This book was great at building the suspense and the dread and the fear. I kept turning the pages to find out, are the girls making it up, are they having a shared hallucination, is it some kind of evil presence? The girls have bruises, they’re not sleeping at night, clearly something is happening. And Alfie is getting more and more upset by their “imaginary” friend. You also get the back story of the past history of the house and what really happened the day their mom died and all that suspense is so delicious and so well executed.

And while I realize that the book is only 240 pages, the ending just boom, came out of nowhere. All this really important stuff happens and it gets a one sentence mention. It happened so fast and I feel like it didn’t get resolved and left me with more questions because I have no idea what happened.

Like I said, it had so much potential to be this epic scary book but the ending wasn't for me. I still gave it 4 stars because everything up to that point was spectacular.

To say this book had me up late reading would be an understatement. I was captivated and scared out of my skin the entire way. This story will be a recommendation for those who enjoy reading literary horror for sure!

Alfie is a widower living with his two twin daughters. They are struggling with grief and what their life looks like moving forward. When the girls start talking about a man they can see but the father can not, he is concerned but feels like it might be a coping mechanism so he indulges them a bit. The draw creepy pictures of this ghostly man who can turn into a snake or a bear and tells the girls what to do. As the girls get more violent and start pushing their father away he pulls in his late wife's twin sister, a psychologist, to help. But he doesn't know that she has a history with Black Mamba as well.

I liked the creepy vibes on this one, books like this make me happy I don't have kids. Like Baby Teeth, these kids are eek. I enjoyed the slow build of the presence of Black Mamba and the idea that there was more evil in the house. But the end of this one didn't work for me. I was hoping for a bigger showdown or explanation. It was more of a shrug than I'd hoped for. 

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

Dark, atmospheric read that explores the effects of grief and loss in a unique way. I would have loved it if the author explored more of Julia's childhood as I think it would have helped further develop some of the narrative, but definitely worth a read.

I am happy to announce that this book is genuinely scary! I was reading this at night so I even had to turn on a light lol! I enjoyed this even more than I was expecting to. This book feels familiar but that’s part of why I loved it, because I happen to love the imaginary friend (that’s actually a spirit or entity) trope. It reminded me of The Boogeyman or Don’t Look Under the Bed. Sure, everything in here has been done before a lot in horror, but it’s a trope that works and has proven time and time again to be scary. In the first couple chapters, you learn that two twin girls have an “imaginary” friend they call Black Mamba that their dad and aunt can’t see because “he doesn’t want them to”. Julia, the girls’ aunt, happens to be a psychiatrist, so their father seeks her professional advice when this Black Mamba stuff continues.

The setting is perfect, in a falling down house called Hart House with peeling walls and a winding staircase. It’s just the type of house you’d picture a horror movie would take place in. Whatever is happening, you sense that it is tied to the house, because Julia’s now dead sister also claimed to see a man in her room in that house when she was a child. But surely, it isn’t the same man, right?

Reading this felt like the nostalgia of watching scary movies with your friends in a crowded theatre with that feeling of camaraderie that comes from watching a horror movie, where you’re the fun kind of scared in a controlled, safe environment. The story, the setup, the familiarity of it all felt nostalgic to horror movies I’ve seen before. It’s perfectly paced and never lags. This book also has you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. You keep going back and forth and changing your mind. It keeps you on your toes and is so unpredictable in that sense! This was almost 5 stars but I took away 1 because I felt like the ending was a bit anticlimactic. But, this was written so well and was so gripping that I will most definitely be reading whatever this author writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I'll start by saying how captivating the cover of this book is. It is what drew me in and the blurb sealed the deal. A creepy gothic literary about twin girls struggling with the grief of losing their mother and suddenly start talking about a strange man in their room. A man who later becomes their new imaginary friend called 'Black Mamba.' sounds great! But, unfortunately, it just didn't hit the mark for me. The story became slow and repetitive and while I agree that the different variations of grief were written well for each character, I didn't find myself caring about any of them enough to keep me invested. It wasn't unnerving or as scary as anticipated and ultimately I DNF this one.

**also released as Black Mamba in 2022**

People sometimes cope with death by using whatever techniques they can. This family had several. The twins were adamant that Black Mamba existed. He supposedly lived in the house and demanded the girls’ attention. The father drank to cope with his loss. Other family members acted as if the whole thing never happened. This book implied the house was haunted. Mental health was also addressed in this book. The deceased sister was a therapist and she coped by trying to rationalize everyone else reaction to her sister’s death. The book ended with an uneventful scene and I was left with questions.

"Let Him In" by William Friend is a gripping and unsettling debut novel that weaves a haunting tale of psychological suspense and family dynamics. With a creeping sense of dread, the author explores the impact of grief, the fragility of sanity, and the eerie presence of an imaginary friend that takes a sinister turn.

The story centers around Alfie, a young widowed father who is trying to navigate the challenges of raising his twin daughters, who are deeply affected by the loss of their mother, Pippa. When the girls start talking about an imaginary friend and claiming there's a mysterious figure in their room, Alfie dismisses it as childhood imagination initially. However, as their obsession with this friend intensifies, Alfie becomes increasingly alarmed, suspecting that something far more sinister is at play.

Friend skillfully creates an atmosphere of unease and tension that permeates every page of the novel. The narrative is both unsettling and thought-provoking, as it delves into the psychological complexities of grief and the blurred line between reality and imagination. The author expertly builds suspense by gradually revealing dark secrets and unsettling events in Hart House, where Alfie and his family reside.

The characters in the story are well-drawn, and readers will find themselves empathizing with Alfie's struggles as he tries to protect his daughters and unravel the mystery of the malevolent imaginary friend. Julia, Pippa's sister and a psychiatrist, plays a crucial role in the story as she attempts to unravel the psychological turmoil within the family.

"Let Him In" keeps readers on edge as it explores themes of loss, guilt, and the haunting power of the past. While the novel is a compelling psychological thriller, some readers may find that the pacing is uneven, with moments of intense suspense followed by slower narrative sections.

In conclusion, "Let Him In" is a chilling and atmospheric novel that delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche. William Friend's debut is a testament to his ability to craft a psychological thriller that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned. If you enjoy psychological suspense with a supernatural twist and complex family dynamics, this novel is a hauntingly good read.

I was drawn to this book by the spooky cover.I will say this was unlike any other book I have ever read, it definitely was creepy and kept me up at night but it also takes you on a psychological experience. I really liked this author’s eerie writing style to keep you wanting more. I would rush home to try and get to the bottom of what the heck was going on at the Hart House. The twins in this book were amazing creepy characters! This story gave off a modern day version of The Shining. The only issue I have with this book is that I still have so many unanswered questions and wish there would be more. Perhaps a prequel? I am still processing what I finished reading. The ending will leave you with your mouth hanging open.

This isn't my normal genre but the creepy twin-mind thing really pulled me in. Friend has done a great job of letting the reader in on the atmosphere of the house, one of those old places where the scent of the ages permeates the floors, walls and furniture, where creaks and moans of the stairs are unavoidable, and where you just know things have happened in the basement and the attic.

I would have liked the story to move along a little faster. Mostly because I didn't like the creepiness of Black Mamba and I wanted the story to resolve quickly so I didn't have to have that image in my head <grin>.

So 3.5 stars for a debut author who manages to tell a story that succeeds in combining a bunch of tropes to make an original story that was both mysterious and creepy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance reader's copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

One of my unexpected favorite books is a novel called The Little Stranger. It features a big, creepy house which may or may not be haunted. When I picked up Let Him In by William Friend, I suppose I was hoping to have a similar experience reading this book.

There were things I liked about Let Him In. The first quarter of the book was quite promising. It was well written, atmospheric, and heavily shaded with the grief of a recently widowed husband and his two young children, along with the grief of the deceased wife’s surviving twin. The novel was very slow to unfold, and the setup to the story seemed quite promising.

But by the last act of the novel, it unfortunately felt to me as though it fell apart. There were so many different aspects to the story which were introduced, but never expanded on or explained. The question of whether or not the house was haunted was really almost the least of the questions by the end. I felt like the author did an admirable job of creating his characters, and the unrelenting grief in the aftermath of a tragedy. But there needed to be at least some explanations to the numerous questions that were raised in order to feel the book overall was truly satisfying. The lack of ANY answers to most of those questions left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I give this 3 stars.

The beginning of the book hooked me. I enjoyed the writing style, the story, the pace etc, but then so many sub plots were introduced and not wrapped up. I was left with way too many questions and no answers. Considering the synopsis talks about the twins and their imaginary friend, I feel like that was not the main focus of the book either and I wish it was.
I think the book either needed to be much longer to wrap everything up or much shorter. Cut out all the subplots and just make it about the twins.

Hart House has a troubling history. The most recent tragedy was Alfie's wife, Pippa, who died in the cellar. Now his twin daughters have an imaginary friend. Sometimes he appears as a man, sometimes as a black snake, sometimes as a bird or fish. He takes them on adventures into the night and wants them to call him "daddy." Alfie turns to Pippa's twin sister, Julia a psychiatrist who grew up in Hart House and knows a lot more about what might be going on than she'll willing to admit. This is a chilling, atmospheric horror novel with lots of creepy layers, including a cultish religion and ties to children's literature.

This wasn't what I was expecting. It's definitely different and I'm not sure it fits a specific genre. The characters are complex. There are many different elements to the plot and at times I had trouble figuring out the point. In a way the ending was satisfying. Yet it still felt like the story wasn't finished. This one definitely will keep you thinking about it long after the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Let Him In by William Friend

My Thoughts:
This book is soooo creepy! Like "read with your hands over your eyes, peering between your fingers" creepy! You keep reading because you have to know what's going on, and around every corner, there are weirder situations. Shadowy, invisible friend and creepy twins...I couldn't let this be the last thing I read before going to sleep at night. If you're looking for a spooky October read, grab Let Him In for your next book!

About the Book:
When the words "Daddy, there's a man in our room..." are on the first page, I knew I'd found the perfect chilling tale. William Friend's Let Him In tells the story of Alfie and his twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia. The family is grieving the recent passing of Pippa, the twins' mother. Alfie is hesitant but goes along with the twins' new imaginary friend. Things quickly turn sinister at Hart House, the family's home, and Alfie calls for reinforcement from Julia, Pippa's sister and a psychiatrist. But then it gets really interesting as Julia seems to have her own secrets. What is really going on at Hart House?!?

Read this if you like:
• Spine-tingling reads
• Creepy twins
• Supernatural thrillers

ARC provided by NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend in exchange for an honest review.

I always like to start my reviews with honesty, mainly regarding if I have ever heard of an author or if their books have been in my radar. This is one of those books and authors that I hadn’t heard of prior to getting an email stating that the first 500 people who request the book as an ARC would get it. That interested me initially, but reading the synopsis really pulled me in.

I wasn’t sure what to expect past the summary, so I went in with... well... little to no expectations.

The book starts off innocuous enough, we meet Alfie and his girls, Sylvie and Cassia, who are twins. Later we meet Julia, the sister of Alfie’s late wife Pippa. Alfie and his girls live in Hart House, the house that Pippa and Julia’s mother had passed down to Pippa and Alfie. Julia and Pippa grew up here and had their own experiences within the dwelling. Most of which has been kept between them, and then kept to Julia’s head after Pippa unfortunately passes. More on this and Julia’s secrecy later.

By the fifth chapter, I was thinking to myself “this is giving The Haunting of Hill House and I really, REALLY like that”. I love spooky things. Halloween is year round as far as I’m concerned. So to get a book that makes me feel uneasy and question everything (and not the writing choices) was super freaking refreshing.

I will admit that I found Julia a wee bit unlikeable in the beginning. And for that, I apologize to her. I think my main problem was with the fact that she knew a lot more than what she was willing to tell Alfie and I found myself yelling at my phone as I was reading. And that’s when I knew I loved the book. I was getting annoyed with not being able to relate to anyone as I was reading, and that’s a personal problem. But when I started getting annoyed at Julia for not saying anything to Alfie, that’s oddly when I started to get emotionally invested regardless of the relatability of the characters. Everything transformed and I was watching it as I was reading and the relatability became a nonissue compared to the picture being painted by Friend.

More on Julia and her relationship with the house and her reluctance to divulge much (if anything) to Alfie: This part irked me, but in a good way because I knew deep down there was a reason for Friend presenting this knowledge in such a way that tells the reader something but not enough to deduce anything right off the bat. As I’ve already stated, I was audibly grumbling and criticizing her choices as I was reading, because realistically... the things with Cassia and Sylvie could have been avoided had she said something to Alfie from the get go. But I understand that, as a writer, doing that would make the book all of 100 pages, maybe. But the way that Friend was able to dance around what Alfie and the reader both wanted to know and get to the bottom of, was some of the best writing I’ve had the pleasure of reading in my short 27 years.

Another thing that I really like now that I’m looking back, as I sit here writing up this review is the fact that the length of time between Pippa dying and Black Mamba becoming a *thing* was nine months. And that, my friend, boggled my mind and made me go back and revisit some passages to really appreciate the timing that Friend uses.

I can also appreciate Friend’s presentation of grief and how it has affected the characters that readers are presented with - even Julia’s patients are an interesting look at relatively difficult topics to traverse, and I think he presented them beautifully.

Other than not being able to really connect with the characters (which is a personal problem, as stated above), I really enjoyed the overall story. I will definitely be recommending this to several friends to read and add to their Spooktober reading lists.

I would like to say thank you again to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and of course William Friend for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I look forward to diving into more of Friend’s work in the future.

I will be posting this review to Goodreads prior to submitting the NetGalley review, and will be adding it to my still in progress blog at a later date once I get everything squared away.

William Friend's debut was spooky. In Let Him In, the author will refresh your memory as to why we are afraid of the dark.

Not only does the story take place in a haunted house, but it takes the readers on a horror filled ride. After the tragic death of his wife, Alfie and his twin daughters Sylvie and Cassia try to start a new, but the grief is so devastating that it seems to have a life of its own. When the twins start telling Alfie 'Daddy, there's a man in our room, everything will down spiral. This definitely had some jumpy moments. What is more terrifying than sensing an entity who called himself Black Mamba.

This is the story of widower, Alfie and his twin daughters. After the death of their mother the twins begin to communicate with an imaginary friend, Black Mamba. Their aunt Julia happens to be a psychiatrist and explains that this is a normal response when children are faced with trauma. As time passes though Black Mamba becomes more dominant and even Alfie begins to question the true purpose of this “friend’ as well as his own sanity.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slow build but it is well crafted and delivers the uneasiness and creepiness it promises. The uncertainty and the pain that the characters are experiencing are the driving force throughout the story. It is best to go into the story without spoilers or expectations. My only wish is that some of the back stories and history had been given more time, I found them interesting and wanted more details.



Thank you toNetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️

#NetGalley #LetHimIn #WilliamFriend

3.5 stars

After his wife suddenly dies, Alfie is left to raise his twin daughters on his own. When the girls start seeing an imaginary friend, Alfie seeks the help of his dead wife's sister, who's a psychologist, to help him deal with his and the girl's grief. What follows is a creepy, atmospheric haunted house story perfect for the season.

In this, the author's debut, he's able to capture the essence of the childhood creation of imaginary friends. His use of the duel perspectives of Alfie and his dead wife's sister, Julia, works nicely to create tension and intrigue. The story is well written with a comfortable pace that kept me engaged throughout. If you're looking for a good Halloween season creepy read, I can happily recommend this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for granting me an e-ARC to read, review and enjoy.

Featuring two of the creepiest tropes in horror -- twins and imaginary friends -- William Friend's chilling debut Let Him In is the scary book to add to your October reading list.

After the tragic death of their mother Pippa months earlier, Alfie is raising his seven-year-old twin daughters alone. One night the girls wake him up claiming that there's a man in their room -- an imaginary friend they call Black Mamba. Certain that Black Mamba is his daughters' way of dealing with their grief, Alfie enlists Pippa's twin sister Julia, who is a psychotherapist, to help them work through their feelings. But Black Mamba doesn't seem to be going away...

I was sucked in immediately by the book's opening line ("This morning, I heard the name Black Mamba for the first time..."), and from that moment, I didn't want to put this down. Although it's slower-paced in spots, delving into the backstories of the characters, I found it tense and suspenseful, infused with Gothic atmosphere and a bleak sense of foreboding. The bond between the twins is suitably creepy, and the setting is claustrophobic and eerie. There are a several scenes that made me uneasy (and one that literally gave me chills), but mostly the horror of Let Him In is deeply psychological in nature, as Friend delves into the complex manifestations of grief. This is a raw, stark portrait of trauma, guilt, and the grieving process seen through a horror-infused lens, and it's just as thought-provoking as it is frightening.

This is a book that doesn't give up its secrets too soon -- and sometimes not at all -- leaving room for a lot of interpretation on the part of the reader. Horror, to me, is always more effective when there's a murky aspect to it, and that's the case here. I found the ending enormously satisfying for this reason, although there are a couple of aspects of the plot I wish would've been further explored.

Let Him In is unnerving on several levels, using horror elements to tell a poignant story about a grieving family. If you're looking for a horror novel with some emotional depth to it, I would definitely recommend this one. Be sure to read it in the dark for maximum effect! Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.