This didn’t work for me. It took too long to get going and way too many things were left unexplained.

Full review:

I think that Friend should have decided if this was a horror book or a thriller book. I think he tried to merge what he was doing together in the end, but it just didn't work for me. I think the issue was that nothing truly scary happens (until pretty much the end) but things are left unclear enough that I went, so that's it? Is there something else that's supposed to happen? I also think that the grandmother character should have been in the book more than she was, especially when we get to the end and all kinds of things get revealed (haphazardly).

"Let Him In" follows Alfie, a widower of almost a year who is trying to do his best to raise his twin daughters. Alfie though has a shock when his twin daughters start telling him about a man named Black Mamba. Alfie's daughters have never had an imaginary friend, and now he is worried that it means something dangerous. When his wife's twin sister Julia, a child psychologist starts to become involved, she thinks that the twins friend is just a reaction to their mother's death. But what if it's something more.

Friend jumps back and forth between Alfie and Julia throughout the story. It doesn't really work. Probably because they both are coming at the twins from different points of view and Julia is hiding things from herself, and even Alfie is hiding things. It just felt like everyone was playing a game of keep away from the truth.

The flow wasn't great. It took me a really long time to finish this book. About two months off and on since it just wasn't engrossing enough for me to sit and read. And I honestly didn't care about what happened to who or why.

The setting of the house, Hart House doesn't work for me because we don't even get an understanding of why that house may be bad til almost the very end of the book.

The ending left too many things hanging for me.

I enjoyed this book and found it very chilling in parts. Some of the religious references were a bit complicated and I found the plot a little confusing at times. I liked the way the general plot and the ending could be interpreted in many different ways depending on the reader.. overall it was good but I felt it could have been amazing if aspects of the story such as the religious references and back story of the house weren’t so complicated.

“Let Him In” was a fantastic book to kick off spooky season. Hart House created such an uncomfy backdrop for this story. I found myself unsure of what the twist was going to be throughout and nothing ever gave anything away.

Black Mamba was a great character in that you initially did think he was fake, all to learn he was there, cursing the house. I did find the name Black Mamba to be rather unusual and distracted from the creepiness of it all.

The ending was not at all what I expected, but it left it open-ended enough for the reader to draw their own conclusions without it being overdone.

Definitely enjoyed this and would read more from this author.

A book to keep you guessing. Twin girls, who have lost their mother, have made a creepy, imaginary friend. Black Mamba, as they call him, is for their eyes only and he demands that they push their dad away. Reminiscent of a chilling, gothic novel Let Him In is asolid, debut novel with themes of cults, possession, and evil presences. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Let Him In is a dark exploration of grief.

Alfie and his twin daughters are struggling after the loss of their wife and mother. The twins now have a new friend, an imaginary friend. Soon, they start treating Black Mamba like a member of the family, setting a place for him at the table.

Alfie, at first, explains this away as part of the grieving process, but soon starts experiencing odd things around the house.

Are there other forces at play?

This book is a S........L.......O.........W burn. Slower than I prefer, but it still provided excellent creepy reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you @poisonedpenpress for the #gifted copy of this e-arc!

What it’s about:

This books starts out with twin girls standing at the foot of their father Alfie’s bed telling him about the man in their room. Like any good father, Alfie gets up to check under the bed and closets to make sure he can comfort them and put them back to bed. No one needs a creepy man in their bedroom at night! Alfie chalks this Ho to being a nightmare and is not shocked his girls are having them. They recently lost their mother and he’s struggling to raise them on his own. The girls insist the man is their friend and Alfie thinks it’s all harmless until things become more sinister.

Thoughts:

This book definitely starts out with a bang. So much so that I decided to save it for the following day when it was light out. 😅 I loved the premise of the creepy figure that kept showing up with the girls in different forms and just didn’t go away. I think anytime a book includes children and scary ghosts, it’s a winner.

This book was short and a quick read so if you’re looking for a creepy book for October, consider this one. I was hoping for a little more background on the house to help me understand where this spirit came from. I do think the book was a little repetitive at times and in the end I was confused with the outcome of what actually happened. I do think this was the point of the ending however…to come up with your own interpretation. I do want to end on a high note in this book because how amazing is that cover?!

Newly widowed Alfie and his twin daughters navigate life without Pippa, his wife and their mother. The twins latch on to an imaginary friend, Black Mamba, who is a black snake that can change into any body he wants. Beyond this, I have NO idea what happened in this book lol. I don’t know if the ending was psychological, spiritual, or religious. There were some spooky aspects that I enjoyed, and following this family along their journey of grief was enjoyable for me as a counselor. Otherwise, I just don’t think this book was really for me. I went into it thinking it was going to be scary and perfect for spooky season but that just wasn’t it. The pacing also felt slightly off to me. Nothing really happened for 70% of the book, then all the sudden everything felt rushed to the finish. I’m giving this 2 stars, only because I was interested enough to finish this book to see what happened, but Let Him In fell flat for me.

Thank you netgalley and poisoned pen press for this ARC - this book is out October 3rd!

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.
What a creepy, amazing read. This was a nail-biting page turner and I would recommend to anyone that likes a good horror novel.

Hart House is full of secrets, and perhaps demons, or perhaps it is all a dream? Who knows... grab a copy of Let Me In and you decide.

really cool, daunting vibe. absolutely loved it. tho felt like something was missing which made me deduct one star but other than that an absolute must read.

This was a fantastic story, that grabbed me from the first page. One, the cover is exceptional, which is what drew me in to pick this up. All the creepy vibes, perfect for a fall read!
Thank you to NetGalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc, this was excellent!

4.5 stars

First of all the title and the cover were looking good. the story is even better, Black Mamba is an interesting character.

A slow burn horror with two sets of twins, a boundary-stomping granny, and the creepiest "imaginary friend" you've met in a long time. There are only two paths for this book and you walk a tightrope the whole time wondering how it's going to play out.

Let Him In is a story about an imaginary friend, grief and religion. This book kept me intrigued the whole way through, wanting to know what was going on with Black Mamba and the twins. The writing style is easy. The plot enjoyable, but not something that will really stick with me. I am not entirely sure how I feel about the ending of the book.

I'm not sure what I just read, I mean WOW! This book was so tense and the ending was disturbing. Such a great read for spooky season! Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

This book was the perfect way to start off spooky season (though I read spooky all year). You’ve got twins and their imaginary friend and you’ve got dad dealing with the death of his wife and auntie dealing with the death of her twin sister. Dark and very creepy. Are you dealing with a haunted house, ghosts, demons, over active imaginations? I guess you will need to read to see.

What a chillingly amazing read! First off, the cover to this book is so eye catching- I love it!

This book follows the life of twins, Cassia and Slyvie, their widowed father, and another… being? Person? Creature? I’ll leave that for you to discover. I found this story to be very bingeable, I did not want to put it down. I wanted to find out more of Hart House and- who is this Black Mamba the girls insist is real? At times this book did feel a bit confusing, but the pieces definitely come together. And by the end I had chills!

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe they are hallucinating. Maybe they do think Black Mamba’s real.”

“Maybe he is.”

Let Him In is a haunting gothic psychological suspense novel that delves deep into the complexities of grief, imagination, and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural. From the moment you start reading, you are drawn into a world where the eerie and unsettling are interwoven with the emotional turmoil of a young widowed father trying to navigate the challenges of raising twin daughters.

The author's ability to convey the overwhelming grief and loss that Alfie experiences is truly remarkable. It's as if you can feel the weight of his sorrow seeping through the pages. The central theme of grief is not just a backdrop; it's an integral part of the story, and it lends depth to the characters and their struggles.

The plot takes a chilling turn when the twin daughters begin to interact with an imaginary friend, who slowly transforms from being a harmless creation into something malevolent. The suspense builds steadily, keeping you on edge throughout the narrative.

The ending of the book leaves you with more questions than answers, prompting you to ponder the true nature of the supernatural force that haunts the characters. While some may find the end frustrating, it serves to enhance the overall sense of mystery and intrigue.

Let Him In is a beautifully haunting tale that explores the depths of human emotion and the supernatural. It's a story that lingers in your mind long after you've finished reading. If you're looking for a psychological thriller with a strong emotional core, this book is well worth your time. While not a conventional horror novel, it will certainly send shivers down your spine and leave you pondering its enigmatic conclusion. I would rate it 4 stars and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy thought-provoking and atmospheric suspense novels. I personally will definitely a physical book to highlight and add to my shelf!

"While Michaels death has been shrouded in silence all these years, my sisters is a scab at which mum just can't help but pick"

Sending a very big thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an opportunity to read and offer an honest review!

Let Him In was available as a read now title. And because of the novel's description, I jumped at the chance to read it. Needless to say I was disappointed.

I expected an adrenaline-filled horror novel that would be unputdownable. Instead, it turned out to be pretty boring for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. And naming the paranormal villain Black Mamba was a little off-putting. Maybe there was some symbolism to naming the villain after a poisonous snake. But I just couldn't appreciate that.

I felt that there needed to be some back story about the house. It seemed as though the paranormal activity just popped in out of nowhere. Surely there had to have been some history. But it wasn't made clear at the beginning.

With a lackluster storyline, I gave up reading at 34% Perhaps I'll attempt reading it again so see if my assessment changes. But for now, it's an unfortunate one star DNF.

I received a DRC from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

A great spooky and thrilling read. I got sucked into this story for the very beginning and found myself not only wanting to keep going, but needing to see what was going to happen next. I loved all the dark and supernatural vibes of this one and found it perfect for spooky season!

The story was well written with very subtle hints dropped along the way. I was kept engaged throughout, but at the end I was still left wondering. A novel that definitely makes you think.