Sarah, a social media influencer, buys the infamous Black Wood House for a career boost and to hopefully save her marriage. The seemingly charming fixer-upper takes a spooky turn with mysterious footsteps, a ghostly cat, and messages from thin air. Instead of a typical horror story, it unfolds as a suspenseful journey, questioning the haunted house, Sarah's sanity, and her husband Joe's secrets. The characters, imperfect and real, add depth as Sarah unravels her past. Black Wood House delivers subtle chills and a constant unease.

I don't normally like to read scary books but this one sucked me right in and I finished it in a day.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin opens with Sarah Slade, a social influencer, starting her live over with her husband. The buy a house to renovate that happens to be famous due to a husband killing his wife and trying to kill his daughter before killing himself. When strange things start to happen to Sara, she knows she has to get to the bottom of what is causing these things to happen.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin. The synopsis was intriguing, and when I received word that my request to read and review this book, I was thrilled. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Although I didn't necessarily like the main character, Sarah Slade, or her husband, I really wanted things to go her way and for the book to have a good ending. There were so many twists and turns that I wasn't sure what to expect. Whether it was a good ending or not, you'll have to read The Stranger Upstairs for yourself to find out.

Despite not liking Sarah too much, I was intrigued with this story from the first page and found parts of it to be reminiscent of The Shining by Stephen King. It definitely had me sitting on the edge of my seat, and there were times I was creeped out.

Four out of five stars is what I give The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin. Don't miss out on this suspenseful, creepy, and horrifying novel. I look forward to reading more stories from this author.

The house, itself, is the main character in this fine thriller. Well-written, dark, and attention-grabbing. I really enjoyed the writing and the cover of this book, but could care less for the characters and the cuss words.

I don’t feel this book is a life-changing thriller - one you’ll keep on the shelf for years to come after reading - but it is absolutely a great debut and a good “filler thriller” for a rainy day.

You can get through this one quickly for a fun and cozy afternoon of reading. But probably not alone, in a creaky house, at night, with pets who stare randomly into dark places in the house.

Highly recommend, but definitely not super impactful.

3.8 stars

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a quick read then definitely give this a chance since it's less than 300 pages. This book kept my attention throughout all of it and turned this into a one day read for me.

Most of the characters in this book are very unlikable but I'm pretty sure that's on purpose. But it was kind of interesting to be in Sarah's mind with how dark she could be.

I have a love/hate feeling towards how the book ends.

3.5 stars rounded up

The story of an influencer who buys a murder house in an affluent neighborhood with the plan to flip it for profit. The reader is given bits and pieces of the story as they read, but unfortunately more often than not, those morsels just serve to keep the reader going versus providing any substance.

There was great promise for this book. The subject is interesting - a mix of ghost story, odd neighbors and unreliable characters. I found that while the characters sought to have the story move forward, they ended up too unreliable to fully immerse myself in the story.

The writing is great for a thriller and I will certainly be interested in seeing Matlin's sophmore novel.

Wow, this book was a lot! I didn’t know what was really happening, or what was being imagined. I had thought maybe Sarah was getting mold poisoning from the attic, so it was interesting to find out what it really was. I hated that it ended that way for Emily, and that Sarah took her personality. She really needs stopped, and on medication!
I also couldn’t believe the epilogue. Why would anyone else move into that house?!

This was an awesome thriller. It definitely got to the point that there was no way I was going to put it down until the end, you just have to know what's going to happen! And, a little bit of a cliffhanger too!!

I'm impressed and grateful that the author shared her mental health story in the afterword. Way to go Lisa, this book was amazing!!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was ok for me. I didn't really connect to the characters that much and felt like some of it was repetitive or had a lull in the pacing.

This was a mess. I never give books ONE STAR. I usually DNF way before it gets to that point. If I hadn't listened to most of this on audio, I don't think I would have gotten through it.

First off, if you're looking for a haunted house story - this is *not* it. It's more about this miserable woman and her horrible marriage and delusional personality. In fact, if you wanted anything the synopsjs promised, this ain't it. It was such a cool idea too! Influencer moves into haunted house, old house renovations, creepy murder history. That just all went out the window in favor of ???

This mystery went off in 100 different directions, each less satisfying than the next. There were just too many questions, too many layers. Horrible character development, I could not love or hate any of these people because they were just... sort of there. A lot of the more compelling mysteries just went unanswered. And, that ending, just no.

I'm shocked so many people loved this. I'm gobsmacked it was a Book of the Month pick. I can appreciate the author's candor about her personal struggles, but that doesn't make this a good book. I'm glad the cat is okay, I guess.

I was very into this book starting off. I wanted to know what was going to happen every step of the way. Her backstory had me wanting to read more about it, but I wanted more on her and her husband's relationship. I also was pretty indifferent to the ending, I wanted something more, but I'm not sure I felt as connected to the main character to really care about how it ended. Overall, a solid read.

Sarah Slade and her husband decide to buy and renovate a notorious “murder house” in a posh neighborhood. As the story progresses, we learn more about Sarah’s hidden past and her rocky relationship, as her whole life continues to unravel. This was a quick thriller with a ton going on. It had me questioning the main character/narrator, and pretty much everyone else in the book (including the house itself). A great debut novel!

This was such a good, fun read and something different then the genre I usually read I really enjoyed it

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Published: September 12, 2023
Bantam
Genre: Horror Suspense
Pages: 278
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

LISA M. MATLIN was a guitarist in a rock band before switching from songwriting to story writing. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, pug, and golden retriever. She’s probably re-watching The Walking Dead right now and trying not to laugh at her own jokes. Lisa is a passionate mental health advocate and your dog’s number one fan. The Stranger Upstairs is her debut novel.

“Maybe it’s Maybelline. Or maybe it’s murder.”

This book was so good. I was captivated by the first chapter. The writing, the characters, the development, the plot, everything was so well done!

As a debut goes, this one is fantastic! I loved the dark elements and how the storyline kept twisting and turning. I did not see any of this coming!

I liked the characters; Sarah was likable until she wasn’t. Joe was a jerk completely. Emily was kind and compassionate. The way this story tells both the past and present of the main character is brilliant.

I predict Lisa will become a well-known thriller-writing queen!

To be honest this started out slow and I wasn’t feeling it but I kept reading it and glad I did the second half of the book was great !

This book is a perfect October read. The house provides the perfect atmosphere for supernatural activity. I would love to visit despite the tragic history. Sarah quite the witch herself, so there wasn't a lot of love lost on her or any of the other characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I enjoyed this, but I have hang ups that I can't quite put my finger on. There's a lot going on in a short book, which I enjoyed.

Rating: 3/5

This is your typical haunted house style plot, but it has a few twists and turns. There were tons of things that I didn’t see coming and kept the flow of everything moving along nicely without confusuion. The character development supports the plot and provided a well-rounded story that was really enjoyable.

Sarah is the main character and she brings a lot to the table in this one. As the observer, you will watch her full transition throughout this one and it’s really interesting! The author seems to lean on her own experiences with mental health issues to give you a really deep understanding of Sarah and what her experience is like.
The husband Joe is essential to Sarah’s development, but ultimately an unimportant character. Other than that, you have a few other supporting characters, but the emphasis of this one is all about Sarah.

I loved the ending. I loved how the author let the Murder House situation play out and Sarah’s open ended conclusion in the story. I walked away from this one with more questions than answers and it left me thinking about it for days. A great psychological thriller that will have you pointing fingers at everyone!

Sarah Slade is determined to live like an influencer, and what better way than to purchase and renovate historic Black Wood House. The catch - the house has a morbid past. After Sarah and her husband move in, a series of more and more disturbing events start to occur. Will they succeed, or will they be the home’s next tragedy?

A fantastic thriller for fans of home renovations, murder documentaries, and elite neighborhoods. An incredibly well written and captivating story that unfortunately lost a star for me after an ending that I didn’t love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

This book was just ok for me. I was never fully invested in the story. The cover is an eye catcher and while I didn’t love the book, I would definitely consider reading more from the author.

The Stranger Upstairs is a thrilling debut novel that masterfully blends gothic psychological horror with a social media twist. The author's vivid descriptions and realistic dialogues create a creepy and suspenseful atmosphere, drawing readers into the story from the very first page.
The book follows Sarah Slade, a self-help writer and influencer, who purchases a notorious murder house with the aim of renovating it and documenting the process on her blog. However, as she delves deeper into the house's dark history, she realizes that it holds a sinister presence that haunts her every move.
What sets this book apart is the way the author skillfully combines horror, mystery, and drama to create a captivating plot with complex narration. The house itself becomes a character, with its hidden rooms, creaky noises, and bloody stains. The chapters alternate between Sarah's perspective, her blog posts, diary entries, and press releases, adding to the narration's richness and unreliability.