First of all, bravo to the author for being so candid about her own mental health struggles and how much this book was influenced by her own experiences. I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but was a little let down by the execution. I feel as though the main character could have been more defined, which would have made it easier to get invested. The story was very creepy and atmospheric, but the ending left me with some unanswered questions. As with most thrillers, some suspension of disbelief is required, but the twists are definitely unique and set this book apart from other “unreliable drunk woman” thrillers. This one won’t be a new favorite, but it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours!

Considering this is a debut novel from the author- it was pretty incredible. The plot certainly doesn't take you to where you think it's heading. I mean, come on, a murder house with a thriving mysterious background? What isn't to love? Seriously though, Martin gives you every twist you're craving in a late summer thriller.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was a really good book, enjoyed it.

Very atmospheric and thrilling. Kept me guessing until the very end! Will definitely be recommending this one!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The Black Wood House has been vacant for 40 years since the gruesome murder/suicide of its previous occupants. Sarah Slade and her husband Joe Cosgrove buy the house despite its reputation. Sarah hopes to renovate Black Wood and make a lot of money when she re-sells it. In addition, she will document the on-going renovations on her popular social media sites.

Can a house remember its past or is somebody trying to scare Sarah and Joe? There are blood-stained floors, footsteps in the attic, and menacing notes left for Sarah to find! What should she do?

This was a great debut novel! What originally sucked me in is the stunningly gorgeous cover. There were tons of twists that kept you guessing till the very end when it all makes perfect sense. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

This book was a wild ride. The Main character is a hot mess mixed with completely crazy lol. Kinda like a train wreck you have to keep going because need to know what is happening in the house!!!!

The cover is amazing btw!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Firstly, I would like to tell you that I will be suggesting this book to every person I speak with from this day forward! And it's this authors DEBUT NOVEL!?!?!??!?! 🤯

"All my life I've been told, You need to see a doctor.
The fuck is wrong with you?
You're strange. You're broken. You're not one of us. Maybe I'm sick of people trying to fix me. Maybe I don't want to be fixed, just like the house. We're dirty and hideous, and we love it. We have blended our ugliness into one pure thing."

There's a little sample of what this book/writing is like! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!!

So, 40 years ago, a couple and their daughter lived in the "Black Wood House". The husband killed his wife with a hammer, attempted to kill his daughter the same way, and then committed suicide. (That's not a spoiler btw....its literally on the 2nd page). The house sat empty until "Sarah" (therapist/author/social media star) and "Joe" (bartender) decided to buy it to flip. They got a really great deal on it, but theres literally still a bloodstain on the floor of the main bedroom! "Maybe it's Maybelline. Or maybe it's murder". (See, brilliant I tell you!) Except during renovations, it seems the house may have other plans. Shit gets crazy and then more crazy! I could read this book once a month and still not be tired of it!

I am so grateful to be blessed with an ARC through NetGalley in return for my honest review of The Stranger Upstairs. Written by Lisa M. Matlin. Published by Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

"The Secrets Within Black Wood House" takes readers on a chilling journey into the depths of a gothic and psychological tale. In this captivating debut, Sarah Slade, a social media influencer with a hidden past, purchases Black Wood House—an infamous location marked by a gruesome murder-suicide. Little does she know that the fixer-upper she hopes to showcase on her lifestyle blog will unearth more than she bargained for.

A book with a lot of promise and a great premise.

I may not be the right reader for this book, so I’m hesitant to rate it. But as was the bargain I struck, I will.

Grating protagonist (Sarah) so unlikable in action and “voice” made the book hard to get through.

Meh, this book was alright and, due to this fact, I feel like I don't have much to say. The narrator is pretty unlikeable throughout, and her husband + the supporting characters aren't much better either unfortunately. That said, I did think the twist fit within the context/plot of the book in spite of everything else sometimes working against it, so there's that.

what a creepy and unique story! sarah is a therapist, author and social media influencer. her and her husband, joe, buy black wood house after it’s been left empty after a murder years ago. sarah hopes that repairing the house together will, in turn, repair their marriage. as joe and her continue to drift apart, sarah experiences some strange occurrences in the house. she begins to spiral and lose her sense of reality. this book is spooky and sarah is a very unreliable narrator, which makes it an interesting ride.

I love the cover. although I felt the beginning was a tad slow, the ending had me flying through pages. I can’t say i’ve genuinely enjoyed a haunted house type book before this, but I definitely recommend! the major downside to me, was I felt there were some plot holes that never quite for explained or resolved in the end.

thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When Sarah Slate, influencer and self-help author, decides to buy and renovate a murder house with her husband for all of her followers, she finds herself way over her head. And as the renovations go awry, she finds herself entangled in a history of the house that nobody wants to share with her. Intent on getting answers, she will do whatever it takes, but also refuses to let the truth of her past get out. Will she be the next victim of the murder house? Or will she be a survivor?

Woah!

This book is so good. There’s so many twists and turns. The ending is so good. I didn’t see it coming.
If you look spooky stories this is the book for you!!!
Can’t wait to read more by this author.

For a while, this hovered around a 3-4 for me. The narrator is extremely unlikeable and I wasn’t really moved by her husband either.

But halfway in, things start to get unsettling. And you don’t quite root for the narrator, bc she’s still pretty awful, but you’re a little scared for her.

Then things get downright unsettling. I still didn’t feel like I’m completely on the same side as the narrator but at this point, I’m not enjoying her discomfort as much.

I had my suspicions about what was happening and I turned out to be correct, but there’s a couple different ways things could have gone.

The last few scenes don’t play out how I would have liked but they make for a good story. It’s dark as hell but I think it paid off.

Not every book is for every one. I did not finish this book, finding a lot of what the characters did unbelievable.

Really liked the idea and pace of the book. Found the ending to be quite disappointing. Not enough twists & turns for my thriller loving self. Ending was just not enough surprise, sad that an innocent character was killed. Otherwise, I enjoyed the authors quirks and relatable thoughts.

Thanks, Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Bantam for this arc.


The Stranger Upstairs was interesting. The basic gist is that Sarah and her husband Joe move into "the murder house" AKA the Black Wood House, the site of a domestic murder 40 years prior, that has remained empty since then. Strange things begin happening almost immediately, and there is where our story begins.

As far as a psychological thriller goes, this wasn't bad. I wasn't ever truly creeped out, but I am very rarely disturbed by most thrillers/horrors, and I did find myself invested in figuring out what the heck was going on inside that house.

I do feel like I've read several versions of this before - creepy house, the unreliable narrator on pills that drinks too much - but it definitely wasn't boring. Considering this is a debut, I can see this author's work growing a lot as they continue, and I'd definitely be interested to read more thrillers from them.

This was a great start for a debut author, and I'm excited to try more in the future!

I really enjoyed this book and was super surprised this is a debut! One of my main gripes with thrillers is that the twists don't always fit with the narrative and are very obviously thrown in for shock value, but all the twists in this one fit perfectly with the story, as messed up as it is. It's quite a dark book. My only issue is I felt the characters could've been a bit more fully developed, but even that's not a huge complaint. I would recommend it if the synopsis sounds interesting to you and you like thrillers with unreliable narrators.

This was an amazing debut novel! There are so many twists and turns that make this an incredible read. I can't wait for more by this author.