Creepy, propulsive, and addicting. This book was spine chilling and I completely devoured it. The audio narration was also phenomenal. Highly recommend the audio to anyone who asks. fast paced, great character development and it gripped me from the first chapter!

"Let Him In" is the first novel by William Fiend, and I have to say, it is truly remarkable. The narrative is skillfully crafted, drawing me in with its vibrant descriptions that make me feel as if I am experiencing the story firsthand. While the pacing is a bit slow, it provides ample room for the gradual exploration of each character's background, allowing me to develop a profound connection with them. The unsettling and eerie atmosphere of the story captivates me from beginning to end.

In my perspective, the novel tends to lean more towards psychological horror rather than the supernatural. Although there are moments that imply a presence of the supernatural, they are not consistently present. The backstories provide information about the Hart House and the seemingly cult-like family of Julia and Pippa. The novel can be seen as a psychological horror as it creates a creepy atmosphere and explores the emotional and mental states of the characters, particularly the twins and their father. There is a suspicion that Black Mamba may have been created from the imagination of one of the twins, but this has not been definitively confirmed. I still believe that it is possible for the supernatural to be involved, perhaps with the twins successfully summoning a demon with the assistance of their grandmother, Marian, in order to communicate with her deceased husband, Eric. However, this is not established until the end. Furthermore, the ending, which I personally find thrilling, leaves me dumbfounded and confused about who was actually living with Julia and the twins.

Nevertheless, the book is sufficiently creepy, making me shiver and causing me to put it down when I was alone in the house. The unsettling feeling stayed with me, especially during nighttime when I imagined something lurking in the dark after reading it.

This was my first book for this author and wanted something spooky for fall. It did take me a bit to read it because the writing seemed a bit slow for me but once I got hooker i blew through it.
I liked the way it showed how grief affects us all differently. There’s not a lot of characters, which kept it simple. It’s written from the POV of the grief stricken dad of two twin girls and their aunt. I’m still not sure of the ending and may not understand how the backstory of the family came into play but it was a good read.

•Thank you NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book it took me a little time to get through it but I love how much detail was in it without feeling overwhelmed. I felt like I was I'm the story and times. After I out the book down and picked it up a little later, I always thought to myself why did I stop.

I would recommend this book to others.

I could really take or leave this book. I wasn't really into how the story progressed and ended. The sexual tension between Julia and Alfie was a bit strange, especially the way it was presented. This was a very meh read for me and felt very predictable.




Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read/review this novel

So I’m not 100% sure how I felt about this story. The entire story is “are these girls handling their grief through a shared imaginary friend or are they being targeted by a demon?” I spent the entire novel trying to decide if it was paranormal or psychological, and at the end I still don’t feel like I got my answer. I hated the dad for most of the story. I understand he was grieving, but he had two kids that should’ve come before his grief. The aunt seemed really suspicious for the entirety of the novel. Like ma’am, why are you being so weird? I think the girls were done really well though and between them and Black Mamba I was feeling weird for the whole novel. I do feel like it did drag in parts. I can see where it may have been trying to build tension or backstory but there were times that I was just like please continue with the story.

This review may sound real negative, and I don’t mean for it to be I actually quite liked the story. The ending sent my head spinning because I don’t fully believe the answers that were given. I’ve thought about the story many times since reading and I’d say that’s a win regardless. I had a few things that I didn’t love but overall I decent read.

“Daddy, there’s a man in our room...”

Adjusting to life as a widower and single dad, Alfie is struggling to accept his new normal. But as his twin daughters wake him up one evening claiming there is a shadowy figure in their room, Alfie begins to worry that his struggles to adapt have caused his girls to create an imaginary friend. Until, of course, he begins to see and feel strange things in their home.
The premise of this story is so creepy. Imagine your children talking about an invisible "friend" in your home while strange things are happening that make you begin question if this "friend" is more than just their imagination. I will say that if this story focused more on the "friend" and happenings surrounding that and less on the back story of the main characters it would have been SO scary. All of the elements where there for this story to go from creepy to goosebump inducing scary.
This is a great story and perfect for those who like their spooky reads a little less spooky. But that ending, just wow.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

Thank you to @netgalley @poisonedpenpress and @dreamscape_media for the gifted copy of this book.

I wasn't sure if I was able to finish this book as it was too much horror and I'm a lover of the genre.
Well plotted, tense, creepy and atmospheric with an ending that will surely surprise you
Read it
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Enjoyable tale for those who like the supernatural and hauntings. Well written and I couldn’t put it down. The twins have an imaginary or real friend after their mother passes away. The entity is named Black Mamba. Their father feels out of control trying to raise his daughters without their mother.

A creepy and dark story. This is one that will stay with me, especially when the lights go out
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have to start off saying the cover of this book hooked me and the writing is great.

While the idea of the story is interesting and starts off very eerie, I feel it was a little repetitive with the back story of Pippa. The ending has me little confused. I’m guessing Friend meant for it to be open ended so the reader can believe whatever they see fit. I’d rather have a straight forward ending. The story is good, but not the right pick for me.

Thank you for the ARC!

If you're looking for a spooky read that's creepy but not too intense, 'Let Him In' is a solid choice. It's got this haunted house mystery vibe which is really cool, especially if you're into stories where the scariness is more about the unknown than outright horror. The book switches between Alfie, who's dealing with losing his wife, and Julia, his sister-in-law. Their take on grief is pretty interesting and feels real.

Alfie's kind of a mess, which is frustrating but also kind of relatable, especially when you see how he struggles with parenting on his own. Julia's a bit more fun with her sarcasm. The ghostly stuff in the story is neat because it's all about figuring out if the creepy things happening are real or just in the characters' heads – I always love that kind of twist in horror stories.

The book doesn't just throw scary stuff at you non-stop; it's more of a slow build, which I personally prefer. There's this one romance subplot that felt a bit out of place, but it wasn't a big deal. Overall, it's a great read for when you want something spooky but not too gory or violent, perfect for Halloween time. I'd give it a solid four stars.

Thank you to the publisher for the egalley!!

3.5 stars rated down.

I've never read a book like this. Let Him In did a wonderful job of pulling me in and keeping me guessing at what was going on. Black Mamba was an excellent villain, and I spent the majority of the novel wondering if he was real or a figment of the girl's imagination. Where I struggled with this novel, was the jumpiness of the story. I felt like there were parts that left me confused, and answers were never given later. What was the deal with the rattle? How did the mother get in the house? What bit Pippa and killed her? I am left with many questions. I also wish there was more concrete evidence on if Black Mamba replaced Alfie in the end. I'd like to believe he did, which leaves the reader with a sinister aftertaste. But because of the vague writing style, I am left confused more than anything. This is definitely a debut novel, but I will give Friend's sophomore novel a chance.

The incredible, creepy front cover of this book is what first drew me in. Then I read the plot blurb and was instantly intrigued. Others have written great stories about children whose imaginary friends aren't so imaginary or innocent. But this story takes that premise to a new, bizarre and creepy level.

Alfie and his twin daughters are trying to navigate life following the death of the girls' mother. When the kids start coming into his room at night to report there is a man in their room and they start talking about their imaginary friend, Alfie thinks they are just trying to cope with grief and loss. But soon, this imaginary friend takes a dark turn.

As I started reading this story, I really thought it was going to be the run of the mill evil imaginary friend tale. Kids make invisible friend, parent is mildly amused, situation turns dark, imaginary friend is exorcised, evil entity comes back, parent strikes back, entity is banished, family lives happily ever after. But nope....every time I thought I had this story figured out, it took a dark turn in a totally different direction. Creepily bizarre, this book was a perfect addition to my Spooky Season reading this year!

This turned into a binge read for me. I couldn't stop reading....I had to know how it ended!

Bit of a slow burn. But the story delivers. Loved it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Let Him In is William Friend's debut novel of psychological horror. It was on my Halloween TBR and I found it to be a chilling, quick read.

Alfie is a grieving father struggling to raise his (creepy) twin daughters after the loss of his wife, and finds his world turned upside down when his (creepy) twin daughters become increasingly obsessed with a shape-shifting imaginary friend they named Black Mamba.

As the line between reality and imagination blurs, Alfie must confront his own fears and uncover the truth behind Black Mamba's presence. Is Black Mamba a manifestation of his (creepy) twin daughters' grief or something more sinister?

Things to know:
1. Twins are creepy.
2. The cliffhanger-style chapter endings kept me turning pages.
3. However, there is some redundancy that slows the pace.
4. The ending was satisfying enough, but I was expecting more.

Pretty good, not great. Worth a read.

Dark and gothic. I loved this creepy tale of horror. This is a carefully thought-out story that at times gave me the willies. I love how you're not really sure if the twins' friend is real or imaginary until the end.

This Gothic story sets the stage for a chilling experience.
Alfie, is a widowed father raising twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia, The story kicks off when the girls claim there's a mysterious figure in their room. The narrative weaves together telepathy and otherworldly visions tied to their grief.

As Alfie grapples with nightmares and his own undisclosed secrets, he turns to Julia, his late wife’s twin sister and a psychiatrist, for some clarity. Enter Black Mamba, the imaginary friend with the ability to morph into animals and take the girls on mystical journeys, connecting to the sinister history of Hart House.

The characters are well written and not one dimensional. As a reader, I could emphasize with the main character and feel his grief.

The book delivers a creepy, atmospheric narrative, and it's a solid read, especially if you're into the kind of twin-centric chillers that tend to linger in the memory. I would definitely recommend it to everyone who likes reading horror tales.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

Sometimes timing can have a large effect on your feelings toward a story. I have read so many reviews from people that were enthralled with this book - but for me? It simply fell flat. The storyline was slow and with a horror book that just doesn't work for me. I want to be gripping the edge of my seat, afraid to look over my shoulder, and have that fear follow me even after I've put the book down.

Friend did a great job with creating a creepy atmosphere and if you are new to horror and just want to dip a toe in then give it a shot. The storyline is creative and there are moments where Black Mamba is definitely unsettling. But, if you are looking for that dark, unsettling feeling that lingers long after you've turned out the lights? Then you should probably skip this one.

I have been reading a lot of boring books lately and this is one of them. Maybe because it is a horror book I was expecting it to be scary but this book is not. It does have a creepy element to it. It wasn't bad but it felt like it was a bit disjointed.

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.

He isn’t surprised that they’re troubled. The twins’ mother Pippa died unexpectedly, leaving Alfie to raise them alone. And now, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it seems like a harmless coping mechanism. But the situation quickly develops into something more insidious. The girls set an extra place for him at the table. They whisper to him. They say he’s going to take them away…

Alfie calls upon Julia—Pippa’s sister and a psychiatrist—to oust the malignant tenant from their lives. But as Alfie himself is haunted by visions and someone watches him at night, he begins to question the true character of the force that has poisoned his daughters’ minds, with dark and violent consequences.

Whatever this “friend” is, he doesn’t want to leave. Alfie will have to confront his own shameful secrets, the dark past of Hart House, and even the bounds of reality—or risk taking part in an unspeakable tragedy.