This one started off really strong, but it kind of lost the plot (!) after awhile. Our main character is an unreliable narrator and she's such a mess in general. It was hard to sympathize with her extensively. Overall, my bigger challenge is we never got to know most of the other characters. They flit in and out and sometimes get caught up in what has happened, but they aren't developed which reduced their impact. The book does have a bit of a horror element that was interesting and the murder house with its grounds are definitely creepy and atmospheric.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

What happens when a social media influencer/psychologist buys a “murder house”to fix up, and flip? Is the house haunted? Is Sarah crazy? Or can everything be explained easily?

This novel is not my norm, but boy did it have me on the edge of my seat! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ACR.#Netgalley #Thestrangerupstairs

Would you buy an old, so-called murder house situated remotely on 400 acres? That's exactly what Sarah and her husband do - buy the Black Wood house, which was built in 1889, and was also the location where a man killed his wife.
This is a creepy, atmospheric read that not only gives you all the spooky old house vibes, but taps into marriatal dynamics as well. As Sarah and Joe begin to renovate this murder house, you start to learn their backstories and unravel the mysteries of the entire neighborhood. I really enjoyed Reaper, the cat. Whenever animals sense something in the darkness, it is sure to add an element of fright!
Keep your nightlight close by, as this will keep you up late at night to finish!

This was... quite a book. Don't let the fact that I finished this book in a day deceive you - it was not a 5 star, award-winning novel. However... don't let my two star rating keep you from reading this either, as it was one of the wildest rides I've ever been on.

No one was likable, the story was somewhat confusing (too many names switching around to keep track of), and it just felt like a combination of The Watcher and Haunting of Hill House (but not in a good way). Sarah is the most unlikable character in existence, which made me want her to get whatever was coming to her in that house. HOW DID SHE GET A THERAPIST JOB WITHOUT BEING A LICENSED PRACTITIONER?!? DO THEY NOT HAVE NPI'S IN AUSTRALIA?!?

Also the whole town being in on the craziness was too much for me; I need my thrillers to be at least slightly believable, even when potential supernatural is involved. And this was too much.

Give it a read if you want something entertaining but bad; this is just the book for you.

Okay, mixed feelings, but overall, great debut novel!! I'll start by saying it is tough getting into a story where none of the characters are overly likeable. It's hard to know who to route for. Our main character, Sarah, comes off as completely superficial, and fills her holes with instagram "likes". Although, when we later discover she has acual severe mental health disorders, she did become more appealing. I felt like there were clues being dropped that never really panned out. However, at about 50%, the book seemed to really pick up, and I found myself completely hooked until the end. I even had nightmares the night I fell asleep finishing it! Looking forward to more from this author!

Free eARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes!

This one was kind of tough. I was excited by the premise- an influencer buys a #murderhouse to renovate for content and sell for profit, but is it haunted? Did the house have something to do with why the previous owner killed his wife and then himself? But I didn't think it was executed very well. There were lots of threads that never seemed to really pan out, the main character is terribly unlikeable- from the first 10% I considered DNF-ing because I had no interest in hearing any more about what a bad person she was. And then when everything was said and done in the end, I was pretty disappointed with the explanation, I felt like with the epilogue the author tried to create more of a spooky ending, and it just didn't work for me. 2.5 stars rounded up (and it's only rounded up because it takes place in Australia so there was a little novelty of the foreign setting for me)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story took a while to get my attention. A slow start and it seemed pretty repetitive. However, around the middle of the book (Part 2), I became fully invested and I was hooked. Sarah is an Instagram influencer who buys a murder house (the murder happened back in the 80s) and she wants to renovate and flip the house for a profit. As soon as she moves in, strange things begin happening. Are these things caused by the neighbors who don't want any outsiders in their neighborhood? Paranormal activity from a house that wants to be left alone? Or something else entirely?
Slow start, fantastic finish. Overall great book!

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa Matlin is an engaging thriller that blends elements of horror, mystery, and other dark themes to create an atmospheric reading experience. The novel follows Sarah Slade, a social media influencer who has recently purchased the notorious Black Wood House—aka "The Murder House," home to a famous murder-suicide scene—to renovate for her lifestyle blog and to escape her failing marriage. As Sarah uncovers the house's dark secrets and becomes increasingly paranoid, the reader is left guessing who or what is out to get her.

The premise of The Stranger Upstairs is intriguing, and Matlin's atmospheric writing effectively captures the sinister and haunting ambiance of Black Wood House. The novel kept me hooked and invested in the story until the very end, as the lines between reality and Sarah's delusions become increasingly blurred.

However, the novel falls a bit short in terms of its storylines, which often feel a bit flimsy and underdeveloped. The eventual "why-dunnit" reveal was somewhat disappointing, as it doesn't fully live up to the suspense and anticipation built up throughout the story. While the storylines could have been more robust and the reveal more satisfying, the novel still succeeds in keeping the reader hooked and invested in Sarah's journey.

The Stranger Upstairs was definitely a promising debut novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Matlin writes next.

The book follows Sarah and Joe a couple who buy a “murder house” with the hopes to renovate it and make a profit. Chilling things start happening at the house and Sarah begins to get very paranoid. The story is suspenseful, creepy, and full of twists and turns. I love the short chapters written like news articles. I hope the way it ended means a second book?! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

I was asked to review “The Stranger Upstairs” by Lisa Matlin.

Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe, have purchased the infamous Black Wood House in an upscale Australian area. The house is in famous because it was the scene of a heinous murder. Their goal is to flip it for a hefty profit. No problem, right? Even though she is a therapist/social media influencer with a self-help book, she is feeling the pressure to make choices that will help both her career and her marriage.

Yet, Sarah starts hearing and seeing things. And neighbors are not talking to her. Nor are her plans getting anywhere close to fruition. This story could easily fall into predictability but there were enough surprises that kept me wondering what could happen next.

Four stars.

Many thanks to our author, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced eGalley copy of the book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This reads like a first book by this author. Character development is lacking. There isn't a single likable person in the entire book. I can't recommend this book.

The Stranger Upstairs
By Lisa Matlin
Random House Publishing Group
Releasing September 26, 2023

Synopsis: Sarah Slade is a self-help writer and therapist but she's a woman of many secrets. She and her husband purchase a mansion in a tight knit community called Black Wood House. She plans to renovate it with her progress followed online to keep up her social media engagement while she writes her next book. The problem is her neighbors don't want her there and nobody wants to work on the house. Within weeks, her entire life begins spiraling out of control and it all has to do with the murder house. And is it just Sarah or is someone living in the attic?

Review: I wanted to love this. I read several reviews that were glowing, and I got excited. I generally don't like haunted house novels–they all feel the same to me–but I allowed myself to hope this one would be different. Unfortunately, this one could not hook me. I felt like a lot of the elements were cliche to the subgenre (as I'd feared) and the tension was never there for me. Though the psychological angle was promising, its execution was messy. There were things that were never rightfully explained, and the things that did get answered were underdeveloped or rushed. The finale had some interesting aspects to it and the writing was solid, but sadly I just couldn't get into this book. It needed to be darker and more detailed. Flashbacks might have made a big difference. There was just too much missing to make this novel feel complete and ready for it's ambition.

Bottom Line: The Stranger Upstairs tries to be a psychological hit but fumbles the elements, making for an uneven ride that never really lifts off the airstrip.

Sarah Slade, a therapist and influencer, buys a Victorian house in a small Australian community, envisioning renovating it, sharing progress on her feed, turning a quick profit, and getting lots of endorsements. But the house was the scene of a brutal murder 40 years ago and has all the hallmarks of classic horror mansion. When the improvements start going wrong, and her marriage starts to crumble, Sarah starts to mentally disintegrate. Who or what is leaving her notes?

Billed as a psychological thriller, this veers more to the horror genre. The book oozes dread throughout, and with each page turned more hidden secrets are exposed. I didn't see the end coming. That's the sign of a great story.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

That was...weird. It was a very quick and easy read. It was certainly creepy. It featured an unreliable and unlikable main character, but that's fairly par for the course in the thriller genre these days.

I fell into the story fairly easily and quickly, but something about it never felt like it quite clicked with me the way I wanted it to. I'm still not sure why. There was a very unexpected big reveal, that I must confess I found a little unsatisfying even if it was somewhat more plausible then the series of things I was running through in my head as possible villains of the piece. Yet despite the explanation proffered, which did tie up many loose ends, I still felt like I had as many unanswered questions as answered ones by the end, and that is always a sticking point for me.

The writing was very easy to engage with and things moved along at a decent pace throughout. I did enjoy the incorporation of off-time line news and social media clips, which served as teasers for what was coming in a way that kept me engaged even when my interest sometimes flagged due to the repetitive bad choices and general unlikability of most of the characters.

I don't know, weird seems to be the word I'm stuck on overall though, as a general feeling about the story. It's not a judgment word, just a feeling. Maybe it's that I've read too many "Haunted House" books recently, as well as WAY too many "These characters are not who you think they are" stories for several lifetimes (I really should stop picking up anything even vaguely domestic thriller-ish as they're all blurring together into a slurry of distaste for humanity in my mind). But despite the quick easy read, I'm still at a solid three stars here.

Talk about a page turner, I was so invested the entire time. Entire time! I needed to know what happens but didn’t want it to end either.

Sarah and her husband move to Black Wood House for a fresh start. 40 years ago a tragedy occurred there. Sarah starts to hear and see things that drive her crazier. This was an excellent creepy read that I couldn’t hardly put down. This will have you wondering what will happen next. The ending was unexpected. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Wow, this book was reallllly good! I first saw it on someone’s Bookstagram page and her review immediately had me wanting to read this book!

I loved everything about it-the storyline, the characters, the writing, and the ending.

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

A murder house meets a therapist, want-to-be influencer, what possibly could go wrong? Sarah Slide is looking for a redo. She already lives a fairly public life, and affirmation through public opinion is what is keeping her going. When she relocates to a well-known abandoned house that was the very house of a murder/suicide, she believe this will be her ticket to fame. Once she arrives at the house, she realizes the house and the neighborhood has other plans for her.

Lisa Matlin did a fantastic job piecing together an intricate thriller full of toxic vices and hidden pasts. This was a fun and fast-paced read!

thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all reviews and opinions are my own.

Pub date 9/26/23!!!

The Stranger Upstairs is a melting pot of social media 'murder porn', characters who are each shadier than the last, and unreliable narration, culminating in a thriller you won't want to put down. There are many layers to both the plot and protagonist, which are only augmented by Matlin's visceral description. The Stranger Upstairs will be fun for both the thriller enthusiast and the horror connoisseur, and I will keep an eye out for anything else the author publishes in the future.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Stranger Upstairs from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah has decided to buy a "murder house" to document it via social media . Both her and the house have secrets that need to be uncovered. If you like the idea of an unreliable narrator or house that harbors secrets this will be for you!

I loved where the author went in regards to Sarah's character, while not much character depth I could see where the author was going and the usual story line that is found in all books nowadays wasn't followed. It was original on how it all came together and made for a great read.

What I liked: Sarah and her plot line as a therapist along with her feelings of the house, very descriptive and atmospheric. And that ending!!!! Very nice. The author gave the ending a different vibe that really worked.

What I didn't like: I didn't feel the supporting characters had much depth and were side plots. I would have liked to see more backstory between her and her husband along with the history of the house. I usually hate long books because they get too wordy but I would have loved more backstory/words with this one, it felt too short! Overall a super fast and engaging read. Can't wait to read more from this author

Thanks so much to Netgalley, author and publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.