3.5 stars

Let Him In by William Friend is a horror novel about a strange house with twin girls who have an imaginary friend.   Note that this book was originally released under the title Black Mamba in 2022.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Alfie is trying to raise his twin girls on his own after the death of his wife Pippa. They have been struggling, but things get worse when the girls start talking about a man that appears at the end of their bed.  Alfie originally thought it was probably just a nightmare, as he has been having them too.  Soon Alfie starts to question that.

Julia, Pippa's sister,  is a psychiatrist, and she tells Alfie that it is quite normal for children to have an imaginary friend while dealing with grief.

But there are other things going on at Hart House, and Julia doesn't want to spend much time in the house where she grew up.  She was fine when her Mom sold the house to Alfie and Pippa for a pittance.  She certainly didn't want it.

Julia does, decide to counsel the girls, but it soon becomes evident that this imaginary friend has a lot more control than she thought, and he simply does not want to leave.


My Opinions:
First, I loved the cover.  Second, I was disappointed that this book was originally published a year ago under another name (Black Mamba).  It no longer felt like a debut novel, although it was.

The book hits topics like religious cults, haunted houses, and demons, as well as family and grief.

The book was quite atmospheric, really creepy, and the plot was good.  We were given background of the house and Pippa's family quite slowly, and this made the suspense grow.  However, both of those topics could have been expanded upon.  A little more depth would have been appreciated, as it felt like Black Mamba appeared out of nowhere.   I can't say I actually liked any of the characters, as even Julia annoyed me from time to time.  However, the ending was great!

So, bottom line, for a debut novel, it was quite good, and I will explore future offerings from this author.

This is a good book.
So we have a maybe not-so-imaginary friend story with also the tone of a haunted house.....
This book is so hard to judge, it's not boring and you def don't have any clue what is going to happen next. It's def unpredictable.
A couple of deaths have occurred at the house that the Hart family now reside in. We have a dad (who lost his wife) and twin daughters. Julia, who is Pippa's sister (the one who passed away) is around a lot and a big part of this story. She is also a psychiatrist. Whether they were from natural causes or they were murdered the house itself has something hidden. Something that once exposed will not let go and this book is here for it all. It takes you into the minds of all the characters and also gives some backstory on the characters and the house.
This book is sooo much better than I thought it was going to be. The blurb does not give it justice.
There is something so sinister around. Black Momba is what it goes by.
This book brings together grief, sadness, family dynamics, mental anguish and a dark spirit that comes together that will make you feel insane and not know what is truly going on.
Soooo creepy and so good.

I was so glad to have read this book (ARC) and thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity. The above is my opinion/review, honest and voluntary.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It felt like an attempt at allegory for grief, but one that was written by a horny teenage boy with single dimension women characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of Let Him In in exchange for my honest review!

This is an interesting book that I don't think is fully successful at what it's trying to accomplish, but it boasts enough good meat that I'm glad I checked it out. The premise itself comes off as generic, but it still engaged me right from the beginning with its eerie mood. Sure, it never outright terrified me, but there's slow-burn creepiness to be found here nonetheless. The family dynamic compelled me, too. Then it all builds up to a third act that makes the brave choice to leave me with numerous unanswered questions. I don't know if I'm fully satisfied with how many questions there are, but it's certainly an intriguing way to wrap up the story at the very least.

Overall, I'm officially rating Let Him In as 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to three stars. You don't necessarily have to read this ASAP, but it could be a neat pick if you're in the mood for it.

What a great book for this spooky time of year. Highly recommend if you like a good creepy story. I will definitely be thinking about this one for months (years?) to come. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Two things that creep me out the most in books - twins and imaginary friends - are both predominantly featured in this creepy, perfect for spooky season tbr read.

Twins Cassia and Sylvie are definitely going through some stuff, with the recent death of their mom. One night, they tell their dad, Alfie, that there's a man in their room. They call him Black Mamba, and after multiple visits, they say he's going to take them away, and he will be their daddy.

Um...say what?

Alfie obviously freaks and initially thinks it's just a dream, but can't deny some weird noises and things in the house. He calls on his wife's sister, Pippa, who is conveniently a therapist, to help talk to the girls and try to figure out what's going on.

Twins. Black Mamba. I mean, how much more creepy can it get?

And this is a debut. *Insert shocked face*

There were a few bits at the end that confused me a little, and a couple of things that I wish were explained a little better, but overall, this was a spooky book that was a pleasant surprise to my October tbr.

This book was so good! It was a slow burn horror with an ending that had me physically talking to the characters! I won’t say what because I don’t want to spoil it. Overall a good read for October to get in the mood for halloween.

This was a good, creepy read that was perfect for the Halloween season. A recently widowed father has to care for his young twin daughters who seem to have a mysterious "friend." There is a good build up of eerie happenings and it has a gothic horror feel to the book. The ending left me wondering a few unsettled things but that's not always a bad thing. If you're in the mood for a chilling read, this may be right up your alley. Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Let Him In is the story of a widowed father and his twin girls, who start communicating with an entity that can only be seen by them. As the attachment to their unseen friend progresses, their detachment from the father increases. The finale leaves some room for speculation by the reader to determine what is real and what is not. Overall, the book held my interest throughout and the characters ring true. The parental frustration in trying to deal with “imaginary friends” was especially on point.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of this title. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.

Alfie and his twin daughters Sylvie and Cassia are scrapping by after the death of their wife and mother, Pippa. But when the girls invent a mysterious imaginary friend, Alfie calls in Julia, his late wife's own twin to help. As a psychologist, Julia should be able to help. But is something more sinister going on?

This book was creepy in all the right ways. Alfie, Sylvie, Cassia, and Julia were all well fleshed out characters that you truly felt for. Black Mamba was the perfect mysterious, shadowy figure for this story. The grief from all family members was just as palpable as the fear. As the book went on, tension built appropriately and the pacing kept me engaged. As the book was only around 200 pages, I was able to finish in two days.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

This book was so creepy! It’s a good read for the Halloween season. I loved the buildup of the story. It did a great job of revealing important information at the correct time. This really made me want to keep reading more, and I couldn’t put the book down! I loved the two character perspective. It was interesting getting to bounce between what Alfie and Julia were thinking, especially since Julia grew up in Hart House.

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in supernatural horror; it will definitely give you the creeps!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Since the passing of his wife, Alfie has taken on the responsibility of raising his twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia, all on his own. One evening, the girls claim to have spotted an individual in their room, but Alfie initially dismisses it as a figment of their imagination. However, he chooses to delve deeper into the matter and have a conversation with his daughters. To his astonishment, they introduce him to their make-believe companion, whom they refer to as "Black Mamba," and inquire if it can stay. Recognizing this as a coping mechanism, Alfie decides to embrace their imaginative world. However, things start to take a more unsettling turn as the twins begin making disturbing comments about their "friend." They said that Black Mamba starts accompanying them during their sleep, transporting them to the moon, and even joining them for meals. Troubled by these peculiar happenings, Alfie reaches out to Julia, Pippa's sister and a psychotherapist, seeking guidance in effectively communicating with his daughters. As time passes, the situation becomes increasingly sinister, and suppressed memories resurface, haunting all involved.

"Let Him In" is the first novel by William Fiend, and I have to say, it is truly remarkable. The narrative is skillfully crafted, drawing me in with its vibrant descriptions that make me feel as if I am experiencing the story firsthand. While the pacing is a bit slow, it provides ample room for the gradual exploration of each character's background, allowing me to develop a profound connection with them. The unsettling and eerie atmosphere of the story captivates me from beginning to end.

In my perspective, the novel tends to lean more towards psychological horror rather than the supernatural. Although there are moments that imply a presence of the supernatural, they are not consistently present. The backstories provide information about the Hart House and the seemingly cult-like family of Julia and Pippa. The novel can be seen as a psychological horror as it creates a creepy atmosphere and explores the emotional and mental states of the characters, particularly the twins and their father. There is a suspicion that Black Mamba may have been created from the imagination of one of the twins, but this has not been definitively confirmed. I still believe that it is possible for the supernatural to be involved, perhaps with the twins successfully summoning a demon with the assistance of their grandmother, Marian, in order to communicate with her deceased husband, Eric. However, this is not established until the end. Furthermore, the ending, which I personally find thrilling, leaves me dumbfounded and confused about who was actually living with Julia and the twins.

Nevertheless, the book is sufficiently creepy, making me shiver and causing me to put it down when I was alone in the house. The unsettling feeling stayed with me, especially during nighttime when I imagined something lurking in the dark after reading it.

Although I found the book enjoyable, I would give it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars as it fell slightly short of my expectations.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Let Him In is William Friend’s debut novel, and I will definitely read his next book! I loved this one! Creepy kids are always disturbing to me, and Cassia and Sylvie are definitely a disturbing duo. The atmosphere and setting of Hart House and all the terrible “accidents” that have occurred there as well adds a certain menacing tone to the story.

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there are allusions to what really happened to certain characters but not definite ones, you have to draw your own conclusions a bit. But overall I highly recommend this book if you like creepy kids, menacing houses, and demons. The story reminded me a tiny bit of the movie Hereditary in its tone and overall story.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.**

This book definitely held my interest from start to finish. Even during the slow parts I kept reading because I needed to know what the hell was going on lol It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read before and wasn’t predictable like some thrillers. l enjoyed the haunted house vibes and the creepy twins which added to the suspense and eeriness of the story. I can see this not being a hit for everyone (especially the ending) but I enjoyed it.

DNF at 23%

I had a hard time with this one. I DNFed it at 23% because nothing was keeping my attention. I also felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere.

Yeah, I was stopped in my tracks by the cover for Let Me In by William Friend. I have been looking for horror books for the month of October. The cover sold me and I thought, I’m up for a good haunted house story. Let Him In by William Friend is so much more than that. I guess you can even call it a psychological thriller, because I couldn’t sort out whether it was all in him mind, if his twin daughters were sociopaths, or if there was an evil presence in the house.

Alfie’s wife had died in a freak accident and he was left to take care of the girls on his own. His mother is, well, a helicopter parent and his sister in law, who turns out to be his wife’s twin, cannot bear to be around them. It amplifies his feelings of inadequacy.

He pours some tea into my favorite mug, black and speckled with stars, and we sit at the table. The stars appear only when the mug is hot. By the time around half have been snuffed out, it’s safe to drink.

It’s writing like this that adds that something extra in the details that I love so much. Funny how something so inconsequential sticks out for me.

I was all over the place with Let Him In. I couldn’t figure out WTF was going on and the creep factor was operating at a high level.. My head was spinning…and…when I reached the end…well…if you are a horror lover, you might just want to find out for yourself. I would love to know if you end up as surprised as I was.

I did have a problem with some of the children’s dialogue, seeing they are so young, seven years old. Also, Let Him In seemed slow at times, but maybe these two elements were meant to lure me in, keeping me curious, making me HAVE to know how it will end.

For a debut novel, William Friend has done an excellent job with his first endeavor into writing. I feel he will have an amazing career and I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

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While this book has some good moments, overall I was unimpressed with how everything played out. The romance was awkward at best and really detracted from the horror-themed elements. The audiobook was well voiced and produced.

This boo started out with so much creepy potential, but went on so long that I lost interest. I thought about quitting a few times but pressed on but, unfortunelty, I was not rewarded for my efforts.

I found this a really difficult read. The basis of the story is good but it had no real draw to keep me interested. It's we'll written although I found the chapter longer than I usually like which added to the difficulty I had in carrying on to end of this one

Alfie is suddenly widowed and left to raise his twin girls. As time start passing, he notices that his daughters have been talking to an imaginary friend. Alfie asks the girls about their friend and they tell him that they can hear and see him. Alfie decides to enlist the help of his sister-in-law Julia. She is a psychotherapist and starts to council them. As with all great horror, you’re never sure if the experiences are symptoms of grief and genuine sadness or the supernatural. I have to say I still wasn’t sure as I read the last page…

The characters are all excellent, developed and real. The creepiness of the twins is captured perfectly too.