I usually love a haunted house thriller, but I'm not sure I really liked this one. The explanation felt a little bit like "it was all a dream," and the ending was too ambiguous and unclear for my taste. While the shock factor is definitely there, it just wasn't to my taste. I'd give this author another try, though!

I really wanted to like this book, but I struggled to read it. Neither the character nor the plot could truly capture my attention.

A thrill, creepy and chaotic read that kept me reading until the very end. There were some loose ends that I wasn’t a fan of which tied up either too nicely or didn’t make sense to me (i.e carbon monoxide but it was cause the house was evil??).

Also, I liked how the title really made me think someone was behind everything. What a red herring!

I enjoyed the author’s writing style – this was the first of I hope of many more books!

Disappointing and forgettable plot and characters. The was not the page turner I hoped it would be. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Sarah Slade becomes exactly who she wants to be in life. But lately, her new house and her husband are making it more challenging.

This story is primarily told by Sarah Slade, an amazing unreliable narrator. She’s a therapist and is sure to tell the reader how each of the people she talks about is crazy. She’s certain who to trust and who she already knows well enough not to trust. She is confident that she has her business together enough to fool them all.

There’s a deep, dark secret in the past she shares with her husband. She hints at it repeatedly, and is sure to say that by keeping the secret, she’s protecting her husband and their future together. But as all the pieces fall together, the reader can’t be sure if Sarah can even keep her own stories straight.

Sarah’s telling of things was interspersed with newspaper stories reflecting back on the current situations. By foreshadowing what the community would eventually find out, the reader could believe they knew a little bit of where Sarah’s story may go next.

The atmosphere in this thriller was chilling. Between the hateful neighbors, the past they’re running from, and the potentially haunted house, Sarah couldn’t be sure who to trust or where to turn. The book was engaging and earned 4 out of 5 stars. It could be recommended to those who like thrillers, potentially haunted houses, and unreliable narrators.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller and am honestly shocked it was a debut. It was utterly unputdownable. I would definitely recommend this one if you love a good twisty thriller! 5 stars

I hated this I’m sorry. Boring characters, flat narrative, dragging pace, and predictable ending. I’m sure the CoHo girls will love this one but I am not a CoHo girl so I hated it.

I've picked this book up so many times over the year getting to parts/dialogue that seemed repetitive, slowing the pace and not providing anything new or surprising. I got 65% before dnf. What I did enjoy about this novel was the absolutely beautiful cover and the cat that I feel had something more to do with what was going on.

The cover, title, and book description let me know this was a book that I wanted to read. It took me a while, but once I got going things went smoothly. It is interesting to see things from an influencers perspective. I think murder houses are interesting, does the house become evil once evil is done inside of it's walls? You never really know what goes on behind closed doors, and we all carry some secrets. Overall, there was a lot going on in this book, but it was interesting.

Quick Summary: A dark heart, murder house thriller

My Review: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Marlin is a 2023 release. It is listed as a general fiction/mystery/thriller.

About the Book: "A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut."

My Final Say: Skewed perspectives, haunting secrets, troubling behavior, and ill-fated illusions are mainstays in this novel. There is so much to the story that it warrants discussion. This book is an any time read, however, it hit differently as a Halloween-esque, spook read. (Yikes!)

Other: This would be an excellent book club read.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 🕸💬


Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have been offered up voluntarily.

There were two 'mysteries' in this book. What is Sarah hiding? And is the house evil? The first one was kind of annoying. It wasn't really a mystery because Sarah is the narrator and knows what she is hiding. The information about her past is just alluded to throughout the book, and withheld til the end to make it be a big splash. But it wasn't a mystery, except from us, but it easily could have been given to us.

The house and what is going is incredibly creepy. I think the ending was interesting but also, kind of anticlimatic. While the book kept me turning the pages, after it was over, it was a bit of a disappointment.
2.75 rounded up to 3.

This one definitely kept my attention and also kept me guessing until the very end. The ending was not what I thought it would be at all and added a new twist to the world of thrillers.

Creepy mansions, unlikeable characters with secret pasts, and a few twists and turns along the way made for an entertaining read. Perfect for October. 3.5 stars

I really liked this book. Its a thriller but leans more towards creepy horror type story. I definitely got spooked a few times and creeped out in my own house! The writing style is different which took some getting used to but overall a really great story.

REVIEW: The Stanger Upstairs

Lisa M. Matlin's The Stranger Upstairs offers a chilling tale of a haunted house with a dark history. The novel's atmospheric setting and eerie events create a suspenseful atmosphere, and the protagonist's growing paranoia keeps the reader on edge.

However, while the plot is intriguing, the pacing feels uneven sometimes, and the resolution may leave some readers unsatisfied. The characters could have benefited from further development to make them more relatable and engaging.

Overall, The Stranger Upstairs is a solid psychological thriller that will appeal to thriller lovers, but it may not be as groundbreaking or memorable as some other haunted house tales.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house. This book was a rollercoster, with some okay highs and low lows. I was annoyed a few times as well as enjoying the books storyline.

The ambiance of the Black Wood House was unsettling, and the narrator was questionable, and certainly unreliable which kept me entertained. The ending featured an unexpected twist that caught me off guard. I didn’t entirely enjoy this one, but it is a good choice for spooky season

Thank you to Netgalley and Lisa Matlin for this arc in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

New and upcoming thriller author Lisa Matlin writes an unreliable narrator thriller for her debut novel.
Sarah Slade and her husband have purchased Black Wood House in hopes of renovating and selling the home for a nice profit. Black Wood House has a very sketchy past including at least one murder. The neighbors hate the home and want to see it torn down. Sarah is a practicing therapist and a self-help author/social media influencer. Sarah's past may be catching up to her once and for all.

I enjoyed this thriller. There were several times when I was deeply engrossed and had to find out what happened next. I love the tease of a body being found and not knowing who it was. It was a great way to keep the reader engaged. I enjoyed this book overall and rate a 3 star lead. Only reason I did not rate higher is due to trying to make the reader believe she was hiding a past but was popular on social media and even wrote a best-selling self-help book. Why would she move, change her name, dye her husband's hair if she wasn't planning on really hiding? That part made no sense to me. However, overall I did enjoy this book.

I liked the mystery in this one, and the unreliable narrator. She kept hinting at a backstory, and it was satisfying when it was revealed. I suspected everybody in this one, and was totally surprised by the culprit. I liked the ending, and the way news stories and blog posts were woven in throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Blackwood House is not your usual fixer upper. The house has sat abandoned for 40 years due to the prior occupants. The new owner is a social media influencer who bought it, in hopes of using it to fuel her content. What she did not expect was her husband to take a break and leave her in the home with just her cat. Did I mention her cat loves to stair up at the attic at random times throughout the night. Shortly after notes start to appear, someone does not want Sarah in this house....

Between the unreliable narrator and the gothic setting, I was sucked in. The layers in this story between the main character and the house kept me guessing throughout the story. Well done Lisa!