Synopsis:

“Daddy, there’s a man in our room…”

Alfie wakes one night to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed, claiming there’s a shadowy figure in their bedroom. When no such thing can be found, he assumes the girls had a nightmare.

He isn’t surprised that they’re troubled. Grief has made its home at Hart House: nine months ago, the twins’ mother Pippa died unexpectedly, leaving Alfie to raise them alone. And now, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it seems like a harmless coping mechanism. But the situation quickly develops into something more insidious. The girls set an extra place for him at the table. They whisper to him. They say he’s going to take them away…

Alfie calls upon Julia―Pippa’s sister and a psychiatrist―to oust the malignant tenant from their lives. But as Alfie himself is haunted by visions and someone watches him at night, he begins to question the true character of the force that has poisoned his daughters’ minds, with dark and violent consequences.

Whatever this “friend” is, he doesn’t want to leave. Alfie will have to confront his own shameful secrets, the dark past of Hart House, and even the bounds of reality―or risk taking part in an unspeakable tragedy.

Sabetha’s Review:

I have no idea if he was real or not.

I do know that I want another book because I need to know what happens six months later. I’m left with the *it sets the scene for it to all happen again* or *they finally rid the house of it* ponder and I need answers. These decide for yourself endings are frustrating.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story, it gave me the creeps the longer it drug on. The repetition, and circling back had me questioning a few motives and plotlines. The only thing I would ask for more of, was details into the church. There are still so many unanswered questions ab0ut the . . . situation itself, that is now moving on to another generation and touching so many lives.

I enjoyed the twin dynamics. The children having a different twin relationship compared to their mother and aunt was also fun. Kept me guessing about what had happen all those year ago, compared to what was currently happening.

All and all a relaxing bump in the night story.

You’ll enjoy this book if you enjoy paranormal, with a bit of a religious background pushing it forward. I do hope there is a sequel in the works because there are so many directions and ending like this could go, and all of them have a nice thread of revenge for the twins.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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