Haunted house stories are really intriguing to me, thanks to a love of Amityville Horror. I think I read these types of books chasing that same enjoyment.

In The Stranger Upstairs, main character Sarah is immediately unreliable. She’s keeping secrets, she drinks, she lies, and it’s hard to know if what she’s experiencing is real. She bought a “murder house” hoping to renovate and flip it, growing her online platform at the same time. But word things start to happen, particularly noises from the attic. Is the house haunted? Or is it all in Sarah’s head?

I enjoyed this book. Unreliable narrators are always interesting and add to the tension of books like this. I was interested in Sarah’s unraveling, both in the sense of her mentality but also in learning her secrets.

If you like haunted house stories, thrillers, and/or unreliable narrators, I think you’d like this one.

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way too late reading. Had the title been different I likely would have read this first from my ARCs. Don’t let the title fool you, this book is so different and intriguing! Murders, scary surroundings, Instagram famous personas, and a crumbling marriage. Lots of drama!

I thought this was a fun thriller, but the ending plot twist was so out of this world to me. The setting in Australia was neat to read about. Our MC was such an awful woman.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This debut thriller set in Australia was a totally wild ride and I’m still reeling over the ending days later! The twists were clever and unique, and the ending will make you want to IMMEDIATELY discuss with someone.

I’m a sucker for any type of ‘is the house haunted’ storyline and this one definitely delivered!

I wish the beginning was a littleee faster paced and the ending tied up a bit more, but overall this was such a fun, wild ride!

Trope recommendations - read if you like haunted house tropes and unreliable narrators.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful.

Buckle up for this book review, because we are about to go through all the pain and annoyance this book caused. Spoiler alert; it was A LOT.

I was very excited when I first saw this book cover. It is absolutely stunning. Then I read the synopsis, and I was even more excited to read it. A social media influencer/psychiatrist buys a murder house and plans to renovate it, but the house has other plans and absolute chaos ensues? Sign me up. This book should have been a slam dunk. Unfortunately for everyone who read it, this book was anything but.

I don’t mind unreliable narrators, but if I read one more book where it’s a female with a drinking problem, I will roll my eyes out of my freaking head. Of course, she’s the only one who’s really noticing all of the weird things happening in the house and *shocker* no one believes her because she is drunk all the time. The rest of the characters were terrible as well. The only good character in the book is the cat, and even Reaper deserved better than his stupid owners.

Throw in some details about her failing marriage and a garbage ending, and that’s the book. If I had been reading a physical copy of the book, I would have thrown it. This book is terrible. Please don’t waste your money on it.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ Melbourne, Australia
Publication date ~ September 12, 2023
Est page Count ~ 278 (39 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 6 minutes
Narrator ~ Fiona Hardingham
POV ~mostly single 1st, with an extra POV towards the end
Featuring ~ debut, 2 part story, unreliable narrator, secrets, diary entries, animal cruelty

Neighbors are not too thrilled when Sarah buys the Black Wood House, aka The Murder House, at a fraction of the cost in order to fix it up. I love a good deal, so I could see myself doing something like this.

All characters are pretty unlikable, including Sarah's absentee cheating husband, Joe. But you can't really blame him due to the reason they are married. That's an extra secret from the past that's slowly revealed.

It has a creepy atmosphere vibe. which made me eager to know what was going on upstairs. I didn't like what happened with Reaper the cat, but it was imperative to the story.

Is the whole plot believable in the whole scheme of things, no not really, but is was a pretty good debut. I didn't see the conclusion coming and for that reason I decided to round up my 3.5.

I appreciated the author's note which shared her personal story of her struggles with mental illness.

I was able to listen to a copy as well.
Narration notes:
I think she did a fantastic job with proper emotion when necessary. Her actually saying creak in a creaky voice was pretty funny.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

Sarah, a striving social media influences an therapist decides to buy a murder house to flip for the $$$ but the house has other plans. This is a book I still think about weeks later. It had me hooked and i had to keep reading to find out what was going on in that house. The main character is unreliable and she spirals towards the end which make this book even more intriguing. The twist involving Sarah threw me off but I think the ending left some cliffhangers which I, personally, don’t enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review

This was very Edgar Allen Poe-esque. I got Tell Tale Heart vibes as I was reading. I really enjoyed this book.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

For a debut novel, I am very impressed. A great thriller, but it was definitely a scary one. I had to read this one during daylight hours. Very creepy.

kinda disappointed, i just think this book was not for me but i think a lot of people would enjoy it!! if you like mystery i would recommend! i did like the writing and would totally read more books from this author, just this one wasn’t for me, but maybe it is for you.

I was excited to read “The Stranger Upstairs” for the novel based on the description and great cover. Overall would rate as a 3 out of 5 stars. With a struggling couple whose marriage is trouble, they buy a house in the hopes of they are able to turn a profit and fix her (Sarah) marriage. Bit creepy and haunted with a murder house and overall a good read.

I just finally read this book
I did like there were some plot twists, however they felt more like plot holes.
Given that this book is a debut I’m rounding it up a star.
.5 for having a cat
Speaking of the cat was my favorite character


There was definitely 4 star potential, however character relationships and background didn’t feel very developed to me. There was a lot of important details missing by leaving the background out and some other major details

If you are looking for a fast but slightly frustrating psych/mystery thrilller with a semi-gothic house than I suggest diving in.

3.25
Thanks NetGalley!

The Stranger Upstairs is exactly what a psychological thriller should be! Full of twists and turns and everyone’s sanity is questionable.

A troubled woman with secrets + a murder house. What could possibly go wrong? A LOT!

I was curious about this debut novel surrounding a murder house. Sadly, it proved to be just an ok read/listen. There were things that I enjoyed - the frantic tension, the MC’s unraveling, the creepy AF house, the interspersed news sections that highlight the crime. It was definitely an atmospheric read and gave off lots of tense, what the hell is going on here vibes.

Sarah Slade was the kind of character you aren’t sure if you like, let alone truly want to root for but also can’t seem to look away from. She buys a murder house, at a steal (bc of course no one in their right mind wants to live there) and hopes to renovate and flip it, all the while documenting it on social media. We quickly see that this therapist and self help social media star’s life isn’t all it looks to be on those carefully curated squares and posts. She’s one hell of an unreliable narrator and a certifiable train wreck. I was here for her downward spiral and the escalating creepiness. Yet sadly, the overall story felt long and had too many plot holes I could

I got an ARC of this book through NetGalley! Sarah Slade is a therapist and a self-help writer slash influencer who has just moved with her husband to an old house in a wealthy town. She’s decided that renovating the house will make great online content, and they got an amazing deal on the house because it was the location of a murder years ago. She’s also hoping it serves as a bit of a fresh start for her marriage, which is not in a great place. Instead, though, lots of strange things start to happen – weird interactions with neighbors, major snags with the renovations – and keep getting stranger and stranger. I had a few moments while reading this book where I wasn’t sure what was real and what was in Sarah’s head! It’s a good “spooky season” psychological thriller.

Not often does a book surprise me. I have to say this one did! It also renewed my fear of the dark lol! This was the perfect spooky read with a sidekick cat named Reaper! (How Stinkin’ cute) Very interesting plot and it kept me wanting to turn the page to see what else was going on. It was overall a fun read! This is my first time reading this author but not the last!

Would you buy a house where a brutal murder took place? Well influencer/ therapist Sarah Slater did m, she bought Black Wood House. She compares fixing the house to how she helps fix her patients, and she believes once her followers see this, she will sell the house and make a ton of money. Behind closed doors Sarah’s marriage is falling apart and you begin realize Sarah has a dark past she’s running from. Sarah begins to realizes the "murder house" is more than she signed up for, it has peeling wallpaper, strange occurrences at night, contractors refusing to come out and help, and the neighbors have made it very clear she’s not wanted there. We watch as Sarah begins to spiral out of control becoming paranoid and insisting that she hears the previous murder victims echoing in her ears: "Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Don't kill me."
Sarah with her cat reaper are left alone to confront the house and she wonders . . . is it all worth it? Is someone lurking in the dark or is it the house forcing her out?

Hmmmm…… how do I feel about this book? On the one hand I think it is an okay and atmospheric thriller with some genuinely spooky moments. A social media influencer, a murder house where the echoes of the angry dead still linger…….. Are these supernatural happenings or is our wine guzzling heroine simply losing her mind?

But wait….. I think I’ve read this book before. I think I’ve read it in various subtle variations many times and that is where the problem lies for me. Lack of originality. And as someone who enjoys social media, murder podcasts etc , they are swiftly becoming a played out trope for me. I think I’ll pass on thrillers featuring them for a while.

Thank you to @NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5

The Stranger Upstairs is about a married couple that buy a famous murder house as a fixer upper. Sarah is hoping to gain more followers by documenting her journey then turn around and sell it for a profit, but strange things start happening and she is forced to decide if it is all worth it. I did like the beginning and learning about the history of the house and the crime that took place there. Yes I am a true crime fan. But the way the book was set up I expected more of a ghost story, kind of like The Amityville Horror. This had many twists and turns to it that made me want to continue reading it. If I knew going in it was going to be more thriller than horror I would have been more willing to give it a 4 star rating.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.