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.

What a strange, creepy story! Very original and imaginative. Sarah has plans of renovating a strange house with a terrible past but who has more skeletons in the closet - her or the murder house? Kept me up too late finishing it but was worth it.

This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

Is The House Haunted?

I had a love/hate relationship with this story. the writing and storytelling are superb. The characters, not so much. Most of the story centers around one character who has been known by multiple names. I’ll just call her Sarah, her most current name. She and her husband have just bought an old murder mansion in an old established village. It’s been empty for 40 years and needs major repairs, but they plan to renovate and resell it. The house has deep, dark secrets, the villagers would rather have it torn down, and the neighbors are not friendly. Sandra and Joe aren’t exactly a loving couple, either, Sandra will fill you in on that. As the story progresses, the house seems to take on a life of its own and Sandra is caught in its spell. A truly captivating story that gets increasingly difficult to put down as it unfolds.

I've never read anything by this author, and I'm not sure if I'd be interested in checking out future books. I struggled to connect with the writing styles, as well as the characters. The premise sounded interesting, but it fell flat for me in the execution. The characters were unlikeable, so I never cared about what happened to them. The story was missing the "wow!" moments I expected. I didn't care for how mental illness was portrayed. Some plot points were unresolved, and others resolved a bit too neatly.

This book provides a steady eeriness to it that really picks up during the second half. I am still wondering about Black Wood and if the carbon monoxide poisoning was legit or not? I also want to know how the life of Emily 2.0 turns out!

Very fun debut novel from Lisa Matlin and I appreciated the journey she took throughout the writing process!

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Marlin
Published by Ballantine Blanton
Release date September 26, 2023

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Suspense: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

OMG! I am still trying to process what I just read. This was the fastest that I have ever read a book before and while I know I have said that this is the best author I have read, I absolutely mean it this time.

Sarah Slide, Instagram influencer, therapist, and writer, has just bought the house of her dreams with her husband Joe. A Victorian in the community that she loves and their goal is to renovate, and flip it. The house has a name because of its previous owners, The Black Wood House. And boy does it have a history. A history of death. However, something ominous has other plans and Sarah now must figure out what she wants to do. Take on the spirit that is haunting their home, or run from it all together. The only thing is, Sarah decided to document the whole experience on social media. Can she figure out the house’s past?
This was a very well written thriller that put together all of the things that today’s society wants to see,ghosts, murder houses, and social media but it is done in such a manner that it will scare the crap out of you. I was fully engrossed in this one and finished it in record time. There is no predictable ending here either but do not read it in the dark. The end will cause your heart to race. It will take you on one hell of a ride.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Whew this one was a wild ride! It was creepy, thrilling and full of secrets. I loved the twists and didn’t expect them at all! This was a fast-paced read and it kept you wanting more!! This book definitely gave me Amityville Horror vibes and had me slightly scared. 👻

Sarah Slade is an Instagram influencer and therapist. Her and her husband, Joe, buy Black Wood House which has a dark and chilling history. The previous owners were both brutally murdered in the house and the crime totally rocked the town. Sarah and Joe hope to move in and start renovating so they can flip it, sell it, and make a profit. Creepy things start happening and everything goes down hill from there.

This is Lisa Marlin’s debut novel and it was a great read! Definitely add this to your TBR if you like thrillers with some paranormal vibes as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Sara is a bestselling author and therapist and also a social media influencer who promotes wellness, when she decides to buy a murder house and renovate it to sell for a profit with her husband. What could go wrong? Well a lot. And it seems like everyone involved in this story has secrets. I though it was just ok.

The Stranger Upstairs
By Lisa M. Matlin
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thriller
Rating: 4.5/5

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin is full of mystery and suspense. This psychological thriller kept me intrigued by its eerie atmosphere and unexpected twists. Matlin's writing takes you on an enthralling journey and masterfully captures the haunting atmosphere of a Stephen King novel.

Synopsis:
Social media influencer and best-selling author, Sarah, buys Black Wood House with her husband Joe. When strange events occur in the house, Sarah quickly realizes its sinister history. This house was the site of Bill Campell's brutal murder of his wife, which led to his suicide forty years ago. Now faced with terrifying events in the house, Sarah must resist Black Wood House's dark past. Sarah's plans were to restore Black Wood and turn it quickly for a large financial gain. However, the task turns out to be far more dangerous than she had anticipated. Sarah soon finds herself in a terrifying battle against the ominous forces of the house. She must decide whether to confront the past or run from it.

Thank you @NetGalley, and @randomhouse - Ballantine, A Bantam Mystery Box, #storiesandsuspects and Lisa M. Matlin for my beautiful complimentary copy of this incredible book. I appreciate your kindness.

#TheStrangerUpstairs #LisaMMatlin #RandomHouse #Abantammysterybox #StoriesandSuspects #Gifted #bookmail #NetGalley

Absolutely blown away. This book was brilliant. I couldn't put it down and the last 100 pages will have you on the edge of your seat & holding your breath.

This book is about a woman named Sarah who is a social media influencer that decided to purchase Black wood house also known as murder house to renovate it and sell it with her husband Joe. Everything seems well on the surface but things start to unravel for Sarah quickly.

I loved the vivid imagery and the way the author makes you feel what Sarah was going through. I don't think you could ask for a better debut novel I can't wait to read more.