Dark, twisty, and entertaining? The Stranger Upstairs was all that and more!

Sarah Slade, our MC, is looking for her next big thing to really make her blog (and pockets) boom. So what does she do? She buys a murder house of course. Sarah and her husband purchase a house that has remained untouched since a murder-suicide took place 40 years prior. She planned on blogging and updating her loyal fan base to all the renovation work. But things did not work out as planned. It seems the house itself doesn't want to be changed or inhabited. Even the townspeople don't want her living int he home. They would rather see it demolished or at the very least unoccupied. A series of unfortunate events begin to take place immediately after move in and Sarah's life seems to start going downhill. Secrets from her past are coming back to haunt her, house renovations are simply not happening as they should, her alcoholism is really cranking up, marriage falling apart, and she has no money. As Sarah tries to get her life together, she uncovers things about the murder house and the town. Secrets are being kept from her and she's determined to figure out why and to get the house done so she can sell and move away ASAP. This twisty thriller will keep you wanting more.

I really enjoyed the book. It was pretty fast paced and things were constantly happening. I'm a sucker for thrillers and murder mysteries so this book was something I just had to read. I liked how our MC was not trustworthy and kind of unlikeable at times. I think the ending was lackluster. Don't get me wrong, it was a twist in a book of many twists, but it just didn't give me that solid ending. Overall though, definitely worth the read. Thank you NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine, and the author for the ARC. The Stranger Upstairs is out now!

Well written, not as predictable as I thought it would be. I’m not one to enjoy mystery and suspense, but this one, I did so take that as you will. I enjoy the writing and will probably read more by this author. Not my favorite read, but I still enjoyed the craft.

I really liked this book. So many twists and turns. This book was very dark. Not only the marriage but the neighborhood. I found myself wanting to finish this book in the daylight. I highly recommend this book! Perfect fall read.

The twist was hardly a twist, the storytelling was boring and half of the story was told in the form of a conversation and news articles — super lazy way to get out of actually writing cleverly. The storyline makes zero sense, the relationship between our MC and her husband makes even less sense. The MC has such a ~dark~ past and she sets it up in such a way I was fully expecting and prepared for something insane….. when the ball drops, it’s embarrassing how mundane it is.

A social media influencer/therapist and her husband buy a house, Black Wood House, where a grisly murder took place in The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin. While Sarah and her husband Joe renovate the house, she plans to fill her social media channels with all the details about the renovation. Then the couple will reap the benefits of transforming a murder house into a profitable mansion to sell. Will their plans come to fruition or will they fall flat?

Right away, you're brought into this moody novel with the atmosphere of dread. There are some very creepy moments and the story of the family who was murdered in the house will chill you. You also cannot figure out Sarah. Is she hiding anything? Why does she keep hearing noises in the attic? And where does her husband go at night if he's not sleeping in their bed?

In the beginning, I was drawn into this mystery and feared what Sarah would find lurking in the dark or in the deep woods on her property. It kept me intrigued until the climax of the book. Sarah goes through changes that she cannot explain and feels like an anti-hero. Every so often I would get Gone Girl vibes about her character, but it's a very different book, so it really cannot compare. And I wondered, at times, if she was somewhat of an unreliable narrator, which I guess could work but after a while just felt like misdirection.

After you get to the climax, I felt that some of the characters and plotlines never came to anything. There was so much mystery about why so much trauma took place in the house, but I didn't find any kind of significant payoff. I felt like there were too many red herrings, and I wanted answers and a little more insight. Some of the answers that were given were not satisfying enough and far-fetched, and the ending, while meant to be chilling, didn't leave me with a feeling of dread. It didn't seem to be going anywhere.

All that being said, I'd like to see what this debut author has up her sleeve, though. Three quarters of the book held my interest with the mystery and intrigue about the house and what was happening, so there's something there. The ending just wasn't enough for me.

This was okay and it wasnt horrible. It definitely wasnt my favorite but it was good. I thought it mixed suspense and thrill throughout the book. I think what kept me from really liking it was due to it felt like other books I have read and there wasnt anything too unique.

Sarah and her husband have bought a new house where a murder suicide occurred in the past. She’s looking forward to posting about the house since she’s a social media influencer. I was chilled by this story. It was dark and suspenseful. So much happens to Sarah in the following days after they move in.

This is a really good debut novel by Lisa Matlin. The Stranger Upstairs is a psychological thriller that follows Sarah, a social media influencer who bought a 'murder house' to fix it up and dispell its demons. Well, things don't go a planned. This is a quick read with a strong ending. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 Stars

Fantastic read! This book expanded the characters very well and actually extended on their parts of the book. The book flowed well. Writing was super. It kept me guessing the whole time, and the ending was not what I expected at all, which makes for an excellent book, in my opinion. Job well done, and I will read more by this author.
#Netgalley
#thestrangerupstairs
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The Stranger Upstairs was just an okay read. A few twists and surprises pop up throughout as we read about the madness taking over the MC Sarah. Is someone really after her, or is she losing her mind? The story got a little confusing towards the end in one part. Things started coming to light, and we finally got some answers. I wish this book had stood out more for me, but this is one of those books that you read once and probably won't read again.

I loved the unreliable narrator in this thriller, the overall story line kept me guessing. I flew through this one!

Definitely a character driven plot, with plenty of twists and turns, and I enjoyed the authors writing style. It was very interesting to ride along as Sarah unraveled, but I definitely would have liked to see more action to drive the plot forward. Sarah was emotionally immature, often lashing out at others and behaving in a very juvenile manner, which only made it more impossible to believe she managed to fake a psychology degree. However, this novel definitely highlighted the modern problem of social media likes somehow translating into platforms allowing unqualified people to give advice. The overall atmosphere of the book was great; it was tense, mysterious, and at times, unnerving. A great blend of psychological and supernatural horror, that was unfortunately, not done any favors by a frankly disappointing ending.

I LOVED this book! I read it in one sitting, and it has quickly become one of my favorites of the thriller/mystery/horror genre.

This book is as if an HGTV host couple bought a murder house, and we got to see all of the behind the scenes of their actual failing relationship and how insanely hard renovating a house actually is, even before the potential of an evil spirit haunting the home comes into play. No character is who they seem to be, and the surprises came at the perfect pace, so it never felt unrelenting or (dare I say it) unrealistic. Just a spooky, mysterious tale that may or may not be resolved by the end, depending on what you believe.

I liked this book. It seemed a little bit of a slow start but overall I enjoyed it. I really like the haunted house vibes. I am always up for a spooky haunted house.

The Stranger Upstairs is a great horror/psychological thriller by author Lisa M. Matlin. The main character Sarah, is a lifestyle blogger who begins renovating The Black Wood House, a house where a horrible murder-suicide took place. Strange and bizarre things start happening and the whole story spirals into chaos from there. I really enjoyed how I never really knew which direction the story was going to take. Honestly, this book did unnerve me at times and I definitely needed to read it in the day time. This is a perfect story if you like to be a little bit scared while reading.

Great book!! I didn't want to put it down! Twists and turns that left you wondering what would happen next! Just when you thought you had it figured out.... Nope you were wrong! I look forward to hopefully seeing more books from Lisa!!

High action, murder mysteries, thriller, are all among my favorite genres but “The Stranger Upstairs” was just too much and yet I returned to finish it. The characters were unlikeable one and all, some more odious than others. The setting is suitably creepy, Black Wood House built in 1889 and best know for an horrific murder and about to be occupied by its new owners. The house is a disaster that needs to be completed renovated so it can be flipped for a large profit but things are not going according to plan.

There is a house that refuses to be renovated, a couple that is living a lie and not so subtle hints as what is coming are dropped on every page. It is hard to become invested when there is so much evil, gross deception, lies, gruesome wickedness and those are the positives. The Author’s Note explains much but doesn’t ease the level of discomfort and revulsion I felt throughout my reading of the book. Better to leave it as a miss for me.

Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a copy.

I loved the creepy vibes this book had. A murder house that a couple is now going to flip for profit. One of them is a social media influencer so she thought it would be a great way to blow up online. However, the house has other ideas.

This was a great debut novel. I just felt like part of it drug for me in the middle. I was ready to get some answers. Those answers were very shocking though.

Can't wait to see what else this author puts out in the future.

Thank you @netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Didn’t love it and didn’t hate it. Felt like it was somewhat slow moving and just totally bazaar. Maybe some people like that, but not my cup of tea.

Sarah Slade and her husband Joe have just bought Black Wood House aka "The Murder House", because a man killed his wife, attacked his daughter, and then killed himself there years earlier. Sarah is looking to renovate the house and post the progress on social media, hoping to profit from it.
However, both she and Joe are hiding secrets, and the house and the neighbors don't seem to want him there. Sarah is supposed to be a therapist helping others, but her marriage and her health are both crumbling. Sarah, it seems has a dark past, and it is all revealed during the telling of the story.
She is an unreliable narrator, and her descent into madness is frightening, but is it since she moved to the house, or has she always had mental health issues?
The book is made all the more memorable by the author's note at the end.