I was invited to read an ARC of The Stranger Upstairs and I am so, so glad I gave it a chance. The description put this book a bit outside my comfort zone as I anticipated it might lean towards horror. However, this is a solid mystery/thriller with a lot of extra creepiness factor from the "murder house" that the MC buys with plans to flip. 

Sarah Slade is a self-help writer and a therapist, and this murder house is her newest project. She plans to use her social media to share the renovation process and hopefully make some extra money. But things start going awry very quickly, and soon we learn that Sarah and her husband Joe have a lot of secrets that they are hiding- and running from. 

I love that I went into this one with very little knowledge of the plot. This synopsis is just what it should be, an enticing tease of what is to come and not too much information at all. Full of juicy secrets and twists big and small, this one was such a fun ride and one I couldn't put down. It was both a popcorn thriller and one with a bit more depth, especially through the lens of the author's note. The only small critique I have is one loose thread at the end, but I don't think a good book has to tie everything up. And maybe it was intentional! Lastly and the icing on the cake, I've never read this final twist before. Given how many books I read in a year and that this is in my top genre, that's huge! 

Don't miss this one. I can't believe it's a debut and I am truly sitting on pins and needles waiting for Lisa Matlin's next novel.