October Read: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 

What I expected going into this novel and what it was were very different. I'm still processing. 

It takes place in a small town in Australia. A town where houses are expensive and everything is gorgeous and perfect. Except for Black Wood House. It sits empty since a shocking murder forty years before, when the owner of the home murdered his wife while she lay in bed, and chased his daughter out the door. The daughter survived, but her father returned to the home and killed himself. Susan and Bill were beloved in the neighborhood; the horrible murder/suicide left a stain on the community. They all want Black Wood House to be torn down. 

Enter Sarah Spade and her husband Joey. Sarah has a popular website, a bestselling book about "being your best self", and is eager to turn the Black Wood House into a show-stopping flipper that will sell for millions. 

Except Sarah's not what you'd expect, and wow I did not expect her character or the novel to take the turns it did. For one, Sarah is not likable. Her marriage is on edge, and oh, the secrets she has to keep in order to maintain her perfect image. Only problem is, once she moves into the house, her life starts to fall apart. She can't sleep, she's finding notes around the house, there's someone walking around in the attic, and her husband won't stay at the house. 

As Sarah slowly unravels, as a reader you're kept wondering: is she losing her mind? The possibilities are all over the place: is someone trying to drive her out of the home? Are the neighbors spying on her? Is the house haunted? Or is there something else?

The turns it took were all over the place. The ending leaves you rethinking everything. It's at turns unsettling, suspenseful, and a bit bewildering. It's a whole lot of stuff going on, and I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on at all. If you want to read a novel that will keep you scratching your head and thinking you've got it figured out (you won't), pick this one up!

Rating: 4/6 for a wild ride where no one can be trusted--even the house. At times suspenseful, at times downright spooky, this is a blend of thriller/horror/suspense that will keep you guessing. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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October Read: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

February Read: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

BookTok is going wild for this novel, and I'd seen enough people talking about it that I thought I would see what the buzz was all about. 

Millie is broke and living out of her car. Recently released from prison after 10 years, she's just lost her bartending job and been evicted from her apartment. She's got one shot left at a new job, and it's as housekeeper to a wealthy family on Staten Island. 

Millie is so relieved to accept the job--and she even gets to stay at the house-in a very tiny attic room that appears to lock from the outside. The window in the room is painted shut, and it's not the best. But it's better than her car, and she just wants to stay long enough to save money and stay out of trouble. 

Nina Winchester appears to have the life: a loving, handsome husband, a young daughter and a beautiful home. But Millie's first day at work is really odd: the home which was immaculate just the week before is now a complete disaster, and young Cecelia is a horrible brat. Not only that, but she's dressed in very fancy dresses no young girl would ever willingly wear. Nina is nice one minute, and horrible to Millie the next. 

Millie thinks she's doing everything wrong, as Nina finds mistake after mistake. Andrew, her husband, is just so kind, and quick as a wink, Millie is having some feelings for him--her boss. Ugh. 

It all seems pretty cut and dried and I wasn't really surprised by the plot; but once you hit Part II, things shift very fast. Part I is told from Millie's point of view, and the second part is told from Nina's point of view. They are two very different points of view, and there is one heck of twist. It's the first of a few twists. Part III moves back to Millie's point of view, and action happens fast. There are some points in the last bit of the book that are tied up just a bit too easily, but that's my only complaint. Let's just say you don't feel bad about why some issues are so easily resolved.

I'm not saying anything more, I don't want to give anything away. It's a really fast read; I finished it in a day. There are some surprises, but nothing that is extreme--even the end.  In any case, it makes a quick thrilling read, with a two strong female characters. Best of all, there is a second Housemaid novel out this month called The Housemaid's Secret. I will definitely read it. 

Rating: 4/6 for a fast paced thriller that mostly takes place in a home. Somehow the author makes you forget the one setting, and keeps the story moving along. I liked Millie, and yes, even Nina--read the book and you'll see. I'd say you'll want a friend to read it, too. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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February Read: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

No One's Home by D. M. Pulley

I finally sat down and finished this novel after having it checked out from the library for quite some time. Sometimes I get in trouble starting too many books and then have to finish them all in a big readathon. Part of my lagging on this novel was due to my hot and cold feelings about the plot. 

The plot switches back and forth between four families who have each lived in Rawlingswood, a rambling old mansion in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Moving from the early 1930's through 2018, each family has had plenty of bad experiences. The Rawlings family built the home, and Walter Rawlings overextends himself, and the failing stock market dooms his financial security. His wife and young son pay the ultimate price for his failings, setting the state for the dismal history of the home. The Klussman family also deals with tragedy. Frannie's marriage has ended with her husband leaving because he can't cope with their special needs child, Benny. Benny has to be locked in his room to protect himself from leaving the house and hurting himself. But Benny sees something outside that leads his mother to wrong conclusions, and disaster follows. Next up is the Martin family; Toby and Ava are foster children left alone with their foster father while their foster mother travels for work. Papa Martin is not a very nice man. No indeed. 

And finally, there are the new owners of Rawlingswood, the Spielman family. Myron and Margot, and their teenage son Hunter, arrive from Boston. Myron is a doctor with a new job, leaving a scandal behind in Boston. The house has undergone a lot of renovations and there is still the original, unsettling third floor attic, which were servants quarters decades before. There's something weird about the space...the bathroom light keeps turning on, footsteps are heard overhead, and the family keeps finding the attic door open. There's a sense of being watched...The tragic history of the home slowly unfolds, as we watch the Spielman family realize things just aren't quite right in the house. 

Well. I thought the family histories were interesting, and at first I was convinced this was going to spin out into a paranormal thriller. I think the author had great intentions, but I feel like there's just too much stuff in this plot. It seemed a bit cumbersome and bulky. Too many stories, background info, and characters make it seem like a slog sometimes to get through it. I had to keep reminding myself which family was what for every new chapter. The bones were good, but just too much plot. And the conclusion just seemed a bit far fetched and bizarre. 

So. I will give this author another chance. I almost would have preferred that this novel did take a good paranormal spin. It felt like it was moving in that direction, until the last moment, when it took a sharp turn and got a little too out there. Darn it. I'd hoped this would be a good spooky read for October, but it wasn't. 

Rating: 3/6 for a really long book about a whole lot of unhappy families living in one very troubled house. Dysfunction abounds, and what could have been a thriller about a house that is out of the ordinary instead became a laundry list of really messed up folks. 

Available in paperback. 

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No One's Home by D. M. Pulley