Oooo I really enjoyed this creepy little read! I'm a huge sucker for horror that mixes anything to do with kids, sleep disorders and the questioning of the supernatural. Let Him In is definitely more of a slow burn type of horror pacing, but that didn't stop me from finishing it in just a few sittings.

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press for my physical and kindle review copies! Highly recommend picking this one up if you're looking for a shorter horror story that packs a creepy little punch.

Oh man. I wanted to love this book so much. I will say this has some good creepy kids moments, and I liked the character of black mamba. However, I think this book had a hard time focusing down it's horror elements. I wish we'd had the imaginary friend and just gone with it rather than trying to introduce haunted houses and ghosts etc.

There was also a relationship in here I really didn't like and felt very unnecessary. The very end could have made it worth it, but unfortunately, took the safe route. Sadly didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This has all the makings of a psychological thriller/horror novel....A house with a history, a death in the family and the accompanying grief, strange kids (twins) , and an imaginary friend (or is it?) . It is a very atmospheric and suspenseful tale that keeps you wondering what is real and what is imagined. The somewhat ambiguous ending leaves much to the reader for their own interpretation. Overall 4 stars out of 5.

Allies daughters have a new friend. He thinks it is imaginary. This friend is very real and he wants the girls. Chilling read full of suspense and twists and turns. Great characters. Very creepy. Will Alfie save them or be to late.

After reading the synopsis for Let Him In, I thought this would be the perfect book to read during October and the atmosphere definitely provided all of the creepy vibes I was looking for but I’m not sure I ended the story feeling fully satisfied.

Alfie’s wife Pippa has recently died, leaving him and their twin daughters behind. Seemingly out of nowhere, the girls conjure up an imaginary friend - Black Mamba - who slowly but surely cements himself into the family.

I think a lot more could have been done with the story considering the plot had all the makings to be original and thrilling. While there were some chapters that I easily lost myself in, there were others that seemed repetitive and slow-going and that inconsistency meant it took a long time for me to finish the book as I wasn’t feeling inclined to pick it up that much.

If you’re expecting a horror that will get your adrenaline pumping you will be disappointed - I would describe it as a quietly haunting tale that closely examines grief.

Typically, I will give a synopsis of the story, but this one has so many moving parts that I'll let whomever is reading this read the publisher's version so I can hop right into my review. Based on the premise, I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but it really fell flat for me. The story felt sort of... elementary in how it was written, sadly. The characters were kind of annoying, the plot took too long to develop, and thus, it took me forever to read. Wish I could say more, but just generally unimpressed.

As always, a thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for a free copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.

I sadly had to dnf this book as I just couldn’t get into the story. The characters weren’t interesting and I just couldn’t get pulled in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I am not sure how to review this. At first I was drawn into the story. The author presents little nuggets of information in the beginning that made me want to keep reading and find out what was going on. The writing wasn’t the best I’ve ever read but it is a debut novel and so I didn’t expect the most grand writing. As I kept reading and the percent complete kept going up, I realized I wasn’t going to get any sort of answers that I was looking for as to what was actually happening in this book. It has a theme of grief but I’ve read better books that tackle the topic in better ways. Nothing about this book was wowing me and so it was going to be a solid three star book. And then it ended. And I was baffled. The entire book felt like a grand waste of time. Perhaps I missed what the point of this novel was? The horror was very abstract which I can get behind but then the end just made me so angry that I got no sort of explanation. With mediocre writing and a very unsatisfying plot, I can’t recommend this book.

Let Him In is a chilling and suspenseful psychological thriller by William Friend. It is a debut novel, but it is written with the skill and confidence of a seasoned author.

The story follows Alfie, a recently widowed father who is raising his twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia, on his own. When the girls start to talk about an imaginary friend named Black Mamba, Alfie is initially dismissive. But as the girls' stories become more and more disturbing, Alfie begins to wonder if Black Mamba is real.

As the story progresses, Alfie and the girls are drawn into a dark and dangerous world. They must confront their own fears and insecurities in order to survive.

Friend does a masterful job of creating a sense of suspense and dread throughout the novel. The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, and the reader is constantly on edge. Friend also does a good job of developing his characters. Alfie is a flawed but sympathetic protagonist, and the girls are both creepy and endearing.

One of the things that makes Let Him In so effective is that it plays on our deepest fears. The fear of the unknown, the fear of the dark, and the fear of losing our loved ones are all present in the novel. Friend also explores themes of grief, loss, and the fragility of the human mind.

Overall, Let Him In is a well-written and suspenseful thriller that is sure to please fans of the genre. It is a dark and disturbing novel, but it is also rewarding and thought-provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. I love a good ghost story and this one had a good back story and enough horror to keep it interesting. Loved the back story of the dad and the twins characters were also well established. Fun spooky read for the fall!

I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting a gothic horror, just perfect for the spooky season. Instead it was confusing and convoluted story that I still don't fully understand. I didn't care about any of the characters. I'm still not sure where Black Mamba came from or where he went. I'm not sure the connection of the past generations trauma to the incidents in this book. Let Him In is similar to The Whisper Man, but that one was done so much better.

This book had such promise! I just feel a little let down. Too many loose ends and I hate that in a book. Too many unanswered questions.

The book is told from 2 POV and neither of them were very interesting. I did finish the book and the wrting was very good but it just fell flat for me in so many ways and the pace was too slow for me.

I wanted so much more

3 stars - still a good rating and would recommend to anyone i think would enjoy it more than me

This novel was a very creepy read. The twins' friend keeps you on edge with you constantly considering it to be someone or something else. I cannot recommend this read more for horror or mystery fanatics.

So this book made me soooooooo angry. I did not enjoy this read at all....

I really disliked the two perspective characters because they were terribly selfish people and usually that isn't a problem with a horror book... BUT... the horror was soooooo stupid. The idea of a imaginary friend that does crazy things was very intriguing, but the author didn't take it to a place where the plot was actually creepy...

Also, the female perspective... I HATE HER... HOW COULD YOU BE PERVING ON YOUR SISTER'S HUSBAND WHEN SHE HAS ONLY BEEN DEAD FOR A YEAR.... EWWWWWWW also EWWWWWWWW...She basically replaced her... and everything was all better.

Yeah... not my jam at all.

Black Mamba on the loose! I’m assuming there’s a reason they had to change this UK book’s title for a US debut … maybe cause Kobe Bryant’s nickname? Who knows. But the new title is actually way cooler and the cover art is rad. This book had a lot of elements at play — and not all of them landed for me. I think eliminating some of them could have actually made this stronger. That said, this is a multiple POV story tracking a family struggling through generations of grief. It has young twins acting out under the orders of what they say is a mysterious, shape shifting being that visits them at a house with a troubled past and secrets, following the death of their mother. This had its very eerie moments — like “The Good Son” kind — and some of the writing was poetic and rich. The tension was good, and there’s some ambiguity that messes with your head in a serious way. But I needed more, clearer background on some aspects of the narrative. It’s a quick read and if you like spooky kids, demon-like entities, and a dad getting gaslit by children who speak in unison — give it a shot!

A chilling Gothic thriller that's perfect for enhancing the suspenseful atmosphere of Halloween; it's best saved for the spooky season.

Reflecting on some of the most unsettling books I've encountered, many of them revolved around twins, and this one is no different. With their telepathic connection, eerie laughter, and haunting visions entwined with their sorrow, the twins in this story embody an unsettling and dark presence.

After the passing of his wife, Alfie is struggling to raise his twin daughters Cassia and Sylvie. They begin speaking about an imaginary friend that only they can see, Black Mamba. Black Mamba starts sitting with them at the table, talking to them and telling them to do things and Alfie grows uneasy. He brings his late wife’s sister Julia, a psychiatrist, in to speak with the girls.

This had me hooked but began to drag fairly quickly, which is saying something for a shorter book. I generally don’t enjoy supernatural aspects and religious aspects, and this book had both. I honestly got so confused at the end, that I can’t even tell you what happened. This had potential until those aspects started to come into play, but this was just not for me.

This book scared the crap out of me.
It reminded me the Haunting of Hill Manor in many ways.
Kids in scary books are creepy but add in that this book has twins really made me get chicken skin. I should not have read this book before going to bed.
It was very good I want to say this author is new to me but us up there with the legendary Stephen King!

After the death of his wife, Alfie took it upon himself to raise his twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia, on his own. One night, the girls claim to have seen a person in their room, but Alfie initially dismisses it as his imagination. However, he decides to dig deeper and talk to his daughters. To his surprise, they introduce him to their imaginary companion, whom they call the "Black Mamba" and ask if it can stay. Alfie recognizes this as a coping mechanism and decides to adopt their imaginary world. However, things begin to take a more disturbing turn when the twins begin their andquot;friend.andquot; make annoying comments about. They said the Black Mamba would follow them in their dreams, transport them to the moon, and even join them for a meal. Disturbed by these strange occurrences, Alfie turns to Julie, Pippa and a psychotherapist, nurse and psychotherapist, for advice on how to effectively communicate with his daughters. As time goes on, the situation becomes darker and repressed memories resurface, haunting everyone involved.
andquot;Put Him asidequot; is William Fendi's first novel and I must say it is truly remarkable. The story is skillfully crafted and draws me in with vivid descriptions that make me feel like I'm experiencing the story first hand. Although the pace is a bit slow, it offers a lot of space to gradually explore each character and their background, allowing me to develop a deep connection with them. The confusing and terrifying atmosphere of the story captivates me from start to finish.
From my point of view, the novel leans more towards psychological horror than the supernatural. While there are moments that suggest the presence of the supernatural, they are not constantly present. Backstories provide information about Hart House and Julia and Pippa's seemingly educated family. The novel can be seen as a psychological horror because it creates a scary atmosphere and explores the emotional and mental state of the characters, especially the twins and their father. It is suspected that the Black Mamba may have been born from the imagination of one of the twins, but this has not been definitively confirmed. I still believe there is a possibility of the supernatural being involved, perhaps with the help of Grandma Marian the twins successfully summon a demon to communicate with their dead husband Eric. However, this has not been fully confirmed. Also, the ending, which I personally find exciting, leaves me confused and confused as to who actually lived with Julia and the twins. This book was very creepy!

This is a well-written book, that has a mystery element this is entertaining. One of those is this supernatural or are there explanations for what is occurring.

I loved the characters, the twins, Alfie, Julia, and even poor deceased Pippa. However, the plot meandered a little bit too long for me on whether Black Mamba was real and I was waiting for the tension to ramp up. It did in the end, but it felt a little late at that point.

I loved the writing and would be willing to give another book of his a try. I think this comes down to taste. A fine book, just not for me.