I have mixed feelings about this one. There were parts where I was totally hooked and invested, but there were also parts of the story that pulled me out of the experience. I love the creepy, haunted house/children trope. The twin factor just added to the ominous tension in the story. There is also generational trauma linked to the events. It’s one of those stories where you’re never quite sure what is real or not. It’s a classic gothic horror story. It also deals with the complexities of overcoming grief, particularly as a child, examining the normalcy of behaviors. I think the pacing was a little off for me. It dragged at times and became a bit repetitive. I didn’t feel any particular connection with the characters, especially the adults, whose actions I didn’t always agree with. It was just an okay story for me in general. Nothing totally blew me away but it was still a good read. Also, this cover is to die for, props to the designer. Overall, I think it’s a solid debut and I’d be interested in seeing what the author has in store for us next.

Let Him In was a chilling story of an imaginary friend. The premise was unique, and the loved that several of the characters were pairs of twins - it added a new level of eeriness and suspense. With a heavy theme of death and grief, I found myself very invested in the characters. The ending gave me goosebumps! This was a perfect book to read during spooky season.

This was such an eerie book to read. I really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but when you add children and so-called "imaginary friends" I am shivering my timbers. I wasn't a complete fan of the writing, I think it could have been done a lot better, and I felt like it would have been more interesting, in my opinion, as a single point of view narrative. Despite that I think that it was thoroughly creepy, and I had read this on a plane back home and let me tell you, I was spooked the whole way back.

Spooky and sinister, I was on the edge of my seat reading this chilling family ghost story. It felt very cinematic and I was reminded of both The Babadook and The Others while reading. Very enjoyable and a satisfying ending.

The characters are well-developed and their emotional struggles feel authentic and relatable. The exploration of loss and its impact on both children and adults is handled with sensitivity and depth. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers engaged and on the edge of their seats.

Contains spoilers** This book had me from the beginning. I was engaged in the story of the twin girls whose mother had passed away and a father/husband dealing with the aftermath. Unfortunately, by the end of the book I had too many unanswered questions. What was the correlation of the aunt & her son that passed away, the grandfather & the rattle, the grandmother being found coming out of the attic? and the ending left me.........?
Thank you for the ARC. I did enjoy most of the book, but by the end I was just confused.

I really wanted to like this book based on the description. However, it was just an okay story. It seemed repetitive in several places. I really couldn't figure out what was going on during most of this story, especially when it was things with Black Mamba. At first I though maybe it was a demon or the spirit of someone who dies in the house. By the end I had no idea what or who it was. It felt like some of the back story and deaths in the house weren't really explained, yet they kept being brought up all through the story. The aunt's church was also strange and not really fully explained. It had some creepy moments, but not enough to make this a really good book.

An amazingly terrifying debut horror novel that fans of Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures will surely enjoy. This novel has all the hallmarks of a good horror story such as creepy twins, unexpected deaths, an imaginary friend, a haunted house, and a cult-like religious group. What more could we ask for? Friend's exploration of grief in its many forms is also written spectacularly well. I will be recommending this one for a long time.

I really really wanted to like this book so much, but it just wasn’t it for me. Although, I do have to say I did like the black mamba quite a bit.

The plot felt like it took forever just to develop, which is what I didn’t really enjoy. Which that also almost made me DNF this many, many times. I think I just went into the book expecting a lot more, which is why I came out of it a bit disappointed.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.


*I received a copy of this eARC via NetGalley*

William Friend's haunting debut, "Let Him In," unfolds as a creeping and gothic psychological suspense narrative. The story revolves around a young widowed father, Alfie, who is grappling with the task of raising his twin daughters, both of whom are obsessed with an imaginary friend.

One fateful night, Alfie wakes to find his twin daughters standing at the foot of his bed, distressed and claiming that a shadowy figure lurks in their bedroom. As he searches for any sign of an intruder and finds none, he assumes that the girls simply had a nightmare.

Their distress doesn't come as a surprise to him, considering that grief has taken up residence at Hart House. Nine months ago, the twins' mother, Pippa, passed away suddenly, leaving Alfie to shoulder the responsibilities of raising his daughters on his own. Initially, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it appears to be a harmless mechanism for coping. However, the situation quickly takes a darker and more insidious turn. The girls begin setting an extra place at the table for their imaginary friend, whispering to him, and insisting that he plans to take them away.

The central characters of Hart House and Black Mamba cast a looming presence over this tale, infusing it with horror, grief, and family drama. Their ominous nature will send shivers down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the story.

The narrative proves to be an addictive page-turner, with the enigmatic character of Black Mamba and the secrets of Hart House at its core. Friend's creative storytelling immediately captivates the reader from the very first page, offering a balance of terror and entertainment that keeps you engrossed from start to finish.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oooo I really enjoyed this creepy little read! I'm a huge sucker for horror that mixes anything to do with kids, sleep disorders and the questioning of the supernatural. Let Him In is definitely more of a slow burn type of horror pacing, but that didn't stop me from finishing it in just a few sittings.

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press for my physical and kindle review copies! Highly recommend picking this one up if you're looking for a shorter horror story that packs a creepy little punch.

Oh man. I wanted to love this book so much. I will say this has some good creepy kids moments, and I liked the character of black mamba. However, I think this book had a hard time focusing down it's horror elements. I wish we'd had the imaginary friend and just gone with it rather than trying to introduce haunted houses and ghosts etc.

There was also a relationship in here I really didn't like and felt very unnecessary. The very end could have made it worth it, but unfortunately, took the safe route. Sadly didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This has all the makings of a psychological thriller/horror novel....A house with a history, a death in the family and the accompanying grief, strange kids (twins) , and an imaginary friend (or is it?) . It is a very atmospheric and suspenseful tale that keeps you wondering what is real and what is imagined. The somewhat ambiguous ending leaves much to the reader for their own interpretation. Overall 4 stars out of 5.

Allies daughters have a new friend. He thinks it is imaginary. This friend is very real and he wants the girls. Chilling read full of suspense and twists and turns. Great characters. Very creepy. Will Alfie save them or be to late.

After reading the synopsis for Let Him In, I thought this would be the perfect book to read during October and the atmosphere definitely provided all of the creepy vibes I was looking for but I’m not sure I ended the story feeling fully satisfied.

Alfie’s wife Pippa has recently died, leaving him and their twin daughters behind. Seemingly out of nowhere, the girls conjure up an imaginary friend - Black Mamba - who slowly but surely cements himself into the family.

I think a lot more could have been done with the story considering the plot had all the makings to be original and thrilling. While there were some chapters that I easily lost myself in, there were others that seemed repetitive and slow-going and that inconsistency meant it took a long time for me to finish the book as I wasn’t feeling inclined to pick it up that much.

If you’re expecting a horror that will get your adrenaline pumping you will be disappointed - I would describe it as a quietly haunting tale that closely examines grief.

Typically, I will give a synopsis of the story, but this one has so many moving parts that I'll let whomever is reading this read the publisher's version so I can hop right into my review. Based on the premise, I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but it really fell flat for me. The story felt sort of... elementary in how it was written, sadly. The characters were kind of annoying, the plot took too long to develop, and thus, it took me forever to read. Wish I could say more, but just generally unimpressed.

As always, a thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for a free copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.

I sadly had to dnf this book as I just couldn’t get into the story. The characters weren’t interesting and I just couldn’t get pulled in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I am not sure how to review this. At first I was drawn into the story. The author presents little nuggets of information in the beginning that made me want to keep reading and find out what was going on. The writing wasn’t the best I’ve ever read but it is a debut novel and so I didn’t expect the most grand writing. As I kept reading and the percent complete kept going up, I realized I wasn’t going to get any sort of answers that I was looking for as to what was actually happening in this book. It has a theme of grief but I’ve read better books that tackle the topic in better ways. Nothing about this book was wowing me and so it was going to be a solid three star book. And then it ended. And I was baffled. The entire book felt like a grand waste of time. Perhaps I missed what the point of this novel was? The horror was very abstract which I can get behind but then the end just made me so angry that I got no sort of explanation. With mediocre writing and a very unsatisfying plot, I can’t recommend this book.

Let Him In is a chilling and suspenseful psychological thriller by William Friend. It is a debut novel, but it is written with the skill and confidence of a seasoned author.

The story follows Alfie, a recently widowed father who is raising his twin daughters, Sylvie and Cassia, on his own. When the girls start to talk about an imaginary friend named Black Mamba, Alfie is initially dismissive. But as the girls' stories become more and more disturbing, Alfie begins to wonder if Black Mamba is real.

As the story progresses, Alfie and the girls are drawn into a dark and dangerous world. They must confront their own fears and insecurities in order to survive.

Friend does a masterful job of creating a sense of suspense and dread throughout the novel. The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, and the reader is constantly on edge. Friend also does a good job of developing his characters. Alfie is a flawed but sympathetic protagonist, and the girls are both creepy and endearing.

One of the things that makes Let Him In so effective is that it plays on our deepest fears. The fear of the unknown, the fear of the dark, and the fear of losing our loved ones are all present in the novel. Friend also explores themes of grief, loss, and the fragility of the human mind.

Overall, Let Him In is a well-written and suspenseful thriller that is sure to please fans of the genre. It is a dark and disturbing novel, but it is also rewarding and thought-provoking.