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Book Review of The Stranger Upstairs: A Novel

The Stranger Upstairs: A Novel
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1623 more book reviews


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 lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage. But as Sarah paints over the house's horrifying past, she realized that a new facade 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 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. If you like scary things with your psychological reads then you will love this book.