Let Me In

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Ready for a fresh start, Helen and George move into an old cottage in Cornwall. For some reason, the cottage feels familiar to Helen; she tells herself it’s deja vu, but the house has strange vibes. While renovating the home, weird dolls are found inside the walls. Could this have anything to do with the rumors about the previous owner being a witch? While Helen doesn’t believe in witchcraft, she knows for a fact that the same owner spent three decades in prison for murder. Strange events begin to befall the couple and Helen discovers that she didn’t know her husband half as well as she thought she did. She can’t help wondering if the house isn’t somehow to blame, but that’s just ridiculous. isn’t it? McGowan pens another thriller with elements of the supernatural sure to thrill her legion of fans

Helen and George move to an eerie house in the country from London. The house is steeped in death and superstition. Evidence of voodoo is all around. They find out a woman who practiced witchcraft murdered 3 people there. They begin to investigate and many secrets and lies are revealed. This was a creepy, disturbing read that I couldn’t hardly put down. Thanks NetGalley and Amazon Publishing-UK for this ARC that will be released June 20, 2023.

George and Helen move from London to an old house in the country for a fresh start. Sitting abandoned for years, the house gives Helen eerie vibes immediately. The village locals are less than welcoming and as renovations begin, strange objects are found buried in the yard and in the walls. George dives into writing his book, leaving Helen to try and find information about the previous owners and the house’s history. Helen discovers the previous owner is serving time in prison for 3 murders, and was considered a witch by the locals. As Helen uncovers more information about the past, she finds out that George hasn’t been completely honest with her. But Helen has some secrets of her own…

I couldn’t put this book down! I had to know what happened!! Creepy house, murders, local rumors….all wrapped up in a great storyline! Thoroughly enjoyed this book!!

Gripping mystery awaits! Complex mystery intertwining past and present with red herrings at every turn. Multiple plots and hints of Earth magic that all twist and turn to the very end. A must read!

Helen and George move into a remote and run-down house in Cornwall.
Helen feels as though she has been there before in the past, and feels uneasy in the house. Someone is watching the house at night, and the villagers are unwilling to share what happened in that house.
Builders doing renovations unearth a poppet that is hidden in the wall, and there are shelves of potions and herbs in the cellar.
The previous owner had the reputation of being a witch, and is in prison for the brutal murder of a man, and the poisoning of two children.
George has secrets which he is unwilling to share with his wife, but she has her own secret which she has kept hidden for their entire marriage.

Oh yes, Claire McGowan certainly knows how to write and keep her readers engaged! I certainly felt the atmosphere of this dirty, run-down, creepy house, with it's hidden secrets.
A very well written and bewitching and spellbinding (pun intended) novel.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely amazing! What a good read. This was nothing like I expected going in and I was so so pleasantly surprised. I normally prefer domestic noirs that are plot driven and where there's constantly things happening but this seems to have the perfect mix of "incidents" but also so much character insight that I was absolutely invested in what was happening to these people and why. This isn't just a creepy haunted house story or some Blair witch remake, its so much more than I could every describe. There is that eerie, unsettling atmosphere built throughout the story but there's nothing too unrealistic or illogical. The plot is mainly about the couple and their lives, secrets and histories which is just such an amazing story in itsself. There are plenty twists and turns as you'd expect in the genre but these ones are things that will have your jaw dropping! They are so cleverly written and it's such a multi layered book without being confusing or scatty. I can't recommend it enough. I loved the addition of the historical witchcraft and local legends, the mystery surrounding what was going on, the questions about the relationship and the families, the secrets, the lies, and those bombs that are dropped at the absolute perfect moment! The ending was one of the most satisfying I've come across jn a whole, no rushing, no loose ends, and a character who I didn't expect to like getting the ending they deserved

This book has a strong plot with a lot going on enough to keep me entertained and hooked.
The story is told from the perspective of each couple, detailing their move from the city to a remote island.
I love creative POVs, and this one is particularly interesting because it provides a perspective that is both impartial and biased, personal and detached. It also starts the story with a heavy dose of foreshadowing that immediately interested me.

I was 100% on board. Everything unwinds slowly and carefully. I even stayed up until the early hours of the morning, despite having to get up early for work the next day.

And then the last 10% happens and goes downhill from there. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I felt a sense of betrayal, like the author has made an unspoken promise to me that isn’t fulfilled. That the big build-up was all just a ruse for me to be late for work the next day. I mean, how can it start strong and ended like that?? It was hurried, messy, nonsense and a little too convenient.

I wish I could open up the year with a book that I liked more, but it is what it is. I had been looking forward to another great thriller from McGowan for a very long time, so the fact that I ended up being disappointed AGAIN is just a major bummer.

First let me say I LOVE Claire McGowan! She really knows how to tell a story that will keep you interested from beginning until the jarring end. Like all her books before this one, I enjoyed it tremendously.
"Let Me In" is a story told through the eyes of multiple narrators, who are tangled up in a murder and a neglected house full of secrets. Helen and George are the main characters. They both have a past that neither is willing to share with the other, until it's the only way they can survive. It is so well written that you read it without any thought of it being anything but a family drama until it becomes more of a mystery & thriller, and you are fully involved with no place to stop so you have to read it all the way to the end.
It made me feel sad for all the years lost to good people who made one terrible mistake.

A brilliant thriller full of fascinating characters, all with their own intriguing back stories. This author knows how to keep you turning the pages and there is not a wasted sentence in this fascinating tale, told from several points of view over different time periods. Loved the inclusion of book club questions at the end.

Helen and George are moving away from London, Helen is wiped out as a doctor and they are starting afresh in Cornwell. George has made the new house arrangements and Helen is apprehensive to what she is moving to. The house, in a sleepy village is run down and has not been lived in for over 30 years. The locals are not welcoming and Helen is told they do not talk about the house. Finally, after finding some internet connection, Helen discovers there was a triple murder and witchcraft surrounding the houses history. What else has George hidden from Helen. But George is not the only one harbouring secrets.
Told from several peoples point of view, this story will compel you to keep reading to find out what really happened 30 years ago and what the secrets being kept are. A refreshing, gripping read.

Let Me In is a twisty mystery novel in which we meet Helen and George - a married couple living in London, moving to the outskirts of Cornwall, just outside of Penzance.
We begin with Helen’s story - a nurse who worked all through Covid, and now due to moving will be out of a job. She fell in love with her University sweetheart George, and they’ve been inseparable since. But the town they move to has a history that is rather dark. A triple murder taking place, including two young girls.

Through the story, we switch through points of view, beginning with Helen, switching to George, and then we meet another character - who maybe isn’t that bad after all.
The format was quite tricky to read and stay concentrated, but I’m assuming once properly published, there will be solid chapters in between the different points of view. Sections of the POVs were divided by little asterisks which was okay, it was just tricky to put down and maybe seperate.

McGowan has created interesting characters with incredible stories, and overall I really enjoyed it. Except, as we got to the end, I had already predicted what would happen, and how a certain confession would take place. I enjoyed the fast paced flow of the book at about the halfway point, and really struggled to put it down! Overall a solid 3.5 stars.

Trigger Warnings:
• Child abuse
• Child grooming
• Mental health - depression, anxiety, PTSD
• Infertility (briefly touched on)
• Murder
• Loss of parent
• Medical procedures (tracheotomy)

After Covid and having a stressful career as a doctor, Helen and George decide to leave London and move to a remote fixer upper house in the countryside of Cornwall. Helen gave George the task of looking for a house, setting up movers, contractors, etc. At first sight, Helen feels she’s been at the house before. I find it odd that she never questioned George about their new house and its history.
There’s a creepy, foreboding vibe with the locals I wished there was more of it. This is a slow burn mystery with a predictable twist. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

Ominous and foreboding, I really enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down. With rumours of witches, murders and creepy houses it would make a great Halloween read! Thank you Netgalley

Let Me In by Claire McGowan was an absolute page turner that kept me gripped right to the end.

Her writing is perfect for psychological thrillers, as she can totally surprise her reader with each and every book!
This was a well written story and the plot moved along at a good pace for the storyline.
I was intrigued, hooked and entertained.
McGowan does such an incredible job of weaving a mystery and telling a story.
She does a great job in drawing the reader in and making you feel a part of the story, with believable characters and a setting that you can just picture.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Claire McGowan is one of my favourite authors and this new book didn’t disappoint.
It started off slowly but quickly built up to an amazing page turner.
It’s an unique, atmospheric and intriguing read that I loved. The ending was fabulous.
It’s a true 5 star read and one that I’d recommend to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the eARC.
I liked this book a lot, like all the author's other books, it was hard to put down.
Helen and George leave London for Cornwall, inhabiting an old fixer-upper George bought with their savings. Helen is immediately uncomfortable with the house, even more so when the contractors find a creepy doll in a wall and she thinks someone is watching them.
The story is told from several characters' pov and I didn't take to the couple at first. Why were they both keeping secrets from each other? However, as the story was unveiled, I understood them more.
Healing and witchcraft, murders from 36 years ago and today, the grooming of children and shocking answers to several of the mysteries from the past make for a gripping read that I definitely recommend!

Let Me In by Claire McGowan is the story of couple George and Helen who move from London to Cornwall to realise their dream of owning their own home and escape from problems that become clear as the story unfolds. The house proves to be more of a "faller down" than a "fixer up" and seems eerily familiar to Helen and barely worth what George paid for it......or says he did.
From the start nothing goes right for the couple and their welcome to Cornwall is cowboy builders, evidence of witchcraft hidden about their home and hostile locals. Along with discovering that the house previously belonged to an alleged witch who had murdered a man and 2 children and that both of them are hiding long-held dark secrets from each other it might be said that George and Helen's new start was not quite what they had in mind.

This book had me lost for words....and not in a good way. While the plot stretched credulity to the absolute limit there are also several contradictions and glaring inaccuracies littered throughout the book,not least about Cornwall where most of it is set. From what seemed a promising beginning with a couple of entertaining characters it very soon started to go downhill with my brow first furrowing for the first ,but far from the last time, before the couple had even reached Cornwall and there are parts that are outright ludicrous..

This was a good book. I’ll probably read it again. The setting was great I enjoy books set in cozy rundown cottages in England. I enjoyed the creepy, voodoo vibes of this book. Overall it was a good read.

This book was just ok for me. I was really into it for a good chunk and then it took a turn where I lost interest. It was not what I was expecting and I’m disappointed.

Helen and George move to a cozy home in Cornwall. It was supposed to be a dream come true. Instead it turned out to be their worst nightmare. Helen had a bad feeling about the home from the moment she got there. Her anxiety increases as the renovations begin when the contractors find a doll with human hair buried in the walls. Helen looks up the home’s history and discovers that the previous owner was rumored to be a witch and was put in prison for murdering three people. Things pick up from there as one bad thing happens after another and she and George realize they are in danger. The secrets that were buried long ago come to light and things will never be the same.


Let Me In is available June 20,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and amazonpublishinguk for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A really great read. I did find the main characters a little annoying, but I was able to overlook that aspect.

Wow this was intense!

Such a refreshing spooky thriller full of twists from the off set. Never once throughout the story did I suspect the ending to be as mind blowing as it was

I would 100% recommend this dark and deliciously chilling book highly to any of my fellow thriller readers

Thank you so much for letting me review it for you. It was an honour and I can not wait to hear everyone’s reaction to this story later this year. I have a feeling this could be a serious contender for book of the year ( and we are only in Jan)

Helen and George move to Cornwall for a fresh start, but things immediately feel wrong and strange things happen. When Helen finds out that the house was apparently owned by a witch who murdered three people, she knows she will do whatever it takes to find out the truth. George is also trying to find out what he can for his latest book project. Things soon get dangerous and it turns out the couple have been keeping secrets from each other...

A thrilling and addictive story that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Great twists and turns, a brilliant read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

This was a well written thriller with a little eeriness added to it with the isolated setting, witchcraft, murder and secrets. The husband and wife had their good qualities but something about them made me kind of dislike them too. The best character in this and by far the most likeable was Janna, the convicted killer of three murders decades ago. This keeps you on your feet and we'll invested in the story. I would of liked a little more from the epilogue but otherwise a great read. Four Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.