn't see the end coming. Check it out for scary good read! I highly recommend it! I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Ughhh. Y’all I had such high hopes for this one. 😩

The Stranger Upstairs is about a married couple whose marriage is having issues moving into the infamous Black Wood House where a horrible murder took place. It sounds just like something I would absolutely love to read. I really couldn’t stand the main character Sarah. She annoyed me so much. I actually didn’t care for any of the characters in this one. It was good paced book that I kept reading because I wanted to see what happened. I didn’t really like the ending at all.

I know I’m probably the minority in this one so if this one has been on your radar check it out for yourself or other reviews on it because you might love it.

This book had all the set-up for a great plot but ultimately fell short for me. I would have liked more focus on the house itself, the renovation process or the history of the house. There was too much going on with the protagonist's backstory, issues at work, alcoholism, dying marriage, etc. that weren't explored enough to feel cohesive.

Heads up for animal lovers... there was enough iffy content in this book that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is sensitive to that.

So good! It was a bit iffy at the beginning and I was going to give a lower rating. I felt like I completely predicted the book and thats just boring. But halfway through it picked up and I was hooked! Literally couldn’t put it down the rest of the day until it was done! Definitely twisty and unexpected in my opinion. It wrapped up nicely and the epilogue felt very cinematic in the way a movie would have ended. For a debut, this book was fantastic, and I cannot wait to see what else Lisa Matlin comes up with in the future!

Thank you for this eARC that was generously by the publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spooky and delightful! Loved this book and the haunted house premise. I was actually scared reading some parts but that didn't keep me from turning the pages. Highly recommend!

The book that I needed to help lift me out of a book slump!

Sarah and her husband Joe decide to purchase the Black Wood House. The house has a reputation as the scene of a horrific murder-suicide. The neighbors all want to demolish the house, while Sarah wants to fix it up and turn a profit with a resale.

Part haunted house horror, part domestic thriller, The Stranger Upstairs checked all the boxes on what I want in a thriller to read! I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, waiting to see how this one would end. Speaking of the ending (no spoilers), I was so impressed with how the author wrapped up with the epilogue, eliminating all plot holes and delivering it with a pretty bow 🎀

Huge trigger warning regarding mental health in this book! I feel that the author handled it with care (read the authors note) but I would highly discourage reading this if you’re sensitive to a character that struggles with mental health or suicidal ideology.

Read this if you like:
👻Spooky horror elements
🏡Domestic, psychological thrillers
⚡️Fast-paced
🕵️‍♀️Mystery that will keep you guessing

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.