I really enjoyed this book and the way the anxiety ratched up throughout. Although i hasn’t read anything by this author previously, i enjoyed her style of writing and will look for future books! Not only was the plot engrossing, but the character development, revealed slowly, was also good. Recommended for general purchase.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin is a psychological thriller about the purchase of a house where forty years ago a brutal murder was committed. In fact, there is still a blood stain in the bedroom that is a reminder of the long ago murder. A married couple decides to purchase the house and fix it up with the hope of a considerable profit. Is the house haunted? Is the married couple totally aware of what this house is all about? Mental health as well as the supernatural are explored in this novel. Read until the very end and do not be scared!! Thank you to Lisa M. Matlin, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Stranger Upstairs.

I love haunted house stories (or anything haunted, really) and the premise totally sucked me in.

Sadly, this didn't work out for me for a number of reasons:

1. The writing isn't great; repetitive, and how many times does Sarah refer to Joe as "my boy?" Too many.

I do commend the author, who is honest with her struggles with mental illness, on finishing her first novel during a time when she was going through a lot.

Writing a book is hard enough, but writing one while you're dealing with mental illness just makes it harder.

2. The relationship between Sarah and Joe is poorly developed, barely fleshed out.

I'm still unable to suspend disbelief that they were run out of town because of what happened to Sarah's sister.

Is that what happens in small towns?

3. Sarah is unlikable, and though I don't mind unlikable characters, they do have to possess a quality I do admire/respect. Are they sly? Devious? Machiavellian?

Sarah is a con artist, plain and simple. She's a liar, struggling to survive by coasting on her lies and fake identities. She's nothing special.

4. I wasn't scared or surprised by anything that was happening. The creepy notes, Reaper disappearing, Sarah's 'real' identity, what she and Joe did - ho hum. All formulaic tropes typical of the genre.

5. I don't like the ending, the reason behind Sarah's breakdown and deterioration. I hoped the house was akin to Amityville or the devil made me do it, stuff like that.

Overall, a good premise with tons of potential but wasted on unlikable characters and poor development of the haunted house theme.

First half really good, than just fizzled. Turned into something that I wasn't expecting .
Thanks to NetGalley for advance copy

I love spooky house books so I really thought this would be my kind of book, despite the MC coming off in the blub as not great. I should have gone with my gut and passed on this book, I have a very difficult time enjoying a book who's MC isn't likable. Sarah just was not a character I wanted to spend time with and as the story progressed the ending was just weird. Not weird like, different so it's awesome but weird as in not great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Does anyone really buy a "murder house” and not expect repercussions? Seems like our character didn’t do her due diligence before she made this purchase.
   Podcaster Sarah Slade and her husband bought this money pit with plans to flip it and make a bundle. Little did she know of the emotional and visceral connections between the neighbors and the victims that resided in this home. Stories of ghosts are widespread in the community and Sarah soon finds herself constantly trying to dispel this theory.  Ghosts are usually more subtle than leaving dead rats in her mailbox.            
   She is convinced it is a neighbor who is behind these scare tactics. Their home appraisals have taken a downward turn since the killing. Nothing short of her leaving and then having the property razed will return value to their homes.
   This is a creepy mystery with a bizarre ending that will make so much sense in the end..stick with it. Do people really go up dark attics alone, with no lights because they hear a noise??? You’ll be yelling at the character as I did.
   It’s a winner.

This was an impressive debut novel and I look forward to another book by Lisa Matlin.

Sarah, a social media influencer, author, and therapist, purchases a murder house hoping to increase her social media presence and turn a profit. From day one, the house appears to not want its new homeowners and Sarah begins a mental spiral as the house takes hold of her psyche. Sarah has a past that seems to haunt her as much as the house, a failing marriage, and a job that should help her keep it all together but the house and the town seem to have other plans.
There were parts that dragged on a bit but overall it was well paced and there were a couple of small twists.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kudos to Lisa M. Martin for such a great debut novel! This psychological thriller / horror novel was creepy and scary. Lots of scary things happening in this murder house.

Description:
A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.

Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies she’s crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?

My Thoughts:
Who wants to buy a murder house? Not me for sure. Sarah has aspirations of boosting her social media influencer status and thinks renovating the house will help. She runs into a lot more than she expected. There are twists and secrets from the past. The atmosphere in the house caused me to shiver. I don't know how she could stand to stay in it. I would have run screaming! The tension-building was perfect for the story. The plot moved well and only slowed down a little in a couple of places. I didn't like Sarah nor her husband, but the characters were drawn perfectly for the story. I really liked Emily though - she just seemed so friendly and caring. This thriller will keep you guessing for sure. I recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers, horror, or haunted houses.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 12, 2023.

A psychological thriller with supernatural leanings that reaches farther than the reader expects it to go. Debut author, Lisa M. Matlin, has created a spooky story that had me screaming "don't look in the cradle!" I admit, this book had me enjoying the creepy vibe.
Sarah Slade is a self-help influencer, a paid marriage therapist, and now a home renovator with a less-than-happy husband. Buying the infamous murder house isn't sitting well in the community but Sarah thinks she can make big bucks for little outlay. Only problem is no one wants her here including the house itself.
As the house renovation takes many turns for the worse, so does Sarah's mental health. What is unknown is what is causing the breakdown: the notes, the noises, the threats, the job pressure, or discerning what is real or imagined.
Addressing mental health throughout the story, the end notes by the Author also shares her own struggle with suicidal thoughts and mental well-being. In the notes, Ms. Matlin encourages the reader to reach out for help.

A terrific debut from an author to watch.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for inviting me to read an early e-copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A house where someone was murdered. A social media influencer who's faking more than just a perfect life. A Stepford-style Australian community where all is not as it seems. These elements come together into a delightfully creepy novel.

After Sarah buys a "murder house" to renovate and promote on social media (with the goal of turning a tidy profit at the end of the renovation), her life really starts to fall apart. Is the house haunted? Are the locals messing with her? It's unclear what's really going on and Sarah's mental health unravels as she tries to solve the mystery of what - really - is happening in her house. This book will keep you guessing until the last page, in a good way.

Overall, I wanted to keep reading but I didn’t feel riveted. A but predictable. I also didn’t like how mental health was portrayed.

Holy smokes, this is a debut author?!?!!? Can I give it more than 5 stars??? I read tons of mystery/thrillers and I haven't been freaked out by a book in a long time! The Stranger Upstairs is amazing!!! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! Terrifying and chilling, it tells the story of an up and coming influencer, Sarah Slade and her husband Joe, who buy a "murder house" at a deep discount in hopes of renovating and making a killing (pun intended!) when they flip it. Years earlier, a seemingly normal husband killed his wife, attacked his daughter and then killed himself in this house and it has been vacant for years. Is the house to blame for driving the previous owner to kill? Is the house possessed? Strange things start to happen the day the new couple arrive at their new home. The house is holding its secrets but so are Sarah and Joe. OMG this was an insane story!! LOVED LOVED LOVED!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Lisa M. Matlin for an ARC of The Stranger Upstairs. Honestly - fantastic. I’ve read other haunted houses books, but this one *chefs kiss* takes the cake. I haven’t been terrified with a book in I don’t know how long. This absolutely grips you, keeps you at the edge of the seat, and probably shouldn’t read at night. I’d pay to go to an actual haunted house, but not the Black Wood House. Sarah I had a love hate relationship with, Joe .. no comment. But Reaper was the star of the book lol! Once again - honestly - fantastic. Add this to your spooky season reads asap!

Don’t Kill Me Don’t Kill Me Don’t Kill Me

Those were the words heard from Janet Campbell as she ran from Black Wood House, after her father bludgeoned her mother to death with a hammer, before taking his own life. She hasn’t been seen since.

Now, social media Influencer, Sarah Slade has just purchased the “Murder House” which has sat empty for 40 years, hoping to renovate it and sell it for a tidy profit. But the house doesn’t seem to want to be renovated. And, the local contractors don’t seem to want to work on the property. Despite posting the progress on her blog, SarahSlays.com, she isn’t getting the sponsors she had hoped for.

She has selected the “murder room” with its blood stained floorboards as her bedroom but her husband Joe, won’t join her. He didn’t want the house, and he hasn’t wanted her in months, so he will take the couch. That is -when he is actually at home.

But her cat, Reaper will keep her company. He’s the rescue she brought home five years ago after reading his tagline which said, “This cat doesn’t like kids, dogs, loud noises, being picked up, and he’s been known to fight with other cats. He is also very possessive of his blanket and food. “ It was love at first sight!
(Good thing cats have 9 lives, he will need them-but he does survive!)

Sarah is a therapist who looks like she has her act together but she has her issues too- besides marital problems, she shops too much, and drinks too much-among other things.

And, she is hiding plenty of her own secrets. Secrets the neighbors will use against her to get what they want. And, what they want is for the house to be bulldozed and for Sarah to go away.

This book started out well enough although it had more of a HORROR vibe than I was expecting.

But PART TWO got a little too WEIRD for me. Definitely aiming to surprise and shock, it veered right into 🍿territory.

Although I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as other reviewers (again, sigh!) at least it wasn’t another retread storyline and for that I was thankful.

A buddy read with DeAnn and Mary Beth. Be sure to watch for their reviews for additional insight!

Thank You to Bantam for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Strangers Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin!

Wow. I could not put The Stranger Upstairs down. I was completely sucked in right from the start. The story follows Sarah Slade and her husband, who have recently purchased a run-down Victorian that was the location of a brutal murder nearly 40 years prior. The goal is to renovate, document it and then sell it for a profit.

Right from the start, I knew something was going on with Sarah and I had my suspicions about her. But I was not expecting the storyline that ended up happening with her and husband, and ultimately Sarah as a whole.

Yes, the story kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing, but it also tackles some tough issues like mental illness, and Matlin does it in a fabulous way. The mental health representation is great. The whole story feels like a creepy haunted house story, and then BAM, you're hit with the major twist which I thought was such an interesting way to end the book.

If you're looking for a fast, unputdownable read, check out The Stranger Upstairs!

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

When I was pre-approved for this ARC, I hesitated to claim it. Thrillers are not my genre, and I feel like I have a hard time writing an unbiased review, simply because I generally do not like the thrillers I read. But I decided to give it a shot because of the overall good reviews and high ratings online.

In The Stranger Upstairs, Sarah Slade is an up-and-coming influencer, and published self-help author, working as a therapist in an affluent and small town in Australia, with her husband Joe. At the beginning of the novel Sarah and Joe have purchased an infamous "Murder House" in the town, with the intention of renovating the house, and monetizing their experience as they go through the process.

From the get-go, the writing was messy for me. It's often difficult to understand where things stand in the timeline, as the author seems to play fast and loose with time in this book. Sarah is a very unsympathetic character but is also very inconsistent in how she is presented to the reader, and I honestly had difficulty believing she was ever successful enough to be an influencer and bestselling author, as well as a well-regarded therapist. Her life falls so quickly off the rails from the beginning of the book, that her supposed success prior to the events of the novel felt like a huge stretch.

The conclusion of the novel is quick and messy as well, with a new character thrown in as a narrator in the third act, revealing the cause of all the mysterious problems in the house. Suspension of disbelief is absolutely required for this novel, and as I said, with thrillers being a not so favorite genre for me, I have a hard time doing that. With that in mind, I feel I cannot properly rate this novel, and will give it 3 stars (rounded up from 2.5), thriller lovers might enjoy this one, but I did not.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

This story centers around self-help author Sarah Slade and her husband Joe. They’ve bought the infamous Black Wood House and plan to turn a profit by documenting its renovation and selling it. It’s a pretty simple set up that unfortunately devolves into something that was a bit too convoluted for me to follow in the end.

The house and setting were genuinely very creepy and honestly this was a book that I avoided reading at night. Coupled with a very unreliable narrator, there is such a pervasive feeling of unease and anxiety throughout the book that makes it hard to put it down. As things unravelled, however, it did become increasingly hard to figure out who or what I could trust was real. Overall, this was a mixed reading experience where I really enjoyed the beginning and was left frustrated by the end.

Many thanks to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for my gifted advance reader copy!

Sarah Slade moves to Beacon with her husband Joe hoping for a fresh start. They are the proud new owners of Black Wood House- the site of a gruesome murder-suicide that has caused the home to become the pariah of the community. Sarah has grand plans to renovate the property and sell it for far more than she paid (after documenting it all on social media #murderhouse, of course). Bizarre incidents and accidents start to occur once work gets underway, and Sarah gets the idea that the house doesn't want to be fixed. Even stranger, notes start appearing around the house containing details of Sarah's life that only she knows.

This was a solid gothic horror novel and a seriously strong debut from Matlin. There's a sense of unease and discomfort that pervades every page and ramps up as the novel progresses that made it so hard for me to put this one down. I'm also a big fan of epistolary novels, so I enjoyed that Sarah's POV is supplemented with blog posts and news articles.

I like books that keep me guessing, and I truly couldn't nail this one down. I tried to piece things together as I was reading, but the entire time I vacillated between 'is it the house' and 'is it Sarah' (or is is something/one else entirely), and most of my guesses were completely wrong.

TSU was a delight, and I'd recommend it if you like gothic horror, enjoyed [book:Just Like Home|57693472], and are intrigued by books that keep you guessing.

If you like totally unlikable and unreliable characters, you will love The Stranger Upstairs. This is an easy read that you will quickly get sucked into. I did think there was a lot going on and it felt a little disjointed, but it was good enough to keep me turning the pages.