3.5 going up due to ending!! Great creep factor. Twins seeing a “friend” who can change shapes. Another twin that has died. Lots of crazy family stuff. I enjoyed this book a lot and perfect timing with Halloween around the corner. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This is definitely a creepy and twisted horror. The author did a great job creating this eerie vibe around the twins and their imaginary friend - Black Mamba. Don't try to read this book at night.
The book started strong and exciting but I was not a fan of the ending. It just left me very confused.

3 stars from me and two thumbs up for the cover.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alfie is a widower with young twin girls. After his wife died, his daughters struggled to sleep and in time, introduced an imaginary friend. The girls begin to exhibit out-of-character behavior and blame much of it on their newfound scapegoat. Alfie starts to question his sanity and calls in their psychotherapist aunt to help with the situation: family secrets and a house with a history feed into the escalating crisis.

This slow-build psychological horror story will haunt you with its subtlety. Every character's mental stability is in question, and the family's religious heritage and closely guarded secrets about the family home, Hart House, are intertwined with the mystery of what the girls are actually experiencing. The underlying tension keeps the pages turning to a conclusion that at first feels like a resolution but later will niggle at the back of your mind as you ponder the meaning of the final events in the story.

If you enjoy gothic literature, this one's for you. With creepy twins, a house with a disturbing history, a cultish religion, and family secrets, it has all the elements for a chill-inducing read you won't soon forget.

Scary and haunting classic horror novel that will keep you up at night. This was a fun fast read! Perfect for horror fans!
Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this on netgallery

Let Him In by William Friend is an eerie tale about a broken family dealing with the aftermath of a woman's death. Alfie is devastated, barely able to function without his partner, Pippa. his twin daughters have taken a typical childhood trope, the imaginary friend, except this imaginary friend isn't typical at all. they call him the Black Mamba and he's a sinister man who can change into any animal he wishes and takes them on fanciful adventures. and something about him disturbs Alfie more than he cares to admit. he turns to Pippa's twin sister, Julia who is a psychologist with a dark history of her own and things go downhill from there.
Let Him In is technically very good. it evokes a certain eerieness, a subtle revulsion that slithers among the background. the plot is satisfying. the ending works extremely well. my one and only complaint is i wasn't able to connect emotionally with the characters on any level. Let Him In could've been great. it came so so very close. but that air of detachment, the separation of the reader from the characters. i wish this problem could've been resolved in the editing process because the book is quite good, but it could've been great. alas.
so, to sum up:
very recommended
4 stars out of 5.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

This horror novel starts with Alfie and his 7yo twin daughters, Cassia and Sylvie, 9 months after a tragic accident took the girls' mother Pippa. The girls see a man in their room one night, and soon this man becomes their "imaginary" friend named Black Mamba. But Black Mamba might actually be real, and he has very dark motives. Julia, the girls' aunt and Pippa's twin sister (who's also a child psychologist) tries to help, but she may be out of her league.

This book is a slow burn. At times the pacing seemed to drag a bit, and I didn't like the religious aspects; however, I understand why they were in there. The story twists a great plot about grief and coping, family dynamics, psychology, and what may or not be real. Alfie's character development through the book was great, but the twins were very unlikeable. The grandmother, Marian was also very unlikeable. I'm sure this was all intentional, but I found it hard to root for anyone in this family. Also, there were a few times when I wasn't sure where the story was even going or how it might end. I went back and forth many times on whether Black Mamba was real or not, but I definitely didn't see that ending coming. It was SO GOOD!

I really liked the depth of this novel; definitely not a typical horror novel (besides having creepy twins and a possibly haunted/cursed house). I will definitely be recommending this book to my horror friends and book club. It is worth the read!

Grateful for the opportunity to dive into the ARC of this book, though it didn't quite captivate me enough to reach the final page.

This took me on a weird surreal journey. I never knew what to expect and the end left me questioning what was real. Very Interesting Read and further proves everything is creepier with children involved.

This was such a creepy and atmospheric book! I mean, when young twin girls who live in an old house with a dark past suddenly have an imaginary friend, you know it's not going to be good.

I liked the short chapters and the alternating POVs between Alfie and Julia and how this book touched on grief and the struggle of being a young, widowed father.

I did wish that there was more history given about Hart House, and at times, I felt the pacing was a bit slow. But the writing was great, especially considering that this was the author's debut novel. I will definitely be reading whatever he writes in the future.

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the #gifted earc of this book!

3.5 starts rounded

This one was definitely a slow burn. Emphasis on *slow*. While I enjoyed the way the author gradually built the suspense, the unhurried pacing did cause the plot to drag in a few points. That said, the story does an excellent job with the reveal, provided you're willing to be patient. Information on the characters (and all of their increasingly dubious backstories) is gently doled out piece by tiny piece so that by the time you reach the end, you are left with a disturbing picture of just how broken this secretive family actually is. The ending leaves itself open to interpretation - just what exactly happened here?

If you enjoy your horror more cerebral than gory, I highly recommend this one. I know I'll be looking over my shoulder for the boogeyman for a few nights to come.

I was very excited to read what had been billed as a gothic horror novella set in the UK, however as well written as Let Him In is, the story completely fell flat for me.

At slightly over 200 pages, the pacing should have been rapid and a quick and easy read. Instead, I was found forcing myself to pick up the story in order to finish it. The twins element was interesting, but too much focus was spent on their father and aunt instead of on their personalities and how they were interacting with Black Mamba. I think the story would have been much more spine tingling from their point of view. As far as the ending, I was left rather confused as to exactly what had happened and what was going on.

This novella would definitely be much better marketed toward those who enjoy family character studies than pure horror fans.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really creepy story. The ending was really unexpected too which I really enjoyed. It's really unique and I would recommend this! I love how creepy this story is and I think it's the perfect book to read for spooky season! Special Thank You to William Friend, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A creepy novel that includes a family secret, a family house that may be haunted, and twin girls that are at the center of it.

After his wife's sudden death Alfie is now left to raise his two twin girls on his own. While himself grieving his two daughters start having strange dreams and create a new imaginary friend. Though originally he believes it's part of their grief process he soon starts to wonder if there isn't something more sinister at play. Without knowing what else to do he asks Julia, his wife's twin sister and a psychiatrist, to help with his two daughters and their new behavior. But as the girls start getting more wrapped up with their new imaginary friend both Julia and Alfie start having strange things happen to them and soon have to confront their role in everything that is happening.

This was an interesting debut novel. The writing made me eager to learn what exactly is going on in the family home called Hart House. I knew there was much more to the story that would eventually be revealed. Unfortunately, the reveal left me a little underwhelmed. And the story goes at a pretty slow pace so that may have added in not being super intrigued as we learned more about the family and the house.

I really enjoyed the writing as a whole but felt like the story needed more. I wanted to know more about certain aspects of the story and the people in it.

What an incredibly creepy and spooky story! Following along with this family and the tragedy they've experienced really sets the stage for all the events that take place throughout. The twin girls were amazing in this story and had me completely spooked all the way through. Great story!

A creepy, paranormal thriller that will have you questioning up until the end. Friend does an excellent job describing the sometimes creepy way twins can communicate. Looking forward to the next title by this author. This is a great Halloween read.

This book is so fast and fun! What a killer debut novel.

A chilling Gothic thriller that could really amp up the atmospheric suspense feel at Halloween, so save it for the chilling season. It preys upon grief and tragedy, but the story is very psychological!

This is a book you never want to spoil for the next reader so I’m just going to drop a little info below.

Set within a haunting house that harbours dark secrets, where two deaths have occurred under mysterious circumstances (though they may appear natural, doubts still linger), we meet Alfie, a grieving father, and his twin girls, Sylvie and Cassia, who are left behind after their mother, Pippa, tragically succumbs to anaphylactic shock. Together, they reside in the same place, haunted by their immense grief.

As time passes, his daughters start talking about an imaginary friend. They say they can see him and hear him. When Alfie becomes frightened, he calls on his sister-in-law, Julia for help. As she is a psychotherapist, she begins to counsel the girls. Who is this imaginary friend and what does it want? The atmosphere is creepy as all get out!

There were times where the book was a little repetitive and slow-paced. However, LET HIM IN has the perfect ingredients for a great horror novel. I look forward to reading what William Friend has for us readers next.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a page turner I couldn’t put it down. You could feel each characters pain. The author has a way of pulling you in and I really enjoyed it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These little girls have an imaginery friend, named Black Mamba….that’s not ominous at all… Anytime there is a book with children being creepy, I am instantly creeped. Add in the house, Black Mamba and the twins being in total sync about everything 👻. This was a great debut novel. For much of the novel, it was a slow burn horror. Little things would happen where you would raise your eyebrows but not too much. Everything happened in the back 80% and that was bingeable!

Huge thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. This book kept me guessing the whole time and I couldn’t wait to find out who ‘he’ was. This book will have you hanging on until the very end!

I was instantly drawn to the cover and description for this eerie book. A father is trying to raise his 2 young twins while grieving the loss of his wife (their mother). The deceased wife's twin, a psychologist, steps in to help her brother in law with her nieces. Of course, they are living in an old home with history of its own.

This book presented a lot to think about with the various people grieving loss of a loved one, TWINS everywhere, creepy home, creepy history, and an imaginary friend ... or is he imaginary? Black Mamba.

I enjoyed this eerie and chilling story that makes you wonder what is reality vs what is tricks, paranormal, mental illness .... who knows??

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.