would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this creepy novel

rebecca gets the worst news ever, her father has died, so home she goes as his only living relative

but the old house still feels haunted and creepy

its not long before the police come calling and she finds out that maybe it wasnt an accident and that her dad may have been murdered....but with other cases to investigate it wasnt a priority, such was the work from this police station

have to say this book kept me gripped and with plenty of red herrings and suspects galore it made for a creepy read and i was still guessing until the perp was unmasked...

kept me glued though and thats the main thing

Returning to her home town following the sudden death of her father, journalist Rebecca is shocked to find that his death may in fact have been murder. After his retirement as the local newspaper editor, it seems that he began investigating the high number of local murders. Was her father close to unmasking a serial killer and that is why he was murdered? Rebecca decides to take up the challenge and solve the mystery.

I liked the setting in a small, fictional Northumbrian town and the local characters who lived there. There weren’t too many different characters in the story so it was fairly easy to keep up with them all, including the killer who was hiding in plain sight. Overall, a fairly enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an advance copy of Don’t Let Him in, a stand-alone thriller set in the fictional Northumbrian town of Eriston.

Rebecca Cole returns to Eriston after the death of her father, former editor of the local paper, and discovers that he has been investigating the series of unexplained that have been committed in the town and its surrounds over the past 20 years, locally attributed to The Chameleon. Circumstances encourage her to continue his investigation, but at what cost?

I enjoyed Don’t Let Him in, which is an atmospheric tale and is genuinely creepy in parts. It is told from Rebecca’s point of view in the main, with an unnamed stalker-type musing on his methods and thought processes. I’m not really sure what that actually adds to the novel, especially as the denouement seems to contradict some of it.

The plot is interesting and offers several possibilities as a suspect, but he’s not well disguised and I was sure of his identity by the half way point. After that I found my interest in Rebecca’s attempts to unmask him. She does a good job considering she has no official resources and the local detectives aren’t showing much interest. I liked the denouement, which is exciting and nail biting, and the wrap up which gives the reader all the information they could want about what happened. It might not be to every reader’s taste, but I like all my questions answered and tied up.

Rebecca is a good protagonist, likeable but tenacious and tough when she has to be. I would read more about her if offered.

Don’t Let Him in is a good read that I can recommend.

A death calls a successful emigrant from North East England back home to discover an unknown world of fear and danger. The difference between this book and the familiar 'Get Carter' scenario is that here instead of being the work of an organised crime organisation, the murders are done by a single serial killer, and the protoganist is not Michael Caine, but Rebecca, a woman journalist whose weapon of choice is not a shotgun but a Sheaffer pen. A very enjoyable mystery with Linskey's usual strong sense of place and wide range of characters (or suspects) each with their own convincing voice. Early on the setting has a Gothic edge which I appreciated. Later the writing does become very spare: I might have wanted a little more visual description of people's appearances and reactions, or the settings eg the rundown houses and other buildings with their crumbly stone stonecases. Still the economy certainly propels the story on and Rebecca is a feisty and likeable protagonist - the plot keeps her (and us) guessing until very near the end. Recommended

This is my 4th read by Howard Linskey and again I’m finding the pacing is slow and the killer becomes very obvious very early in.

Linskey is clearly a supremely talented storyteller and weaves a tale very well,

Unfortunately probably not an author for me

Don’t Let Him In is the latest book from Howard Linskey and it is a well written stand-alone murder mystery.

Rebecca Cole’s father dies suddenly whilst she is backpacking around the world. Her return to the isolated home town in the North East where she used to live brings back many memories.

Whilst looking through her father’s notes she realises that there have been a number of murders in the town and was her father the latest victim.

The book is well written although I did work out “whodunnit” quite early on although I would still recommend the book to readers who like this type of story.

With thanks to Howard Linskey and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Spine-chilling is the only way to accurately describe this book. Linskey manages to create a sense of dread from page one which stays until days after you've finished.

The story follows Rebecca, a journalist who has to return home from travelling follow her father's death. The story takes place in Eriston, a rundown town on the Northumberland coast, that has an abnormally high number of murders and missing persons cases, which her father had been investigating.

This is a skilfully written thriller, with so many twists and turns that it'll keep you on your toes the whole ride.

Christ on a bike I slept with the lights on after this one, in fact I’m lying I didn’t sleep at all 😂 checked all my doors and windows too!

Absolute creepfest right here, urgh just awful haha I was terrified and that’s rare, good plot and set of characters and twists all over the shop, just when I thought I had it, nope I didn’t, a seriously gripping read and one that will defo make you sleep with the big light on 🙄 loved it, cannot wait to read his next book and hope it’s just as creepy as this one!

So if this book doesn't make me double check all my doors and window are properly locked on a nightly basis then nothing will. When it comes to creepy and unsettling openings to a book, this one has done a pretty dang good job. Stalker, check, unwitting victim, check. Absolute certainty the the person who is under the watchful eye of the creepy guy (or gal) in the back yard is likely to a very disturbing end .... oh yes. Howard Linskey. has taken his Northumberland small town's legendary stalker-come-killer and brought him to creepy, skin crawling, chilling life on the page. I loved it.

Must admit I was a little thrown then by the turtles at the start of chapter two but, unbelievably, they do make sense ...

This is the story of Rebecca who is drawn back to her childhood home in Eriston on the Northumberland coast after her father dies. She thinks it was simple accident,brought on by a heart attack. She is prepared to be told that there was something a little more suspicious about his death than the police want to let on. Add to this the notoriety of the town, renowned for brutal murder of two local women and the death and disappearance of countless others and the scene is well and truly set for a chilling thriller that kept me thoroughly hooked from start to finish.

I really liked the character of Rebecca, her determination and independent nature made her a perfect protagonist for this particular tale, but she was far from superhuman, prone to jump at the same creaks on the stairs and odd shaped shadows as any other person might, especially when living in an isolated house at the top of a hill. And that is before you factor in that we know something she doesn't about. what is going on around. the town ... She has a natural tendency to ask questions having followed her father into a career as a journalist, albeit short lived, and her enthusiasm for the story is infectious. It made me want to learn more. Howard Linskey has written her perfectly, giving her flaws which are relatable and fears which are understandable, but instilling a strength of character that is fully believable.

The other characters who inhabit her world - former boyfriend, Alan, police officer and local murder conspiracy theorist, Dominic, property developer and local business man, Owen, even local boat owner and Rebecca's first ever employer, Jack - all add colour and life to the story as well as making it feel authentic, the clash between the old and the new, with a touch of the unconventional along the way. Dominic is a hard one to get a handle on, local beat bobby who is obsessed with his theories on what is really happening to the women around Eriston, but it seems his heart is in the right place.

It is fair to say.that suspicion flows in many directions when it comes to identifying who is really behind all of the murders and disappearances that Rebecca's father Sean was re-investigating, and you get the sense that any of the men Rebecca comes across could be guilty. This keeps the tension high and the cut away scenes in which we are voyeurs along with the stalker/killer make for some very chilling and unnerving moments in a book which is already steeped in suspense and mystery. The pacing ebbs and flows like the tides in Eriston harbour, but it is clear that Rebecca is headed for some very choppy waters and Howard Linskey keeps delivering the shocks and twists right to the final page.

The setting of the Northumberland coast is one that lends itself perfectly to the sense of isolation, the atmospheric nature of the weather helping to build the tension and matching the melancholic tone of the story perfectly. This book hooked me from the start and I finished it in two sittings. It ticked all the boxes for me - great characters, chilling story and with a very plausible and tension filled mystery at its heart. Definitely recommended.

I only really love a murder mystery, if I don’t guess the identity of the killer easily. This is not the case here, the killer was so well telegraphed from an early stage, I kept wondering, well, why? The ending should be a complete surprise, but hello, it wasn’t, it was blindingly obvious, to me at any rate.
I agree that the start was promising, there was a stalker, you got an insight into his mind and the many murders he had performed, truely creepy .at this point, but then crucial points became laboured, it was almost like you were being prodded to look closer at these not too subtle clues, to stop the author from writing a few more pages! With so many women having gone missing, or murdered, or bodies not found, why was there a Police Force so undermanned, where was the public indignation, the calls for action being expressed?
Into this misery walks Rebecca Cole, who has returned back to her old home for the funeral of her father. He was the editor of the local paper and was passionate about these murdered women and finding their killer. He believed that the young man serving time for these crimes is innocent, and was framed, fitted up by the Police to stop them becoming a laughing stock and throughly pathetic. Sean Cole believed he knew who the killer was, but was killed as he knew too much.
Rebecca finds his notebooks hidden away and being a journalist herself, decides to complete his search for the truth and reveal the identity of the killer and prevent this miscarriage of justice. There are some genuinely creepy moments experienced by Rebecca as she takes up living in her fathers house, you should keep the light on in these early stages of reading. I found the writing re-examined the same old ground in the next few chapters, there were some genuine moments of inspiration and revelation, but it was really lacklustre by the end.
To summarise, I guessed the killer too easily and too early. Perhaps living with a policeman for 46 years has taught me to have a very jaundiced view of the world. Trust no one and believe nothing.
I have read and reviewed books from this author before, perhaps I am too used to his devices. A disappointing read, but still one to be admired. I certainly couldn’t have written this!!
I rated this as a three star read, only because my usual guess the killer was too easy.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon later. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK for my ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

After the death of her father Rebecca goes back to her hometown after years of travel. Soon she discovers her father has been killed but the police is quick in closing the case as accidental death instead. So she starts her own investigation with the help of the only police officer that believes her. However her investigation for the death of her father quickly connects to many other past deaths and disappearances, and the trail she unravels puts her in danger of being the next victim.

When I read the synopsis of this book I was really excited to read it. The story is good, mysterious, and I had great expectations that it would put me on the edge. But in my opinion the author made a couple of mistakes that killed it for me.

First mistake: painfully spoon-feeding excruciatingly lengthy explanations. The middle 40% of the book consists of Rebecca describing in great detail the same thing to different people.

Second mistake: over-explaining the ending. The build up to the big reveal was good, however who the killer was became increasingly obvious after pages of explanations... and then the revelation was sold as a big shock. Erhm, no, unfortunately it wasn't, everything pointed at him. I was so hoping the perpetrator would be someone else (and I had my suspects), but in the end it was the obvious one.

I give 3 stars as a compromise between the storyline (not considering the writing) which is a 4, and the actual execution, which is a 2.

I'd like to thank NetGallery and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was a really good solid mystery thriller that I really did enjoy.
After the sudden death of her father Rebecca returns to her hometown from abroad to sort out his funeral and affairs only to find that her fathers death is not as straightforward as it first seemed. From then on the book gets decidedly creepy as Rebecca is drawn in to the mysterious deaths of a number of women as she finds her father had been investigating these murders and had started to write a book.
The read certainly had me looking over my shoulder and as the atmosphere in the book darkened so if felt like the lights in my house did also and it certainly gave me some shivers.
I thought this was a very cleverly constructed story and it did keep me guessing as to who the perpetrator was, the writing was excellent and a quick read that had some good twists although I was slightly disappointed with the ending for some reason but that in no way spoiled my enjoyment on the whole and would still recommend it to lovers of a good mystery.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the arc of Don't Let Me In by Howard Linskey.

4 Star read- This follow a lady named Rebecca Cole whom is travelling around but now has to return home to her home in Eriston. Eriston is located on the coast of Northumberland. Due to her fathers death and is an editor for the newspaper whom is named Sean. Sean Cole is his name and there seems to be curious and suspicious circumstances surrronding his death... Rebecca finds out that her dad has actually been researching and looking up cases of murdered and even missing women... the question of all of this... was this why he died?

This is so gripping thriller with lots of different twists and turns and mystery to this, it had me hooked and on the edge of my seat this was so great and well written and i would definitely recommend anyone who likes thrillers to read this...!

4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was amazingly well structured and didn't fall into cliche traps usually found in thriller novels.

I enjoyed the setting as it leant itself well to moving the story onward - the idea of a town that is perfect for committing murder is something I haven't seen before and I really enjoyed the novelty of it.

Even supporting characters were written in a three dimensional way which meant there was a wealth of potential suspects to consider. I was convinced I had worked out what was going to happen and then in the final quarter of the story the author throws a curve ball that completely changes everything in a totally chilling manner.

Rebecca has returned to her home town after the death of her father. She has his affairs to attend to but there seems to be more going on.
Following her investigative nature leads Rebecca to face pain and fear head on. This is a dark thriller that really grips and has you sucked in. Really enjoyed reading this. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Eriston is a rundown town on the Northumberland coast with an unusually high number of murders and missing persons cases. When journalist Rebecca is dragged away from a backpacking trip due to the death of her father - previously Eriston's newspaper editor - she becomes drawn into investigating just why the town seems so plagued by mysterious disappearances and deaths. Old wives' tales tell of a curse on the town; others gossip about a potential serial killer nicknamed The Chameleon. Through dual narratives - that of Rebecca and of an unnamed person who is watching her - the mysteries of Eriston are unravelled.

I had enjoyed Howard Linskey's previous book, Alice Teale Is Missing, which at the time of reading I compared to Ann Cleeves (high praise indeed, as she's one of my favourite authors of police procedurals). So I was looking forward to Don't Let Him In, and that anticipation was more than rewarded. This is a gripping and page-turning read with extremely well drawn characters; I was particularly impressed at how good the characterisation of Rebecca was, as male authors don't often getting to grips with female protagonists quite this brilliantly. The setting of Eriston - and particularly Rebecca's creaky old house alone on a hill - made an especially effective and creepy backdrop to the action.

While the eventual denouement may not hold many surprises for avid crime/thriller readers who will pick up on the clues fairly quickly, this did not at all spoil the reading experience for me. Highly recommended.

Not a bad read for me, not an edge of seater which I thought it was going to be and I wasn't keen on the ending.

It did take me a while to get into the story line and I found the characters a bit boring.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books (Michael Joseph) for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Rebecca returns to her hometown of Eriston following the death of her father.
As she becomes aware of how her father died, she is convinced that he is murdered but the Police do not think the same.
As the story unfolds, Rebecca believes that her father was uncovering the truth about murders that have happened in Eriston and the myth of the chameleon.
Rebecca is determined to find out the truth once she finds the draft of a novel that her dad had started and being a journalist herself, picks up from where her father left it.
Great read with twists and turns that make this book a page turner.

Thoroughly enjoyed this crime in thriller set in Northumberland. There is a killer in Eriston and Rebecca is following her fathers investigation into past cases of women who have been murdered. Such a good mystery with several suspects , yet I couldn't decide who was guilty and who wasn't . Very tense and nerve wracking plot which made for a great read . I always enjoy this author's works. Highly recommend !

Rebecca is travelling when she receives a call from her mother to let her know, her father, back in UK has passed away. Rebecca returns to her home town, Eriston, and lays her father to rest. The local police advise her fathers death may be suspicious and the journalist instinct in Rebecca is to investigate. Her father had been investigating 2 local murders 20 years earlier and suspect this research may have lead to him unearthing some information someone wants kept hidden - at any length.
A good paced book with development of the characters that keep you turning those pages. I liked Rebeccas character and determinism. I always enjoy Howard Linskey books and look forward to the next release!