My favorite spooky book so far this season! This book was so creepy and brought me chills on more than one occasion. The fact we’re dealing with two sets of twins for me adds extra spook, throw in a mysterious death only referred to as “the accident”, a secretive grandma, and an imaginary demon the children call “Black Mamba” and this is the perfect recipe for horror. I was Engaged the whole time but that ending was *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏼.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a quick and fun read, perfect for fall. You get pulled in different directions as you try to figure out if the house is haunted, if the twins are making up their new friend(Black Mamba), or if Alfie is just losing his handle on life. The ending still had me questioning what was happening, but was still satisfying.

2.5 stars

Main Characters:
-- Alfie – “widowed” nine months prior when his partner Pippa died suddenly (they never married), faced with raising their 8-year-old twin daughters in the house that Pippa grew up in
-- Julia – Pippa’s twin sister, a psychiatrist
-- Cassia & Sylvie – Alfie and Pippa’s twins who have started seeing a man in their bedroom since their mother’s death

William Friend’s debut novel had soooo much potential. And then it ended.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Alfie and Julia, both dealing with their grief after losing Pippa. At the same time, they struggle with how to help Cassia and Sylvie, who have started seeing a man in their bedroom. Julia assures Alfie that it’s a totally normal manifestation of their grief. Alfie begins to believe that the girls think “Black Mamba,” as they call him, is real.

The story begins with the girls coming to sleep with Alfie in his bed night after night because of a man in their room. He assumes they’re having nightmares after their mother’s death, and eventually they go back to their own room. When they start telling him about Black Mamba appearing to them as a snake or a bird or a fish, he grows increasingly concerned and seeks Julia’s help.

Julia is challenged by her own grief and doesn’t feel like she has the capacity to help the twins deal with theirs. She lost her own twin, after all, when Pippa died. When she hears about Black Mamba, though, she feels an obligation to help and implies that his appearance is somehow her fault.

I was sucked into this story. The author did a great job of dropping hints of what might be the source of Black Mamba and what really happened to Pippa, continually referencing “the accident.” I assumed the book would take a somewhat mystical turn since Black Mamba definitely has some mystical undertones. There are also references throughout to other people who have died in the house, Pippa and Julia’s parents’ “religion,” and their father walking around the house shaking a rattle.

And Alfie seems to become more than a little unhinged. I thought for sure this was a case of the house having a supernatural element—almost like the hotel in The Shining or the game in Jumanji—especially since Pippa and Julia’s dad died in the house when they were children.

But then….

***SPOILERS*** SPOILERS***SPOILERS***

I really thought that Julia and Pippa, and their parents by way of their religion, had conjured Black Mamba when Julia and Pippa were children. Their dad was always walking around the house shaking a wooden rattle, became unhinged himself, and committed suicide. This is never explained.

Julia keeps implying that this is all her fault, so then I thought they had somehow banished Black Mamba when she and Pippa were young, and somehow Pippa’s death brought him back. There’s a sub-plot about photographs never being displayed because they open some sort of spirit world. Also never explained.

Then I was convinced that Alfie was somehow possessed by Black Mamba because the twins said he looked a little like their dad, but that doesn’t appear to be the case either. They kept referencing Pippa’s accident, which I assumed early on had been the cause of her death. The accident was her coming home drunk from a night out and hitting her head on the bathroom mirror. At one point, I actually thought Alfie killed her because he admitted they were arguing at the time. But she just needed stitches. She died after being bitten or stung by something while playing with the twins, and she had an allergic reaction. So the accident is kind of irrelevant.

Julia’s mother suffers headaches, joint pain, and chronic fatigue, but she is able to set up candles all along the stairwells in a three-story house and then climb a ladder into the attic when the power goes out. And then Black Mamba just vanishes that night after she talks with the twins. They never talk about him again until the last few pages when the twins “tease” their Auntie Julia.

Nothing about the ending of this book made any sense. Two-and-a-half stars because it started well, but it’s a hard miss for me.

Let Him In was a spooky read! I often found myself confused with the multiple first person despite each chapter stating whose POV it was. I enjoyed the premise of the story, haunted house and secrets. Black Mamba and his presence all over Hart House. Alfie and his sister in law Julia were good characters, Alfie more described than Julia but mind filled in the rest. 3.5 ⭐️

Loved IT!! The writing style, the character development, the ending!!! Kinda left me wondering, guess we can come up our own conclusions ….but I certainly want more from this author!!! Can’t wait to see what’s next….I’ll be thinking about this one…. Perfect!!!

What an eye-catching cover on this book. William Friend's writing has a storybook quality to it that took some getting used too. The book is a solid read and especially creepy if you have children. It's good, it just didn't grab me right away. I'm so glad I gave it chance bc I enjoyed it. I'll absolutely recommend Let Him In for a good spooky season read.

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.