Review: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

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

Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies she’s crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?
 

My Review

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Perfect read if you're looking for something spooky to read this fall.

Social media influencer, Sarah Slade buys a murder house to renovate. Her plan is to grow her brand and draw in new followers. She's also doing it to distract from her failing marriage.

As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s finding more than she bargained for. Bizarre incidents begin to occur, creaks on the second floor, footsteps in the attic, and finally threatening notes appear everywhere. And every time she goes to start a project she stops feeling like the house doesn't want her to continue.

She's clinging to her carefully crafted lies as her life begins spiraling out of control, with every passing day, even her sense of reality.

Thank you so much to the author and Penguin Random House for this ARC to review.

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