This was such a creepy and twisted debut and I loved every second of it. This book was just wanted I needed to get me into my spooky season reads

I absolutely DEVOURED this book, finishing in a matter of hours. I spent the entire time questioning everything I read, wondering what could possibly be happening. The story was so fast paced and even though I didn't particularly like the main character, I felt myself wanting to know more and more about what was going on. I think this is perfect for anyone who likes Alice Feeney, Ruth Ware, or American Horror Story. Looking forward to more from this author in the future!

"You repeat what you don’t repair."

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc for The Stranger Upstairs! Following Sarah's descent into madness was such a fun read. I was able to predict most of the twists throughout but that did not stop me from binge reading this in just a couple hours. Lisa M. Matlin states in the acknowledgements her struggle with mental health and how it affected the writing of this novel, so I am very happy she finished this great debut and I hope to read more from her in the future!

This was a steller debut book. It gave me the creepy feels, but also kept my interests. I liked the unreliable narrator, and I feel that the twist at the end really solidfied it for me.

This book is gripping, unpredictable and addictive. It’s crazy good! If this is Lisa Matlin’s debut book, she has a fabulous career ahead of her.

Sarah and her husband, Joe, buy what is known as a murder house. Forty years prior, a murder/suicide took place here, but Sarah thought she could gain more social media followers if she did something crazy, like buy, renovate and live in an actual murder house. With her marriage crumbling, her job on the rocks and her precious cat, Reaper, getting sick, Sarah feels like she’s losing her mind. Maybe the house is alive and asking her to leave. Maybe she’s just drinking too much to dampen her nerves.

Whatever is going on, Sarah must keep going. She refuses to let the house win, the neighbors bully her out of her new home or give up on her dreams of flipping this house. But to what extent?

With many clever plot twists, this rates 5 stars, and I urge you to pick up a copy on September 12, 2023. You’ll be so glad you did.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ARC.

Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe buy Blackwood House, a dilapidated mansion where 40 years ago a murder-suicide took place. Sarah sees herself as an influencer and decides to document the renovation on the internet to gain momentum for her career.

Sarah and Joe have serious martial issues and the house doesn’t help the situation. Sarah moves into the murder room, bloodstain on the floor with its horrible reputation. The neighbors want her out, but the house has other plans.

As Sarah spends more time in the house the crazier things and Sarah becomes. Noises, notes, footsteps in the attic convince Sarah that she’s not alone and in very real danger.

Sarah and Joe have secrets from their past and both of them are extremely unstable.
This story made me claustrophobic and all I wanted was for Sarah to leave. Run away! But the house has other plans for Sarah and bodies start piling up.

This debut novel is a frightening and skin-crawling. Sarah’s snarky insane attitude and unbelievable courage made this a horrifying entertaining read.

This book grabbed me from the very first chapter. I ended up staying up most of the night because I couldn’t put it down. I was so wrapped up in what was going on with Sarah and who could be behind it all. I was definitely shocked by the ending and I loved it! I’m so glad I got the chance to read this one. This was a quick read for me (luckily because I didn’t want to put it down)

I did not finish this book, so I wouldn't normally give it a star rating, since I don't think it's fair to rate a book I didn't finish. I only put a star reading because the form made me.. I don't think the book is bad, I just don't think the book is for me. I follow the rule that if I am not enjoying a book after reading 30% of it, I allow myself to DNF it. I got 30% in (chapter 11) and decided that was enough.

It's probably only fair to mention that I have ADHD, and that I used to force myself though books I didn't enjoy. That combination means I'm pretty quick to DNF now if I hit that 30%.

In this case, as is with most books I DNF, it was the pacing that got to me. The book starts with two really intriguing premises that I was eager to learn more about: a haunted house and a fraudulent therapist. I was excited to deep-dive into both of these mysteries to find out exactly what was going on. However, instead of taking me deeper into those mysteries, the book kept introducing new ones: What's the deal with the creepy janitor? What did the husband do to have to hide his identity? What happened with the protagonists' sister? Who or what is in the attic? Who are the "others" that the neighbor refers to? Who is stalking the protagonist? Is there something supernatural in the woods?

Instead of making me more intrigued, the effect was that I never got enough information about any one thing to really care about any of it. Again, I have to stress that this may not be the case for other readers, it was just the case for me personally. I think a lot of readers who may not have my reading personality may be drawn in by all the questions.

A creepy psychological/horror thriller that keeps readers engaged to the very end!! A social media influencer with a secret past is starting over. She decides to buy the Black Wood House and renovate it. Unfortunately, she realizes the "murder house" is more than she signed up for with the peeling wallpaper, strange occurrences, failing marriage and suspicious neighbors. Gradually, she begins to spiral and loses all sense of reality. Is she going crazy or is there someone or something in the attic talking to her? I loved everything about this book! #netgalley #thestrangerupstairs

Who would buy a house where there was a brutal murder?

Well… Sarah Slater did.

Sarah wanted to buy the house just because she wanted people to see that she can fix the house just like she fixes people in her therapy sessions.

Meanwhile, she can’t fix her own marriage, and she can’t let her past be known, but it seems as if someone does know.

Why didn’t anyone want the murder house?

No one wanted it mainly because of the murder, but sounds from upstairs, bizarre accidents, intimidating notes and more make Sarah wonder what’s going on.

Someone doesn’t want her to change anything, and a neighbor warns her about someone in the attic.

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS is one mystery fans and those readers who like creepy, haunted houses and characters with secrets won’t want to miss. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lisa M. Matlin for this advanced copy!

Wow! I completely hooked with this one. I could not put it down and I would have read it all the way through in one sitting if I didn't have to work! The writing kept me drawn in and fully immersed in the setting. I was imagining the house that Sarah Slade purchased to renovate. The imagery was so detailed and the setting was just so perfect. the characters were so well written and I felt like I knew them personally.
The big twist about Sarah threw me and it was thrown in so sly--you may have missed it if you blinked on that page! There were a few smaller twists throughout the book and I figured out one before it came up, but I still enjoyed the way it came into the story.
I also have to say that I loved the cover. The pink was so unexpected and I loved it. I can't wait to see what else Lisa M. Martin comes out with.

#TheStrangerUpstairs #NetGalley

Ooh this was the perfect spooky read! The twists kept me turning the pages quickly and I could not put this down. I had so many theories that were proven wrong. This is a great one to read this fall!

Oh boy, this was very creepy. Which is a good thing coming from a thriller. The main character is extremely unlikable and full of secrets. This book has Gone Girl and Luckiest Girl Alive vibes, so if you enjoyed those books you'll like this one. I'm only giving it 3 stars because I wasn't a big fan of the writing, the word "god" appeared every 3 sentences or so. I did enjoy the fast pace and the ending. Overall, not bad for a debut novel.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.

Well holy cow. I haven’t been on a wild ride like that in a long time. I haven’t questioned the narrator/main character like that in a book in a very long time. I’m usually so trusting of them because obviously it’s like we’re friends when I’m reading a book if that makes sense. Sarah put me thru the RINGER. I’ve never felt emotionally unstable while reading a book, but I felt like I was losing my mind while reading this.

Some parts I had to re read to make sure I was understanding everything correctly. This is one you have the give your undivided attention to, but so worth the read. This kept me up at night, checking every room before bed, and making sure no one was behind me if I was alone. The Stranger Upstairs gave me the perfect amount of scare/thriller/mystery vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing & Lisa M. Matlin for this ARC! Loved every second!

If you like horror stories, you will love this one. Sarah Slade and her husband Joe buy a big Victorian mansion called Black Wood House to remodel and sell for a big profit. They got the house at a bargain price because someone had been murdered there. Sarah is a therapist and a self-help blogger and is very strange while Joe is a bartender and is equally strange. The removations do not move along smoothly with unexplained accidents and strange happeninngs. I read this in record time because I just had to find out how it ended.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Bantam Books for the ARC of this very interesting book.

Sarah Slade and her husband Joe just bought a murder house, with plans to renovate and flip it as quickly as possible. The only problem is, the house doesn't WANT to be fixed. And they have other problems too: the state of their marriage, their hostile neighbors, the secrets they share that are literally ripping their lives to shreds. When Sarah starts finding menacing notes inside the house with personal details on them, she's determined to find out who is doing this to her and how to make them stop before they ruin the picture-perfect life she's fabricated.

This was such a compulsive read! I finished it in a few hours, because I simply HAD to know what was going on. And I didn't even come close to guessing! Sarah is a truly unlikable character in my estimation, but character connection doesn't matter so much for me in a thriller. I did love her spite-filled cat, Reaper, though. The house itself is creepy and dark, and I wish we had gotten even more gothic vibe, because what was there was great. Fantastic debut, looking forward to more from Lisa M. Matlin!

Thank you to Lisa M. Matlin, PRH/Bantam, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

Wow! This had me so paranoid while reading in bed late at night! This is an incredible debut. I loved the author and the story so much more after reading the author's note, which I highly recommend.

This is about a social media star moving into a murder house. (By the way, that's a detail that really cuts down on price in case you were wondering.) This famous therapist is not exactly truthful about her peaceful life. Her marriage is breaking up, and she often ends each day passed out amidst empty wine bottles.

One thing that I loved about this book is how it picked up fast. What I mean is, I'm always so impatient for the scary parts to start happening, and this almost immediately satisfied my inner demon. I loved the whole vibe of this story and am hoping to see more from this author!!

Out September 12, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This was another one of those “the cover made me choose it , but the blurb sold it” type of books. I really enjoyed the creepy vibes throughout this book. Perfect for upcoming spooky season. My mind was constantly turning trying to figure out the next twist and turn. I really wasn’t a huge fan of the FMC as I just found her to be really annoying and self-centered, but it all makes sense when the book comes full circle and all the secrets are revealed. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this title in return for an honest review.

So many things I liked about this book! But in other areas it could have used a little less or a little more! Will definitely recommend & read more works by Matlin! Perfect book for the Fall creepy season! 3.5 Stars


Description
Most people wouldn’t buy an infamous murder house to renovate for fun . . . but Sarah Slade is not most people.


A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.

But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I found "The Stranger Upstairs" by Lisa M. Matlin to be a creepy, chilling & creative debut thriller that had me hooked right away & kept me guessing until the very end.
I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.