The Stranger Upstairs Review!

Thank you so much Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for this gifted e-read in exchange for an honest review! The Stranger Upstairs is out September 26, 2023!

When a house is considered a “Murder House”, you can almost always guarantee I’ll pick it up! Also, this cover was stunning. 😍The Stranger Upstairs was a 3.5/5 ⭐️ for me! Unreliable narrators are always fun and I didn’t really have a clue where this was going due to that. I wasn’t much of a fan of the characters and the whole towns people was a little cheesy. I also thought the ending was super abrupt and unexpected. That was the main reason for the rating!

Synopsis: Sarah Slade is a hot mess who is dealing with a rocky marriage while being an unqualified marriage therapist herself. On top of all that, she decides to buy a a murder house and fix it up. That should solve all her problems! 👍🏼

I really enjoyed this thriller! Crazy mess of a main character, Sarah Slade, is a self proclaimed therapist and influencer who buys a murder house to remodel and make a profit. But things don't go according to plan.
At first, I thought it would be another haunted house supernatural been there read that story. But this one took quite a twist! I would recommend!
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC!

This was an impressive debut novel with all kinds of twists and turns that kept me guessing.

Sarah and her husband by a house that is famed for a murder-suicide that happened 40 years earlier and hasn’t been lived in since. Sarah puts on a facade of a happily married therapist excited to begin renovations on the home with her husband, but secrets quickly start being revealed and everything begins to unravel.

The creep factor was high in this book with the ominous vibes the house gives off. It was so well done, there were times I was trying to read before going to bed and decided to save it for an afternoon read. It kept me guessing and turning the pages quickly to find out what was happening and who could or couldn’t be trusted. It got a little bit difficult to follow and untangle at times, but my interest wasn’t lost. I did still have some questions I wanted answered or given more detail about, though it didn’t take too much away from the story. Overall, this was a good, creepy thriller that was a quick read.

Ok, buckle up. This book was a wild ride. Phew!

Characters: well, I think we can all agree that Sarah is a despicable human being. Wowwwww. She’s a complete psychopath. Maybe that’s not the right DSM diagnosis, but it’s not like she would know anyway 🤨 Joe? He’s a spineless idiot, for lack of better descriptors. The neighbors? The coworkers? Horrible lot of people. Emily and the cat? Literally the only characters who I was rooting for.

Setting: oh the infamous Black Wood House. The murder house. I made the mistake of reading this at night and definitely regretted it. There were parts of this book that read like psychological horror, and parts that were just psychological thriller. The setting was downright creepy.

Plot: Deception, deception everywhere. I wish the storyline with the blogging had gone further, simply because I’m obsessed with influencer thrillers right now. Alas, it didn’t, and I thought the ending was rushed, or could have used more detail to prolong it, or something. There was a lot of buildup to it, and I was a little underwhelmed but not completely.

Twist: I was glad for that twist instead of the direction I fully expected it to go. I was shocked by the epilogue and realized there was a lot of hinting toward that side of the story throughout.

Other thoughts: This was a really twisty book and really made me think! Once I got into it, I didn’t want to put it down.

Definitely didn't see this ending coming...although you learn, almost immediately there are two unidentified dead bodies! Sarah, the train wreck protagonist, and her husband Joe have a marriage in trouble, and we gradually learn why! Renovating a murder house doesn't seem to be bringing them together!

Wow. What a ride this book was! I thought I disliked all the characters, turns out, there was a reason. I could not put this book down, and was so surprised at the ending. I definitely recommend reading it.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Bantam an Imprint of Random House Publishing Company. This book has many twists and turns that you will want to see what happens next! I would have never guessed the ending at first! This book has drama, mystery, suspense and some thrill action. Charwcters Joe and Sarah buy a house with history for a great price. But is it too good to be true? Can they renovated and make money of this property or lose everything. Who can you trust? Can a house be haunted? Can something or someone be poisoning people or others around you? This book can be read anywhere but by a mature reader.

I really wanted to like this one but it was a miss for me. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters as everything felt too distant.

I loved this book! I had no clue what was gonna happen next and loved every minute. It was creepy and crazy!

I can’t wait for this author’s next book!


Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The description had so much promise, but unfortunately the execution just didn't work for me. I felt the narrative kept circling around what was going on with the house and how people in the town were or weren't involved and the issues of what the main character's husband was actually up to. It seems like stronger editing could have helped to flesh out several elements of the plot that seemed to languish. The end of the book where an additional point of view was brought in to help tie up a few loose ends felt off to me. Parts of the ending felt like a serious reach and the author left some questions outstanding that I felt should have been resolved.

The Stranger Upstairs was a fast page turner that kept me on my toes, but ultimately was a bit of a let down for me. While this had some unique components and an interesting ending, I am not a fan of any thriller that portrays the female protagonist as crazy/losing her mind - regardless of the circumstances. For this reason, I was a bit frustrated with The Stranger Upstairs from the get-go. There were moments where this was redeemed for me, but not enough to earn a higher rating.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was throwing me around like a rag doll!! So many twists & turns literally obsessed!! I am going to be recommending this book to everyone I know. Definitely a 5/5 star read!

I was so bummed when this book was over, I absolutely loved it from cover to cover. It’s definitely one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read this year. First, the cover is beautiful and got my attention right away. The storyline was unique and intriguing. It was so creepy at times, kept my attention the whole time and I flew through it. Definitely check it out if you’re looking for a fast paced chilling story! I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bantam and of course Lisa Matlin for the advance digital copy for my thoughts and review!

4.5 stars! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House - Ballentine for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Lisa Marlin’s debut is out this upcoming September! Super excited my wish was granted for this one.

Thriller lovers, you’ll enjoy the pacing of this one! This one reads SO fast, and before I knew it, I was halfway through the book. This one follows Sarah, a therapist and Joe, who move into a house where a murder has been committed in the past, and things start to unravel quickly. Sarah is quickly painted as a potential unreliable narrator, and you start to wonder what’s going on as her past unravels. Honestly, I didn’t see where this one was going to take me, and there ended up being a few characters introduced that didn’t really have anything to do with anything (but I suspected they might have - wrong), but overall, if you enjoy domestic thrillers that move very quickly, I think you’ll enjoy this!

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC - pick this one up September 26, 2023!

OH MY GOODNESS!! What an INCREDIBLE debut novel!! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

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. I recommend not reading it late at night like I did because I definitely wanted to put my kindle in the freezer and might have slept with a light on in my room!😬 There are so many harrowing twists and turns and you will find yourself questioning everything!

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 completely captivated from start to finish! If you are looking for a unique and creepy thriller to read that will keep you guessing then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book and it deserves a million stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the kind of book you read in one sitting.

Of course, It was nighttime and I was reading towards the end of the book. My heart was racing, any sound I heard made my heart jolt and body jump. I was completely captivated and invested in this story.

This was my first, dare I say… scary read?

Sarah Slade is a wannabe instagram influencer/therapist who decides to purchase a haunted house with her husband, Joe. 40 years ago, there was a terrible murder that happened inside the house. The community wants to tear it down but Sarah is confident she can fix this old house up and make a profit. It would be the perfect project for her social media and getting endorsements.

But the house does not want to be fixed. Sarah starts to hear sounds and noises coming from the attic. She starts receiving notes with information only she would know. It doesn’t help that she and her husband have their own secrets and a past they’re running from. Paranoia turns into desperation and Sarah is determined to find out what or who is messing with her.

There were a couple of inconsistencies that needed explanation (what happened to the black Labrador, Winter? And who put the dead rat in the mailbox?)

Other than that, it was an enjoyable, fast paced read that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. If you like elements of horror and twisted characters, this book is for you!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine, Lisa M. Matlin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is slated to be published on September 26, 2023.

I’m not one for horror but the premise of this drew me in. I expected a book that focused on the house but this is really more about our narrator Sarah. The author does a great job drawing you in and keeping you unsettled as pieces are slowly revealed and then suddenly we get newspaper articles that are jarring as they are from a future we have not gotten to yet. The pacing was good, even as the events and characters started to repulse the story kept moving forward enough to keep me curious about where it was going. It’s a hard book to write about without giving anything away. If you like the premise and are prepared for dark and twisted characters give this one a try. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date September 25 2023
This book will keep you at the end of your seat. The main character is a social media influencer with a bad past and failing marriage buys a murder house that had been abandoned for years to try and remodel it and sell it for profit. None of the neighbors are friendly and the main character does not have any friends. This was one of my favorite thriller books of all time. Lots of suspense, anxiety and fear.

Sarah Slade has a plan, purchase the Black Wood House house cheap, fix it up, and sale it for a big profit... but the house has other plans for her! As she and the workers she hired start to expose the bare bones of the house they start to experience unexplainable things, things are downright haunting. Which is to be expected when you start messing with a house that has a murderous past...

As I settled down with The Stranger Upstairs it didn't take long to realize I had stumbled upon a really spooky edge of your seat kind of story... it's well crafted words had me on edge the whole way through. Our heroine has a great plan, but I worried a bit about her safety and sanity, messing with a house with that kind of bad juju is bound to catch up to you... and it does!

This first time read had me gasping in surprise, jumping at every little noise, and dangling helplessly from the edge of my seat the whole way through. I got so wrapped in the words that I forgot about the world around me, and the clock beside my bed telling me I needed to go to sleep... it was impossible to put this one down! And on a side note the loss of Zzzz's were totally worth it! If you like spinetingling tales that hold you captive from start to finish you have to pick this one up!!! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Sarah Slade is making a fresh start. She is a social
Media influencer and she buys a murder house to renovate. What could go wrong? As she starts to renovate she becomes uncomfortable living l the blood stained house. She starts to get creeped out and fears that something is out to get her. Is it her husband , a ghost or is the house against her! This one unfolds slowly and is very satisfying in the end.