The Stranger Upstairs: A Novel
Most people wouldn’t buy an infamous murder house to renovate for fun . . . but Sarah Slade is not most people.
“This debut novel deftly explores our shadows—the dark parts of ourselves we don’t want others to see. I couldn’t stop reading.”—Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat
A POPSUGAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a potent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is as tainted as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.
But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who would want to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirm for Sarah what the rest of the town already knows: Something is very wrong in that house.
With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.
“This debut novel deftly explores our shadows—the dark parts of ourselves we don’t want others to see. I couldn’t stop reading.”—Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat
A POPSUGAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a potent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is as tainted as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.
But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who would want to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirm for Sarah what the rest of the town already knows: Something is very wrong in that house.
With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.
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Community Reviews
"The Stranger Upstairs" is a debut novel by Lisa M. Matlin. I can't help but start by saying what a awesome cover! Nice and pretty colors..... This will obviously be a cozy mystery. One with a murder house and bloodstained floors.
Sarah Slade (kuddos for the great name) and her husband Joe buy a murder house because the price is right. Folks just don't line up to buy those things anymore. She plans to fix it up on her blog and maybe try and fix her marriage which isn't going so well.
Spoiler alert: This is not a cozy mystery. Things start going bump in the attic and she starts to get evil notes everywhere. This house does not want her there. Sarah starts to lose control of herself and reality as she starts losing her mind trying to stay in this house.
This was a well written book and I loved Sarah's decent into madness. As for her character, she is lovingly unlikable with a ton of snark and possibly a world record "F" bombs spoken and thought. Mainly towards her husband. And the ending? There is a great chance you will not see that one coming.
Highly recommended.
I really appreciate Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for giving me the opportunity to review this book for free and it's out now.
Sarah Slade (kuddos for the great name) and her husband Joe buy a murder house because the price is right. Folks just don't line up to buy those things anymore. She plans to fix it up on her blog and maybe try and fix her marriage which isn't going so well.
Spoiler alert: This is not a cozy mystery. Things start going bump in the attic and she starts to get evil notes everywhere. This house does not want her there. Sarah starts to lose control of herself and reality as she starts losing her mind trying to stay in this house.
This was a well written book and I loved Sarah's decent into madness. As for her character, she is lovingly unlikable with a ton of snark and possibly a world record "F" bombs spoken and thought. Mainly towards her husband. And the ending? There is a great chance you will not see that one coming.
Highly recommended.
I really appreciate Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for giving me the opportunity to review this book for free and it's out now.
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