I don’t think this book was really a mystery…it was frankly scary!! I’d call it a psychological thriller. It wasn’t really my thing. I never really got into the main character or her husband and though the explanation about the carbon monoxide poisoning does make a lot of sense, not just something crazy that isn’t feasible…it wasn’t my cup of tea. I think it had a lot of potential but Sarah went a little too nuts and I lost interest.

This was just okay for me, I felt like they was too much going on that could have been better put into the book.

I struggled with staying interested in this story. There were maybe too many mysteries to solve throughout the story and I don’t feel like any of them were overly compelling to need to know more. Why did Bill kill Susan? Where is their daughter now? What happened to Amanda? Why does no one remember her? What happened to Sarah? What did Lizzy do?

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS is a twist thrill ride! I absolutely loved everything about this book and I'm blown away that it's a debut. Black Wood house was creepy! It's past history kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat. Sarah was such a unique character. I really didn't know if the house was haunted or if she was losing her mind. I highly recommend getting a copy. I simply couldn't stop reading and thinking about it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This is another case of “I sat down to start this and ended up finishing it in one sitting”. I’m usually not a big fan of haunted house books. They always seem so cliche… but this book is completely different. A huge compliment that I can give is that it reminds me of Stephen King’s “The Shining”, in that it’s truly the story of a new environment causing a rapid descent into madness.

Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe, have purchased a #murderhouse. The Black Wood House was the scene of a grisly murder/suicide, in which a child was almost killed as well. The house has sat vacant for forty years when Sarah finds it and feels the overwhelming urge to buy and renovate it for a profit. Sarah is a therapist with a bestselling self-help book, and she is struggling to make money online as a content creator. Those likes and comments mean a lot to her, and hopefully renovating a famed #murderhouse will boost her clout.

Sarah and Joe (fun fact you’ll just have to read: those aren’t their real names) had been having problems before moving, but once they are in the new house, things become magnified. Sarah insists on living in the room where the murder took place (even though the floorboards are still stained with blood), and her husband sleeps on the couch, or just leaves for days at a time. Her cat is also acting strangely, staring at the attic and meowing in fear. Sarah still feels like moving there was the right decision…for awhile…

As the book goes on and on, more and more strange things happen. Sarah’s cat is sick, and so is she. Are they being poisoned? None of the neighbors want to talk to her, her clients are dropping her because instead of listening to their problems, she’s thinking about the house. Soon, Sarah begins seeing and hearing strange things, and finding odd notes all over. I know what you’re thinking - that sounds totally like any other haunted house book. I promise you, this one is fresh, clever and full of suspense with future news articles that act as precursors.

I never thought at the beginning of this book that I’d give it five stars, but here we are. This was fantastically written, had an unreliable as hell but fascinating lead character, and an ending that left everything seeming entirely plausible - not easy to do! This is under the mystery/thriller category, but I’d also call it a horror story. Things don’t have to get gory for a book to be a horror book, and the psychological horror in this is real. On top of all of that, this is a debut!! Five happy stars for a “haunted house” story finally written in a way that I loved.

(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 is the first book in A while that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Had me crawling out of my skin! I didn't know what would happen next. I loved the variety of characters and the plot!

Thank you to netgalley and they publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via netgalley and in exchange I am leaving my honest review.
This book comes out in September 2023.
Y'all I don't think I'm ever gonna sleep again after reading this, I'm so serious. This shit was nuts. A whole lot of unreliable narrator goin on. Every chapter Sarah reveals something different from what she tells you about herself, and it makes you second guess things. Sometimes I got confused because of the way time sort of skips around, and I had to reread whatever sections I got confused in, but it didn't really take anything away from the story. This book was intense from the get go tbh.
I still have questions and I finished it hours ago.

*

I could not put this book down. A modern thriller guaranteed to keep you reading til the early morning to see what happens. A couple buys a house, where a man has killed his wife and his daughter goes running for help from the neighbors.

Sarah Slade is the author of a popular self-help book, social media influencer and therapist. She and her husband have just bought Black Wood House - an old Victorian manse in an upscale area that hasn't been lived in for 40 years, not since the brutal killing that took place there and left it to be dubbed "The Murder House." Sarah's plan is to document the restoration on her Instagram as she and hubby begin a new life. But before long, everything seems to go wrong. Their already strained marriage continues to crumble as the restoration doesn't go as planned, the locals aren't happy someone bought the house, and Sarah thinks she hears someone in the attic at night. On top of that, she and her cat always seem to be sick. And then the suspicious notes start showing up. As it turns out, Sarah has long-buried secrets, and the house just might use them against her.
For a debut novel, this book was adeptly written. The tension begins early in the story and never lets up. As Sarah begins to unravel, more of her shaky past is revealed just enough at a clip and the number of suspects increases as the intensity rises. The author does a marvelous job of planting hints, red herrings and misdirections, all while maintaining the integrity of the story. I would say that this has some great twists at the end, but truthfully, you will not be prepared for what the entire second half of the book has in store. I was sure I had everything figured out way early on, but I couldn't have been more wrong or more shocked at how everything turned out.

This book was much better than I expected it to be. A bit hard to get through the first few chapters due to writing style, but the story really picks up. A author buys a “murder house” and weird things start happening. So many twists. Couldn’t stop reading until I finished. Was not expecting the ending at all, definitely recommend this one!

This is one creepy novel! I’m not often kept up at night after reading in bed but this one did just that. Dark and twisty, this is a real pageturner. Congrats on a terrific debut effort! Thank for the opportunity to preview it, NetGalley!

This one kinda left me speechless. The ending completely took me by surprise.. Which I guess is a good thing as that so rarely happens. Not many suspense/thrillers get my heart rate up but this one definitely did! Was on hyper alert of all the sounds going on around me. Lol
I love that it wasn’t predictable. Really enjoyed this. Great debut!! And I really appreciated the honesty of the author at the end. Mental illness is something that so many people, including myself, struggle with. I love that she opened herself up on this very important topic. I applaud her for her courage. Thank you!

Lisa M. Matlin's doubt novel The Stranger Upstairs was a knock out of the park! There was so many twisty turns that I did not see coming! Starting over for Sara and her husband Joe is nothing new. As an influencer Sara is hoping to document the renovations to the murder house, Black Wood House, and sell for a nice profit. Things aren't always the way they seem, Sara is falling behind. She is supposed to be working on her second book, keep her website updated with the renovations and trying to work on her failing marriage. Sara starts losing her patients as a therapist, her husband Joe is never around and now Reaper starts acting weird. Is Black Wood House really haunted or does someone know Sara and Joe's sorted past and are tormenting them? I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone! It was a quick read and very enjoyable!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Publishing Group- Bantam, and Lisa M. Matlin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Look for The Stranger Upstairs September 26, 2023

This was a creepy story of a woman who moves into a house where a murder took place 40 years ago. As soon as she moves in, things start going south for her. This was a fast read, with a sad ending!

I couldn't get into this book with main character being so unlikeable however, I did have to keep reading because of the intriguing storyline. Plenty of twists. I also didn't care for the ending but, I do think that there are plenty of readers that will love this well crafted book.

This was a good book and the twist was so surprising! I felt like there were parts that were a bit rambling, but all in all, a 4/5. Clever character development, I loved that they were so much more than they seemed. It’s nice to see when not everyone is as sweet and innocent as they seem in a story! There were a few moments that I felt were overwritten, but definitely a great story altogether.

Review Copy

I gotta tell you - in the beginning I wasn't sure what to think of this book. The characters were not likable, not a whole heckuva lot was happening and I was thinking it was going to be a three star book at very best.

But, I kept reading. And I'm not really sure why. Ok, I was curious, I do like characters that are unlikeable and I suspected a few things the author might have planned. The writing was pretty fair dinkum and I kept going.

About two thirds of the way through the shit hit the fan and the novel roared to life. Everything started rocking and coming together to one great ending.

Well worth your time (and mine); add this to your list of want to read!

I just gobbled up Lisa M. Matlin’s THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS in two days because I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. The world she creates is so vivid that I constantly felt watched and anxious as I read, as though the walls in MY house were closing in on me. The writing is assured and expert as Matlin unpeels the layers of her characters, surprising me with every new discovery and twist. I was on a rollercoaster of fear, empathy, and shock, loving every minute of it. I don’t want to give anything away, but read it with the lights on, sun blazing through your windows, and don’t even trust your wallpaper!

The Stranger Upstairs is Lisa Matlin’s debut novel. And what a wonderful debut it is.

Sarah and Joe have just completed the purchase of Black Wood House - the former home of Bill and Susan Campbell. 40 years prior to Sarah and Joe buying Black Wood House, it is the scene of a gruesome murder suicide. Bill murders Susan. Bill tries to murder their daughter, Janet, but is unsuccessful. Then Bill kills himself. No one knows what happens to Janet. Like literally - no one knows #dammitJanet

Sarah has dollar signs in her mind when impulsively deciding to buy BWH. Joe, her husband, merely goes along with the decision. Not at all happy they’re going to own, and live in, a #murderhouse. Sarah, with her book fame and social media following, just *knows* this is what will make her even more famous and will absolutely turn a profit once they’re done with renovations. If the house allows for renovations, that is. The house is hiding something. And so are Sarah and Joe.

I absolutely hated Sarah and Joe - and I do believe that to be the point. Sarah is batshit crazy - is the house legitimately making her crazy? Or is it the SSRIs and alcohol? Or is it the past she refuses to let surface even in the safety of her relationship with Joe? I do find it interesting that Lisa, who struggles with her mental health, didn’t choose to write a character that gets help. I don’t know that the book would’ve had the same vibe if Sarah *did* get help so I get it. I just find it curious. Joe was merely a blip in the book but I found myself screaming at him a lot.

I normally don’t love red herrings - like say what you mean and don’t fuck around - but I do think those within this novel actually add to the suspense and overall explanation at the end. I also normally don’t love an unreliable narrator - don’t make ME feel insane, authors! - but Lisa does a fantastic job with Sarah.

I did find it interesting that we had an added voice towards the end of the book. I understand the necessity but it still felt odd to me. Also the epilogue 👀😬🥴 Bless.

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

Oooooh I love love love this one. This book turned out to be so unsuspected. It’s spooky, it’s creepy, it’s chilling. I love that mental health is highlighted in this. I do wish it had blatantly stated what Lizzy was diagnosed with however. I will definitely be purchasing this book upon release!!