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The Stranger Upstairs
The Stranger Upstairs: A Novel | Lisa M. Matlin
51 posts | 46 read | 12 to read
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 Housethe scene of a grisly murder-suicideshes 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 houses horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new faade cant conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidentsand Sarah knows theres 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 herher 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, Sarahs life spirals further out of controland with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies shes crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?
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review
BooksNBowls
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Pickpick

Social media influencer Sarah Slade is starting over. Running from a secret past she‘s hoping to escape, she invests in the Blackwood Murder House. However, she finds more than she bargained for underneath the peeling wallpaper. Menacing notes appear, spiraling Sarah out control and out of touch with reality. Predictable thriller premise, but it was really creepy and entertaining. I was hooked. 3.75/5

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Victoriahoperose
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Mehso-so

There was just something about this one that I didn‘t care for. I don‘t know if it was the style or the story. It felt like it was dragging a lot and I didn‘t care for the characters. It was just okay for me. Kept my interest for the most part, but I didn‘t love it.

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SilversReviews
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Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:

#ABOUTABOOK
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks

TODAY‘S PROMPT: WITH MYSTERY

A good one!!

https://tinyurl.com/5fkvcujy

Eggs 🩷💙💗 5mo
SilversReviews @Eggs 😀😀 5mo
33 likes2 comments
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GidgetsTreasures75
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Pickpick

6-23-24: My 19th finished book of 2024! Sarah Slade and her husband, Joe, have started a new life. They‘ve decided to buy the Black Wood House to renovate and resell. But the house comes with a terrible past and the neighbors in Beacon are completely against them. Sarah, a therapist and media influencer isn‘t going to take it lying down. She is unlikeable and in need of her own therapist and besides the neighbors the house seems to be against her.

GidgetsTreasures75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣9️⃣ 6mo
9 likes1 comment
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candc320
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Pickpick

This was a wild ride! I loved how they interspersed future news articles about bodies found in this house and accusations and rumors about our characters while we are watching everything unfold within the story. Some bonkers stuff happens and it‘s not exactly what you‘d call believable, but it was entertaining! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Yenya1954
Pickpick

This thriller to place in Australia. The characters were not particularly endearing. The story was far fetched and had a fast pace. I did want to know how it would end. Mental health issues were evident from almost the very beginning. 3.5/5

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EmberIvyRose
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Pickpick

This was a soft pick. The main characters and even their cat were unlikeable throughout this.
I will admit the cat did grow on me. Grumpy cats can be endearing.
It was one of those thrillers you speed through because you are so curious of what is going to happen. I didn't quite guess the ending.

miamorswife I 100% agree with you. The cat was the best character. And the ending was a bit of a surprise. 9mo
Yenya1954 I also liked the cat. The ending was not expected. 7mo
57 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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FlowerFairy
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Saturday snuggly reading - nothing beats a cozy blanket and a new book. Have heard loads of good things about this one. Im a sucker for a spooky house.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks This one looks good! 11mo
FlowerFairy @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks A little more than halfway and really enjoying it. 11mo
53 likes1 stack add2 comments
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5feet.of.fury
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Panpan

Part domestic thriller, part Amityville. I wish I liked it, but I didn‘t. I can deal with an unlikable protag if the payoff is good enough…. 😬

At the acknowledgment the author talks about her mental health struggles & how she poured her misery into they MC, & how she recovered & that arc, but that‘s absent from the resolution of this book.

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MidnightBookGirl
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Pickpick

While this didn't blow me over, I quite liked the unlikeable protagonist and her secrets. Not sure how I feel about the house's “twist“ but I liked the ending.
#WinterGames #GangstaWrappers
@Bookwormjillk @Clwojick @StayCurious
#WGWordesearch 380 pts

bthegood 🥳🎁 12mo
Bookwormjillk 💙❄️💙❄️ 12mo
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Suelizbeth
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Pickpick

I finished this book despite the fact that I absolutely detest the narrator. She really has no redeeming qualities and is unreliable and sociopathic. That being said, this is a chilling, horrifying novel, complete with a haunted house. It is eminently readable but I hated the ending, inevitable as it was. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Lauriezp
Panpan

I couldn‘t wait to be done with this book. It felt chaotic and frenzied and I didn‘t really feel invested in any of the characters. That said, I enjoyed the creative ending.

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Twainy
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Pickpick

I HATED … nope … I loved to hate the MC!! Australia, narrator has a great accent.

I read this strait through! You‘ll be on the edge of your seat! Fun quick creepy Halloween month book!!

#31by31 … 19/31

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4

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MartinaLove
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MartinaLove
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Pickpick

4/5 ⭐
The Amytiville vibe.
This book follow a young woman, that decides to buy Black Wood. It's been on the market for years because the family that lives there had a tragedy. The mother was murdered by her husband. The only survivor was their daughter. The neighbors want to have the house bulldozer.
Along the book we try to figure out if the house is really haunted or is it the neighbors?

#TeamWhoYouGonnaCall #Scarathlon
@FlynnDewey

FlynnDewey Killer description! That sounds pretty decent. 1y
15 likes1 comment
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Reecaspieces
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Panpan
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ An unhappy couple buys a “murder house” - empty for decades - with the intent to renovate, because it‘s cheap. But the house doesn‘t like change and makes its inhabitants question their sanity. Is history repeating itself? I‘m not a huge thriller reader, but I liked this. The characters are delightfully awful. A solid start to rejoining #BOTM.

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MartinaLove
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Now reading..... 🍂🎃🍁

#Scarathlon #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall @flynn

FlynnDewey I love the title and the sort of “spying through the leaves“ look of the cover. Looking forward to your thoughts! 1y
21 likes1 comment
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ICantImReading
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a fun thriller with an eerie murder house, an unreliable and unlikeable narrator, and solid twists. It made me want to keep listening to figure out what was going on (which I couldn‘t guess)! The narration was enjoyable, and getting to listen to an Australian accent is always a bonus! 😄🎧

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BeeMagical
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Pickpick

Book 174📚 4.3⭐️

This was wild and far-fetched, but I loved it!

I was kinda hoping for a spookier ending for Sarah but it played well with the rest of the story!

Finished in 1 day so you know I liked it!

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tjwill
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Does anyone have a different edition than the #botm one, and can tell me if this is a misprint? I think there is something missing here, even though the pages are numbered correctly. Page 219 stops mid-page like the end of a chapter and page 220 starts like it‘s in the middle of a chapter. It‘s in the middle of chapter 31. No other chapters or section breaks look like this. (Pages blurred to obscure possible spoilers.)

BeeMagical I noticed that too! I thought it was to show how her mind broke and it just starts up randomly!🤷🏼‍♀️ 1y
tjwill @BeeMagical I like that explanation! It‘s just weird because that‘s the only time it is formatted that way. 1y
BeeMagical @tjwill hah I completely agree! If it comes in at my library I‘ll be doing some investigating!! 🔎 1y
21 likes3 comments
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tjwill
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So should I update my goal or just keep going with this one?
#goodreadsreadingchallenge

Julsmarshall I‘m in the same boat! I‘ve hit my goal and can‘t decide if I bump it again. 1y
Graciouswarriorprincess Same but I am leaving it. 1y
21 likes2 comments
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MartinaLove
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My BOTM pick and add-on. I hope I'll have time to read them this month.👻☺️🎃

#Scarathlon @FlynnDewey #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall

bthegood 👻👻 1y
19 likes1 comment
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britt_brooke
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Friday night soccer training ⚽️ + a spooky book. 🫣

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britt_brooke
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Just 29 pages in and already two separate references to something “smelling like despair.” 🙄 Huge pet peeve. Come on, editors. Better yet, come on, authors.

#BOTM

Bookwomble What did despair even smell like? 🤔 1y
reading_rainbow This is a pet peeve of mine too 1y
See All 6 Comments
britt_brooke @reading_rainbow Can‘t wait to see if it appears again … 1y
reading_rainbow @britt_brooke please let us know if it does 😂 1y
54 likes6 comments
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BookwormAHN
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Pickpick

Admittedly, this was barely a pick. But the ending was so nuts that it really made the book. Sarah, her husband and cat, move into the murder house in a rather exclusive neighborhood, and of course, it all goes to hell.
Sarah is extremely unlikable, I mean, I hated her, and her husband was kind of a schmuck but I did love her cat, Reaper.
#BOTM

61 likes2 stack adds
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LittlebearReads
Panpan

Eurgh, was this boring! It deserves so badly to be a less rushed, longer book, and for the author to just give into herself and let it be the supernatural romp she ever so clearly dreamt of writing.

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jdiehr
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Pickpick

The author said she wants dog pictures, so I posed with Liesel for my Instagram book review ?

In "The Stranger Upstairs," the very unlikable main character buys a cheap house in an upscale neighborhood with intentions to flip it.

The house is cheap because a murder happened there.

The neighbors want it bulldozed.

And there's more to the main character than meets the eye.

Bklover Beautiful friend of yours!!🐾🐾🐾 1y
RaeLovesToRead Aww, happy doggo!! 😊 1y
AmyG Lovely photo! 1y
See All 6 Comments
dabbe Hello there, Lovely Liesel! 🖤🐾🖤 1y
Gissy 🐶🐾🐾🖤🖤🖤 1y
DivineDiana Love this photo! 💖 1y
42 likes6 comments
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Its_Amanda_Plz
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Pickpick

A well-paced read with fun twists and a little revenge! Gives haunted house energy that‘s perfect for spooky season.

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AmandaBlaze
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Thus ends my reading slump. This one kept me guessing haunted house or deaths by more human causes until the very end. The novel highlights the dark secrets we can keep even from ourselves. It doesn‘t veer away from the darkness of the MC, and sometimes that is very cringe-worthy.
#SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView

Twainy I‘m waiting for my Libby loan …. I‘m looking forward to it! 1y
TheSpineView Fantastic!🤩📖📚 1y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BookLineNSinker
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Pickpick

This book was pretty good. It was a little slow going at first, however, I enjoyed learning about the MC and trying to figure out her deal. The second half of the book was when things really started going if the rails 😂 and had me laughing the insanity of it in some parts. It kept me turning pages and engaged even though the end seemed just weird, i just sat back like what??? 😳🤯 It was a 🍿 moment. ⭐⭐⭐✨

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marleed
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Mehso-so

Hmmm, I‘m on the fence on this one. I like to either root for or against my main character which can make unreliable narrator stories a hit-or-miss for me. I didn‘t have thoughts for Sarah until I finished the book which was too late for me. There were parts of this that were kind of creepy though -getting into the skin of the person you most admire.

marleed Background of pic - Up the street from me is a public sidewalk cut through several blocks creating a walking shortcut to a neighborhood school. One homeowner plants a huge plot of zinnias on this path every year and encourages cuttings. This chair placed in the middle of that huge batch of flowers is just about my favorite thing! 1y
Tamra What beautiful zinnias! 1y
IuliaC What a lovely photo! 1y
See All 8 Comments
MissyD The background photo is stunning. 1y
jlhammar Beautiful! 1y
marleed @IuliaC @Tamara @MissyD @jhammar it is such a pretty plot of flowers, and that quiet little chair - every time I walk by it, I‘m calmed down. Since this sidewalk cuts through front and backyards it‘s very cool as the sun sets, like a tunnel of light which my phone camera can‘t give justice. 1y
kspenmoll Gorgeous, flowers, and cover!Q 1y
marleed @kspenmoll That patch is just so pretty, and color coordination with this book finally gave me the excuse to include it in a post! 1y
68 likes8 comments
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BoleyBooks
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Now Available! 🥳🎉📚
The Stranger Upstairs- Lisa M. Matlin

Book Review- https://www.boleybooks.com//the-stranger-upstairs/

#boleybooks #thestrangerupstairs #lisammatlin #bookbeast #bookbuds #pubday

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jdiehr
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Born.A.Reader
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Book 2 down. This is my most recent #BOTM pick and I read it in a morning. Small timeline jumps help the story flow, and like any good suspense/thriller, I put off all other chores till I'd finished, just to see how it ended. 😅

@TheSpineView
#SunmerEndReadathon

TheSpineView Fantastic! 1y
15 likes1 comment
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SilversReviews
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Pickpick

DEBUT BOOK

HORROR - MYSTERY - GOTHIC

Who would buy a house where there was a brutal murder?

Well… Sarah Slater did.

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS is a book mystery fans and those readers who like creepy, haunted houses and characters with secrets won‘t want to miss. 4/5

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/2hjsczhf

@lisa_m_matlin

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TorieStorieS
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Pickpick

Does every neighborhood have a “Murder House”? Sarah pushes her husband into buying the Beacon Murder House- assuring him that they can renovate and make a tidy profit. But Sarah quickly seems to be something more than a social media influencer and therapist… she has a lot of secrets- maybe as many as the house itself holds! A creepy and entertaining pageturner, & sure to start discussions amongst readers! Sarah makes for an interesting character!

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EadieB
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Pickpick

#TheStrangerUpstairs #LisaMMatlin #BookSpinBingo #SeriesLove2023

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, 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

EadieB lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage. But as Sarah paints over the house‘s horrifying past, she realized that a new façade can‘t conceal every secret. 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 1y
EadieB 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. Sarah Slade must wonder was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling? This a very unique and creepy psychological thriller. It is a fast paced read that kept me wondering all the way to the end. I'm looking forward to another book by Lisa Matlin. 1y
EadieB If you like scary things with your psychological reads then you will love this book. 1y
See All 6 Comments
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 1y
TheSpineView Fantastic! 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
66 likes1 stack add6 comments
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CoffeeK8
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Very excited for my #BOTM book-haul!

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tjwill
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September #botm pick! I‘m getting my spooky fall books ready!

MidnightBookGirl This was my pick too! 1y
tjwill @MidnightBookGirl It seems perfect for fall! 1y
25 likes2 comments
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brittanyreads
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#botm September!
I went a bit overboard this month but it's fineeeee, totally fine! 🙃
A little book haul never hurt nobody 💃

marleed And what a fine human you are in supporting the sale of books to their original owner! 1y
brittanyreads 😁😁😁 @marleed 1y
53 likes2 comments
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Born.A.Reader
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This month's #BOTM choice. No add ons because I'm so behind in these books already, but this thrill sounded intriguing.

Anyone interested in being a reading buddy? 👇👇

https://www.mybotm.com/phuw7esbgwl5l8fr?show_box=true

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candc320
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My #botm pick for September!!

FlowerFairy I‘ve chosen this one as well. Happy reading! 😁 1y
25 likes2 comments
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swishandflick
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September #BOTM picks are live! I went with a thriller heavy selection... anxiously waiting for crisp fall weather and cozy reading days 🍁

Breanne1 I hope you enjoy The Stranger Upstairs, I really did! 1y
MartinaLove Same! I only choosed one book this time. I can't trust myself with thrillers. I read them before October. I bought a few this month and I keep looking at them. 😂 It's my TBR for October. I read one already. 😏 1y
MartinaLove My pick is 'You Again' I like the cover. 1y
FlowerFairy I‘ve chosen The Stranger Upstairs as well. 😁 1y
75 likes4 comments
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BoleyBooks
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Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
What are you reading?
#boleybooks #thestrangerupstairs #lisamatlin #bookbeast #netgalley #bookbuds #bookchat 😊

Bookwomble So many! I've got 14 books on the go, in various stages of engagement. I think I'm going to do a chapter of the tagged next 😊 1y
BoleyBooks @Bookwomble I look forward to your thoughts! 😃📚 1y
Bookwomble @BoleyBooks You'll probably have to look quite far forward! ⏳📖⌛😄 1y
BoleyBooks @Bookwomble feel free to tag me, I wouldn‘t want to miss it! 🙌😊 1y
46 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

Expected publication date: September 12, 2023 • 4 Stars

…a mesmerizing and often terrifying Gothic thriller about Sarah Slade, therapist, author, and part-time social media blogger as well as the proud new owner of the infamous Black Wood House. The house was an incredible bargain since no one has expressed an interest in it after a grizzly murder/suicide took place there 40 years ago…

47 likes2 stack adds
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SilversReviews
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FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 12.

Who would buy a house where there was a brutal murder?

Well… Sarah Slater did.

No one wanted it mainly because of the murder, but sounds from upstairs, bizarre accidents, intimidating notes and more make Sarah wonder what‘s going on.

A book mystery fans and those readers who like creepy, haunted houses and characters with secrets won‘t want to miss. 4/5

@lisa_m_matlin
@penguinrandomhouse

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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

Sarah buys an infamous house where a murder-suicide happened 40yrs ago. As mysterious things begin to happen, I felt myself lose the grip on reality in time with Sarah‘s spiral. She‘s the perfect unreliable narrator, w/ a secret past & hidden issues that slowly come out. I never knew what was real & what I could trust. There are so many twists & a whole lot of psychological manipulation in this book; I was guessing until the end what would happen!

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Breanne1
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Pickpick

Run to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. I kept thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it and couldn't wait to pick it back up to find out what happens to Sarah Slade and The Murder House; and let me tell you I didn't see any of it coming. I can't believe this is a debut, I'll be looking out for more from this author. 5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for proving me an ARC in return for my honest feedback.

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