This was such a creepy and atmospheric book! I mean, when young twin girls who live in an old house with a dark past suddenly have an imaginary friend, you know it's not going to be good.

I liked the short chapters and the alternating POVs between Alfie and Julia and how this book touched on grief and the struggle of being a young, widowed father.

I did wish that there was more history given about Hart House, and at times, I felt the pacing was a bit slow. But the writing was great, especially considering that this was the author's debut novel. I will definitely be reading whatever he writes in the future.

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the #gifted earc of this book!

3.5 starts rounded

This one was definitely a slow burn. Emphasis on *slow*. While I enjoyed the way the author gradually built the suspense, the unhurried pacing did cause the plot to drag in a few points. That said, the story does an excellent job with the reveal, provided you're willing to be patient. Information on the characters (and all of their increasingly dubious backstories) is gently doled out piece by tiny piece so that by the time you reach the end, you are left with a disturbing picture of just how broken this secretive family actually is. The ending leaves itself open to interpretation - just what exactly happened here?

If you enjoy your horror more cerebral than gory, I highly recommend this one. I know I'll be looking over my shoulder for the boogeyman for a few nights to come.

I was very excited to read what had been billed as a gothic horror novella set in the UK, however as well written as Let Him In is, the story completely fell flat for me.

At slightly over 200 pages, the pacing should have been rapid and a quick and easy read. Instead, I was found forcing myself to pick up the story in order to finish it. The twins element was interesting, but too much focus was spent on their father and aunt instead of on their personalities and how they were interacting with Black Mamba. I think the story would have been much more spine tingling from their point of view. As far as the ending, I was left rather confused as to exactly what had happened and what was going on.

This novella would definitely be much better marketed toward those who enjoy family character studies than pure horror fans.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and William Friend for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really creepy story. The ending was really unexpected too which I really enjoyed. It's really unique and I would recommend this! I love how creepy this story is and I think it's the perfect book to read for spooky season! Special Thank You to William Friend, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A creepy novel that includes a family secret, a family house that may be haunted, and twin girls that are at the center of it.

After his wife's sudden death Alfie is now left to raise his two twin girls on his own. While himself grieving his two daughters start having strange dreams and create a new imaginary friend. Though originally he believes it's part of their grief process he soon starts to wonder if there isn't something more sinister at play. Without knowing what else to do he asks Julia, his wife's twin sister and a psychiatrist, to help with his two daughters and their new behavior. But as the girls start getting more wrapped up with their new imaginary friend both Julia and Alfie start having strange things happen to them and soon have to confront their role in everything that is happening.

This was an interesting debut novel. The writing made me eager to learn what exactly is going on in the family home called Hart House. I knew there was much more to the story that would eventually be revealed. Unfortunately, the reveal left me a little underwhelmed. And the story goes at a pretty slow pace so that may have added in not being super intrigued as we learned more about the family and the house.

I really enjoyed the writing as a whole but felt like the story needed more. I wanted to know more about certain aspects of the story and the people in it.

What an incredibly creepy and spooky story! Following along with this family and the tragedy they've experienced really sets the stage for all the events that take place throughout. The twin girls were amazing in this story and had me completely spooked all the way through. Great story!

A creepy, paranormal thriller that will have you questioning up until the end. Friend does an excellent job describing the sometimes creepy way twins can communicate. Looking forward to the next title by this author. This is a great Halloween read.

This book is so fast and fun! What a killer debut novel.

A chilling Gothic thriller that could really amp up the atmospheric suspense feel at Halloween, so save it for the chilling season. It preys upon grief and tragedy, but the story is very psychological!

This is a book you never want to spoil for the next reader so I’m just going to drop a little info below.

Set within a haunting house that harbours dark secrets, where two deaths have occurred under mysterious circumstances (though they may appear natural, doubts still linger), we meet Alfie, a grieving father, and his twin girls, Sylvie and Cassia, who are left behind after their mother, Pippa, tragically succumbs to anaphylactic shock. Together, they reside in the same place, haunted by their immense grief.

As time passes, his daughters start talking about an imaginary friend. They say they can see him and hear him. When Alfie becomes frightened, he calls on his sister-in-law, Julia for help. As she is a psychotherapist, she begins to counsel the girls. Who is this imaginary friend and what does it want? The atmosphere is creepy as all get out!

There were times where the book was a little repetitive and slow-paced. However, LET HIM IN has the perfect ingredients for a great horror novel. I look forward to reading what William Friend has for us readers next.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a page turner I couldn’t put it down. You could feel each characters pain. The author has a way of pulling you in and I really enjoyed it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These little girls have an imaginery friend, named Black Mamba….that’s not ominous at all… Anytime there is a book with children being creepy, I am instantly creeped. Add in the house, Black Mamba and the twins being in total sync about everything 👻. This was a great debut novel. For much of the novel, it was a slow burn horror. Little things would happen where you would raise your eyebrows but not too much. Everything happened in the back 80% and that was bingeable!

Huge thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. This book kept me guessing the whole time and I couldn’t wait to find out who ‘he’ was. This book will have you hanging on until the very end!

I was instantly drawn to the cover and description for this eerie book. A father is trying to raise his 2 young twins while grieving the loss of his wife (their mother). The deceased wife's twin, a psychologist, steps in to help her brother in law with her nieces. Of course, they are living in an old home with history of its own.

This book presented a lot to think about with the various people grieving loss of a loved one, TWINS everywhere, creepy home, creepy history, and an imaginary friend ... or is he imaginary? Black Mamba.

I enjoyed this eerie and chilling story that makes you wonder what is reality vs what is tricks, paranormal, mental illness .... who knows??

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Let Him In by William Friend is a horror novel about a strange house with twin girls who have an imaginary friend.   Note that this book was originally released under the title Black Mamba in 2022.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Alfie is trying to raise his twin girls on his own after the death of his wife Pippa. They have been struggling, but things get worse when the girls start talking about a man that appears at the end of their bed.  Alfie originally thought it was probably just a nightmare, as he has been having them too.  Soon Alfie starts to question that.

Julia, Pippa's sister,  is a psychiatrist, and she tells Alfie that it is quite normal for children to have an imaginary friend while dealing with grief.

But there are other things going on at Hart House, and Julia doesn't want to spend much time in the house where she grew up.  She was fine when her Mom sold the house to Alfie and Pippa for a pittance.  She certainly didn't want it.

Julia does, decide to counsel the girls, but it soon becomes evident that this imaginary friend has a lot more control than she thought, and he simply does not want to leave.


My Opinions:
First, I loved the cover.  Second, I was disappointed that this book was originally published a year ago under another name (Black Mamba).  It no longer felt like a debut novel, although it was.

The book hits topics like religious cults, haunted houses, and demons, as well as family and grief.

The book was quite atmospheric, really creepy, and the plot was good.  We were given background of the house and Pippa's family quite slowly, and this made the suspense grow.  However, both of those topics could have been expanded upon.  A little more depth would have been appreciated, as it felt like Black Mamba appeared out of nowhere.   I can't say I actually liked any of the characters, as even Julia annoyed me from time to time.  However, the ending was great!

So, bottom line, for a debut novel, it was quite good, and I will explore future offerings from this author.

This is a good book.
So we have a maybe not-so-imaginary friend story with also the tone of a haunted house.....
This book is so hard to judge, it's not boring and you def don't have any clue what is going to happen next. It's def unpredictable.
A couple of deaths have occurred at the house that the Hart family now reside in. We have a dad (who lost his wife) and twin daughters. Julia, who is Pippa's sister (the one who passed away) is around a lot and a big part of this story. She is also a psychiatrist. Whether they were from natural causes or they were murdered the house itself has something hidden. Something that once exposed will not let go and this book is here for it all. It takes you into the minds of all the characters and also gives some backstory on the characters and the house.
This book is sooo much better than I thought it was going to be. The blurb does not give it justice.
There is something so sinister around. Black Momba is what it goes by.
This book brings together grief, sadness, family dynamics, mental anguish and a dark spirit that comes together that will make you feel insane and not know what is truly going on.
Soooo creepy and so good.

I was so glad to have read this book (ARC) and thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity. The above is my opinion/review, honest and voluntary.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of Let Him In in exchange for my honest review!

This is an interesting book that I don't think is fully successful at what it's trying to accomplish, but it boasts enough good meat that I'm glad I checked it out. The premise itself comes off as generic, but it still engaged me right from the beginning with its eerie mood. Sure, it never outright terrified me, but there's slow-burn creepiness to be found here nonetheless. The family dynamic compelled me, too. Then it all builds up to a third act that makes the brave choice to leave me with numerous unanswered questions. I don't know if I'm fully satisfied with how many questions there are, but it's certainly an intriguing way to wrap up the story at the very least.

Overall, I'm officially rating Let Him In as 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to three stars. You don't necessarily have to read this ASAP, but it could be a neat pick if you're in the mood for it.

What a great book for this spooky time of year. Highly recommend if you like a good creepy story. I will definitely be thinking about this one for months (years?) to come. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Two things that creep me out the most in books - twins and imaginary friends - are both predominantly featured in this creepy, perfect for spooky season tbr read.

Twins Cassia and Sylvie are definitely going through some stuff, with the recent death of their mom. One night, they tell their dad, Alfie, that there's a man in their room. They call him Black Mamba, and after multiple visits, they say he's going to take them away, and he will be their daddy.

Um...say what?

Alfie obviously freaks and initially thinks it's just a dream, but can't deny some weird noises and things in the house. He calls on his wife's sister, Pippa, who is conveniently a therapist, to help talk to the girls and try to figure out what's going on.

Twins. Black Mamba. I mean, how much more creepy can it get?

And this is a debut. *Insert shocked face*

There were a few bits at the end that confused me a little, and a couple of things that I wish were explained a little better, but overall, this was a spooky book that was a pleasant surprise to my October tbr.

This book was so good! It was a slow burn horror with an ending that had me physically talking to the characters! I won’t say what because I don’t want to spoil it. Overall a good read for October to get in the mood for halloween.

This was a good, creepy read that was perfect for the Halloween season. A recently widowed father has to care for his young twin daughters who seem to have a mysterious "friend." There is a good build up of eerie happenings and it has a gothic horror feel to the book. The ending left me wondering a few unsettled things but that's not always a bad thing. If you're in the mood for a chilling read, this may be right up your alley. Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Let Him In is the story of a widowed father and his twin girls, who start communicating with an entity that can only be seen by them. As the attachment to their unseen friend progresses, their detachment from the father increases. The finale leaves some room for speculation by the reader to determine what is real and what is not. Overall, the book held my interest throughout and the characters ring true. The parental frustration in trying to deal with “imaginary friends” was especially on point.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of this title. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.