Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I was so excited to be approved for this read, I dove right in and could not put it down! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

One of the most absolutely entertaining books I have read in ages. I had no idea I would end up reading the whole thing in one go but once I started I could not put it down.

The plotting was perfect and the characterizations were simply excellent. I absolutely loved the ending.

I have my eye on you, Lisa M. Matlin!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

What happens when a haunted house meets a pathological mess? That's the question in THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS, where an externally glossy Instagram influencer with a failing marriage and an ugly past buys a house where a notorious double-murder took place. Intending to revive her husband's flagging interest and their flagging bank account by renovating the house and flipping it for a profit, Sarah becomes increasingly convinced something--the unfriendly neighbors, the stalker leaving her ominous notes, maybe the house itself--wants her dead.
I personally would be too creeped out to move into a murder house. I really enjoyed this book from start to end. It moved at a very quick pace.

A relentless page-turner, The Stranger Upstairs doesn't break new ground, but the packages as a whole offers countless deranged thriller fun, making it an excellent binge read material—just remember to leave your thinking hat out of this one.

The female protagonist of The Stranger Upstairs is a chaotic mess, author Lisa Matlin does an excellent job introducing this anti-heroine; the amount of red herrings revealed about her in the first couple chapters have me fully hooked—it is this character's nastiness that brings me majority of the reading dopamine—a train wreck one simply can't look away. If you're looking for twists, The Stranger Upstairs definitely packs them—certain sections give me The Last House on Needless Street vibe (but way less serious and more camp); even though my reaction to the ultimate reveal was an immediate 'WTF' and felt like it was a complete cop-out, the sinister epilogue did salvage the situation quite a bit. I also don't think many of its narrative choices would hold up under scrutiny, so it is definitely one of those 'just live in the moment' type of storytelling.

The absence of expectation plays a critical role in elevating my experience with The Stranger Upstairs, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotionally-raw writing, and the onslaught of visceral moments in this debut novel (the author's notes proves it further—I can see how this was quite a cathartic project for her). The tropes and scenarios are by no means original, and I wouldn't label this as a story with depth, but the thrill is delivered with such a punch, that it remains a great time nevertheless.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin. #TheStrangerUpstairs #NetGalley
I received this #arc via NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you to Lisa Matlin and Random House for the read!

Black Wood House has its grip on all those who dare enter and the Strange Upstairs had me hooked from the beginning. The writing is pure genius and the switch from "news and media" to first person narrative, made me feel like Sara, or is it Lizzy...or Amanda?!?

Chapters 7/8 were the ones that gripped me and kept me coming back for more. As an author Lisa M. Matlin understands how to dangle a carrot and keep chasing. There is no 100% sure way to solve this puzzle until the end! I was convinced right along with Sara, about who was "haunting/harming" her and in her head.

Great spook and thriller. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller. This is definitely Amityville meets Gone Girl! Lots of great twists and layers to unfold!

This was ok but it really didn’t do much for me, it wasn’t really the style of writing I usually read and just wasn’t for me.

~This was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book up until the ending. It almost felt rushed towards the end, but I still think it is a book everyone should read. It’s a great thriller and you really start to feel for the main character as her story unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So the summary of this book sounded really interesting and like a good thriller.
The book itself, is quite different. It is bizarre and confusing and a bit of a strange ride. I don’t know how else to describe it.
The main characters, Sara and her husband Joe are not at all likable. I don’t think I cared for any character in the entire book.
A couple times I considered not finishing it but forced myself through it.
This is just a weird one. Others may enjoy it but I just did not.
Too many things going on and a bit too much confusion and lack of explanation to what is going on.

Thank you SO much Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group! This book has to be my #1 of the year! I’m not sure what I was expecting but this far surpassed my expectations! Psychological psychopath vs Amityville Horror! This book had my creeped out in the middle of the night and even when you thought there might be an explanation you better think twice!! Loved this and need more like this!!! Finished in 2 days!

I received an ARC of this debut novel by Lisa Matlin through NetGalley.

This is the story of a woman (Sarah Slade) who buys a "murder house" which has been vacant for 40 years, ever since it was the scene of a murder-suicide. Sarah buys it cheap (she thinks) and goes about starting to renovate so she can gain a mighty profit by flipping it.

These plans quickly go awry. The house is evidently haunted. And as Sarah tries to come to grips with what's going on in her house, who might be out to get her and why the neighbors seem so unwelcoming to her, the reader slowly learns about the secrets of her past.

for me, I did not find Sarah to be a likeable character at all. Interesting but not likeable. And I found the plot to be confusing at times. Finally, the resolution at the end was sudden and incomplete.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It has many twist from the beginning that kept me shocked and entertained entire time!

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

**SPOILERS**

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It was an entertaining, haunting, spooky story. The main issue that I had with it, however, it that it got confusing in some places. I honestly don’t fully know what happened - as I feel like my questions did not fully get answered. The book does not need to wrap up in a perfect bow, but I feel like I had just as many questions at the end as I did at the beginning. I did like the writing style of the book and the way the chapters flowed! I would give 3.5 if Goodreads did half stars!

This story revolves around Sarah, who has just purchased a house famous for a double homicide.
When Sarah moves in with her husband, weird things start happening. Throughout it the book you also discover that Sarah’s past and the town itself is not who they seem.

I received an advanced reader copy of this through NetGalley, so thank you to them!

Such a good read - I really enjoyed this book & the thrill of it. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Idk what to do here y'all. It isn't that there is anything especially good happening here, though it is fresh in a dirty kind of way that I think would've continued to grow on me, but there absolutely isn't anything bad, so, enjoy?

Very spooky and so good! Told from multiple viewpoints you are drawn into the mystery of the house, what really happened to all the previous tenants, and what is Sarah really hiding?! Quick read, full of suspense and drama.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Matlin and Bantam (Random House) for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Thank you #NetGalley and #randomhousepublishing for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: Sept. 26, 2023

4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

"A social media influencer buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this deeply psychological gothic debut thriller."

This was 253 pages of gripping mystery and thrills! This was a quick read that wasn't lacking suspense. Think Amityville horror, but the new homeowners have some dark secrets, too. This is Lisa Martin's debut novel, and you will certainly want to read this when it's published in September!

I enjoyed this book it was an interesting story and concept. It kept me intrigued throughout most of it even though the beginning was kinda slow it was still a good read.

“Houses don’t make people crazy.”
Sarah and Joe purchase a home for a really good deal. It’s super affordable because a terrible murder-suicide occurred inside the home decades ago and it’s been sitting empty since. Sarah took on this project and is going to document it to her hundreds of thousands Instagram followers. However, Sarah and Joe quickly realize this project isn’t going to go as they expected. The not so happily married couple (who have a ton of secrets they are keeping from each other and the world) quickly begin experiencing terrifying things. “You shouldn’t have bought the house, son. It doesn’t want to be fixed, and it doesn’t want you here. And it’s going to make you pay.”
This book was crazy, crazy good. I really enjoyed it and got goosebumps from being so spooked. It was creepy, suspenseful and shocking. This is probably the creepiest book I have read in a long time.
Aside from being super creepy, I really appreciated how relatable the author made Sarah. Sarah was struggling in real life in her marriage, career and this home renovation yet when it came to posting on social media, her audience would have never known she was struggling. “Media relations Sarah” she referred to herself. “Instagram is the other Band-Aid. It’s toxic, I know. But the more likes I get, the less I bleed.” It was such a minor portion of the book, but I really feel like a lot of people would relate to this point.
“We have no clue what horror is coming for us.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 from me, I completely recommend this book when it comes out in September! Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and the author for letting me read this arc!

Thank you Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Stranger Upstairs.

This is the first book I have read by Lisa M. Marlin and I can definitely say this won’t be my last! The Stranger Upstairs is about a woman who buys a murder house that has a life of its own. The new owner, Sarah has secrets of her own past that are slowly revealed. I went from cheering for her to hoping that she gets what she deserves by the end of the book. Then there’s the house. The house with a horrendous history of murder seems to have a life of its own, taking victim after victim.

Once you start this book, you wont want to put it down!