Wow. This is the first book in A while that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Had me crawling out of my skin! I didn't know what would happen next. I loved the variety of characters and the plot!

Thank you to netgalley and they publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via netgalley and in exchange I am leaving my honest review.
This book comes out in September 2023.
Y'all I don't think I'm ever gonna sleep again after reading this, I'm so serious. This shit was nuts. A whole lot of unreliable narrator goin on. Every chapter Sarah reveals something different from what she tells you about herself, and it makes you second guess things. Sometimes I got confused because of the way time sort of skips around, and I had to reread whatever sections I got confused in, but it didn't really take anything away from the story. This book was intense from the get go tbh.
I still have questions and I finished it hours ago.

*

I could not put this book down. A modern thriller guaranteed to keep you reading til the early morning to see what happens. A couple buys a house, where a man has killed his wife and his daughter goes running for help from the neighbors.

Sarah Slade is the author of a popular self-help book, social media influencer and therapist. She and her husband have just bought Black Wood House - an old Victorian manse in an upscale area that hasn't been lived in for 40 years, not since the brutal killing that took place there and left it to be dubbed "The Murder House." Sarah's plan is to document the restoration on her Instagram as she and hubby begin a new life. But before long, everything seems to go wrong. Their already strained marriage continues to crumble as the restoration doesn't go as planned, the locals aren't happy someone bought the house, and Sarah thinks she hears someone in the attic at night. On top of that, she and her cat always seem to be sick. And then the suspicious notes start showing up. As it turns out, Sarah has long-buried secrets, and the house just might use them against her.
For a debut novel, this book was adeptly written. The tension begins early in the story and never lets up. As Sarah begins to unravel, more of her shaky past is revealed just enough at a clip and the number of suspects increases as the intensity rises. The author does a marvelous job of planting hints, red herrings and misdirections, all while maintaining the integrity of the story. I would say that this has some great twists at the end, but truthfully, you will not be prepared for what the entire second half of the book has in store. I was sure I had everything figured out way early on, but I couldn't have been more wrong or more shocked at how everything turned out.

This book was much better than I expected it to be. A bit hard to get through the first few chapters due to writing style, but the story really picks up. A author buys a “murder house” and weird things start happening. So many twists. Couldn’t stop reading until I finished. Was not expecting the ending at all, definitely recommend this one!

This is one creepy novel! I’m not often kept up at night after reading in bed but this one did just that. Dark and twisty, this is a real pageturner. Congrats on a terrific debut effort! Thank for the opportunity to preview it, NetGalley!

This one kinda left me speechless. The ending completely took me by surprise.. Which I guess is a good thing as that so rarely happens. Not many suspense/thrillers get my heart rate up but this one definitely did! Was on hyper alert of all the sounds going on around me. Lol
I love that it wasn’t predictable. Really enjoyed this. Great debut!! And I really appreciated the honesty of the author at the end. Mental illness is something that so many people, including myself, struggle with. I love that she opened herself up on this very important topic. I applaud her for her courage. Thank you!

Lisa M. Matlin's doubt novel The Stranger Upstairs was a knock out of the park! There was so many twisty turns that I did not see coming! Starting over for Sara and her husband Joe is nothing new. As an influencer Sara is hoping to document the renovations to the murder house, Black Wood House, and sell for a nice profit. Things aren't always the way they seem, Sara is falling behind. She is supposed to be working on her second book, keep her website updated with the renovations and trying to work on her failing marriage. Sara starts losing her patients as a therapist, her husband Joe is never around and now Reaper starts acting weird. Is Black Wood House really haunted or does someone know Sara and Joe's sorted past and are tormenting them? I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone! It was a quick read and very enjoyable!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Publishing Group- Bantam, and Lisa M. Matlin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Look for The Stranger Upstairs September 26, 2023

This was a creepy story of a woman who moves into a house where a murder took place 40 years ago. As soon as she moves in, things start going south for her. This was a fast read, with a sad ending!

I couldn't get into this book with main character being so unlikeable however, I did have to keep reading because of the intriguing storyline. Plenty of twists. I also didn't care for the ending but, I do think that there are plenty of readers that will love this well crafted book.

This was a good book and the twist was so surprising! I felt like there were parts that were a bit rambling, but all in all, a 4/5. Clever character development, I loved that they were so much more than they seemed. It’s nice to see when not everyone is as sweet and innocent as they seem in a story! There were a few moments that I felt were overwritten, but definitely a great story altogether.

Review Copy

I gotta tell you - in the beginning I wasn't sure what to think of this book. The characters were not likable, not a whole heckuva lot was happening and I was thinking it was going to be a three star book at very best.

But, I kept reading. And I'm not really sure why. Ok, I was curious, I do like characters that are unlikeable and I suspected a few things the author might have planned. The writing was pretty fair dinkum and I kept going.

About two thirds of the way through the shit hit the fan and the novel roared to life. Everything started rocking and coming together to one great ending.

Well worth your time (and mine); add this to your list of want to read!

I just gobbled up Lisa M. Matlin’s THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS in two days because I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. The world she creates is so vivid that I constantly felt watched and anxious as I read, as though the walls in MY house were closing in on me. The writing is assured and expert as Matlin unpeels the layers of her characters, surprising me with every new discovery and twist. I was on a rollercoaster of fear, empathy, and shock, loving every minute of it. I don’t want to give anything away, but read it with the lights on, sun blazing through your windows, and don’t even trust your wallpaper!

The Stranger Upstairs is Lisa Matlin’s debut novel. And what a wonderful debut it is.

Sarah and Joe have just completed the purchase of Black Wood House - the former home of Bill and Susan Campbell. 40 years prior to Sarah and Joe buying Black Wood House, it is the scene of a gruesome murder suicide. Bill murders Susan. Bill tries to murder their daughter, Janet, but is unsuccessful. Then Bill kills himself. No one knows what happens to Janet. Like literally - no one knows #dammitJanet

Sarah has dollar signs in her mind when impulsively deciding to buy BWH. Joe, her husband, merely goes along with the decision. Not at all happy they’re going to own, and live in, a #murderhouse. Sarah, with her book fame and social media following, just *knows* this is what will make her even more famous and will absolutely turn a profit once they’re done with renovations. If the house allows for renovations, that is. The house is hiding something. And so are Sarah and Joe.

I absolutely hated Sarah and Joe - and I do believe that to be the point. Sarah is batshit crazy - is the house legitimately making her crazy? Or is it the SSRIs and alcohol? Or is it the past she refuses to let surface even in the safety of her relationship with Joe? I do find it interesting that Lisa, who struggles with her mental health, didn’t choose to write a character that gets help. I don’t know that the book would’ve had the same vibe if Sarah *did* get help so I get it. I just find it curious. Joe was merely a blip in the book but I found myself screaming at him a lot.

I normally don’t love red herrings - like say what you mean and don’t fuck around - but I do think those within this novel actually add to the suspense and overall explanation at the end. I also normally don’t love an unreliable narrator - don’t make ME feel insane, authors! - but Lisa does a fantastic job with Sarah.

I did find it interesting that we had an added voice towards the end of the book. I understand the necessity but it still felt odd to me. Also the epilogue 👀😬🥴 Bless.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oooooh I love love love this one. This book turned out to be so unsuspected. It’s spooky, it’s creepy, it’s chilling. I love that mental health is highlighted in this. I do wish it had blatantly stated what Lizzy was diagnosed with however. I will definitely be purchasing this book upon release!!

Definitely for fans of Lisa Jewell and Mexican Gothic.

This was pretty twisty and you end up both knowing and not knowing what really happened or is happening. The truth is fluid and the house is the main character really but we don't get enough of it. And why people are so attached to the murdered owners from 40 years ago. So, while it's a decent psychological thriller there's a lot of story not explored which makes it ring slightly hollow. Maybe similar to the Family Upstairs, Martin will write a sequel or prequel to get into all that.

Quick read, 2.5 stars.

What the F*** did I just read!!!

This book is a rollercoaster from chapter one.
Sarah Slade is a social media influencer and therapist. Her and her husband just bought a house but there’s a catch. 50 years old a husband killed his wife in that same house.

This book is movie worthy. I could picture the whole situation in my head. This book was giving me the chills and I might have nightmares from it. This book is so beautifully written and so detailed.

You could not tell if Sarah was crazy or legitimately being haunted or messed with. I loved it!!

The ending was great!! I did not guess it and it surprised me.

I love when a book keeps me guessing, and this one did a great job. Up until the last chapter I wasn't sure about anything. What's real, what isn't, who's responsible, who isn't, even whose is the other body. I thought it was all wrapped up nicely in the last chapter. But then there was an epilogue...

Woooooof this was a wild ride. The writing was SO atmospheric - I couldn’t stop highlighting sentences in the first few chapters as I adjusted to her writing because I kept being blown away by the vivid imagery and descriptions. The characters were NOT likeable, which usually doesn’t work for me, but the storyline was propulsive so I couldn’t stop reading. Something that didn’t work for me was how wildly unreliable the narrator was - I am tired of this trope and she was actively contributing to her own unreliability. I mean, all she ingested for weeks (months??) was wine and coffee. Just not realistic. And I think the storyline still could’ve worked with slightly less self-sabotage. But overall, this was incredibly creepy and very well written.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time getting interested in the novel. After 1/3of the book, it picked up and I was able to complete it. The characters were interesting as was the storyline. I had an idea of what i thought would happen at the end, but did not expect the ending as it happened.