This book is beautifully written and sucked me in from the beginning. You can truly feel the emotions and heartache as you go through this family's story. However, the ending left me with too many questions that I expected to be answered. It had this huge build up and I kept waiting for the reveal, and then it just ended. It felt incredibly rushed, like the author just got tired of keeping the story going. The ending is definitely ambiguous, but it left me with even more questions that I felt needed answers.

This book was a wonderful blend of eerie, suspenseful and immersive. The two different point of views helped boost the story along, whilst subtly explaining what was actually happening. Will definitely be picking myself up a copy when it is released.
I received a free E-Arc in exchange for an home review

There is an old expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” that I think pertains here. I was first drawn to this book by the cover. I loved how it first appears to be a creepy face but upon closer examination it is people walking beneath trees. I loved the multiple perspectives and hoped the book would have a similar vibe.

The story begins with a widower and his two daughters. The girls, having recently lost their mother, are struggling to sleep through the night as they keep coming into their father’s room to complain of a man in their room. He calls in his wife’s sister who works as a psychologist to help them. Twin girls who speak in unison is rather spooky so initially I was feeling the vibe. I also loved the way the author described their home, Hart House, in a way that it almost became its own character.

And then I just got lost. I struggled to understand what was happening or where the story was going and despite rereading the ending several times, I am not sure I got it. I was an unwilling passenger on the struggle bus on this one. I really wanted to like it more than I did.

I was given a complimentary advanced copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book.

*3.5 stars, but rounding up*

The cover alone really pulled me in with Let Him In, and the synopsis sounded promising, so I was super excited to dive in. But after finishing it, I have very mixed feelings about this book…

The story begins with Alfie. His wife died in an accident, and his twin daughters began coming into his room at night telling him that there was a man in their room. One day these nightly visits abruptly stopped, and that’s when we’re introduced to Black Mamba… This is where everything completely changes, and the horror truly kicks in.

There were some extremely creepy moments within the story, and the whole book has a deeply malevolent feel to it. The twins’ behaviour was very unsettling, and as a parent, I can’t imagine how you would even begin to tackle the situation that Alfie was in. The whole experience would be absolutely terrifying.

The author does a great job of showing how grief can effect everyone in different ways, and how people have different coping mechanisms. In line with that, it did make me question whether Black Mamba was the twins way of coping with the loss of their mother, or whether there really was something else in the house with them.

Ultimately, the ending let this book down for me. It didn’t really answer any of my questions, and there was no clarification as to what was actually going on in the house. The last couple of chapters were a little confusing and all over the place. However, the final lines of the book were utterly chilling. I held off writing the review for a bit to try and get my thoughts together, but to be honest I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it.

Thank you, Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend, for providing me with the ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) of this book.

I must say that I absolutely loved reading this book and have been wholeheartedly recommending it to everyone in my circle. The story revolves around a grieving family struggling to come to terms with a recent death and their efforts to move on. The way the characters of the twin daughters, the husband, the sister, and the mother are portrayed feels incredibly believable and relatable.

The supernatural aspect of the book is one of the most realistic portrayals I have encountered in any novel. It beautifully treads the fine line between reality and fantasy, as often happens in real life when one person's supernatural experience may be interpreted as mere fantasy by someone else. The gradual unfolding of events throughout the book keeps the tension high, and you feel as if you are holding a ticking time bomb with each turn of the page.

The sense of helplessness that permeates the narrative is deeply affecting, particularly through the eyes of Alfie, who grapples with both the challenges of raising his twin daughters and the profound loss of his wife. Complicating matters further is the presence of a fictional supernatural character, the enigmatic "Black Mamba," invented by his daughters.

What works -
- the vividly depicted house and the intricacies of family dynamics.

- The slow-burning supernatural incidents add an air of suspense and intrigue, while the exploration of the house's mythology adds depth and richness to the narrative

- The storytelling is masterfully controlled, ensuring that readers remain engrossed throughout.


What doesn't work -
- I must admit that the story does become slightly repetitive at times, particularly during dream sequences that hold significant meaning initially but lose some impact due to their recurrence.

- I couldn't help but yearn for a more explosive and climactic finale. A little more "BANG" at the resolution could have provided a truly unforgettable crescendo to an already remarkable narrative.

Highly recommend reading this book. It will stay inside for a long time.

Creepy, with just the right amount of horror. I would have liked a bit more answers though. What stung her? What was with the rattle? Where did grandma come from at the end? Was the ending statement from the twins really a joke or was that actually the truth? I need more but I think that was the authors point… this was definitely entertaining. Thank you NetGalley and the Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. Publication date October 2, 2023.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. ✨

This is a quick read with creepy little redrum twins who have a frightening imaginary friend named Black Mamba.

Let Him In is a bit repetitive and sometimes I didn’t know how we even got from one point in the story to the next. I wish there was a little more character development. I wanted to like this after reading the synopsis and seeing the cover, but the execution just didn’t do it for me. It just felt unresolved, and that’s as simple as I can put it.

Let Him In releases October 3rd.

Let Him In by William Friend is a chilling and atmospheric debut that delves into the unsettling world of a widowed father raising twin daughters who become obsessed with an imaginary friend. As the girls' behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, their father seeks help from a psychiatrist to unravel the sinister force affecting their lives. The book explores themes of grief, secrets, and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural. With haunting consequences, Let Him In is a gripping psychological suspense that keeps readers on edge until the very end.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC of Let Him In by William Friend. Looking forward to reading more upcoming titles!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance reader copy. It’s going to be released at the perfect time of the year.. I see it’s coming out in October and this is such a spooky book. We meet the twins and their dad Alfie and what ensues in this book will have you turning pages backwards to find out what is truly happening in the Hart house. The mystery surrounds a character named Black Mamba, the twins insist that they see him in every corner. Read the book and figure out who he really is.. This book is excellent and perfect for Fall 2024.

A fantastic psychological horror novel with a supernatural edge. The book focused on grief, family secrets and parenting.

A recently widowed father and his twin daughters begin to experience seemingly supernatural events when the girls wake him up one night and tell him there's a man in their room.

It's not a particularly bloody story, but it's really a deeply disturbing tale about family. It's full of tension as thick as the walls of the house they live in

This is a great book for a dark and stormy night that will give you goosebumps and make you dread every strange sound. I heartily recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for yet another fantastic read.

#lethimin, #WilliamFriend, #horrornovel, #netgalley

This was a perfectly spooky, chilling read. I loved the storyline and the setting building- I could clearly see Hart House and all the creepy events that unfolded. I felt the end was a little rushed, but otherwise it was perfect paced, kept me wanting more and perfectly creeped out!

This psychological thriller follows Alfie as he struggles to get his life together after the unexpected death of his wife Pippa. Following her death his two twin daughters have mentioned a new imaginary friend that Alfie believes is just a way to cope with their mothers death. That is until things start to escalate and the twins seem convinced that this imaginary friend is real and start to do strange things like setting down a place for him at the table and saying he will take them away. Alfie calls Julia- Pippas psychiatrist sister for help dealing with this new imaginary friend. But as the events start to escalate and Alfie himself is having visions he begins to question whether it actually is just an imaginary friend or something more.

I’m not even going to lie the thing that made me want to pick up this book was the cover and if definitely did not disappoint! I don’t usually read thrillers but I am glad I did because the story was so well written and immersive that one can feel themselves being sucked into the story and sharing the characters emotions as the story goes on.

There were many moments in the story where I thought I knew what would happen next and that I had the whole imaginary friend situation figured out but I was surprised to find I was wrong every single time! This book was definitely one that keeps the readers on the edge of their seat but I don’t think it is the scariest book out there? Don’t get me wrong I loved the storytelling and seeing the way that events developed but there was only one or two moment where I actually felt fear but I think the fact that it’s not solely based on providing a bunch of scary moment really helps develop the story and it’s character as it was definitely more interesting seeing the characters thoughts and actions throughout the story.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of psychological thrillers as it definitely messes with your head and just proves everything you thought was right in the story is actually the complete opposite and it leaves you wanting more as the story goes on! As even the ending threw me off!

I most definitely think the author did a great job writing this story and I would go and read whatever else they write!

This was so suspenseful! I loved the slow building dread, it kept me so entertained the whole time. The cover sold me about the book, it’s perfect for the setting.

Alphie and his twin daughters are living at the Hart House. Just 9 months ago their mother died in the cellar. They’re all grieving her loss. The girls start seeing a man in their room. They run to tell their dad but he can’t seem to find any break in or anything out of place. The man appears several times. Soon the girls start calling him black mamba. He has odd requests and Alphie asks his sister in law (therapist) to jump and help. What happens in the Hart house has been happening for years. Julie (the sister in law) and Pippa(the deceased wife of Alphie) were twins as well. Julie is aware of what is happening because she has had it happen to her and Pippa after their father died in the same house.

This book was suspenseful and kept me interested. It was a bit confusing at times. The ending was expected but still made me jaw drop.

Thank you netgalley and Poisoned pen for this early release in exchange for an honest review.

For a debut, this was an incredible story revolving around grief. Some writing did seem a little choppy, but l was definitely haunted.
Alfie does what any grieving father would- calls in his sister in law to help his daughter's deal with their grief. This was a mystical take on a haunted house story and demon worshipping.

This book is best read in a dark room, late at night. Religious trauma is taking a major role in this psychological thriller! I really enjoyed the twins relationship and the parallels shown between the generations. I'm left wondering who is telling the truth in the end.

I really wanted to like this book. However, it was hard to like it. It starts off really well and it piqued my interest. I kept reading and reading hoping the story would get better, and the story goes nowhere- -the explanations for the twins’ behavior is confusing and there isn’t a clear cut reason why they act they way they do. Disappointed ☹️ I give it a 1 star.

This book made my skin CRAWL and I loved its quick development! Bravo! It also begs an internal struggle I have with my own children and whether or not their imaginations are actually playing tricks on them!

A great horror debut from William Friend! Grieving widower, Alfie’s twin girls come running into his room saying that there is a man in their room! Who is this imaginary friend the girls cal Black Mambo? As this “friend” becomes more demanding and the girl’s behavior spirals, Alfie calls in his deceased wife’s twin sister, a therapist, for help. Told from alternating POV, the twisty, dark story unfolds. It is a slow satisfying burn, but I felt the ending was rather abrupt. Perfect for fans of Alex North or C.J. Tudor! This would be wonderful in audio format.

A slow burner horror novel that’s keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.