Release date: September 26, 2023

I am not sure what Lisa Matlin put in this book, but WOW. This was such a great DEBUT novel.

I love a book when I get chills and there were a few times I was laying in bed thinking “ummm I need to watch something before I go to bed, because I can’t after reading that!” SO GOOD.

When it got to the twist I was like “oh okay” but then WHAM! another one and wait for it…. ANOTHER.

You should definitely pick this one up when it releases!

Thank you Lisa M. Matlin, Random House Publishing- Ballantine-Bantam, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Stranger Upstairs. These are my true and honest thoughts.

The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller by Lisa Matlin. It starts out with a young couple purchasing a new home, where a famous murder-suicide occurred. Sarah Slade, an author and life coach, and her husband Joe move into Blackwood House with the goal of renovating it. Sarah hopes to continue her success as an Instagram influencer and blogger by showing all the house renovations. However nothing is what it seems.
Sarah's marriage is failing. The repairs are taking forever. Her career is stalling. Her whole life is essentially a lie and now she feels like she is losing her mind. Is the house haunted or is she?
This story starts out with a nice premise of a woman trying to dispel the myth of the haunted house. Then it is all over the place. You have no idea what is going on or when. Is this Sarah's past? Her present? Her imagination? Is she crazy or drunk or is the house messing with her? The story becomes hard to follow because it's all over the place. Sarah is the absolute most unreliable narrator ever. Even though you may be confused and a little frustrated, I urge you to stick it out because the surprises and twists that await you are worth it.
I was annoyed by the character and the story design. However in the end it all made sense and ended up being an good thriller. If you are a fan of The Silent Patient and The Girl on the Train, you will also like this story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam Books for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

That was amazing! I’m shocked this was a debut novel, and sad because I was fully ready to go read every other Lisa M. Matlin book.

I was sucked in right away and couldn’t stop reading. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the book and when I’d be able to read more.

Sarah is a marriage therapist/struggling social media influencer, who buys an old house where a grizzly murder took place decades earlier. Her plan is to renovate the controversial home, while documenting it on social media. The end goal is to grow a larger following, get brand deals, then sell the house for way more than it was purchased for after reno. But, of course the house has a different plan for Sarah.

The twists and turns through this book were wild! At some points I felt like I was losing my mind right along with Sarah. I can’t wait for any other book that Lisa writes because I’m buying them all!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this ARC for free on netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Sarah's character is intriguing, but I wasn't sure if she was the person to root for or against from the get go. Without giving away spoilers, I can say that the book addresses issues like binge drinking, suicide, murder, mental health issues and animal cruelty. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be kept guessing until the end.

This book kept me reading and kept me guessing! Such a great story.
The buildup was perfect and the twist did not disappoint.
Very creepy ending, too!

Could not believe this was a debut! It was fantastic! Wannabe Instagram influencer/therapist and her husband purchase a house that was the scene of a grizzly murder/suicide. They are also on the run from some shady things that happened in their past, and aren't really who they say they are. As soon as the move in, everything in their life starts going bad. Unputdownable - finished it in a day! Looking forward to more from this author!

The cover is what for me interested in this book. And the plot line was worth it. I love stories about the history of homes and this one was… wow. It was fast paced and hard to put down. Everything was relatable. Some of the twists were expected. Can’t trust anyone in your neighborhood. Great debut book!

This was my first book by this author and trust me I will be looking for more. Who was murdered in her new dream home and but can she handle all the secrets this home is about to cough up to her? I'm tell you put this on your TBR list now.

I just finished reading a book that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story was fast-paced and kept me guessing until the very end. I found the plot to be incredibly engaging. The main character, Sarah, is eccentric to madness, making for a thrilling read. However, I have to say that I didn't find Joe's character to be all that interesting. He seemed like he was just written into the story without much thought, and didn't really support or help the plot along in any significant way. In fact, I thought the ending involving Joe was far-fetched and didn't really make much sense. Despite this, I must admit that the ending itself was simple yet brilliant. It left me with more questions than answers, much like the movie "Shutter Island." I can't help but wonder if Sarah is truly crazy, or if there's something else going on that we don't know about. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had such a fun time with this book, it absolutely took me by surprise. The story starts out with a couple buying a house that a murder took place in years ago. You follow the wife, Sarah Slade, who is the main character as she tries to renovate it while also posting updates for her followers online. Things start to quickly go down hill when strange things start happening with the house and with her. You get to follow an unreliable narrator and you don’t know who to trust. This book had some creepy moments and it had me wanting to know what was really going on as you slowly unravel the details. I highly recommend this fantastic debut. I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author in the future.

I enjoyed this one. It took me a while to get into but it was still such a fun read. I would recommend it!

The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller by Lisa M. Matlin. This is my first book by this author, and last. I wanted to give up reading it before I even hit the halfway mark and actually had to force myself to finish it. This story is about a couple that buys a murder house intending to flip it. The whole story is creepy, weird and the characters are unlikeable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One murder house, one social media influencer, one rocky marriage and a neighborhood of people that hate you. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Well......... A lot it seems.

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, she thinks she has everything in hand. Little does she know that her whole life is about to be turned upside down. Strange noises, intrusive thoughts, menacing neighbors and a marriage that is on the verge of imploding. Sara is keeping too many secrets and she may have finally run out of luck.

I was really excited to read this book, but I will admit I was left disappointed. I really liked the premise and it's why I wanted to read the book but unfortunately, I found myself not being able to invest in the story. There really isn't one character I could find myself rooting for and the one sympathetic character that was in the book wasn't fleshed out enough for me to form an emotional connection with. The writing style was enjoyable but there was too much exposition for my liking and not enough actual pivotal action scenes that propelled the plot forward and the ending left me feeling kind of unsatisfied.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Bantam for the gifted arc

A big thank you to Many tha
NetGalley, Bantam, and Lisa Matlin for the granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

The book is a real horror, thriller, mystery novel all wrapped in one. I read in the evening while my husband watches television. Let me tell you, I can not easily scared however, after my husband retied for the night, this one had me double checking the locks on the doors and windows and jumping at every noise.

I was freaking out, but had to keep reading to see what happened next. Wow! What a rollercoaster ride.

Be prepared to be surprised and terrified.

Loved, loved, loved the story.

Highly recommend

Sarah is a social media influencer/therapist who’s had a bit too much time pass between her successful book and the anticipated follow up, a book she can’t seem to write. So she decides to purchase a “murder house” a home where a horrific crime has taken place, fix it up and flip it to riches and new found success. Except that the house seems to be resisting all of her changes. And the façade of her happy marriage seems to be crumbling faster than the interior of the house. The neighbors are openly hostile to the idea of someone shining a light on the house and its tragic history, a history that has kept property values lower than preferred. Sarah is determined to succeed, but can she if the house truly is out to get her? This was a fast paced haunted house thriller that kept me guessing. There are layers to the mystery and a more complex protagonist than this simple plot synopsis details. Sarah isn’t a particularly likeable lead character, but she’s definitely interesting. Her social present a sunny image but the reader quickly learns that she’s a much darker character. Definite fun for psychological horror fans.

Dark, twisted and hauntingly well written. This debut novel reads like a seasoned B.A Paris. It has so many twists and while at first I thought this was going to go down the supernatural route it didn't. I loved this engrossing thriller. You see our FMC buy a house where a murder/suicide occured in order to renovate it and turn a profit. Meanwhile her marriage is falling apart and while her husband bartends at night and often doesn't come home she being to witness strange noises and occurrences in the house. You will begin to question what you think you know in this enthralling page turner.

So this morning I got up and thought, “I’ll just read a few chapters while I have my coffee.” I have not MOVED from this spot ALL day! Lisa M. Matlin’s THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS had me enthralled. I can’t believe that this is a debut!
When best-selling author Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe buy Black Wood House in Beacon, Australia it’s basically been empty for forty years after a man killed his wife, attempted to kill his daughter and then took his own life. The daughter escaped, never to be heard from again. A neighbor on the block, whose family seemed to run the town at one point, wants the house razed because it is bringing down property values. Sarah, a social media influencer wants to restore the home to its former glory and document it to her followers. Meanwhile, to pay the bills, she works at a mental health agency as a therapist. But, let’s face it, Sarah is a hot mess. She is unlicensed and drinks herself to sleep most nights. Her only true friend seems to be Reaper (great name), her cat.
As her three year marriage continues to fall apart, strange things begin to happen with both the renovation and her job and oh, she can’t get rid of this headache! Then she starts finding notes. When she begins to investigate she learns that there was a woman who lived in the house for only about three weeks before she disappeared. What is going on here? As Sarah’s life spirals out of control, she finally confides in one of her colleagues who offers support.
I’m afraid to tell you anymore because I don’t want to ruin it. My heart was pounding. My palms were sweaty. My breath was catching in my throat. My head is spinning. I thought this was one great story. The writing is smooth and concise. I could actually feel myself sneaking down dark hallways and the cold seeping into my bones. (Hard to do when it’s over 95 right now.) Lisa M. Matlin is an author to watch. DON’T MISS THIS ONE!

I am absolutely blown away by Lisa Matlin's debut novel, The Stranger Upstairs. Let me tell you, this book is a game-changer! From the moment I started reading, I was completely captivated, and it quickly became my favorite book of the year. The only downside is that I don't think any other book can measure up to this level of brilliance.

At first, I was worried if the story would veer into supernatural territory, which I usually dislike. But let me assure you, it didn't matter at all because this book was just so incredibly good! Matlin's storytelling is unparalleled, and the twist she delivers is mind-blowing and completely original. As someone who has read countless thrillers, that's saying a lot. The main character, Sarah, is deeply flawed, and throughout the book, we unravel her secrets bit by bit, leading to a shocking truth.

I loved every element of this story, from the presence of Reaper, the cat, to the cleverly placed red herrings that kept me guessing. The epilogue is a stroke of genius that left me in awe. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll stop here, but I must mention that learning about the author's personal journey with mental illness in the end added another layer of depth to the book.

I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Stranger Upstairs. This book has left an indelible mark on me, and Lisa Matlin has earned a permanent spot on my "must-read now" list.

Would you buy a known murder house? A house where a vicious murder-suicide took place? A house that has sat vacant for 40 years because nothing but darkness and death vibes surround it? Well, our main character Sarah Slade bought this house. Sarah is not superstitious, and the price was right! Sarah knows she can renovate the house and make a nice profit, all while promoting the renovations/updates on her highly popular social media page.

Sarah Slade and her husband Joe Cosgrove buy the murder house. Sarah is secretly hoping that while they start making repairs on the house, this time together will hopefully repair their marriage. Joe has become very distant, and he prefers to sleep on the couch rather than with her. How come Joe doesn’t appreciate everything that she’s done for him? While Sarah works during the day as a qualified therapist, Joe bartends at night and he often doesn’t even come home. While Sarah is alone at night, strange things start to occur. Noises in the attic, she starts to become ill, and strange occurrences keep happening.

Sarah has never felt more alone in this murder house, and the town of Beacon for which it sits. All the neighbors and townsfolk are close knit and stick together. The people from Beacon can hardly believe that anyone would even buy that house (which is called Black Wood), let alone live in it. Sarah eventually becomes close with her coworker, Emily. Sarah has never had a real friendship, and she’s hoping that she can trust Emily.

Don’t let the pretty cover of this book fool you, because this book is dark and twisted! There were many twists and turns in this book. And you wonder is Sarah just as ugly as the 40 year old murder house?

I definitely recommend this book, as it was a fast read that kept me turning the pages fast enough. There are some loose ends that I would like answers to, therefore 3.5 stars rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date September 26, 2023.
Genre- Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction

The Stranger Upstairs! WOW! I got this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was intrigued from the first page! I had to know what the murder house was about and what really happened inside! It was a twisted tale of who and what! I loved the story that was being told, what I thought was happening but then a twisted turn of events! If you love a twisted tale of suspense, haunted house, mixed with lies and psychosis this book is for you!! I loved it!