Behind the Door is an interest premise and quite a good read overall. The sinister stylings of the writer are very well evident within the pages though at times; the novel lacks some character focus that becomes more apparent towards the end.

The township of Zarapeth is quite a community of sordid characters and although this does add up for fodder when the action takes centre stage, there is never really any connection to the characters. Kari and Toby are not very likeable and most of the town feels like cardboard cut outs and this is where the story unfortunately lets the side down. It would have been nice to feel a real township and neighbourly relationships take center stage. Cicely is a well-rounded character but the rest don’t really stay in your mind. Kari is set up to be the lead but her character eventually gets set aside.

The Kathy Ryan character is very well realised and the moment she hits the scene, the character driven story comes alive. This may be for the fact that this is her second outing and in the author’s mind, she is three dimensional and very well crafted. The book comes alive when she appears. This is a bit like the Exorcist that he appears in the final third of the book and takes the story away.

The action and horror of the piece is very well done and menacing. San Giovanni has a real knack of drawing the creatures out into the opening and given them a spine tingling effect. The novel goes into overload with a very savvy finesse which keeps the reader totally emerged.

Unfortunately, the ending is well handled except that what we have is an epilogue that gives one side and we don’t really know about the other characters who make it to the end and how they will cope. This was a bit of a let-down and it would have been nice to have a paragraph or two about life in Zarapeth after that fateful night.

Overall, this is worth the read as there is a lot of good spine tingling horror to be found within the pages. A strong main character in Ryan when she does appear, does lift the novel up somewhat, but with a majority of the characters not very likeable gives the novel a slight flat feeling. San Giovanni does have a great talent and this novel is well written with a vivid imagination that lifts off the page. A good read that balances the horror and the metaphysical but lacks some in depth emotion.

Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni is a supernatural horror read that is the beginning of the new Kathy Ryan series. Kathy Ryan is a specialist in all things supernatural that gets called into the rural town of Zarepath when things get out of control.

You see, Zarepath has had something special in their woods for years and years. A mysterious door exists that the locals know will grant a wish to anyone that passes a note with a drop of blood on the seal under the door. Of course those tempting fate to ask the door for a wish know that you must word your wish just so or you just might get more than you bargained for.

Kari is a newcomer around town that didn’t know about the door but when a friend sees that Kari is just not getting over the heartbreak of losing her daughter she suggests the door may help take the pain away. Of course Kari is given the warnings that town folks have lived by for years, you can’t bring back the dead and just don’t open the door no matter what but when things don’t go as Kari imagined she’s determined to take back her wish.

Behind the Door is a solid horror tale that I’m sure many will love as Mary SanGiovanni is certainly a good writer. However, for myself having read and watched tons of horror over the years I was slightly disappointed there wasn’t more to the door than what there was leaving me to feel that this was just an OK read. We all know in horror someone will break that rule that they are told not to so it’s what the author does with that afterward that will make something truly unique and to me this one didn’t have anything truly spectacular happen. Since I’m tough to please in the horror genre I’d still say give this a shot though if horror appeals to you.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a series I will most definitely want to stick with. I had previously read "Chills" by the same author which is where I first met the character Kathy Ryan. I loved her then and I love her now. In fact I think she was my favorite part of Chills.
The people in the small town of Zarepath have more than their share of secrets. The deepest and darkest secret of them all is one they have shared amongst the townspeople for generations. Hidden in the woods is a door that can rid you of your misery or it can rain misery upon you if you don't follow the rules. Your request must be in writing and you are in for a world of suffering if it isn't worded exactly the way you intend.
The characters are perfectly imperfect and managed to evoke my sympathy for them even as I raged against the pain that some of them had caused and things they had done. The fright factor is deliciously high and the writing style is imaginative and flows beautifully.

BEHIND THE DOOR (A Kathy Ryan Novel), by Mary SanGiovanni, is a supernatural horror novel that really makes the readers think, and begs the question: If you could have anything you want--without knowing the possible repercussions--would you take that chance? In the rural town of Zarephath, PA, there is a "freestanding Door" in the woods that the residents both fear and revere.

"Some doors should never be opened . . . "

When new people move to Zarephath, they are inevitably told--in whispered reverence--about the town's mysterious Door. Rumors say that you can ask for something from it--but there are as many "bad" results as there may be desirable ones.

"Rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door . . . "

Kari, a newly divorced woman who tragically lost her only child, has recently moved here to try and get away from her haunting memories.

"You don't always get it how you want it . . . "

She is one of the many remarkable characters that the author does an incredible job of bringing to life in this book. The emotional intensity, pain, faults, strengths, fears, and desires are so real that they make you feel as though you were in this town, WITH these individuals. They became more than a name and a problem they had--they became . . . human. Even those with monstrous secrets were three dimensional.

". . . It was human nature that in times of fear or sorrow, people leaned toward wanting to believe in something over nothing . . . even faceless, nameless gods behind a freestanding door in the woods . . . "

I could practically feel the opposing pull of emotions in many of the townspeople. Creating individuals that your readers will be thinking about long after the book is finished is a challenging feat, but Mary SanGiovanni pulls it off so smoothly that she makes it seem nearly effortless.

". . . When you ask for things that defy the laws of God and nature, it never, never works out . . . I said you can ask for anything and you can . . . but we learned quick 'round here that you don't . . . "

This is the second standalone book I've read with Kathy Ryan as a character, and while her background and occult "training" are still very much in the shadows, I found that she fit perfectly into this novel--her arrival more of a gentle "ripple" than a "wave". In BEHIND THE DOOR, her persona seemed very certain, and developed when she is called in to help the townspeople with the sudden problem with: ". . . them behind the Door." Even without knowing her personal history, I didn't feel that anything crucial was left out here. Rather, I felt that we were given the perfect amount of information to go on, without overshadowing the theme of the novel with excess content.

". . . Maybe sometimes it was just as bad to get what you asked the Door for as it was not to . . . "

I think this is one of those rare novels that will stay with me for quite a while. I was certainly drawn to the well developed, complex characters, and the tense, frightening atmosphere brought about by the sudden, inexplicable changes besieging the town. However, the question of the very nature of "what" the town was up against, and the moral implications of what they had been doing--in secret--for centuries, are thoughts that I still find myself contemplating.

". . . Behind some doors are rooms hidden for good cause in places human beings were probably never meant to know about--rooms meant never to be entered-- . . . "

". . . It ain't natural to keep Karma from coming around and making things right . . . "

As for Kathy Ryan, she is an enigma all on her own. I am very pleased to hear that Mary SanGiovanni will be planning other novels that will incorporate this most fascinating character, as I can see that there is much potential to be explored here.

". . . as a species, humans were survivors . . . "

Overall, I felt this novel had an incredible blend of all of the elements I look for in a horror story. Added to this, we have a mystery that remains shadowed just enough so that our minds can have free reign over what we "think" or "imagine" it could be behind all of the turmoil. Part of the ingenuity here, I believe, is that we are NOT spoon-fed all the answers, but rather invited to participate in the speculation with the townspeople.

"There were some things worth surviving rather than changing . . . "

Highest recommendation!

Mary SanGiovanni is simply an excellent storyteller.

In Behind the Door, she brings us a tale of wishes come true and the horrors that those wishes can ultimately bring. The book is hard, fast, and extremely chilling – all the more so because the reader, despite the gruesome horrors unleashed in our little town, can’t help but wonder what they themselves would wish for…and we just know that we’d do things better than our characters here.

SanGiovanni excels at both atmosphere and character development. One character in particular stayed with me. No spoilers here. I’ll just say that it’s the type of character I’ve had problems with in countless novels. Here, finally, an author made this character human. (Still a terrible, terrible thing – but human.)

I believe there are more Kathy Ryan novels to come and I am so completely on board. I want more.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Kathy Ryan is an occult crime specialist whom police forces, if they are in the know, contact for weird and wacky goings on, anything from the potential supernatural to ritualistic murders, or anything else that might go bump in the night. This character previously appeared in the novel “Chills” but “Behind the Door” heralds a brand-new series where Kathy puts her unique skillset to the test.

I had not read “Chills” and did not initially realise that Kathy Ryan had featured in an earlier SanGiovanni novel. However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of this new series as Kathy does not feature until well into story, when the scene and main characters are already well established. Upon arrival she does take centre stage, but never truly dominates what was a very enjoyable novel littered with great characters.

SanGiovanni has created a clever tale which leans on both Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary” and in particular the classic MR James short story “The Monkey’s Paw”. Actually, if you think of any work which uses the age old moral code: “Be careful what you wish for” you’re in the correct ball-park. “Behind the Door” may well have been inspired by earlier classics, but it is no copy, with the author having fun developing characters whose age-old wishes really do return to bite them in their nether regions.

The novel is set in the rural town of Zarepath, which borders New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The town has a secret, deep in the forest there is a Door which magically grants wishes. If not exactly a secret, the locals certainly don’t publicise the fact that if you deliver a handwritten letter to the Door asking for some emotional burden to be lifted, your wish will be granted. The guidelines are passed from person to person: your letter must be sealed with a mixture of wax and your blood, then it must be slid beneath the door, you then wait for three days and pray your wish is answered for better or worse. However, you have to be very, very careful how you word your letter otherwise the door has a way of warping your wish, such as in “The Monkey’s Paw”. For example, we’re told of a local couple whom lost two sons of their sons in the Vietnam War, wishing for them to be brought back to life, two mangled shambling corpses turn up at their doorstep.

This may well be billed as a “Kathy Ryan Novel” but the strength of the novel was the believable, sympathetic and damaged characters Mary SanGiovanni brilliantly draws before her arrival. We have Kari, who uses the door to erase the loss of her daughter Jessica, Toby Vernon a sad and troubled paedophile, and not forgetting a hit and run killer with a guilty conscience. All use the door for their own personal reasons (or demons) with believable back stories constructed to explain the rationalise in their madness.

One of the major theme of the book is secrets, everybody has them. But more often than not, the secret is the reason a particular character required the need to visit the Door in the first place. In the small town of Zarepath, nobody ever asks anyone else if they used the Door, or why? That would be rude. Like asking a dude what he was in prison for. Of course, in many cases it is never obvious, such as when a pregnant teenager asked for her unborn child to disappear. It just did, and nobody was any the wiser. The author constructs a clever supernatural tale built upon secrets, lies, guilt and in some cases revenge.

I don’t want to burden you with spoilers, but something goes wrong with the Door and Kathy is called in to investigate and starts digging into the town’s secrets. Once the wishes once granted start to backfire there were some outstanding scenes. As the characters were so well developed many of you may even feel a bit for the two paedophile characters. Other residents who made a strong impression included second paedophile Ed Richter and the retired policeman Bill Grainger who also has a skeleton in his closet. Who doesn’t? Nobody in this novel.

It was not a long book and did not overstay its welcome, however, the weakness was the relative ease in which Kathy solves the mystery. There is plenty of excitement along the way, as the ghosts really do come out to play, but it ended a bit too snugly for me. Still, that’s a minor quibble and I would certainly revisit Kathy Ryan when she returns for the next book in the series. Also, I had previously read “Savage Woods” by Mary SanGiovanni, but I would suggest this is a much stronger novel purely because it has such a full range of empathic characters which are nicely balanced with an engaging supernatural plotline.

In the middle of the woods stands the Door.
No one knows what it is or where it comes from.
All they know it what it does.

For generations, the townspeople of Zarepath have passed down the knowledge of the Door and the rules of use: Write a letter for what you want. Go at night, alone, and pass the letter under the Door. Wait 3 days for it to come to pass. It may not happen exactly the way you are expecting, but you only get to use the Door once so make it count. And most importantly, Never, Ever, Open the Door.

It's the perfect premise for a horror novel because as we know, protagonists in horror always do exactly as they are told. *eye roll* For Kari, mourning the loss of her young daughter to suicide, the wish doesn't go as planned, and she opens the Door to try to take it back. Just like Pandora's box, all the evil is released back into this world.

Thanks a lot, Kari.

The author does a great job of immediately introducing characters that make you uncomfortable. Very few people in Zarepath have not used the Door. This town is filled with human monsters and their secrets are horrid and repellent. The sheer bravado of these people going on living their lives after assuaging their guilt at the Door is unbelievable. This would be a good time to tell you this book includes child molestation, suicide, domestic violence, abortion and many others.

Once the Door is opened, everyone's sins come back to them in horrifying ways. Each horror is that person's version of their own distinctive hell. Sometimes shocking, sometimes piteous; they are recognizable people and fears of which they have intimate knowledge. Then, the entities morph into Lovecraftian-ish beings. This is where the book lost me. Yes, the creatures would be terrifying to meet IRL, but on the page, they all meld together into one big tentacle-y, sharked eyed, mouthy lump. There's no individuality to them and they lose their scary, torturous effect. On a side note, if I had to hear them being described as "leathery", ONE MORE #$^%$ TIME...Ok, it wasn't THAT often (garage scene, I'm looking at you).

Enter occult specialist Kathy Ryan. We're already 50% into the book at the time that our "main character" deigns to join the plot. She races in and immediately sets to work solving the mystery of how all this happened. (Because of course, Kari didn't tell anyone what she did. Thanks again, Kari.) I was disappointed with Kathy's character. I would have liked to get to know Kathy more. Why is she qualified to be an occult specialist, other than the author telling us that she is one? She was a dull and uninspiring character. It was difficult to be interested in her.

From there to the ending of the book, was well paced. It wasn't an "Aha!" moment and everything was then tied up in a neat and tidy bow. Actually, yes, that's pretty much exactly what happened. Kathy had an epiphany. They put a posse together to fix the Door and everyone lived happily ever after! Ok, not quite...we all know that in the equation of horror, all the evil can be contained, but there will be sacrifices. In this case, I'm totally fine with the sacrifice. My only regret is that it didn't happen on page 5.

If you like horror, you might enjoy this book. Apparently, my view is unpopular and people really seem to love this book. They also seem to find it scary.

I simply did not.

Be careful what you wish for, A very chilling read. ask before opening the door. yes I would recommend this read .

Some doors should never be opened. . .

BEHIND THE DOOR is one of my favorite books this year. Mary SanGiovanni delivers a startling tale of extreme terror. The cover caught my eye. I was intrigued by the door and what was behind it. BEHIND THE DOOR is small town horror at its best. Mary SanGiovanni has created one of the best female protagonists in Kathy Ryan. I thought she was superb.

Enter not, nor give your soul to them behind this door.

I believe Kathy Ryan appeared in CHILLS. I haven't read it yet, but I'm going to soon. I don't think you have to read CHILLS before this one.

The small town of Zarepath has secrets. Deep in the woods on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, stands the Door. No one knows where it came from, and no one knows where it leads. People go to the Door seeking comfort or forgiveness. They deliver a handwritten letter asking for the emotional weight to be lifted. They seal the letter with a mixture of wax and their own blood, and slide it under the door. Three days after performing the task, their wish is answered––for better or worse.

A grieving mother makes the mistake of trying to get her letter back. When she opens the door, everything comes pouring out––I'm talking sins, secrets, and spirits. All hell breaks loose. Occultist Kathy Ryan must find a way to seal the door.

BEHIND THE DOOR grabs you by the collar and pulls you in. You can feel the dread and unease settle over the small town of Zarepath like an eerie mist. Strange things start happening. People start seeing things.

Sheriff Cole Toby and Kathy Ryan are my favorite characters. Mary SanGiovanni has created one of the strongest female leads I've ever read about. I look forward to her future adventures. The author also does a great job with the small town and its citizens. Each character moves the narrative forward. There are no throwaway characters.

Mary SanGiovanni delivers another gem. The vivid scenes jump from the page. At times, you will want to yell at the page because of certain characters. The bar scene stands out in my mind. I can still see that scene playing out in my head. The guy running for his life down deserted streets. I also loved the belly tentacles. It was so awesome! I love tentacles! That scene creeped me out and sent shivers down my spine.

It's a race against time to close the door. Will they succeed? You will have to read this one to find out.

From start to finish, this book reads fast. There's no padding or filler in this one. There are no slow parts. The tension stays tight throughout. The ending is great, too. Mary SanGiovanni flexes her writing muscles in BEHIND THE DOOR.

If you think that cover is badass, just wait until you read the story.

Highly Recommend!

5/5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mary SanGiovanni’s Behind the Door has tentacles, mayhem, and mystery. If that line doesn’t interest you, then you’re not the right audience for the book.

Kathy Ryan first appears in the author’s novel Chills. (I read it a few years ago and really liked it.) You don’t need to have read that book to enjoy this one. With that said – I would recommend it. At just under 200 pages, Behind the Door feels like it’s missing something. And that something, I fear, is a connection with Kathy Ryan.

The story is good. It was weird, creepy, and fun. The whole idea of the door, the way the creatures manifest later, all awesome. But I just couldn’t ever really connect with the main character, and that was a problem. It left me a bit wanting in the end.

SanGiovanni doesn’t hold back from giving us unlikable characters in Behind the Door. In fact, one of the two problems I have with the book centers around this. I can’t go into details without spoiling anything, but I could see several people having an issue with it, especially if they have certain traumatic events in their past.
Let’s just say there are some types of human monsters that, for some of us, can't be ‘humanized’.

The author addresses grief very well in Behind the Door. There was one passage in particular that resonated strongly with me, especially considering the anniversary that just passed.

(Please keep in mind that this quote is from an ARC and may not be present in the final copy.)

"She had been relegated to a kind of camp or colony for people who had undergone an Awful Tragedy, a thing they were thankfully unable to relate to in any meaningful way."

Overall, I enjoyed Behind the Door quite a lot. It had good pacing, atmosphere, and the small town felt like it could have been any small town in any state. I look forward to reading more about Kathy Ryan in the future!

This book was a bit hard for me to follow because it had so many Points of View and I couldn't keep up with the time line at times. That said, it was well written, well constructed and had just the right amount of creep/scary factor you want from a book like this.

Behind the door by Mary SanGiovanni.
A fantastic read.  Creepy and eerie.  I loved the story and the characters. I also loved the cover. Sheriff Cole Toby and Kathy were my favourite Characters. There is a door that you must open or ask anything from. Or bad things may happen as our characters will find out. Can they do something to stop the door. Or burn it. I loved how they all came together to try and stop it. Nine of them Bill Cole Kathy Gracie Rob Kari cicely Toby. 5*. A chilling read. Highly recommended.

Behind the Door, by Mary SanGionvanni, is a tale that hearkens back to the archetypal theme posed in stories such as The Monkey’s Paw.

Be careful what you wish for.

In the forest near the town of Zarephath, there stands a mysterious door. It is an unassuming, aged wooden door that does not appear to lead anywhere. However, this door turns out to be a magical portal to an unknowable dimension. For generations, citizens of Zarephath would walk alone into the woods at night to slip a letter under the door. The letters would contain heartfelt requests that are fulfilled in three days. Each person is allotted only one wish. Some wish for understandable favors such as an end to illness, pain, sadness, or addiction. On the other hand, some ask that their heartless sins and vile crimes will remain hidden, thus protecting them from retribution. What could go possibly wrong?

SanGionvanni’s writing style is a strong point. Her prose is easy to read, clear, and intelligent. It does include a heavy dose of tell, but this can be said to fit nature of this genre.

Characterization is arguably the strongest element in the tale. The players are varied, real, flawed, multidimensional, and clearly drawn. Some elicit pity; some elicit visceral disgust. Almost all of them have crept into the forest to slip letters under the door. Readers will have no problem finding characters to root for and characters to hate. Some may even wish their town had its own door in the forest.

The plot kicks into motion when a mother who has lost a child wishes to forget the pain of her loss. She carefully writes and delivers her own letter. In three days, the pain is forgotten, but so are the love and good memories. She soon realizes her mistake and is overcome with regret. How will she deal? An intelligent aspect of the plot is the fact that the characters’ lives and letters turn out to be intrinsically intertwined by hidden connections. These connections ultimately increase tension and keep readers guessing what will happen if or when the truth is revealed. When the inevitable complications occur, the outcome is deadly . Occult specialist Kathy Ryan is called in to save the town.

By the time Ryan arrives, the entire town is at war with supernatural entities. At first the entities are recognizable, believable, fearful, and even strangely worthy of pity. Soon, they morph into quasi Lovecraftian creatures that loose their individuality and thus become less interesting. In addition, Ryan lacks complexity and would be a much more believable and interesting character if she offered information more rooted in any actual magical tradition. That lack of complexity extends to and effects the conclusion which ends up as rather lack-luster and too easily accomplished

Overall, the author does a great job of creating a complex, surprisingly believable story. It will be easy for readers to suspend disbelief and buy into the possibility of a magic door.

Although Behind the Door is a part of the Kathy Ryan series, it can be understood and enjoyed by those who have not read any of the other Kathy Ryan novels. Followers of the series will no doubt enjoy this tale, and newbies will most likely dive into the rest of the collection after reading this edition to the series.

Rougeski Reads

Review: BEHIND THE DOOR by Mary SanGiovanni
(Kathy Ryan Series)

Mary SanGiovanni is an estimable talent indeed. BEHIND THE DOOR takes my beloved Lovecraft Mythos and squeezes it till it squeaks--or in this case, hums. She does so while interweaving some of the worst instances humanity can fall prey to, both as prey and as predator. Portions of this novel made me want to weep, close my eyes, and rage--all simultaneously. I also screamed to see justice wrought. There is extreme horror here, frequently, and I don't recommend to read at night, alone (as did I). There is implacability, maximally. But guard your sensitivity, fire up your empathy, and jump in. Ms. SanGiovanni is about to carry you on an out-of-this-world ride.