Wanted to rate this a 2.5, but I rounded up.

Alfie wakes up one night to find his twins, frightened, at the edge of his bed which leads us on a journey of grief, fear, and a psychological vs supernatural haunting.

This book was an absolute fever dream and had me questioning what was going on throughout the whole read. With slow pacing, several attempts at different plot twists, and repetition, I found this to feel like a much longer read than it actually was.

Let Him In found a way to be weirdly religious at times that I felt didn’t land well.

I did appreciate the author’s writing style, and ended up finishing the book because I felt like it was written well though the story wasn’t for me.

Thank you to netgalley, poisoned pen press, and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the wake of his wife Pippa's death, Alfie is doing everything he can to make life carry on as normal for their twin girls Sylvie and Cassia. Tucked away in their family home of Hart House in London, there isn't much to break the monotony of grief or to fill the Pippa-shaped void now left in their lives. Before long, Sylvie and Cassia struggle to sleep.

"Daddy, there's a man in our room," they say. What Alfie dismisses initially as the girls harmlessly processing their loss through the form of an imaginary friend soon becomes something more unsettling.

"Daddy, he said he's going to take us away," the girls report pleasantly. Black Mamba, he's called. He wants a seat at the dinner table, he protects the girls at night. He whispers things to them. Things that grow darker in the night.

As the days pass, it's clear that something sinister walks the halls of Hart House. Cassia and Sylvie become silhouettes of their former, vibrant selves, Alfie begins having visions in the night--of Pippa, and something much darker.

But as the stories often go, sometimes the true darkness is that which lies within.

For lovers of "The Babadook" and "The Haunting of Hill House," "Let Him In" is an unforgettable, terrifying story of loss, grief, and the horror that often sneaks in unsuspecting. Superbly-written and suspenseful from the first page, I found myself totally immersed in the world of Alfie and the twins, and found the story to have an almost cinematic quality because of how well it flowed together. Certainly not for the faint of heart, "Let Him In" might just be a horror masterpiece--it's the kind of story that, long after the last page, makes you question the reality of anything you read. Bravo.

Enjoyed every twist and turn! This book felt difficult to put down and kept me guessing after the first chapter. The only challenge for me was imagining that a therapist would consider treating their family members; however, it didn’t stop me from feeling engaged with and interested in the story.

In this book we follow the life of a widower named Alfie and his twin daughters Cassia and Sylvie as they’re navigating life after the death of their mother. One night the girls wake up and tell Alfie there’s a man in their room. There’s sadness, heartache, anger, delirium, and some paranormal activity through the book.

I didn’t dislike this book but it also wasn’t a home run for me. I feel like there were just so many unanswered questions at the end. I would have liked to seen it wrapped up a little better, maybe even go into some more of the strange religion Pippa’s family was into. This would have earned a higher rating if more of the questions the book brought up were answered.

I thought the prose in this book was quite wonderful; the characters and Hart House felt extremely real and tangible the entire time I was reading. I also appreciated the emotional factors in this book and the different ways Alfie and Julia dealt with their grief about Pippa. They were very believable characters to me, and I always enjoy horror stories that have a bit of emotional edge to them.

That said, while the book had plenty of decidedly creepy moments, it never quite brought the fear factor the way I hoped. I was expecting a slow build up from “something feels off” to dread to something hair raising; and unfortunately the book felt overall more like an exploration of grief, religion, and processing death than a true horror story. The ending felt a bit anti- climactic for me. But I do think people who really enjoy a milder, more emotionally driven horror story will probably love this.

Let Him In Review!!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this gifted e-copy, in exchange for an honest review! Let Him In is out October 3, 2023!

Again with the creepy kids saying creepy things. I immediately requested it!! 😄 For some reason this took me almost two months to read. It was just such a slow start and it didn’t really speed up until the very end. That ending was pretty chilling though. 🫣 2.75/5 ⭐️.

Synopsis: Recently Widowed, Alfie and his twin daughters are having a really hard time with the grief. When the girls come into his room one night and tell their dad there is a man in their room, Alfie isn’t surprised. He thinks this man that the girls call Black Mamba is their way of coping. As the girls start to do some pretty odd things though, Alfie isn’t so sure that Black Mamba is imaginary after all.

LET HIM IN, by William Friend, is a tale of grief, loss, and how a family deals with the sudden death of a loved one--all in their own ways. Alphie, the father of twin daughters, lost his wife to a freak accident 9 months before the story begins. When his girls come to him at night saying "there's a man in our room", it's the beginning of a convoluted nightmare that encompasses not only the present, but past as well. His wife, Pippa, also had a twin sister--Julia--who is enlisted by Alphie and her overly "needy" mother to talk to the twins when they start insisting that they have a new friend--a man named "Black Mamba".

This story is quite a haunting tale, both in terms of the psychological aspects, and the pieces we are given along the way of things that happened in that family home prior to this. Told from the points of view of both Alphie and Julia, we get an idea that the scope of this incident goes much further than you would initially suspect.

This one had me turning pages long into the night, and fusing together the information in my mind when I wasn't actively reading it. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Recommended.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, for a debut I'm impressed with how immersive the book was and how much I could see in my minds eye when I was reading (which is something I can sometimes really struggle with.

The book explores, grief, religion, relationships between parents and children and also the unique relationship between twins excellently.

The Twins were very creepy, and all the characters seemed very fleshed out. I wish we got a little more depth to their backgrounds and stories but overall they were very well done. The book was one that I was happy to keep picking up and I read it all in 24 hours so it definitely had me hooked and excited to read despite me not really getting it.

Unfortunately for me, the book felt a bit unfinished and seemed to finish a little bit abruptly. I felt as though it was almost left up to interpretation too much and put the onus too much on the reader to "get it" or "interpret it" I need things spelt out to me a little bit more than the average thriller/horror reader so I finished it feeling a little confused but overall enjoyed.

I didn't find it as creepy or horror as I wanted it to be and I wanted a little bit more tension but I can also admit that maybe I missed a lot of the underlying tension.

The cover completely drew me in and made me VERY excited to read this book and I would absolutely read something else this author writes as I really enjoyed his writing style and the way he could really involve the reader in a scene that I felt like I was in the room but this ultimately didnt work for me as much as I wanted it too!
It is a debut though so I'm excited to see where this author goes.

Would give it 2.75 stars out of five.

Thank you Netgally and William Friend for the ARC of let him in.

This was not a typical horror book. I enjoyed it and did get creeped out and several parts. I also loved the grief portrayed in this book and the emotions displayed in every character. The end had me second guessing everything I thought I knew and brought about some questions but to me that’s a good book leave you guessing.

If you want different, creepy and mind blown ending this is a good book for you.

OKAY FELLOW HORROR HEAUXS

I need to talk about this book...

Holy wow. I'm giving it 4.5/5 stars. This is NOT extreme. It's very much a slow-burn, dread-inducing, feel-creep-come-upon-you kind of story.

This story gave me demonic Peter Pan mixed with Hill House vibes and the end made me gasp.
The way it's written kind of leaves your head swirling, which I think is a wonderful way to make you feel as confused as the characters.

Overall, extremely enjoyable and I recommend 6 you're looking for something spooky but not graphic or gory. This was a lovely palate cleanser before I dive into something very dark.

I went into this book knowing very little- I just really loved the cover, and I'm a big haunted house fan. On the first page, the words, "Daddy, there's a man in our room" really hooked me and never let go.
Alfie has lost his wife to a tragic accident, and he is now a single dad to twin girls. His sister in law Julia has been standoffish and his mother in law did not have a close relationship with her daughter at the time of her death.
But since his twins have seemingly developed an invisible friend, a man who can take the shape of a snake, Black Mamba, to help them cope with their grief, he needs support from family. His SIL, as a therapist, hasn't wanted to treat her nieces until she realizes the danger Black Mamba can pose to the girls- and the rest of them.
As the story unfolds, the history of the house and the former residents is slowly revealed to the reader. Black Mamba may not just be a figment of over imaginative children. As Alfie's girls fall deeper under the influence of Black Mamba, Julia needs to decide just how much her role has contributed to Black Mamba's existence she's willing to admit. And Alfie needs to act quick if he is going to save his family. I can't add anything else without giving away too much- but the ending will stay with you LONG after you close the book.
I'll leave you with this:
Have you ever seen something in your room at night out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn on the light it's gone?
What would you do if it was still there?

After the recent death of his wife, Alfie is struggling to provide the stable environment his twin daughters need. One night, they wake him to tell him a man is in their room. After not finding any evidence of an intrusion he forgets about the incident…until the girls start talking about their new “friend”…someone or something that the girls insist doesn’t want to leave.

Let Him In is a debut horror/thriller by author William Friend. The plot synopsis and cover art of this one really captured my attention. This novel starts off creepy enough with what appears to be some “evil entity” that has decided to attach itself to two twin girls grieving the recent loss of their mother. As much as I wanted to love this novel it felt a bit disjointed and confusing at times. It felt like the suspense was trying to be drawn out too often without giving the reader enough to really care. When the big plot twist finally came I still felt a bit confused honestly. That being said, this was still an interesting read is you look at it from the aspect of how grieving and influence can affect people, especially children. Overall this was a decent thriller that would be a fun read to snuggle up with this fall.

"Let Him In" presents an intriguing premise with its mix of twins, the supernatural, and a haunted house. The story's opening delivers a chilling and eerie atmosphere, immersing readers in Alfie and his twins' journey after his wife's tragic passing. However, the book's execution falls short of its potential, as the scary elements gradually lose their impact, and the narrative becomes a bit repetitive. Flashbacks to the past, while some relevant, feel excessive, and the lack of a satisfying resolution leaves the reader wanting more closure. Despite these shortcomings, the author's writing style is exceptional, making me curious about the author's future works. I will be reading more of William Friend's works.

I received a free advanced reading copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher!

Let Him In is about a newly widowed husband, Alfie and his twin daughters. His daughters begin telling him there is a man in their room. But is it paranormal or simply an imaginary friend?

I gave this book three stars because while it did keep my attention, I was hoping for so much more from the ending. I did love the twin aspects, paranormal aspects, real world psychology aspects, etc. I suppose I was hoping for a pretty little bow to tie everything together in the end. Overall, good story and well written.

Alfie and his sister-in-law Julia are the narrators of this very creepy, slow-burn horror story. Alfie is a grieving widower, father to twin girls. He struggles to get through his days after his wife’s death and his daughters have recently begun playing with a very scary imaginary friend. Is this a coping mechanism? Good thing their aunt Julia is a psychotherapist, because she might be able to shed light on this problem. But Julia has her own past traumas to deal with, tightly enmeshed with Alfie’s life and their extended dysfunctional family. And she grew up in the same spooky house.

This was well-written and very scary but I personally prefer a faster pace. The many scary turn of events have been done before in movies and other novels (don’t want to mention any because it would be spoilers), but that doesn’t make them any less scary. It could be a bit confusing at times like a fever dream, with plot lines that didn’t go anywhere, but maybe that was the author’s intention? Parts of it I loved, parts of it left me very confused and wondering if I had missed something, but overall I would recommend it for fans of horror. And I would definitely read William Friend’s next novel.

Will post this on social media a month before pub date.

I really enjoyed this story, it was different and I loved the dynamics of characters presented. I think it touches on an important topic of grief and how we each cope differently with that. All in all, I enjoyed this as a thriller / horror novel and can we say kudos to the cover?!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

Wow. Not me assuming this book would be along the lines of a supposedly spooky book that ends up being a murder mystery thriller like some others I read. Nope. I was wrong. This is a spooky book that doesn’t end the way you’d naturally assume it does. I couldn’t put it down. I normally steer clear of books that involve some sort of “other world” because it screws with my sleep but this one only screwed with my sleep because I wanted to finish it. Two POV. And an unraveling back story that all collides into a final chapter or two and left my jaw wide open for a while.

Fans of Stephen King or “The Whisper Man” by Alex North will love William Friend’s debut “Let Him In”.

Alfie is a newly widowed father, left to grieve the loss of the woman he loves while trying to care for his twin daughters on his own in their “haunted” house. When the twins begin to talk about their new imaginary friend “Black Mamba”, Alfie starts to unravel by the minute, pushing the girls closer and closer to Black Mamba. You’ll find yourself wondering, is Black Mamba truly imaginary?

This is an unputdownable, chilling book that will leave you deeply unsettled and wondering what reality is. I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future!

This book was very creepy and had me hooked right away. I’m a bit confused and disappointed as to how it wrapped up though. Overall- it wasn’t too bad.

I was drawn in by the cover, and it did not disappoint! A great book for spooky season. The story was pretty chilling with cult-like family history, grief, creepy twins and a foreboding presence throughout. It's not gory. It's more of a psychological thriller with horror sprinkled about. It was repetitive at times but the ending was worth it. It still has me questioning everything. Overall a good read!