First off I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review this book.

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS BY LISA M. MATLIN
Out 9/26/23

I cannot believe that this was Lisa Matlin’s debut novel. It was so good! I got Amity vibes and The Watcher vibes. All the while being nothing at all like those.
She is obviously a talented writer! This is definitely one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read this year!
I can’t wait to see what else comes from her mind.

This is my first Lisa M. Matlin novel and I was impressed! Solid storyline and finished it pretty quickly. Will definitely read whatever she releases next!

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover! The synopsis! Caught my attention right away. Both amazing and the story was even better! I seriously couldn't put this one down. It had the mystery elements that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The subject of mental health was unexpected, but nicely done. Usually a very hard subject to approach, but this author was able to write it with ease. The ending was unexpected and I felt somewhat disappointed at first. But sitting with it a bit and reflecting on what she was explaining, made it seem better than what I initially thought of it. I would definitely recommend this.

I went into this not sure what to expect and I was delighted by how dark and creepy and downright strange the book was. The atmosphere and setting were excellently written, with an unsettling vibe throughout. It gave me some Shirley Jackson vibes, too. Definitely recommend!

The first half of this book was pretty slow for me. But it definitely got better as time went. I liked the plot but felt the writing could have been better. “I bit my lip…” was said WAY too many times. At first it was hard for me keep up with the timeline going back and forth but again for easier once I figured it out. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters except for Emily. Overall, it wasn’t terrible. But not something I would read again or even suggest to a friend. Sorry, just not totally for me.

Sarah buys the Black Wood House, the home of a murder-suicide. She's an Influencer so she hopes documenting her renovation of this house will bring more views. Strange things start to happen and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the novel. The house was its own character within the book and it totally creeped me out. This is a debut novel so I'm looking forward to future endeavors by this author!

What a creepy psychological/horror thriller that keeps readers engaged to the very end!! When I saw this beautiful cover with all the pretty colors and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book! However, do not let the cover fool you because the story is haunting, shocking, dark and twisted. Sarah is a social media influencer with a secret past and is starting over. She decides to buy the Black Wood House and renovate it. Quickly, she realizes the "murder house" is more than she signed up for with the peeling wallpaper, strange occurrences, failing marriage and suspicious neighbors. Gradually, Sarah 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? This is a wild roller coaster of a ride!! I was so dedicated from page one to the very last sentence, such a creepy thriller!

The Stranger Upstairs comes out at the end of September 2023, and is the perfect spooky Fall read. The book centers around a Sarah, an Instagrammer and therapist with dubious credentials and a heap of personal problems. She and her husband buy the home where a murder occurred many years ago in an expensive neighborhood with hopes of renovating the house and flipping it.

The house is a central character in the book, and it is oh so creepy. The writing constantly creates a sense of tension and unease. As a suspenseful and frightening Fall read I think it works well. Unfortunately, I found all of the main characters entirely unlikeable. In fact, my favorite character was Sarah's hate filled cat.

I'm giving this book 4 stars, because it is very good at what it is--a novel fueled by an angsty, unreliable narrator and good writing. Ultimately however, this was darker than I prefer and therefore did not rise to the level of 5 stars. That said, I have no doubt it will be successful upon publication later this year.

Thanks to Netgally, Lisa Matlin, and Random House Publishers for providing an ARC of htis book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was awesome. This is a story about Sarah slade who buys a house with a history that is scary to most people and it is about everything that happens in between. I loved how this book flowed. This was my first book from this author. I’d highly recommend if you love thrillers.

Social media influencer, therapist and wellness author, Sarah Slade, buys a "murder house" to start over, document her renovations, and cash in on the views, the endorsements and the sale of the house. She's such a fame seeker, that she believes that what happened in that house 40 years ago will not effect her, but the past will come back to haunt you.

I was first drawn to this book because of the cover and title. I don't typically read horror-ish books, but the psychological thriller aspect of the synopsis made me want to dive right into this book. 'The Stranger Upstairs' had me hooked from page one. It's full of twists and turns I did not guess, and I honestly didn't want to because I wanted to see what unfolded at each turn. I made the mistake of reading this in a quiet, dark hotel room and freaked myself out. *creak creeeeaaak creakkkkkk* Why would I do that to myself? Even though I was creeped out, I still didn't put the book down, I kept reading.

What's upstairs in the attic? Why did she stay? What is up with the neighbors? Why are there so many secrets?

Lisa M. Matlin KILLED it with this psychological thriller debut. I look forward to what she has in store for us next.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC for my honest review.

Spooky house purchase with the intent to renovate? Count me in!

Sarah's dream house is the spot of a notorious murder that happened 20+ years prior. The townspeople are terrified of it, and wish to have the house demolished. Contractors refuse to work on it, and repairmen flat out refuse service. Wallpaper doesn't seem to stick to the walls and there's something just wrong about it.

I couldn't have imagined the journey this book would take me on. I don't wish to spoil thos well written tale, but I advise future readers to examine everything, and don't take anything at face value.

Overall a fairly good suspense novel. Did not really enjoy reading about the main character's husband and his qualities.

Wow wow wow!!! This book for line one had me. The writing style is so easy and nice to read ever for a moment or chapter do you not want to know what's going to happen next. The twist or omg sections in this book had me gasping. There are many points were I'm actually scared, proper scared like some of the best horror movies didn't make me feel this way. I feel in love with reaper and I always believe animals have a six sense about things like this. The author also brings in the reliable parts of the rich neighborhood where know one new is welcome and a husband and wige struggle to keep there love and themselves alive. 5 star I can't wait to read more from this author and so thankful for net galley for giving me the chance to ARC it.

How is it even possible that this is a debut novel??
What a FUN thriller. Very amity horror- ish. But, modern, creepier, and you don’t know what’s happening even when you think you’ve got it figured out. I kept saying “and he did whaaaat” “she did whaaaat” “wait whaaaat?!?”

Many thrillers are a repeat carbon copy.
This was not one of them.

5/5!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc- all thoughts are my own!

This is a fast-moving plot that revolves around a murder mystery.

Most people wouldn’t even consider buying a house where someone has been brutally killed. Yet, since it’s in an established neighborhood with a deep drop in price, it might be a good deal. Besides, the murder happened 40 years ago.

It didn’t take long for Sarah and her husband, Joe, to sign off on the Black Wood House. It had four large bedrooms and a library on two wooded acres of SE Melbourne. Other houses in the area were selling for more than $1 million. Their purchase price was $525,000.

Sarah had a great career as a self-help author and therapist while Joe worked as a bartender. She was convinced they could renovate and make a good profit. Afterall, she said, “I’m a fixer.”

The couple was happy. And then creepy things started to happen which didn’t seem to bother Sarah. “Most people sweep monsters under the bed. I pull the covers back and let them crawl in.”

The protagonist, Sarah, controlled her husband, friends and whatever happened up until the end. There were a couple of surprises in the plot but overall, there were no hair-raising moments.

My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected release date of September 26, 2023.

Don't let the colorful, pretty cover fool you. This story is dark, twisty, and full of secrets and gothic spookiness!

Sarah, a therapist, social media influencer and bestselling author of a self help book, decides to buy, renovate, and flip a murder house and share the experience with her fans as the project progresses. Black Wood House is a decaying Victorian Gothic that was the location of the horrific Campbell family tragedy 40 years ago. It's set abandoned in the decades since then. Sarah's husband Joe is a very reluctant participant but is pulled along for the ride. Soon, present day starts to mirror past events and things begin spiraling out of control.

I really enjoyed the dark, unsettling mood of this story. I was left unbalanced, wondering if the story was horror, possibly psychological thriller, maybe a haunted house or perhaps everything had a rational explanation. Is Sarah believable or an unreliable narrator? I loved the mystery and constant question of not being sure exactly what I was reading and how to interpret events.

Our main protagonists are pretty unlikeable, but I found them to be interesting enough that their flaws worked in the story's favor more than being a negative for me.

Overall, The Stranger Upstairs is a thriller/horror mashup with just enough gothic elements to add a little extra creepiness to the atmosphere. The story builds tension and a sense of foreboding at a steady pace, making this a hard-to-set-down thriller for fans who love a solid creepy-house-with-a-sordid-past story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for providing a copy for me to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. Matlin wrote a great thriller for her debut novel. Twisty in all the right places and kept the reader guessing throughout. 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! I was sucked in right from the beginning and binged it in about two sitting.

It was giving 'American Horror Story' energy with its slight comedic moments as well as mystery thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher (for granting my wish for this arc), and the author! I will wait to post my review due to seeing the notes in the front of the book saying to wait until its published! (September, I believe) I just didn't want to leave anyone hanging about if I had read it or not!

Once I got into this one, I couldn't put it down (especially after the twist to start part 2). Somethings I saw coming, but the last few chapters were done really well. I'm not a fan of supernatural/ghosts, so I was worried the first half that was the direction the book was going. The ending was unique and satisfying and plausible. Sarah was fascinating and somewhat an unreliable narrator, making things fun. I think there could have been a little more detail with the neighbors at the end (what part did they play?), but they were a good added element while we were trying to figure out what was happening in the house. Highly recommend when this one publishes later this year!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Review live now on GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5482918237 - and StoryGraph