Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this piece.
This book is takes you through some unexpected twists and turns that keeps you wanting more! I don’t want to go into too much detail to avoid spoilers. If you like thrillers/mysteries you’ll love this one!

Lisa Matlin’s debut novel is an absolute trip! Part horror, part thriller, and all fascinating, I could not put this book down! I’m not a haunted house kind of girl, but the strange and creepy goings-on in this house had me hooked. As Sarah spirals out of control and gets sicker and sicker, she becomes more and more of an unreliable narrator, which is my favorite kind of narrator! I loved the blog posts and the way the articles interspersed in the chapters foreshadowed the mystery with such a sense of foreboding. I totally did not see the ending coming AT ALL!

I never really connected with the main character, Sarah. But, I thought that the plot and twists in this book were pretty compelling and kept me reading to find out what happened next. I thought that the plot trope of moving into a haunted house was done pretty well here, but wasn't anything super inventive. The twists and turns, though, were pretty fun. Overall, this was a fun ride that I would recommend to anyone who likes adult thrillers!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. This is the debut novel by Lisa Matlin and I am blown away! Her writing is that of a polished, well established author. If I didn't know this was her first novel I would think she's been doing this for years. This book is going to be very hard to review without spoilers, and I do not want to spoil anything! The author takes us through the story of Sarah our main character as she has recently bought a murder house with the intention to buy it and renovate it. Right away you find out that Sarah's life is now how it appears online and social media. One thing that I thought the author did so skillfully was make you really dislike Sarah but also want to keep turning the pages because you KNEW there was more happening you just could not put your finger on what that something was. As the story continues on the author made you feel almost like Sarah and could feel what she was feeling. I absolutely loved this book, story, setting, everything. I cannot wait to read more by Lisa Matlin.

This book kept me guessing through the whole thing. I couldn't put it down and it had me sucked in from the first page.
Lisa's writing was amazing and made sure to keep your attention. I definitely recommend reading this book!

Right from Page 1 the story sucked me in. I was a bit put off by Sarah, the main character who is an author, therapist, and social media influencer. I liked the idea of her moving into a haunted house. There were some thrills and twists in the book and it kept me wanting to find out what happened.

In which we learn renovating a murder house won’t save your marriage or your career…but you could lose your mind!

Not too many surprises, but that’s fine, I got exactly what I wanted out of this one. I’ll be looking for more from Miss Matlin in the future. A ghost of a good time.

I enjoyed this twisty little thriller. It wasn’t anything new or different, but it was well-written and put together. I will definitely check out more from this author.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! There was a lot going on in this book. From the murder house to the running away from your past life, it was awesome! This legit had me scared while I was reading it. I did wish that the reason people were acting crazy was for something more sinister but other than that this was an enjoyable read! If you're looking for a scare you should definitely pick this one up. This will be out September 26, 2023.

4 stars

This is a creepy - in a good way - debut, and I see a lot of potential in Matlin's future catalogue after this very strong start!

Sarah, the m.c., has many personal challenges, and she makes a strange choice to purchase a colloquially named murder house to resolve some of them. Clearly, her decision-making skills are not a particular strength! When readers first meet Sarah, she and her husband are moving into this notorious location, and it's obvious that their world is crumbling, right along with their marriage. Sarah's career seems to be taking a nosedive, her house is...trying to attack her?!, and even her cat (fantastically named "Reaper") isn't his usual spunky self. The best part is learning about all of this from Sarah's perspective. Along with all of these apparent stressors, Sarah is also deteriorating psychologically, but it's not clear why or how much. She's drinking a lot, experiencing time lapses, and, well, describing some pretty unbelievable "facts."

This thriller kept me on my toes from cover to cover. Readers need to be prepared for an unreliable narrator and some pretty creepy antics. Those who are will have a great time reading this one and will - like me - be looking forward to whatever Matlin produces next!

The Stranger Upstairs is a haunted house mystery that follows Sarah Slade’s instagram renovation of a murder house. This story is a crazy ride, for sure. The author never gives too much information away so the reader has to dive in and take a perilous journey into Sarah’s mind. Great read.

This book hooked me immediately! It is a gripping story that just pulls you in. I loved that Sarah was clearly unraveling and full of profanities and turmoil. Plus her cat is named Reaper, so you know that death is in the air. There were a few story lines at the end that I wish could have been given closure but the ending was still fantastic and left a little bit of mystery.

A big thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), and Lisa Matlin. This was a book I started and could not stop reading. I had to know what was happening. I looked forward to sitting down and catching up with the characters. Sarah Slade was a fantastic character. I also love Victorian homes, so I pictured her interest in buying Black Wood House. The twists, the turns, and the changing of the storyline will have you constantly slowing your reading down so the book will not end! Renovations, murder, and suspenseful evenings at the Black Wood House will have you wanting to know who is in that attic! I am hoping for a Part 2, Lisa.

Have you ever considered buying a house someone was murdered in? No? Sarah Slade and her husband certainly did. And quite possibly without learning alll the facts first. I think Sarah's drive to find fuel for her blog pushed her to do so, but what do I know?

As Sarah and her husband settle in, the reader is already well aware of the fact that there is more to this house than meets the eye. It's not just dust bunnies and morbid history. It never is in novels such as this. Piece by piece, life starts to unravel and secrets start to emerge.

This husband isn't as much a character in this book as the house is, but I'm okay with that. I didn't really need him. I did find myself feeling pulled to the pages by some force (i.e. curiosity) and blazed through the book. I didn't find the twists all that shocking, but the way in which the author released the bits of information and crafted a mood, I was hooked so it didn't so much matter. I genuinely enjoyed reading this.

If you enjoyed Mexican Gothic, this is probably a book you'll also love!

This was a Netgalley ARC

Sarah is a social media influencer with a dark past. She buys a murder house to renovate so she can document the whole process while she flips it and hopefully makes a big profit. Builders start having weird accidents, she hears noises in the attic, her cat is acting strange and she keeps finding mysterious notes around the house. She's convinced that someone is out to get her. There's a long list of people it could be. It could be the neighbors since they're not thrilled she is there, the husband since he's acting shady, or even the house with all its moodiness. Her web of lies and her past threaten to all come undone. Will the house be her final unraveling?

The writing style was good and I liked that there were journal entries and little insights into Sarah's thoughts. I also appreciated a different point of view toward the end. However, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I struggled through the beginning because there was just so much going on and Sarah is not a likable character at all. I can deal with unlikable if the characters are interesting but I didn't feel like she was.

It took a bit for things to really get creepy which is what I expected more of. It was super creepy toward the end right before things really came together and started to make more sense. But still I wanted more from the ending. It just kind of fell flat for me. I'm giving it 3 stars because it did keep my interest and I had to know how it ended. It wasn't a bad book by any means. You should still give it a try if you like thriller or horror.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa M. Matlin & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an arc of The Stranger Upstairs in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

First – being the cover snob that I am – I want to say how GORGEOUS this cover is! That is what first caught my attention to this book because Lisa Matlin is not an author that I was previously familiar with.

You’ll have to wait a little while for this one with an expected publication date of September 26, 2023, but it’s definitely worth the wait!

Sarah, a successful lifestyle blogger has purchased and decided to remodel the infamous Black Wood House – the scene of a grisly murder-suicide. She believes it will be great for her blog and hopefully her failing marriage. However, as renovations begin, strange things begin to happen. The handymen begin to act strangely and have accidents, she hears footsteps walking around in the attic, her bedroom still has bloodstains on the floor and she starts receiving ominous notes all around the house. The more renovations that take place, the worse everything becomes. Sarah is convinced that something is out to get her, but who or what might that be?

I won’t say that it was unputdownable, but it was a very psychological read. Is the MC crazy or is the house making her crazy or both? The MC spirals quickly and you begin to wonder what is real and what is in her head. This was a very quick and easy read that I finished in two sittings. Psychological and Atmospheric reads are my favorites and this ticked both boxes for.

It took just a minute for me to really get into it, but once I did, I was enthralled. The pacing was great from that point forward and Matlin did a great job of writing believable characters.

I definitely recommend picking a copy up once it releases!

4/5 Stars

I LOVED this one! There were so many twists and turns and I wasn’t expecting most of the events that happened. This comes out in September so make sure you add it to your TBR. It’s her debut novel too. You won’t regret it!

Wow, what an experience! This book was just everything I never expected and knew I wanted from a horror story. I never thought a book could affect me and actually make me as scared as I was while reading this. The premise is super eerie and immediately caught my attention. From the first few pages I already knew I was going to love it. The writing is impeccable, so vivid and compelling. Our main characters have a marriage in turmoil. They are not good people … and yet somehow the author had me rooting for them nonetheless, which had me so conflicted and I loved that. The humor is stark and so witty. The visceral insight into Sarah’s perspective was so stark, in your face, and shocking. This author doesn’t hold back or hide the darkest parts of Sarah, which made it feel so much more real and gritty. She is not trying to make Sarah out to be anything other than her flawed (maybe slightly psychotic) self to us - a therapist who delights in her clients’ misfortunes because it makes her feel not so bad about her own. There are moments of pettiness that had me saying well damn, wow girl, you need to get it together lol. Matlin has a talent for showing us the depth of a person and immersing us into the story. The personification of the house was terrifying in the best way. The bizarre, creepy, both supernatural and humanly evil events that begin to occur are dark, ominous, and haunting. Definitely don’t recommend reading this at night! This was a fantastic read and an author I would love to read from again!

The premise of renovating a murder house got me interested. I really enjoyed the writing style of Lisa Matlin. It was hard to put The Stranger Upstairs down once I got started. This was a fantastic read and I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you net galley for the advanced digital review copy.

My favorite book of the year thus far!!! Highly recommend! 5 well deserved stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, Bantam Books and debut author Lisa Matlin for advanced copy for honest review.

Influencer Sarah Slade has an idea to buy a house to show her followers her creative side. But she doesn’t buy just any house, she buy a well known murder house, The Black Wood House. Her husband Joe isn’t completely on board. Not with the big purchase, their new start, the bedroom with the bloodstained floor, or the feeling you get when you enter. Actually Joe hates everything about this house where a murder suicide happened many years ago. The neighbors also do not like what Sarah is stirring up. They are against her and her renovations, and wanted the house torn down years ago (for good reason). As Sarah starts the renovation, odd things start to happen. Noises in the attic. Creaks in the flooring. Notes left that only Sarah would know about. Nothing said aloud about past events that could have led to anyone but her knowing. As things progress, she knows the house nor the neighbors want her there. How long can she stay until she goes crazy?