The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin is not at all what I had expected it to be, it's almost darker. Sarah Slade is a popular social media influencer, who is working as a therapist and has written a successful book. She decides to purchase a house in an affluent neighborhood that is known as the Murder House. The home is this victorian mansion that has sat empty for years. She plans on renovating the home and documenting everything on social media. As things unfold, we learn that the creepy house is more than that and an actual health threat to all who have lived there. Sarah's crafted life unravels quickly and truths come out as she tries to hold all of her lies together. At times the story was confusing, things that happened did not make sense or was not explained clearly, i.e. a plumber was trying to fix the shower, however he ended up screaming due to an injury and never comes back again, no clear information on how he hurt himself or why that affected him not coming back. The home was sold to Sarah and her husband but no clear information was shared about other owners, and the terrible neighbors were all so unwelcoming and kept so many secrets. The story kept going down different avenues of madness that really took the reader in for a ride. The story line went rapidly into a darker descent that had me thinking about it days after finishing the book. It was not at all what I had expected the outcome to be. Despite a slow start, and some drawn out sections, the story is a great read. Thank you #NetGalley and #Random House Publishing #Balantine Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I think readers that are new to the thriller genre will really love this book. Personally I've read so many books, I think ive read a similar story. That being said, all my questions were answered and the plot was interesting.

Murder house? Haunted house? Part-time social media influencer and therapist who is 100% an unreliable narrator trope and it's not even close to trying to hide it? SIGN ME UP!

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS gives us one of the most morally grey and batshit narrators of all time and it took me just a second to settle into her mind. But once I was there I couldn't stop reading and I just needed to know what SHE would do next or what the HOUSE would do to her next. Like... what in the Amityville Gone Girl Social Network is going on here???

Full of twists and turns, The Stranger Upstairs easily held my attention the whole time. Once or twice I got a little mixed up with who/what was going on but... I won't say anymore than that and also don't let that be a deterrent. The plot all works out!

Addictive thriller and I cannot wait for more from this author!

This was a wild book. The characters, especially Sarah, felt unhinged to me, and there was a lot of suspense and crazy twists. I read it pretty quickly - the urge to know the truth behind the backstories and what happened was big!

Social media influencer Sarah Slade and her husband have just bought a house in an upscale area--sounds great, right? Well, the reason they can afford the house is that it was the scene of a grisly murder decades before. And Sarah's life is quite different than the one she presents to her followers; she's hiding some big secrets that will completely upend her "perfect" life if they come out.

This books does a great job of mixing psychological suspense and horror; you're never quite sure whether Sarah's imagining the problems that keep cropping up with the house or whether there's something more nefarious going on.

I'm not a fan of unlikeable protagonists, so Sarah's character didn't really work for me. And her husband is a bit of a cipher, but I expect this is deliberate.

Although I didn't love this book, I think that's just because it wasn't a good match for me; if you are a fan of creepy books with unlikeable protagonists, this is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A fast, fun, gasp-inducing read. I usual steer clear of haunted house books but this one was different. I did take a few chapters to finally get into this book. Sarah was a fantastically complicated character. I couldn’t tell if she was losing her mind or someone was out to get her. While classified thriller I would say this leans towards horror. Thank you to Random House - Ballantine, Lisa M. Matlin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be published on September 26, 2023.

Wow! This threw me for a loop.
I admit, it took me too long to get through this. I was confused and not hooked immediately. I am glad I started reading it again.
A haunted house with a terrible history. Living in an old funeral home myself, I was worried about negative energy. Reading this gave me goosebumps a few times.
I am from the US, so reading a book from Australia confused me a bit. I did have a hard time connecting in that sense. I definitely connected in the mental illness department.
All in all, I am happy I finished this book. I didn’t rate my review based on my connections to the story. I rated it a 3 due to being confused until I was about 60% of the way through. The ending was good.

This book was great! A mystery, spooky, enough to have my waking up thinking about it. It’s rare I find a book that’s actually pretty spooky so I absolutely loved this. The writing style is great and easy to read. The characters are believable. I loved her weird cat. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book creeped me out. An horror/Thriller that you won't know what will happen next nor guess. It made me wary of everyone including the heroine tbh. It's a great debut novel, I can’t wait for what the author will write next.

This is a fast paced, disturbing, well written suspense thriller. Even now I don't know what was real and what was paranoia. I'll probably be giving second glances to neighbors and co-workers for the next few days!

This story definitely kept my attention. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is the fact that the main character was so unlikeable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I don’t quite know how to describe this other than to say this book is a bit of a sh*tshow (no pun intended since the author’s favorite word appeared to be sh*t in the first few chapters- I’m a-okay with cuss words but that was a bit excessive). The main character in this book is a mess but the house and it’s creepiness redeems things a bit. I did appreciate the author’s note at the end along with her bravery to face the topic of mental illness head on.

The Stranger Upstairs was such a creepy book. Very unsettling atmosphere compounded with an unreliable narrator.

Holy Cow, this book had me in it’s web and I could not get out! The story follows Sarah Slade a therapist who has just bought a home with major issues and were not just talking renovations! Black wood house is a notorious “murder house”. It is where a husband brutally murdered his wife. As if the house itself is not interesting enough, Sarah marriage is falling apart and her neighbors aren’t exactly welcoming either. When Sarah starts getting notes and hearing footsteps things get weird fast. You question everyone in this book even Sarah as her mind starts to deteriorate .

For a first time novel, I have to tip my hat off to the author Lisa Marlin. Lisa’s writing had me on the edge of my seat i cant wait to read her future novels. This book really helped me get out of a reading slump. The book starts off hot and keeps that pace the whole time. I will definitely be buying a hard copy of this for my bookshelf!

5 stars all around! If you are in a reading slump like I was, I highly suggest picking this book up. You will not regret it!

Release date in September 26th (just in time for spooky season).
Thank you so much NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouse for giving me the chance to read this!

Black Wood House has a sordid past, and anyone who moves there has had to face a grim reality: is it haunted? Or is something else nefarious happening? I really enjoyed this story and it kept me thoroughly entertained. 4/5 stars.

Sarah Slade is a popular influencer with a bestselling book. She and her husband just bought a murder house- a house rumored to be haunted after a gristly murder took place there. No one wants them to be there, and no one wants to remodel the house. Sarah also begins to hear noises in the night, coming from the attic. Nothing is as it seems, both in the house and with the people who’ve lived there.

Wow, what a wild ride this book was! I love an unreliable narrator, and this one makes you question everything throughout the entire book. You can never be entirely sure who to believe! The setting of the house provides the creepiest backdrop to this story. It’s one you might need to read with the lights on! I really enjoyed the twists and turns, and didn’t predict the ending at all. My only critique was that there were a lot of side characters that didn’t necessarily add much to the plot and could be hard to keep track of. Otherwise, it’s a very unique and suspenseful read!

Thank you to Lisa M. Matlin, Random House- Ballantine, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5! I was beyond excited to have a wish grated to receive an ARC of this book, so huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Bantam, NetGalley and Lisa M. Matlin!

The Murder House is purchased by a couple and no one on the block is happy about the new neighbors. The house is the most intriguing character in this book with many gasps, twists and turns along the way! This was a very quick read for me and had me so jumpy at bedtime after I’d finished, that I had to start a non-thriller book to decompress haha.

Stellar debut and make sure to read the Author’s Note at the end. Not usually the most notable part of a book, but it’s worth reading in this case! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

The stranger upstairs by Lisa Marlin. It’s not everyday that someone moves into a murder house but Sarah and Joe craved new beginnings so they purchased Black Wood House for a steal of a price. They had planned to renovate and flip it for a handsome profit. Only thing is soon after as they moved in strange happenings starting occurring. It was as if the house didn’t want to be occupied, wanted to be left alone. Sarah was determined to not be run off from the home of her dreams and hopes of new found celebrity statis. But weird happenings and odd actions changed the course of the couples plans. Great book, and let me just say I honestly did not see that coming! Wow what I cliffhanger!! If you think you got it figured out, think again because this author sure can spin a story.
Thanks NetGalley and thanks to the publisher for another good book that I had difficulty putting down!!!

What did I just read?

The book follows Sarah Slade, a self help guru and social media influencer desparate for likes and views, as she and her husband move into a new house in a small town and document the renovations. The catch? It is a #murderhouse. That's right, a murder suicide happened decades ago in the house. The neighbors are not happy about this, and Sarah finds herself struggling to make friends and find a place in the town.

This book was something else. Unreliable narrator. Heavy drinking. Poison. Murders. Secret identities. Feminine rage.

This was one hell of a ride.

Highly recommend.

Sarah Slade and her husband decide to buy a house where a grisly murder occurred. Their plan is to flip the house, blog every step of the way, and then sell the house. Things don't go quite so smoothly because the house doesn't seem to want to be renovated. Creepy things are happening, and Sarah feels like things are spiraling out of control. the Stranger Upstairs is creepy and a little scary in parts, but an excellent debut novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publish Group/Bantam for the ARC.