Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I have always been a Claire McGowan and was looking forward to starting this one.
But it is a DNF for me - I honestly just didn’t like it.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!!

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.

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

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.