I liked this book, however, I think my expectations going in were a little too high. I was expecting to be terrified but ended up only slightly creeped out.

3 stars based on the fact that it held my attention until the end, had a solid and engaging storyline and had a good twist.

I think that this book has got to be one of the most mind-twisting, shooking and just plain insane books I’ve ever read. Like.. what in the heck.

Let Him In by William Friend is a newly released psychological thriller/horror/paranormal (who the heck knows) debut book that left me reeling at that incredibly confusing ending.

It was an overall short read that I finished in two sittings because I just HAD to know more. While the ending left me questioning everything I had read and praying that there would be a sequel it was a very much enjoyable read that is perfect for the spooky season!

This is definitely a creepy book. It has a horror aspect to it that absolutely loved although it may be a bit much for some people. I absolutely loved the plot and didn't want to put this book down. The book was, at times, slow and it might've been a little bit too slow for my tastes. Still amazing nonetheless.


I’m this story is the Dad, Alfie, and his twin daughters, Cassia and Sylvie. Nine months ago, the girls' Mum, and Alfie's long-time partner, Pippa, died suddenly and unexpectedly in their home.

Alfie, battling his own grief, is struggling to parent the girls alone. In spite of the challenges, Alfie feels like overall, they're doing okay. At least as well as could be expected. Things take a turn though when the girls wake Alfie one night stating, 'Daddy, there's a man in our room...’

That starts the girls' new found obsession with their imaginary friend, Black Mamba, who they describe as a man who can shape-shift into any animal. He protects them and also takes them on fabulous adventures.

Alfie calls in Pippa's sister, the girls' Aunt Julia, for help with the Black Mamba situation. As a psychiatrist, he feels Julia is probably much more qualified to navigate this situation than he is.

What they both assume is just a coping mechanism following Pippa's untimely death begins to feel like more, however, as a series of increasingly disturbing events occurs. This includes both Alfie and Julia having visions that could possibly be linked to the mysterious Black Mamba.

This book's chilling ending is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The buildup of tension, and the disturbing atmosphere captivate you from the very beginning, making it impossible to put the book down until the thrilling end.

I recommend this to any fans of Horror who are looking for something a little deeper.

Shout out to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Let Him In" was creeping off the creep-charts!! Maybe it's tied with the fact that I have a young daughter myself, but the "imaginary friend" aspect was executed perfectly, so much so that I had to turn the light on while I read.

I've been recommending this book to everyone I know who reads spooky/horror. This book is PERFECT to read during spooky-season!

A rather quick, eerie, gothic read.

The story centers around two twins and is very reminiscent of 'Haunting of House Hill' - it does a great job delivering on the atmospheric tension and does a great job of navigating through complicated family dynamics and familial grief.

It's a page-turner, that's for sure, and definitely a recommendation for anyone wanting to get into the horror genre.

Thanks again to Netgalley, William Friend, and Poisoned Pen Press for this Advanced Reader Copy.

3.31 / 5

#lethimin #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. Available Now!

' A creeping, gothic psychological suspense about a young, newly widowed father struggling to raise twin daughters obsessed with an imaginary friend'

So it was the cover that sucked me in initially and the book did not disappoint.
Super creepy at times and had me doubting the characters often.
I was invested in the story and the house gave me "Haunting of Hill House' vibes.
Little so places and repetitive at times but still a great read.
Highly Recommend

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the buildup of tension. However, I felt the ending fell flat. I wished for so much more! Still worth the read for sure!

🔮🔮🔮🔮/5

Four crystal balls!

Let Him In is a mysterious, paranormal, spooky read that brings in themes of The Shining and The Haunting of Hill House. A newly widowed father of two twin girls is troubled by their new imaginary friend. As strange things start happening and the girls are plagued by mysterious maladies, Alfie starts to wonder if Black Mamba, the girls friend, is real. Is there something wrong with him, or is there something living with them inside their home, Hart House?

The atmosphere in this book is eerie and will give you the chills! It's reminiscent of some very popular works and I enjoyed it.

meh. well i’m disappointed.
I expected WAYYYY more from this book. I love the creepy cover, the synopsis even sounded creepy. it was a tad creepy but I expected a terrifying tale. I can agree with most reviews i’ve seen that it was a good tale for processing grief and what it does to a person but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

This book was okay. I kept looking for the scary and it just didn’t meet my personal expectations. Storyline wise, it was good! I just wish it would have been more horror-y to me.

*Rating: 2.5 stars, rounded up for NetGalley

Did I feel sort of misled by the premise of this book? Yes. Did I have a great, terrifying time as I was expecting? Not exactly.

Let Him In is a medium paced book that took quite a while to pick up the pace and feel actually engaging. The two main characters who narrate the story are not really likable, especially Alfie, the male main character. He’s a grieving father of twins and the way he treats them, how he goes about life, did not manage to endear him to me. I’m not being insensitive towards his pain, I just honestly believe he wasn’t acting like a good dad when her daughters needed him most.
As for Julia, the female main character, I don’t think she added enough to the story. She was sort of secretive, she wouldn’t admit or reveal certain things, only provided more questions and not enough answers.

I wouldn’t say the narrators are exactly unreliable, but the story is kind of ambiguous and most of the time it’s unclear if the characters are imagining things, if it’s all in their heads or if weird, paranormal stuff is actually happening. As a reader, I prefer this to be clearly defined. And even though by the end we do get a confirmation, the reveal was extremely anticlimactic. The tension was really well built but there was no payoff. No confrontation, no shocking realization. So, unfortunately, the ending did not redeem the rest of the book for me.

Let Him In is a story of grief horror, tense and atmospheric, with a bit of gothic elements and paranormal happenings but that it does take a while to finally take off and engage the reader.

This was a great creepy book. It makes you wonder what is real and what is imagination. Does Black Mamba really exist? If so who is he and what does he want. Is the house inhabited by a ghost and if so whose ghost? Did something sinister happen to the twins mother or was it really an accident?

There is stuff about strange religions, the twins grandmother is very odd, and you aren't quite sure if what you are seeing is grief manifest or something sinister. You never really get any answers just lots of questions that are left up to your interpretation. It was a freaky book and would highly recommend it if you are into the spooky and unexplained.

Let Him In was an eerie read from the start. Twin girls make up an imaginary friend, Black Mamba, in the months following their mother's untimely death. In the midst of his grief their father, Alfie, tries to offer the support his girls need, when he starts having his own nightmares. Is Hart House to blame? Is Black Mamba a coping mechanism for the girls? Or is something more sinister afoot?

This horror novel is unlike others I have read. It was a great story and delivered on the creep factor. Thanks to Net Galley and Poisioned Pen Press for the ARC of this debut novel.

This covers family secrets so well. I was mostly enthralled throughout the entire read. The atmosphere of this read was creepy and eerie. The cover is what truly drew me in and it is honestly the perfect depiction of what this book invokes.

Let Him In is a different take on horror and how grief can affect us all differently. Told in alternating points of view you get to know Alfie and Julia, along with Alfie's twin daughters. Right off the bat the twins begin to see a man named Black Mamba in their room, and the horror just begins. This was a slower horror book, and while there isn't necessarily jump scares, the creepiness of the novel was great. I personally think this is a case of it's me, not you. It was just slow and a bit repetitive for me. But, I think horror fans will enjoy this creepy read if you don't mind a slower read! Thank you Netgalley and PosionedPress for an advanced digital copy.

3.5 stars!!! Terrifying Cover!!

Gave me a few chills, didn’t really care for the mysterious creature/apparition being called black mamba…..really grated on my nerves by the end of the book. Eh probably just me.

Story is told from alternating perspective of Alfie and Julia who is Alfies sister in law following the death of his wife Pippa. Julia is attempting to help her nieces cope after the death of their mother and them telling their dad about them seeing a man in their room. Hart house has a dark past that is slowly uncovered throughout the story as well. Enjoyed the story. Didn’t really have me thinking about the book or characters when I wasn’t reading though.

Thanks to Netgalley and poisoned pen press for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is more of a fairy tale-paranormal story. 7 year old twins wake their father in the middle of the night stating they have seen a man at the foot of their bed. At first it seems the girls have an “imaginary friend’”, but as time goes by, their father, Alfie believes the twins are describing a real being. Is it a snake, a spider or a bird? Julia the girl’s maternal aunt steps in to counsel the girls to a more personal level after all that is her profession. Julia is also a twin to Alfie’ deceased wife and had lived in the same home as a child. Julia has also seen questionable siting as a child. The ending of this story left me wanting more of an conclusion. Kept waiting for a bigger BANG.

"Let Him In" by William Friend, previously titled "Black Mamba," was a book that I picked up as a read-now copy on NetGalley. The novel is marketed as a horror story, and it does give off a somewhat eerie vibe from the front cover. It blends elements of horror with family drama and a touch of the paranormal, making for an intriguing premise.

The story revolves around Alfie, who is awakened one night by his seven-year-old twins, claiming to have seen a man in their room. They insist there is a shadowy figure, but Alfie can't find any evidence of it, assuming it's just nightmares. The girls have been through a lot, having lost their mother suddenly only nine months ago, so it's not surprising they'd have nightmares. However, their troubles take an unusual turn when they develop an imaginary friend named Black Mamba, who initially appears to be a coping mechanism before taking on a more sinister role as the story unfolds.

One of the more captivating aspects of the book is the religious faction that appears in the narrative. This group holds intriguing beliefs about death and the afterlife, which could have been explored in greater detail. The book touches on these beliefs, but it feels like an underdeveloped subplot that could have added a rich layer of complexity to the story.

However, the plot takes some questionable turns, such as the involvement of the girls' teacher and social services. The teacher's involvement in visiting the home seemed unusual because it appeared to overstep the bounds of what would be expected from a teacher's role in the UK. In my experience, teachers typically don't make home visits, and if they do, it's usually carried out by administrative staff or counselors, not classroom teachers. Furthermore, the teacher's reaction to the twins' stories seemed overly dramatic. While the twins' accounts were unconventional, it didn't appear that they were so strange as to warrant such a strong reaction from the teacher.

Spoiler Warning:
Now, regarding Pippa's death, it could have added a fascinating twist to the narrative. The book hints at the possibility of her death being tied to a cult, which would have been a compelling storyline, possibly connecting it to the mysterious events happening with the twins. Unfortunately, this aspect of the story is left unexplored and remains a missed opportunity.

The choice to name the imaginary friend "Black Mamba" may have been an attempt to create a creepy vibe, but it felt odd and didn't contribute to the story's overall atmosphere. Moreover, the ending left me unsatisfied, as it felt rushed and difficult to follow.

In summary, "Let Him In" had potential with an intriguing premise and well-written prose. However, the plot had holes, and some narrative choices left me confused. While the book has its merits, I likely won't be exploring more of this author's work in the future.

If you are a fan of biblical and religious references and the occult in your horror books, this book might be for you. I personally don't, so this was NOT a book for me. Regardless of all that, it had a few creepy parts, but I just couldn't get into the book in general. It was too slow and uneventful. Ending was confusing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC.

Okay, the premise of this book drew me in, but honestly this is one that I probably wouldn’t recommend as a physical/ebook to read. I ended up requesting the audiobook version and that was the only way that I was able to get through this book. I feel like this book just didn’t hit the mark for me and just didn’t keep my attention or really provide a spooky atmosphere like I was hoping. Overall, this is one that I’m just not sure I would recommend or would be first on my list to recommend.