Member Reviews
If you want a creepy, atmospheric, but not too scary horror novel for spooky season, Let Him In fits that bill exactly.
I’m always wary of reading horror with kids in it, but I also love a horror about a haunted house where the main focus is the mystery behind the haunting. This book fits this quite well, as while there are some very unsettling parts - think a cellar and a dark old house at night and kids saying weird stuff - the main gist of the book is the mystery.
It’s also a duel POV novel told in the perspective of a grieving widower (Alfie) and his sister-in-law (Julia). This aspect was really well done, because it showed how different people process grief, but also how awkward grief can be when you feel your grief isn’t as deep as someone else’s. I also liked how the grief wasn’t fresh, as it was almost a year past, which made the story less sad and more melancholy.
I liked Julia more than Alfie, as he was so ... incompetent. It felt like a stereotype but, at the same time, it’s also known that when men take a backseat to household duties or are micromanaged by their wives in that regard, they tend to struggle more when forced to solo parent (it’s a problem for everyone!). I understand he was grieving as well, but dude, adult up. The narration was also well done because the POV, in first person, has distinct voices for Alfie and Julia (he's more serious and she's more sarcastic).
When it comes to the ghost/horror aspects, one of the things I really appreciated about the story was how Alfie and Julia rationalized the weird shit the twins say as just odd kid stuff. Kids DO say creepy things, so, as a parent, it made total sense to me how Alfie and Julia reacted by thinking it was imagination on behalf of the girls. The ghost story also had an intriguing mystery where you weren’t sure (even to the end) whether what was happening was real or psychological - this is one of my favourite horror tropes, so I was very much into it.
The pacing was also well done - the creepy stuff starts pretty much right away, and the reasons for “staying in the house” as it were, made sense and weren’t too drawn out. The story is slower than jump-scare horror, but I like that approach, so it worked for me.
One thing I wasn’t super fond of was a relationship that developed between two characters. It felt a bit forced and I wasn’t into it. I’m not saying it was wrong or anything - you do you, people - but it bogged down the story near the end.
Overall, though, I really really enjoyed this eerie horror, which is perfect for people who like horror but don’t like tons of violence or gore. Great for Halloween!
Let Him In follows Alfie, a new widower, and his journey through single parenting his twin daughters.
Here’s the catch: the twins have an imaginary friend who isn’t so friendly.
Alfie is not only dealing with the loss of his beloved wife but also finding his way through raising his young kids. He falls into alcoholism and his temper as tensions rise.
I really enjoyed how we got to see the family’s happenings through the eyes of Julia, Alfie's sister-in-law, and the loss of her twin sister too.
Julia’s perspective added a lot of depth to the story. She was also a great support for Alfie. Uncovering her family’s history and secrets, accepting her role, and her feelings played a huge part in Let Him In.
Let Him In was wonderfully written, there was great detail, and it kept you guessing.
The twin connection between all the girls definitely adds to the suspense of this novel overall. While I enjoyed it the only thing that bothered me was the switching of the point of view between father and aunt.
I can't emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this book. The writing is excellent. The pace is an unwavering, captivating slow burn, punctuated only by moments of revelation and sheer dread. It's downright creepy right up until the very end!
I highly recommend it.
Thank you, NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend for the opportunity to read and review the advanced reader copy of this book.
💎 Summary 💎
In the edge-of-your-seat story "Let Him In," Alfie, a widower, struggles to raise his twin daughters, Cassia and Sylvie, who are tormented by what they insist is more than just an imaginary friend. At first skeptical, Alfie is thrust into a nerve-wracking battle against a malevolent entity targeting his daughters, leading them down a dangerous path. With the very fabric of his family on the line, Alfie has no choice but to delve deep into haunting secrets and a murky past.
🏆 What I Loved 🏆
- The cover art is clever.
- Who doesn't love a scary story with creepy twins?
- This book is engaging and really pulls you into the story from the first chapter.
- I like the narrative structure, which presents the story from the characters' POV. In this book, this is done for only two of the characters, making the story simpler to follow.
- I enjoyed this book's focus on themes of grief, loss, and therapy.
❌ What Fell Short ❌
- Julia didn't seem to grieve for her dead twin at all, which I found very odd.
- Black Mamba is a demon, but it's not clear why it decided to show itself to Alfie's twins.
- Right after mentioning Sue's living daughters, she is described as the only living person who could remember her dead son. The daughters could have been born after the dead son, but that's not made clear in the book.
⚡️ Personal Thoughts and Opinions ⚡️
Overall, I really enjoyed reading "Let Him In" and recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to kick off spooky season. I did notice, though, that there's no explanation about how the death at the end would eliminate Black Mamba—so there's room for a sequel. 👻
🙌 Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🙌
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Let Him In by William Friend will be released on October 3rd, 2023.
I am so conflicted on how to rate this book. On the one hand, the story is interesting and creative. It is creepy and definitely made me feel unsettled but on the other hand? It just...didn't do much for me. Maybe I'm just not the targeted audience, maybe I wasn't in the right mood when I read it, but I didn't connect with the story and found myself ready to reach the end and move onto something else.
I would still recommend this book if you want something different, but for me this was a miss.
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Let Him In by William Friend in exchange for my honest opinion.
William Friend’s debut novel took me for a ride. Horror is my favorite genre in movies and one of my favorites in reading. I grew up reading King and Koontz. While I wouldn’t characterize this as Horror so much, it was definitely creepy.
With the loss of their mother, young twins Sylvia and Cassia, start seeing something. Or someone. Is it all a figment of their imagination manifested to help them cope with the loss. Or is there something evil lurking in the house that only they could see.
I will be keeping an eye on William Friend. I look forward to see what he comes out with next!
Okay, so you had me at creepy twins and imaginary friend. I was intrigued. I was hooked in at the beginning with getting a sense of the atmosphere and what was going to happen next. Who and what is Black Mumba. The second half of the book slowed a bit for me. I like to be kept engaged and I felt like not too much was being offered as far as digging deeper into all of the elements that were set up so nicely in the first half. I wish the ending had a bit more depth, but it did deliver in the creepy factor. I don’t read a lot of horror, so it could just be me. Overall, I think it’s a great read for the upcoming Halloween season.
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc.
Creepy. Twisty. Brilliant. Terrifying. Atmospheric.
Not a true horror book, not a true thriller book, a good mix of both, I’d say.
Although I’m tempted to say that this is the most perfect book for the upcoming spooky season, I’m even more tempted to say that creepy books are perfect for every season, and this is not season-specific, but I guess its release date being set in the fall, it will be a hit right for the spooky season.
Let Him In
William Friend
4.⭐️
Pub date: 10/3/2023
"Daddy there's a man in our room."
Alfie had found his daughters standing at the foot of his bed several times, claiming that someone's in their room. But he ignored it, chalked it up to nightmares, imagination and grief for losing their mom recently. Alfie calls in Julia, a psychiatrist, and most importantly, the girls' aunt, to come and help them deal with this new imaginary friend. Stranger things started to happen to the girls, and eventually to the adults as well. It seems like this friend does not want to leave.
I've been on a reading slump lately but picking this up seems to have made it better. It's immediately interesting. And that cover! Whoo, is it eerie! I was very much confused by the plot. More good that bad. The build up and the suspense were tremendously well written, and mostly it was fast paced. But then it got repetitive. Same evidences and phrases (which I usually don't notice if they're not too close together) were presented. However, the good thing was the author revealed a little bit of the mystery each time.
I'm not sure what this was, it was horror vs thriller for me. Then mental health/grief also seems to play a huge part. It was hard to discern what's real and what's not. This "friend" or ghost is a head scratcher. The plot answers seem to be open to interpretation.
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ver very good. I appreciate the originality and how I was on the edge if my seat. There were a few times where it felt a little slow but it was definitely worth the read.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Alfie is a widower trying to raise his twin daughters amid the loss and grief that his wife Pippa has left behind.
They are each struggling to cope with the loss when the girls come to him one night claiming, that there is a man in their room. When Alfie doesn't find anything he they are assumes they are having nightmares. But when the girls begin obsessing about an imaginary friend named Black Mambo he enlists the help of Julia his deceased wife's twin who is also a psychiatrist. Are they acting out for attention?
Or is something more sinister going on in Hart House?
The Hart House's sinister past and has reared its horrors on Julia and Pippa when they also had an imaginary friend.
A lot is evolving in the book with a creepy, atmospheric tale, I lost my thoughts a few times maybe reading too much into it or misunderstanding the premise of it but it delivered.
Looking back at some of the creepiest books I have read they are geared around twins. This one is no exception between their telepathy, giggles and their incredible visions of a dark presence tangled with their grief.
Alfie recently lost his wife, Pippa, and raising twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia. His daughters are found standing at the foot of his bed in the middle of the night reporting a man is in their room. When the evidence is not there, he discounts it as psychological and missing their mom. He begins to have nightmares also and is afraid his dark secrets are haunting him. When he ask Pippa's twin sister Julia, a psychiatrist to come and observe the girls speaking to an imaginary friend, setting the table for him and speaking of what he is going to do them he needs some clarity of a dangerous presence.
The book unfolds through the dual perspectives of a grieving husband and Julia, the twin sister of his deceased wife. Friend masterfully crafts the unsettling presence of an
"imaginary friend" that haunts the story. This is well written such that readers will wonder alongside Alfie, the father, whether it Is imaginary or perhaps something more. Ihe portrayal of the twins is also particularly well-executed.
While the story effectively builds suspense and immerses the reader in its eerie atmosphere, it does suffer from occasional repetitiveness and generally slower pacing.
Numerous concepts are introduced, hinting at deeper meanings, only to be left unresolved, leaving readers questioning their significance.
A creepy gothic thriller perfect for spooky season!
This debut by William Friend follows recent widower and young dad Alfie as he navigates raising his twin girls after the loss of their mom. Soon the girls become obsessed with their new imaginary friend “Black Mamba”. Alfie and his sister-in-law Julia work to help the girls through their grief as well as their own, but it soon becomes clear that this imaginary friend may be more than just a coping mechanism…with more sinister intent than anyone could’ve imagined.
This left me with still so many questions in the end, which normally frustrates me as a reader, but in this case, I think that was an intentional move by William Friend. Hours later, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the ending and can’t get it out of my mind. Chilling and suspenseful.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is out 10/3!
Thank you Netgalley and Poised Pen Press for a copy of this book.
Pub Date- October 3, 2023
Alfie recently lost his partner to an accident and is left to raise their twin girls. On top of dealing with the loss, the girls are coming into his room at night saying there is a man in their room. I wasn’t sure which way this book was going to go. You have the creepy twins, an imaginary friend who takes difficult forms and maybe a paranormal presence. There was different concepts introduced in the story but it would never be resolved or turned into something more. It definitely had strong points but it left me wanting more and with more questions. I believe this story shows how grief can be shown in different ways.
This book started out with a lot of promise… cults, creepy twin element, black mamba dude… It’s a slow burn, which is fine. It just felt like I never really got the satisfying ending that I was looking for. Something felt like it was missing for me.
2 stars - had potential but ultimately flopped.
A mysterious death in the family, creepy twin girls, an imaginary friend, and a father trying to keep it together while possibly having strange visions himself. Sounds amazing right? well unfortunately, it fell flat for me and here's why.
The first 40% of the book were slow, like really slow. It did pick up a little midway and I was hopeful but then again died off and ending lost me too. Don't get me wrong, I do love a slow burn but the endings got to deliver and wow me, this did not do that. Once I was done, it felt really unsatisfying because you're left with more questions than answers. There were multiple sub plots that were glazed over (original owners, Pippas family, Pippa and Juliaa childhood), I feel like if maybe they were explored more I would have enjoyed the book more.
You may enjoy this book if you like: ambiguous plots and endings, domestic horror, creepy twins, imaginary friends, dealing with grief and loss.
Thanks to netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing a digital copy for me to read and review, as always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend for the advanced copy of Let Him In in exchange for my honest review.
I will keep this short and sweet and say this one just wasn't for me. I never really got drawn into the story, and it was written in a way that I often found myself quite confused. I also found the ending left something to be desired for me.
Let Him In - William Friend
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Alfie is a newly widowed father trying his best to raise twin daughters. One night they come to his bedroom saying there’s a man in their bedroom. Alfie finds no man in their bedroom and assumes they just had a nightmare.
Alfie’s wife, Pippa, died unexpectedly. Leaving him to raise the girls on his own. One day the girls tell Alfie they have an imaginary friend named Black Mamba who presents himself as a snake. At first it seems like a harmless way for the girls to deal with their grief, then it becomes more dangerous. The girls whisper to Black Mamba, talk about leaving with him forever, make a place for him at the dinner table, and start calling him Daddy.
Alfie asks Pippa’s sister (and psychologist) Julia to help. Alfie is having a hard time deciding if Black Mamba is doing more harm than good for the girls. He also feels he is being watched at night and has even seen a man in his bedroom. When Julia decides it’s time for the girls to let go of Black Mamba, they ask him to leave, and one of the girls ends up hurt.
Is Black Mamba really a threat? Can Alfie confront his and his wife’s dark past to keep his family safe?
This was a wild ride. I will admit that this book was 3 stars until the last 5ish chapters. The last few lines of the book really sealed the deal for me.
Watching everything unravel was a train wreck you couldn’t look away from. Every time you thought Alfie had it mostly together, he’s hit with another crushing blow. Great for the story, bad for Alfie. 🤣 There were times it really had me flip-flopping between feeling Black Mamba was real and feeling the girls were just making him up. The story was heart-wrenching and tricked you into being hopeful (in the best way).
I was hoping for more of the backstory behind what was going on. It felt like a lot of the backstory was packed into those last few chapters and left me wanting more, but I obviously still enjoyed it!
I would suggest this to anyone looking for a psychological thriller with a paranormal element. 👻🐍🫣
3.5 stars, really.
I really wanted to love this book. I really, really did. But as much creepy potential as this book had (cults!, weirdly suspicious deaths!, creepy twins!) I just don’t feel like the book reached its full potential. Although, I have to say, it kept me reading until the very end, wondering how everything was going to work out and what was truly going on.
The book follows the story Alfie, who recently lost his wife Pippa to a strange accident, and is left alone to raise their twins, Sylvia and Cassia. One night the girls start talking about their new “friend” named Black Mamba, who Alfie and Pippa’s psychologist twin sister Julia originally think is harmless. But soon, the “friend” takes over their life and causes increasingly erratic behavior among the twins. And soon Alfie begins experiencing strange phenomena. What’s going on in their house. - which, BTW, happens to be Pippa’s family home, where both she and her father died, also under strange circumstances.
So yeah, this book has a great storyline that really sucks you in immediately. I really flew through it! I wanted to figure out what was going on! And creepy twins with a weird, creepy imaginary friend? What could be a better fall ghost story than that?! And it really did deliver for awhile, I thought.
But I think it was the ending that made the story a 3.5 star read for me. Things seemed to fade off. All the potential and build up doesn’t pay off. It was disappointing.
So, I would recommend this book with an asterisk. It’s got a good story and some great potential, but you may not like how things end up. Still a fairly solid read.
This book is definitely a slow burn. Perfect to read this time of year! I didn’t really get the ending, maybe because I like my endings neatly tied up. I wish more clues had been dropped along the way, instead of all at the end. Fun book to snuggle up with and read at night.