Let Him In by William Friend (Poisoned Pen Press)

One night, Alfie awakens to discover his twin daughters standing at the foot of his bed, complaining about a mysterious presence in their chamber. He guesses the girls had a nightmare because he cannot find anything similar.

He is not shocked by their problems. The twins' mother Pippa died nine months ago, leaving Alfie to raise the children alone. Grief has settled in at Hart House. And now, it sounds like a reasonable coping method when the girls discuss a new imaginary acquaintance. However, the circumstance quickly turns into something more cunning. He was given a special seat at the table by the girls. They speak softly to him. They claim he's planning to remove them.

Alfie asks Julia, a psychiatrist, and Pippa's sister, to drive the evil renter out of their lives. However, Alfie starts to wonder about the true nature of the force that has poisoned his daughters' minds, with dark and violent consequences, as he himself is plagued by visions and someone is watching him at night.

Regardless of what this "friend" is, he doesn't want to go. Alfie will have to face his own embarrassing secrets, Hart House's sinister past, and even the limits of reality, or he runs the possibility of contributing to a terrible tragedy.

Do twins have similar thoughts? Is the house possessed? Or is it all due to great sadness?

The Friend's skill in starting strong, increasing the suspense, settling into a lull, and then shocking me with another terrifying twist was what I found most appealing.

Both the characters' and the readers' thoughts are deftly manipulated by the author, keeping them on the edge of their seats the entire time. The author throws a curveball that surprises you just when you think you have the plot figured out.

There are some portions in the book that I really appreciated, especially in terms of the author's word choice and phrasing.  Only a few phrases evoke an incredible sense of sadness and hopelessness.

The book is more than just a horror story; it's also a study of sorrow and how it affects the entire family.

3,5/5