Sarah thinks Black Wood House will save her marriage to Joe and revitalize her career as an influencer. But the house, a house where there was a grizzly murder, has been empty for over 40 years for good reason. Know that the house is a character in its own right in this creepy novel that might make you wonder more than once about Sarah's mental health, Things go wrong almost as soon as the work starts and they amp up. No spoilers from me but know that her plan to renovate and flip- well she's got to rethink that one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Matlin does a good job of creating and maintaining the tension- making this a page turner,

The Stranger Upstairs follows a social media star as she buys a murder house in hopes of renovating it. Not everything is as it seems and things start to unravel to reveal many dark secrets and twists.

I think this book was a really great debut! The writing was great and the twists were mostly unexpected. (I saw a couple of them from a mile away.) The obvious twists did not take away from the overall enjoyment of this book. I loved how there were newspaper articles between chapters from the future that hinted at certain things but just enough that you knew something was coming but not totally what it was. It was really fast-paced and I just kept wanting more.

I will say that there were a couple of tropes in here that I don’t particularly like. Like when the bad guy wins in the end (i won’t say much else about that since it’ll be a spoiler.) and also I hate when a book seems paranormal but then isn’t? This book kinda had a hard time deciding if it wanted to be paranormal or not. Those things made me bump it down to a 4 but overall i still really enjoyed it.

Thanks so much to netgalley and Random House for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was incredibly read-able but absolutely bonkers. I was pulled along by the story and compelled to find out what was happening while being simultaneously horrified. It’s a good one for thriller-lovers if you are OK with a strong dose of off-kilter at the same time.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This debut horror/thriller/domestic suspense was a great first book. Originally when I got this book I was hoping that this book would be a lot of fun, but novels that have had a social media influencer haven't quite made their mark so I went in a little nervous. Although I will say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this book quite a bit.

Sarah Slade and her husband decide to start over and move to the Black Wood House, an infamous house where a murder-suicide took place many years before. She decides to move into the house and blog about her fixer-upper to make money since she hasn't been able to write another novel. Although slowly as time continues she begins to realize something different about the house and how it affects those inside the house and the neighborhood around her. Sarah starts to unravel as her marriage fails, the house is proving to be more difficult to fix, and secrets of her past begin to surface.

This book was fast-paced and had a lot of fun and interesting elements to the story. There is a mix of supernatural possibilities and reality, which seems to be a common theme this spooky season. That mix allows for the reader to question what is happening and what side of things they will be leaning towards.

I can't wait to see what else Lisa Matlin will write - fully recommend for the spooky season.

I started out thinking this was a horror story similar to Amityville Horror. Towards the end it takes a surprising turn. I doubt anyone would guess what was really going on. If you do you should be playing the lottery. It kept me interested. At one point I thought Sarah was schizophrenic. The author does a great job keeping you guessing.

When viral therapist Sarah Slade buys a murder a house with her husband with the intentions of flipping it, people are curious to see how things go. The people of Beacon, however, are furious with her attempts to monotonize from the suffering of the family who lived here long ago. Not long after moving in, Sarah is warned by a neighbor that the house made the previous owner start to go crazy, resulting in him killing his wife, self, and trying to kill his daughter. Sarah things it is all stories to scare her away, but then things start happening around the house. She starts to hear creaks when no one is home and finding notes mentioning things no one else could know about. Then, Sarah learns there was another buyer before her, a young woman named Amanda who looked eerily similar to her, who mysteriously disappeared. As Sarah tries to dig in to find the answers around this house. she starts to lose her grip on reality while also finding herself in escalating danger.

I liked this book for the most part. Some pieces felt a bit forced, but I enjoyed the unravel. The pieces about Sarah's sister felt a bit unnecessary too, but I can see what the author was going for. The thing I did not love, which is my personal preference, is how the book constantly alludes to things then makes you wait 10 chapters to find out what it means. I am all for building a mystery, but the constant mentions of "we never discuss what happened to my sister..." and "why we had to flee town" started to just feel annoying. Perhaps the "big reveal" about these secrets would not have fell so flat and predictable if they weren't built up so much through the book.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is haunting and twisty and will have you up to the wee hours either turning pages or listening the sounds your own house is making.

If you enjoyed Riley Sager’s “Home Before Dark” definitely check this out! This is an excellent debut novel from Lisa Matlin, be sure to snag your copy on September 12th, it will be a perfect novel to transition you to spooky season!

I went into this book completely green of the horror genre -- I didn't know what to expect.

Sarah Slade is trying to turn over a new leaf after, fleeing her hometown with her husband. In Part One, we learn that Sarah's family is gone; her sister and mother are dead. In an effort to reinvent herself, she has thrown herself into becoming a social media influencer, an honored therapist, and a best-selling author. But is that what defines Sarah? After moving to the infamous Black Wood House, something begins haunting Sarah. Maybe her past is finally catching up with her.

Part 1: We're introduced to Black Wood House, its history, previous owners, and the new owners, Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe Cosgrove. We get to learn about Sarah and her penchant for getting sh*tfaced and then making a game out of figuring out if she knows where she is or if she can get home.

We're also introduced to the town of Beacon and some of its colorful characters. Because, of course, this small town, where everyone knows each other and everyone knows the history of Black Wood House, would be welcoming of a newcomer </sarcasm>. Why would anyone buy this murder house? They all know something and they're not telling Sarah!

Part 2: Now we're in the thick of Sarah's full unraveling. We know her dirty little secret. But we are also seeing the blossoming of her friendship with her coworker Emily -- which is borderline, inappropriate. But at this point, there is nothing about Sarah's life that is appropriate. She is blowing off work and becoming erratic and unstable, her husband has long since removed himself from the house and stays away most days, and, night and, her neighbors are over her sh*t, and we watch her mental health decline rapidly.

This was a quick and easy read, the e-book was only 267 pages, which is extremely short in my opinion. If you're stepping into the horror genre but, don't want to be so scared that you can't read before bed, then this is a great introductory book for you. If you're an intermediate reader (like me) and you're looking for more suspense, more character development, and a more fleshed-out story, maybe grab this if you have a short flight somewhere or, a long wait at the doctor's office, idk.

The cover of this book is bright and gorgeous, but don't let that distract you from the fact that this is a dark, twisted horror read.

Sarah is an up and coming social media influencer and therapist. She and her husband have decided to take on a major renovation of an entire house and document the entire process for her followers online. Except this house happens to be cursed by a gruesome murder and is said to be haunted. Black Wood House witnessed a murder-suicide and it's said that screams can still be heard on some nights.

Sarah and her husband also have secrets they are trying to keep. They are running from their past and their marriage is hanging on by a thread. Most nights Sarah is left home alone in this haunted house, with strange sounds coming from the attic and threatening notes appearing everywhere.

This book was a wild read. It started out strong, but I feel like there were too many twists and turns and too many loose ends that I was just left dizzy with information-overload. There were also some really good avenues the author could have taken, character-wise, that I thought were blaring obvious and would have added SO MUCH MORE to the story, but weren't touched on at all.

The further I got into the story, the weirder the plot became and more confused I got. Certain things just didn't make sense and became laughable.

The author's writing style was great and I liked the way the characters were presented and built on. Something was just lacking overall.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and Penguin Random House, who sent me the email reaching out to me to read this gothic, horror, psychological read. It was a 3 star book for me.

"The Stranger Upstairs" is set to be released September 12, 2023 here in the U.S. so pre-order now!

Happy Reading!

In ‘The Stranger Upstairs’, Lisa M. Marlin sets up a whodunit that has more twists than a game of Twister. I stumbled upon the brightly colored cover on NetGalley and was immediately interest in reading it.
In the book, Sarah Slayed, blogger/influencer, buys a unsellable house that has been off the market for 40 years. Unfortunately she didn’t know that the house came with so many secrets. Throughout the story, you start to unravel those secrets as well as all of Sarah’s dark ones from her past. This book hooks you from the beginning and I personally read through it quickly needing to know the end!

I would recommend this book to any reader who loves a good mystery with unpredictable plots.

Sarah is many things; an Instagram Queen, a popular blogger, a therapist, and best selling author. What people don’t see is that she is falling apart behind the scenes. She and her husband buy a murder house with intention to renovate it so that she can blog about their progress. However, it seems the house wants to be left alone. Sarah slowly starts to come unglued and the footsteps in the attic aren’t helping her get any better!

This book gave me Simone St. James vibes…the underlying ghost story taking place at a murder house. I enjoyed this one…it had a different ending than I expected for sure! Nice debut by this author!

Good read. Kept me guessing all along the way. Never know what is true or not true at some times. Are we being gaslighted? Maybe, maybe not…

I had a hard time with the cat poisoning. Not gonna lie, I almost quit. So be warned. This is twisty, turny with a creepy house and mysterious characters. But it was a little too vague-for-the-sake-of-mystery for me. Meh. The ending was great, though.

When I see a “haunted” house book on netgalley I RUN to that request button!

For those of you who are sensitive to animal fates, at the end of my review I will reveal what happens to Reaper, Sarah’s cat. Don’t read that far if you don’t want to be spoiled.

This book sounds like a horror but it’s listed as a thriller, which I feel is accurate. The book leans more towards domestic thriller and I’m still unsure if the house is haunted..

Sarah, our main character is so unlikable.. on purpose. She’s hiding a secret, running from her past and trying to save her marriage. Her husband hates her, she is barely holding onto her therapist job, so she buys a murder house.
Shortly after moving in, she starts to experience strange occurrences. Footsteps at night, cat is irritable and sick. I did like the ending- however the epilogue changes everything. Make sure to read! May even change the genre of the book.

Overall, this book had me hooked. Even stayed up late because I needed to know the ending. But upon finishing, I felt like I had about 100 questions. 4 stars
Solid thriller for spooky season.

Spoiler!

Reaper is poisoned but survives the book :)

Sarah, an author and social media influencer, buys a house to renovate — a house in which a murder-suicide took place decades earlier. She blogs about how the renovations of the “murder house,” as she calls it, are going, renovations that she and her husband are doing together. Suspense being to build, and creepy things start to happen suggesting that the house may be haunted. Additionally, Sarah’s neighbors are very unwelcoming, and her husband mysteriously disappears. The reader soon discovers that neither Sarah’s past nor the town in which the house is located are what they appear to be.

At times the storyline was a bit confusing, and the ending seemed too sudden and abrupt. Nonetheless, there was plenty of suspense throughout, and overall this was a good and decent read. (My favorite character was the cat.)

Strange things are happening in this house. Here are reasons to read this horror book:

Sordid House - There is a house in a ritzy neighborhood where really sordid things have happened. Basically murder, it’s murder ok?

Influencer - Sarah and her husband Joe have bought it for a song and plan to renovate it while documenting it on her social media.

Noises - But soon she starts to hear noises in the house late at night, and it isn’t coming from her husband.

Paranoia? - Her cat gets sick, she hears voices, and she starts see people outside. Is the neighborhood out to get her or is it just her own paranoia from the past she is running from?

When I first heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I loved the spooky vibes and I pretty much devoured this book. While I had a pretty solid theory about what was going on, it still was kind of a shock to me at what happens at the end. Also Sarah is not quite a character I know how to connect with. Sometimes I really root for her and sometimes I am not sure how to take her! But read this by candlelight for the greatest spooky vibes.

Oh my. THIS BOOK. I still frequently think about this book after having read it about 2 months ago. This book reminded me of the book/TV show "You" in every good way. The creepy feeling the author gives you of being watched and unsettled is a true thrill. Fans of the paranormal and ghosts, hold on tight cause this book will give you one heck of a ride! The pace keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting to read just one more chapter. This was an outstanding debut, I cannot wait to see what this author has up her sleeve in the future!

A big thank you to Lisa and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review of The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin. #TheStrangerUpstairs #NetGalley

As someone who avidly reads romance books, this thriller kept me HOOKED! I listened to it in less than 24 hours.

Sarah Slade is a well recognized therapist and best selling author period. Deciding to shake up her life, She purchases a home where someone has been murdered. Figuring it'll go well and boost her social media engagement as she renovates, life sounds great. That is, as long as she ignores the peeling wallpaper and bloodstained carpet.

Quickly, The changes of the house are becoming more than she bargained for. Neighbors hate her for buying a house that someone was killed in. But are they the ones who are sending spine chilling notes? Or is it true that she's hearing creeping noises throughout the house? Whatever it is, Sarah better watch her back.

The Stranger Upstairs, a debut thriller by Lisa M. Matlin, kept me listening until the very end. Narrated by Fiona Hardingham, the story comes to life quickly through diary entries, police reports and quick blog posts. I found the pacing to be One that made me not want to stop listening this book. Overall, I recommend this thriller for those who want a good fall read that'll keep you thinking.

Thank you Random House Ballentine and Penguin Random House Audio for my earc and alc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Honestly, this did not work for me. I know it was a debut and I definitely see skill in Ms. Matlin's writing, so hopefully she only improves with experience.

First of all - TW needed for sick animal, though I had a feeling it was coming. With the exception of Emily (and Reaper!), all the characters were unlikable. A lot of books have a hard time with the fine line between when to stop alluding to secrets and actually reveal them. This was definitely an issue here - so many vague mentions of what happened in Sarah's and Joe's past that by the time the reveal comes, it is almost like "so what." I think there were many instances that were not believable, but I don't want to say much to avoid spoilers (examples - Sarah's job, actions of the locals).

I did like the interspersed news chapters because you know what happens at the end, just not to whom it happens. So that lends some suspense and curiosity. But the end was a giant let down. It reminded me of watching or read something and the final twist is that it was all a dream.

Did I mention I loved Reaper???

Do you want HGTV mixed with a paranormal horror story? If you said yes, this story is most definitely for you. A couple moves into an old house where people have gone missing and killed. They plan to renovate the house but it’s not ever that easy. Strange voices start being heard, doors closing on their own. But we’re dealing with a very unreliable narrator here. So whose secrets are worse? The house or its new owners? The one complaint I do have is there is a lot going on with this book. I enjoyed the initial premise but a lot of the book is bogged down with unnecessary plot points. I had to finish it because I needed to understand the murder house but I wish it had been a more concise book.

3.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.