This is the tale of grief stricken Alfie, his 2 daughters and their “imaginary friend” Black Mamba.
The book feels very much like an allegory of grief, mourning and dealing with loss. The coping mechanism of children that leads to a much darker and more sinister tale.

Ping-ponging between Alfie and Julia(the girls aunt), we travel through trauma and discovery of just how dark and unsettling the girls friend actually is. A story that builds slowly as the momentum builds.
It’s a very atmospheric read and was tense and frightening at times as things begin to nosedive.

I think it’s a solid debut novel, but I did find it to very slow at times and had to force myself to keep going. I also found that I really struggled to connect with any of the characters within the book, which kept me on the outside of the tension and unease that was there.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my #gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review!


𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
A family that is grief stricken…and a creepy imaginary friend-I AM SOLD! What a completely chilling, eerie, and entertaining story! The author did such a great job with the creative, yet chilling way in which he tells the story of grief and its effects, and how everyone deals with the aftermath of it in different ways. I absolutely LOVED this debut book and the psychological webs that it spun. It was bingeable, creepy, eerie, sinister, a page turner, and the perfect read for spooky season with just the right amount of horror weaved in. I think that this book can be preceived and interpreted differently by readers, and that opinions of readers will vary greatly based on that. I absolutely loved every minute of it and highly recommend this sinister book for a pre halloween read!

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
The absolute perfect book for spooky season! Any fans of horror and spooky reads should add this to your TBR now!

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

I read/listened to this whole book in 1 day. It was so well written, so creepy and unsettling. I had a feeling about where the story was heading but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. I was very fond of the characters, it is so easy for me to be distracted by an annoying MC in a thriller/horror but I think Alfie was well written. I also loved the dual POV with Julia, I think this was a fantastic way to further explore the grief and haunting in this book. The only thing that took away from the story was the development of Julia and Alfie's relationship (though this is mentioned in the synopsis I read so I wasn't so caught off guard by it and it didn't take away from the story as much as it might have).

It's out in less than a week so be sure to add it to your tbr!!!!

Really impressed by this debut from Friend and I will be looking out for their next horror/thriller release.
Thanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of Let Him In.

This book started strong for me. I was interested in the family dynamics and the creep factor with the twins and their new “friend”. Then there came a point where I found it hard to pick the book up and keep reading. I’m not sure what the disconnect was, but I had a hard time finishing it. It was more psychological horror than jump scare type. Grief is the big theme here and I appreciated that it tackled how adults grieve and how children do. The ending was a bit ambiguous but I kind of liked that. It’s a decent book for the season!

The cover and the blurb drew me in on this one. I got a copy as an ARC from Netgalley and was keen to delve into the spooky world described.

Alas, things didn't quite go to plan. This read like someone had watched all the recent paranormal ghost/haunting movies and then stuffed all the tropes into a single book with absolutely no thought for making things original.

There's twins, religion, demons, possessions, using photography to capture paranormal occurrances, curses, hauntings, imaginary friends who aren't really what they seem, more twins, death of loved ones, grief and familial bonds that need exploring. All of these have been done to death in the recent spate of paranormal movies, and in my opinion, done far better.

The story offers little more than surface information. You get very little in the way of atmospheric sensations. The writing unable to lift the reader out of the real world and drag them into the scary world it's attempting to create between the pages.

The pace is plodding, offering a lot of internal dialogue and guff that really added very little to the story. Where there could have been a lot of additional information, the history of Hart House, is so light on that it's covered in a few paragraphs.

It seems other readers dislike the name of the imaginary friend. I didn't care much either way as he felt like a crutch to move the story along when things got stale. It was as if the author went, what if this character tried doing this?! and just wrote a scene about that. Then moved on to another scene and left things very disjointed.

Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible book, the writing for the most part is good. It just fails to deliver anything original and new in a genre where most things have been done before and done better by others.

**Note: I received an electronic copy of this book via Netgalley**

Thank you to Net Galley for this review copy! This book made me nervous to walk into my daughter’s room at night. This is the stuff that scared me when I was a kid. Fear of things under the bed or in the closet. And from a parenting perspective it is almost scarier because logic does not compute. From the first page until the twisty end, I was completely hooked on the slightly unreliable narrators, the questionable shapeshifting “Black Mamba” who is inserting itself into this family already full of grief.

This is the perfect Halloween read. It will keep you guessing and will make you afraid to turn out the lights at night.

Let Him In is a creepy novel about a family coming to terms with their mother's untimely death. Alfie is left to raise their twin girls alone when his wife dies of anaphylactic shock after a bizarre bite. Shortly after, the twins bring to "life" the Black Mamba, an invisible, shape shifting, friend.

This book totally had me on edge. I didn't know what to believe, who to trust, and what was real. The twins were odd and a bit creepy but it was also heartbreaking thinking of them being so young and losing their mother. Alfie was a hot mess who just kept spiraling more and more out of control. He was a bizarre character and I found it so strange that he was jealous of the Black Mamba and the twins' kinship.

There were a lot of surprises in this book and the ending was just delicious. I keep thinking about it!

I listened to this novel on audio and the narrators were pretty good. I didn't particularly like Julia's voice for Alfie or Alfie's voice for the girls, but it was a minor gripe. All in all, they were great at inflecting the required level of suspense and drama.

This novel was the perfect way to kick off spooky season and one I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the copy.

Special thanks to Poisoned Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

First I have to say I was excited , so excited to get this book and usually the book doesn't live up to the standards I dream it to be.

Let Him In is a layered book, slowly enraveling layers of creepiness. I hate to tell too much in reviews. It always feels like I'm giving g something away. All I will say is this book is about twins, being raised by their father and aunt Julia, who happens to be a child psychologist.

The twins are not even identical but were always dressed the same and also even though not identical, they resemble each other in their mannerisms. So when their mom dies they start talking about a man in their room. At first they are scared and go screaming to sleep with dad, but slowly they stop coming to see dad and they are soon talking to him about "Black Mamba", their friend.

Children grieving or going through loneliness sometimes create an imaginary friend that everyone poo-poohs it off as just that, but is it? The house they inherited from their mom has always been a bit spooky but...besides her mysterious suicide, no one wants to talk about the squeaks in the night. Not Julia who lived their, not the twins grandmother who also lived there, but now after the twins mom passed, it was left to them.

Their tales of Black Mamba become the topic of conversation all the time. They talk about him and finish each other's sentences about him turning from a man, to a black snake, to a black crow who took them on a ride one night that was soo fun
Then he turned into a fish and took them swimming down the drain. It gets more and more creepy. The father sees a shadow standing over his bed when he told them no more Black Mamba and now the twins are doing things "Black Mamba" is telling them to.
A very slow unfurling of some scariness, but not where you will be shivering in the dark of your house, or will you?

I give it a 4 star rating and I'd recommend it to anyone.

3.5/5 stars - This was a slow-build creepy story complete with eerie twin children with an imaginary friend called "Black Mamba." A quick read great for the spooky season.

There is a lot of good here. Friend’s writing is strong and accessible, smoothly creating a sense of creepiness throughout the story. The portrayal of the twin daughters was compelling. I also enjoyed the way the narrative keeps you guessing as to what’s real and what’s the result of trauma and grief.

There were also things that didn’t work for me. The characterization could have been deeper. We spend the entire time in the heads of the girls’ father, Alfie, and their Aunt Julia, but I didn’t feel like I knew them. And while the creepy elements of the twins’ behaviors shone, I was often surprised by the way their personalities would be described, as those traits didn’t show through. There was also some imbalance with the pacing, particularly in foreshadowing things that either took too long to come to fruition, or never did at all.

A solid debut novel that delivers some spine chilling moments, I would recommend giving it a try if you’re into the more subtle brand of horror. I would definitely read the author’s future works.

I think this book fits right into a fall reading list with many other titles that aim to send shivers down your spine, despite not being what I would call a ‘traditional’ horror novel. It’s a very atmospheric read, and while not containing overly many settings, they all contributed to the mood and progression of the novel while still being memorable on their own.

For a medium-length book, I’d say, this was a faster-paced read, and I think my favorite part was by far the language. While some of the similes were a bit of a miss for me, the author has a great grasp of language in general and words are used to their fullest to completely bring this setting to life. I enjoy any book that can make me feel like I can reach out and touch whatever is being described, and the diction chosen was very effective at conveying a certain mood while still being functional – I wouldn’t call it flowery, but more elegantly pragmatic.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel that I think would fit well on most fall TBRs. If anything else, I would recommend it solely for the writing – even if the story it tells is not your cup of (spooky) tea, I think the way its told more than speaks for itself.

Thanks to the publisher for the ALC and eARC.
This is a perfect creepy book for this October. A family is shrouded in grief, and the twin daughters start seeing an imaginary friend, but then things get weird. I loved the suspense created here. I was gripped by each narrative and every layer made the story that much more spooky. I didn't see where this was going and was kept guessing the entire time I read. The dual narrators was also a great thing. It added the element of intrigue and mystery. I wasn't always sure who to believe, which kept me wanted to ignore responsibilities and just read.

The premise sounded promising - widowed father of twins starts to feel uneasy at his children’s ever growing adventures with their imaginary friend “Black Mamba” and begins to suspect that the friend is not imaginary. However, I really had a hard time connecting to the characters and the story pacing seemed a bit off and a bit wandering. It just didn’t click for me. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

Good but meh for me. It was a lot slower than I anticipated and the it started off strong. It lacked at the horror side I’m used to with some jump scares I didn’t like the ending either. It shocked me just not in a good way.

This had so many horror cliches within its pages that it really should not have worked so well. Yet, somehow it did.

The ending was superb! I love when horror stories end like that because I find myself what happened next.

This author is extremely good at his craft and it shows. I wouldn't mind reading more of his work.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this book

Alfie is attempting to raise his twin daughters after their mother tragically passes away and when they start coming to his room in the middle of night because "there is a man in our room", Alfie thinks it's a coping mechanism. However, stranger and stranger things begin to happen, food is missing, the children are behaving strangely and mysterious bruises are appearing so Alfie calls in the twins aunt, Julia, a child psychologist to help the children.

Julie knows that something more sinister could be going on as her mother has always had some eccentric religious ideas and she's worried that she has filled the twins heads with talk of demons.

But, no matter what Julie or Alfie attempt, the twins behavior continues to spiral and the "imaginary friend" refuses to leave and becomes more dangerous to the twins and Alfie's own mental health is affected!

Let Him In starts off interesting with family drama combined with horror building up to a good plot but falls short on keeping the story going. There is a lot repetition and limited development with a lot of jumping between different aspects of the story with a rushed conclusion.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A quick read that can easily be completed in one sitting. Alfie has a problem -his wife has passed away and their twin girls are starting to mention Black Mamba consistently. At first appearing as a snake, but then a man and reaches a point where Julie & Alfie both start to see a silhouette... it begs the question -Is Black Mamba a figment of the twin's imagination or is he a real threat?

I found myself reading the book quickly to be able to get to the bottom of the mystery -IS BLACK MAMBA REAL?! Looks like you'll have to read to find out. (;

An atmospheric gothic horror read, I would recommend this to someone who loves to keep guessing what the ending will be like and also be left to interpret the ending in the end. Not to mention dual POVs (which to me are ALWAYS a plus)

Thank you NetGalley & PoisonedPenPress for allowing me to read this novel ahead of its release date.

Enjoyed this creepy tale. Young twin girls that have recently lost their mother start talking about a man in their room. Their father is barely surviving his grief, their grandmother is in a weird cult/religion, and their aunt (the mother's twin) is avoiding a dark past.

Is it real? That's the big question. Well paced with creepy reveals through out.

📚 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - Let Him In⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥⁣
⭐⭐⭐️⭐️ (4.5/5) ⁣⁣⁣
𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟹𝘳𝘥⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Alfie's wife just died, and now he's left to raise his two twin daughters alone. Understandably, he's pretty bummed. But things get worse when his twins start having nightmares and claim, "𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵." The man has a name, they say---𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘢---and can turn into anything he wants. Alfie is thoroughly creeped out and calls his sister-in-law, Julia (who is also a family therapist) and she assures him that "Black Mamba" is an imaginary friend and it's totally normal. But it soon becomes absolutely 𝘕𝘖𝘛 normal when the girls start drawing disturbing images, sleepwalking in the middle of the night, being violent toward one another, and....oh yeah...Alfie and Julia start seeing things as well. 😬⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: Okay...wow...I honestly needed a full day after finishing this to reflect and decide how I really felt about it.⁣
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Turns out: I loved it! It was fast-paced, absolutely CHILLING, well-written, and 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘛 𝘌𝘕𝘋𝘐𝘕𝘎....😳⁣
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It messes with your head in the best possible way, and I'm still thinking about it!⁣
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The dual perspectives from both Alfie and Julia were much appreciated as well and definitely made the story that much stronger! ⁣
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If this isn't on your radar for spooky season, it absolutely 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 be. Get ready for some major heebie-jeebies. 😬⁣
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Big thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You like: The Whisper Man by Alex North; creepy twins with their creepy twin connection; old houses with dark history⁣
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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: R (for language and adult situations)

A spooky gothic tale perfect for Halloween reading, Let Me In has a little of everything: demons, ghosts, and religious fanaticism complete with a family that has twin girls who claim to see a man who can transform into any animal: Black Mamba. The setting is an old manor with a storied and haunted past.

Let Me In will keep the reader guessing throughout, and has a couple of surprises along the way. It is a fantastic gothic read that would fill out anyone’s spooky season TBR.