I love a good haunted house story and this was no exception. Fast paced and kept you reading. Looking forward to more from this author

Sarah, a social media influencer wants to build her sponsorship base. She and her husband purchased a house that’s been abandoned for 40 years in a small town. There had been a terrible murder and suicide in the house and it was called “the murder house”. Sarah believed that she could record the renovations, post it on her site and then sell it. Sarah, her husband and the house all carried secrets. In short order, her life began unraveling and she was losing everything including her career as a psychologist. A fellow psychologist advised her that “You repeat what you don’t repair”.

This novel is suspenseful from the beginning to the end.

Thank you NetGalley

Overall this was a decent debut novel. It gives you spooky vibes but isn't "scary."

The writing itself was a bit off for me at times but the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading.

Overall I'd give this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was intrigued by the book's premise, but it fell short for me. I didn't like any of the characters except for Emily. I have read lots of thrillers that keep you guessing. Unfortunately, I just wanted tonget to the end and be done with this one.

3.5 stars rounded up. Many thanks to NetGalley & the author for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Sarah Slade & her husband Joe, have recently purchased the infamous Blackwood murder house with the hopes of flipping it & selling it quickly. However, strange things begin happening & not everyone is who they say they are.

This book gives MAJOR 1st season of American Horror Story vibes which I absolutely freakin loved! It also definitely falls more under the horror than thriller character which is perfect for the upcoming fall season. The biggest downfall for me with this book was feeling like there were major plot holes & the ending being too rushed. Additionally, none of the characters were exactly likable & I found myself not really rooting for anyone. Overall though, this was a solid debut novel & I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

Another thriller with an unhinged, mentally unstable FMC. This wasn’t the most unique story, and the reveals at the end were a bit underwhelming. Still, there were some fun twists along the way. I’m reading the author’s note, we learn that the author struggled with her own mental health, which clearly inspired this story, which gives some context to some of her choices.

I’m so happy I was introduced to Lisa Matlin! This book is ridiculously good. I was captivated from the very beginning all the way to the end, I could not put this down even though it was creepy. Do not let this beautiful cover fool you! This story is so twisty, unique and again….creepy. I’m looking forward to more from Lisa Matlin and will be recommending this book to everyone. Thank you Lisa M. Matlin, NetGalley and Bantam for this ebook.

Sarah Slade, a therapist with a bestselling book and blogger, has bought a beautiful Victorian house in an affluent community, hoping to renovate and run and make tons of money while saving her struggling marriage. Unfortunately for Sarah, a high profile murder happened in the house years ago… That’s why it was so cheap. And the neighbors don’t want her there. And her marriage is still struggling. And the house doesn’t seem to like the renovations. Sarah begins to receive strange, threatening notes that know things no one should know. Her cat hears things and acts strange. Everything Sarah has built starts to unravel. Is it the house? A neighbor?

Thrilling and suspenseful and not what you think!

“You shouldn’t have bought the house, son. It doesn’t want to be fixed, and it doesn’t want you here. And it’s going to make you pay.”

Pub date- September 12, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this book.

What a thrilling debut from Lisa Matlin! Another great read for SPOOKY SEASON!👻

What a crazy ride! I absolutely loved this book and it checked all my creepy thrilling boxes.
Murder House? Check!
Haunted House? Check!
Psychological Thriller? Check!
Unreliable Narrator? Check!
Twists and Turns? Check!

This book kept me up reading at night and it was CREEEEPY! 40 years ago a gruesome murder happened at Black Wood house. Sarah Slade and her husband move in to renovate in hopes to resell. As soon as they move in strange things start to happen. We are inside Sarah’s mind and it felt like I was going crazy with her! Pick this book up for spooky season!
✨Be sure to read the Authors Note at the end!

Very fun read with a fresh take on a murder story. I really liked the main character and found her storyline compelling. I wish I hadn’t guessed the twist as early as I did, but great read overall.

The Stranger Upstairs is a crazy, haunted, thrill ride! I did not know what to expect from page to page. Sarah is the quintessential unreliable narrator and admits as much in the beginning. Thus, the plot and characters are a mirage…or are they? I was left guessing until the very end! I loved the creepy, manic tone this book is written in; more than once I questioned my own perception of reality. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved it!

I loved a lot of things about this novel: the premise of the living murder house is perfectly spooky, Sarah Slade and all of her problems create an interesting and very unreliable narrator, and the twist that is revealed regarding her background was not one that I saw coming and helped to keep interest as the book moved along.

In many ways, The Stranger Upstairs reminds me of a Freida McFadden tale, and that is high praise.

Thank you NetGallery for the early copy of the book. In all honesty, the premise of the book was intriguing, but I DNF. It quickly lost its appeal and I couldn’t keep interest enough to finish it out.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa Matlin releases on September 11th, 2023.

Sarah Slade and her husband have just bought a new house, but this new house is special. This new house was once home to a murderer who killed his wife and attempted to kill his daughter. Their intent is to renovate the house sell it with the hope of making a generous profit — and the neighbors are not happy about it. They want the home to be demolished. It doesn’t take long for weird things to begin happening and it doesn’t take long until Sarah is driven to madness.

Okay, I’m going to start out by saying this book is creepy. It was one of those books that I couldn’t read while home alone because I felt like I was starting to hear things. It’s a fun story and Lisa seamlessly makes you feel like you are losing your mind as our main character, Sarah Slade, does. It is truly interesting in how immersed I became in this book.

The writing can be a little choppy at times, but I think that has more to do with it being set in Australia and me not being used to the language they use. It doesn’t take away from the book, it is still a relatively fast-paced story and one I foresee myself recommending for anyone who wants to read something that will give them goosebumps.

This book is definitely going to be a good one for spooky season. I recommend going in blind - it is so much fun to watch all the mysteries unravel.

4.5 stars. Might change my mind later and round up ;).
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for the ARC of The Stranger Upstairs.
Sarah and her husband, Joe, have scored a great deal on a fixer-upper a few towns over, and are looking to make a few bucks on a renovation. Unfortunately this “murder house” has other plans, and both the house and the local townspeople have no desire for a fresh start.
This debut novel was highly entertaining and kept my interest from start to finish. I love a good haunted house story!

Great read. Spooky enough to keep me interested to the end. The characters, including the house, are well-thought out and believable. I've read and watched some scary house stories and this one stands at the front of the line.

My thanks to the Author, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing the electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 Unreliable narrator alert! I've seen this trope used so often that I realized fairly early on that our narrator was unreliable, but couldn't figure out exactly why. Would it turn out to be the old reliable- drugs/alcohol or maybe something like stress and lack of sleep? But then it could be ghosts or a cursed house causing the issues- after all, the protagonist does go against all advice and buys a "murder house." All around lots of fun and a fairly bizarre reason for everything that you probably won't guess.

I’m sad that I didn’t like this book about a murder house more. It started strong for me, but then I just started to lose interest. I stuck with it to find out what was really going on. I think others might like it though. I did appreciate the author’s note at the end. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Wellness influencer Sarah Slade buys a house known for murders with hopes to renovate it. She has a crumbling marriage and a soso practice and is hoping this will be her next big thing. However, soon she starts getting notes from a mysterious stranger who knows her secrets.

I thought this one was ok! I liked the writing but it was the story more that I thought was just fine. The big twist at the end was disappointing to me, almost like a bit of a cop out. It also adds another POV at the end. Which I understand why (Sarah was no longer reliable) but I think Emily’s POV could’ve been throughout. It would’ve made this less weird/jarring.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 rounded up - This was a fast paced, unputdownable thriller with a fun premise. The lies and drama kick off straight away and don’t let up. The FMC is pretty horrendous but an unreliable narrator with a bit of a twist is fun. This book was trying to do a lot - some things to a more successful degree than others. But it had the creepy vibes I was looking for! And we all know I am here for vibes 🤌🏻

While this definitely wasn’t perfect, it was an impressive debut. Overall, I think this is worth the read if a murder house renovation premise intrigues you, and I think Matlin’s only going to get better from here!