Being a sister to twins, I was really intrigued by what the author would do regarding the double sets of twins in this story. And it was very believable! It also helped add to creepiness of the plot: is Black Mamba real or just a figment of the girls' imaginations?

To me, it was the constant not knowing that really kept the plot moving and the creepy background stuff--the weird religion, Alfie's grief, the crazy grandmother, all the secrets just added to the horror.

Is the book nicely wrapped up at the end? Bwahaha--that's for you to decide!

Ugh. I wanted to like this book so badly but it just fell short. Too many ecclesiastical references for me. The narration could have been better

1.75/5 stars! This cover was creepy goodness, so I was really excited to read the book. Unfortunately, this was a case of the cover being the best part. The pros: This was a quick read. The cons: Everything else. Psychiatrists don't deal with evil spirits in the way the book presents it, the tale was beyond far-fetched, and I didn't honestly care what happened to Alfie or the girls.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

An eerily atmospheric book that will keep you up at night. This truly delivers on the creepy scare factor, as more secrets of the past unravel you can feel the tense atmosphere building. I thought this was incredibly skilfully written especially with the twins behaviour. I do wish this had more of a solid ending and explanation to what was truly happening but I can see how some readers prefer an open ending to decide for themselves.

I really wish that this book were longer... by the time things really started amping up I felt like there wasn't much time left for resolution. And there was so much more I wanted to know about the backstory of the house and the clear connection that had to Julia's family. I feel like there needed to be more exploration of that connection and the "church". I did like the semi-ambiguous ending, though. It gave me Inception-vibes...like, is it really over?

This book is amazing. It was truly amazing at amersing me into the atmosphere and bringing the horror onto my own home

I've been looking for a scary book to read for some time and every one I read disappoints. I mean the kind of creepy that makes you not want to read at night, or not go downstairs alone for a snack if you do read it after dark. I won't say that this book hit the nail on the head, but it contained an excellent creep factor that sent chills up my spine. I couldn't put it down.

I think part of the reason I liked it so much is that Black Mamba reminded me of the Anne Rice character Lasher from the Mayfair Witches series. What is he? Is he real, is he made up? Is he a ghost or a demon? We don't really know and that aspect leaves the reader unsettled throughout. It's scary enough when the kids see him, but when the adults start to think they're seeing him too, it boosts the horror factor up considerably.

I liked the ending and in the end, I considered this a good, satisfying read. I'd really like to read more by this author!

The idea of this story was interesting the execution left a lot to be desired. Let him in starts of with this eerie feeling. A great way to start a book like this, and I wasn’t able to read it in bed at night. Unfortunately after a while the scary factor of the book starts degrading quite rapidly. There is a lot of repeated motions throughout the book as if the writer needed some extra filling. The story itself could have done with a reduced amount of words. This would have helped keep the tension for the duration of the story.

Throughout the book there are also many flashbacks to when pippa was alive. Some being of slight importance towards the plot, many more not being of importance at all. It felt overdone as if the author felt like the reader couldn’t comprehend how much Pippa ment to both Alfie as well as Julia (her sister).

Something else that bothers me is the way the story ended. There is a lot of hinting to past events as some sort of explanation for the present but there is no true ending. You could argue that the author meant for it to be somewhat of an open ending letting the reader believe whatever they wanted to about the situation. However there is not enough information to be able to come to any type of conclusion on your own. This is why a reread of this book will not happen for me. But since I did like the writing style of the author I will probably try one of his upcoming books.

3.75 stars. Very creepy and tense all the way throughout, liked the alternating POV and the use of imaginary friend turned supernatural/demonic. The ending was lacking for me and was a little confusing and rushed

"Daddy, there's a man in our room..."

Alfie wakes one night to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed, claiming there's a shadowy figure in their bedroom. When no such thing can be found, he assumes the girls had a nightmare.

Alfie is recently widowed with two twin daughters. And now the twins are now seeing someone in their room called Black Mamba. Alfie asks Pippa; his sister in law who is a psychologist to figure out what is going on with his girls.

Is this Supernatural, psychological or religion? I'm not sure which way to go but I really liked the creepy image of Black Mamba and the behaviors of the twins were written perfectly. Sometimes I felt like the author has left behind some key factors about the plot. Nevertheless, this book was an amazing debut from the author.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Let Him In by William Friend is a story that devours the reader who ventures inside Hart House. This debut novel builds its eerie world slowly, nightmare after nightmare, doubt after doubt: Is it true, what the kids are saying? Is Black Mamba just an imaginary friend? Should Alfie and Julia be afraid of the malignant tenant they share their lives with, or should they really fear what is brewing inside the girls’ minds?
I really liked that the book presents Alfie and Julia’s point of views, and that in both instances the girls sometimes feel even creepier than the mysterious figure the reader should be dreading. The way they are described, unique but down-to-earth, with their strengths and their flaws, convey the reading of such a powerful force that it makes it very difficult to put down.
One thing I have seen other reviewers did not really enjoy was the ambiguity of the whole proposal, the feeling of being kind of ‘left out’ of what it is really happening in Hart House. Is there something supernatural, is it only grief, could religion materialize such monsters? I understand what they are criticising, I really do, I am usually not fond of these… let’s say techniques, but in this particular case if felt earned, as if, being the reader as it is just a passenger, we are feeling the same bewilderment the characters are, looking for an answer, any answer, that could stop this nightmare right away.

Let Him In is the newest addition to Poisoned Pen Press and what a creepy addition it is. This book is both haunting and devastating. It shook me to my core, and I think it will shake up many readers. I found myself flipping pages faster and faster to the inevitable conclusion.

Alfie and Julia, our main characters, are woven together in alternating perspectives after tragedy draws them together in raising twins. This book has a quick hook, once you are introduced to the dark and mysterious Black Mamba. Who this mysterious character is, I will leave up to the reader to discover, but trust and believe that there are twists and turns galore for this story. Exactly how this story plays out is one I'm going to mulling over for a while.

Check this story out!

Whhhheewww. Where to begin with this one? It’s got it all. Mystery. Suspense. Occultism. Creepy kids. And an ending that you get to interpret on your own! This book had me looking around the room at bedtime making sure nothing was creeping up on me. I’m usually not impressed with horror books, but this one hit all the right spots. Excellently written. Hard to put down. And super creepy. The only thing that could have added to it would have been a bit of the kids perspective. I’d have loved to see how their thought processes changed throughout the story. Overall highly recommend. Perfect October read!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of Let Him In by William Friend. This book is why I love debuts! I had no idea what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised that the book drew me right in and never let up. The story was slow but there was so much tension it really kept my interest. This is not a gory, jump out of your seat horror story, it’s a much more effective eerie, slowly scare-the-spit out of you story. The twins’ relationship was so chilling I loved it.
I didn’t love the ambiguity of the ending, but it allowed my imagination to run wild which might have been the intention. If you’re looking for a spell-binding book that you won’t want to stop reading, this is it. I look forward to many more books by this author.

although my rating is at 3 stars I would personally give this book 3.5 stars.

for a paranormal thriller I really enjoyed this book! I love that it stars you off during the grieving time and carries you along in the story to piece together what is happening. the plot pacing was great and kept you hooked in! I would of loved a deeper dive on the religious cult the family was involved in and how their parents got to where they were. other than that it was a good story and I can see myself recommending it to others.

Alfie has enough on his plate raising two daughters alone after the death of his young wife, so when the twins start talking about seeing a shadowy figure in their bedroom, he's understandably overwhelmed. Enlisting the help of his child psychologist sister-in-law, Alfie struggles to get things back to normal as the girls' visions become more and more concerning.

This book was definitely a slow burn. Sometimes it worked and I found myself wishing that the people behind "Haunting of Hill House" would make this one a Netflix movie because there were so many truly, deeply creepy parts. I can't even imagine having a child with such a creepy imaginary friend, let alone twins who both claim he is real. There was definitely a lot of well written creepy content in this one.

The only thing that put me off about this book was the scattered focus. It felt a little like the author had an amazing idea for the first half of a book, but then couldn't decide if the story was a creepy church thing, a paranormal thing, or strictly imagination based. Maybe it was intended one way and evolved during the writing process? I'm not sure, but it was a little all over the place focus wise.

Still, I liked the creepy scenes and enjoyed the multiple perspectives. I also LOVED the cover!

Thank you Netgalley for getting me this ARC copy of 'Let Him In'.

I will start by saying the cover of this book is *chefs kiss* It drew me to the book in the first place. First glance, it looks like a scary face but if you look closer you can see the picture within the picture.

I absolutely love the separate POV's, it makes the story go more in depth. I am not usually into horror books but after this one I think that is going to change. This was nicely written, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and still keeps you guessing. Would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC.

Release Date October 3rd

After the death of Alfie’s wife, their twin girls, Sylvia and Cassia, begin waking at night to what they think is a man in their bedroom. Alfie, suspecting this is a symptom the stress of the trauma they have endured comforts them and over some time the girls begin sleeping through the night again. When the twins inform Alfie of their new (imaginary) friend, Black Mamba, he again suspects the trauma plays a role in its appearance until Alfie begins to wonder if Black Mamba isn’t so imaginary after all.

Told from two perspectives, Alfie’s and his sister-in-law, Julia, Let Him In is a slow burn story heavy with the atmosphere of grief, guilt, and mystery leaving the reader often feeling as confused and uncertain as Alfie.

I really enjoyed this novel, though it is quite slow in pacing and won’t be for everyone. It can feel confusing at times but overall the book hit the spot for me and was left feeling uneasy when I was done.

When I saw the cover of this book, it instantly drew me in. I then read the synopsis and was very intrigued by the premise. The book is a slow burn but there are also some bug OMG moments which make the journey worth it. IT can get a bit confusing at times but just keep reading and it will come together. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to others. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was an excellent read. It was very creepy with the twins talking about the Black Mamba/man that was constantly in their rooms, but no one else can see or hear him but them. It is like a slow dive into madness. There are many twists and turns. The ending was a total surprise when you realize what has happened.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.