This book absolutely took me by storm, I absolutely fled through this story and could not get enough of the plot and these characters. Flawlessly written.

When Lisa was a girl her parents moved into a bigger home and every night she heard noises in her closet until the night her dad came and was ssoon drug into the closet is Lisa and her mom watched his head roll out. It is 20 years later and Lisa has her own new home a new fiancé in the tall good-looking David and with years of therapy behind her she is ready to look forward to the future. The only problem is the murderer of her father has a parole hearing coming up and since her mom has been in a mental hospital since the night it happened Lisa feels compelled to go. Despite her new fiancé David’s protest. Lisa doesn’t remember anything from that night so as far as she knows the man in prison is the murderer but while passing up what the neighbors called the murder mansion in her neighborhood she hears a voice that jars her memory but she doesn’t know from where. This begins all the strange events that start happening in Lisa’s life it doesn’t help that in that house she found a dead girl who just so happened to be at her housewarming party but that wasn’t the only time she’s been in Lisa’s house. It seems David isn’t the gregarious lawyer fiancé Lisa believed him to be but trust me when I say he gets what’s coming to him but does he deserve it? Soon Lisa is questioning the reality of things in her life but more importantly she will soon see aside to David that she never expected. This was a great horror story I love a great horror story with real monsters in it and that’s this book Lisa is someone you can route four in route for her you will especially once you realize what she is up against. I love the book and if you love horror stories with the real monsters/demons you will definitely love this book. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Do the monsters in your closet ever really go away? This book takes that question literally, and did a good job of twisting the classic monster mansion on its head. I really enjoyed the quick pacing and felt like the story moved well.

"What Waits in the Shadows" by Wil Forbis is a gripping and atmospheric horror novel that expertly blends elements of suspense, mystery, and supernatural terror to create a truly immersive reading experience. Forbis' novel takes readers on a chilling journey into the heart of darkness, where secrets lurk in every shadow and fear reigns supreme.

From the very first page, "What Waits in the Shadows" grabs hold of readers and refuses to let go. Forbis' writing is taut and evocative, painting vivid scenes that leap off the page and ensnare the imagination. The setting of the novel, a small, isolated town shrouded in mist and mystery, is as much a character as any of the protagonists, lending an eerie and foreboding atmosphere to the story.

The characters in "What Waits in the Shadows" are complex and compelling, each with their own hidden depths and dark secrets. Forbis excels at creating relatable protagonists who readers will find themselves rooting for, even as they are drawn deeper into the darkness that surrounds them. The dynamics between the characters are authentic and believable, adding depth and richness to the narrative.

One of the strengths of "What Waits in the Shadows" is its masterful pacing. Forbis expertly builds tension throughout the novel, ratcheting up the suspense with each passing chapter until it reaches a fever pitch in the heart-stopping climax. The twists and turns of the plot keep readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth behind the town's dark secrets.

In addition to its thrilling plot and well-drawn characters, "What Waits in the Shadows" also offers deeper themes for readers to ponder. From the nature of fear and the power of the unknown to the consequences of unchecked ambition and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets, Forbis weaves a tapestry of thought-provoking ideas that linger long after the final page is turned.

In conclusion, "What Waits in the Shadows" by Wil Forbis is a must-read for fans of horror fiction. With its spine-tingling suspense, richly drawn characters, and haunting atmosphere, it is a novel that will keep readers up late into the night, unable to tear themselves away until they reach the shocking conclusion. Forbis has crafted a modern masterpiece of horror that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone brave enough to venture into the shadows.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This was a creative, shiver-inducing read that was truly something else I’ve never seen in the horror genre yet.

It was my first read by this author, and for it being his first novel, I think he did a phenomenal job.

What Waits in the Shadows only amplified my fear of the dark, and as a 32 year old adult, I’m not afraid to admit I am still afraid of the dark (and now the shadows lurking in the dark). Wil Forbis truly knew how to make you question your own sanity. Did she really see that? Was it all in her head? Is reality breaking apart?

The imagery he produces with his writing is sometimes quite grotesque, which I love, and will leave your stomach churning, and leave you feeling queasy.

Our MC, Lisa, has quite the character development, going from a timid, scared woman to a badass by the end of the book where you’re rooting for her and cheering her on. I loved seeing her develop into her own being.

I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more from this author.

This book is for every kid that believed in monsters growing up. Lisa is haunted by childhood trauma, and it affects her in a myriad of ways. This book will put your heart through the wringer a mix of terror and sorrow. I enjoyed the pacing as well as Lisa as a character. The various twists kept me engaged, but nothing was so crazy as to not make sense at the end. I will definitely keep an eye out for more work from Forbis!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

What Waits in the Shadows by Wil Forbis. I had the honor of doing a beta on this in July of '22. I reread it so I could give it a fair review.

You need to read this. It's creepy, it has atmosphere. It has a monster. It's well written and has good description. I wanted to actually strangle on character.

💀💀💀💀.5 from me. Highly recommend.

When you were a child did you ever think there was a monster in the closet? If so, did you hear him talking to you? Lisa did. When her dad went to show her there was nothing in her closet, a monster comes out and tears her father’s head off. It traumatized Lisa and her mother. It left her mother unable to care for Lisa or herself. Lisa ends up living in foster homes and having therapy. Her therapist writes a book on what happened to Lisa. Now that Lisa is grown up and engaged, she will have her happy ever after life. Her career is going strong and she has friends. Unfortunately, she has started to hear a voice in her head. She wonders if she is going crazy. She has seen something in a burnt house through a window which scares her. She needs to talk to her therapist. Will she get to?

The unhorsed writes a suspenseful horror story. After all, she experienced twenty years ago, it is amazing that Lisa is doing so well. Too bad it is now encroaching in her life now. What I liked about this novel was how Lisa didn’t give up her life. Even when she told the monster to kill her, she changed her mind. This is a creepy tale of childhood fears. There is a chilling aspect of life and death, love and hate plus more. If you like horror, this is a novel not to be missed. It is creepy beyond words.

I absolutely adore horror stories, especially those that revolve around a 'haunted house'. It's no surprise that Shirley Jackson is one of my favourite authors. However, I was disappointed to find that the story fell short of my expectations.
I was excited to read this book, especially after reading the promising preface.
Alas, the author relied too heavily on adjectives, and made comments that are not appropriate in today's society, such as referring to a nurse's race (‘black nurse’) , as with the ‘Asian Doctor’ or ‘friends with tattoos.’ I found this weird.
And why all that swearing in a novel; it may well be my age, but I just don’t like it.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story remains very flat, and there is too much telling, instead of showing.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-copy. My opinion is my own.

So love the concept and I like the beginning but it kind of lost me midway. Partly because of the characters, partly because the author ended up showing too much, something that in horror may make the story lose that essential something - which is what happened to me. Not to say it completely threw me off enjoying it, it is what made it not reach 4 stars to me however. Not showing their hand so soon would have helped immensely.

Still, worth a read if the idea sounds cool to you, there is some enjoyable body horror (what a thing to write) and Lisa is a good Main Character that goes Through IT.

"What Waits in the Shadows" is a seriously spine-tingling read! Lisa's life seems perfect, but her past comes back to haunt her in the most terrifying ways. Think creepy voices, people disappearing, and a sense of dread that'll keep you guessing. And let's not even get started on that abandoned house - it's like the stuff of nightmares! You'll feel like you're right there with Lisa, trying to uncover the secrets and escape the monsters.

The characters are complex and layered, with surprises around every corner. It's not just a straightforward horror story - it's a psychological thrill ride that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you're looking for a book that'll keep you up all night (in a good way), this is it! Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on... or maybe with a nightlight... or a flashlight... okay, you get it! 😂

What if there really IS a monster in the closet! At a very young age Lisa knew that there was a monster in her closet. It spoke her. Unfortunately, her parents never believed her and, to appease her one night her daddy opened the closet door. Nothing was ever 0kay again.
Now, about 20 years later, Lisa is starting to believe in a happy life after that night in her bedroom. She’s engaged to a wonderful man and they’ve just moved in to a wonderful house…..surely this isn’t too good to be true.
What Waits In The Shadows is a creepy tale of childhood monsters, the fear of shadows, angels and demons, guilt and innocence. A decrepit abandoned house plays a large antagonist role as a place that holds much more than someone else’s memories and dust. The shadows there hide so much more than old footprints. A person could get lost in this huge, old mousetrap.
Some of the characters offer delicious little twists and they are fulling rounded….neither all bad or all good. I enjoyed this wild ride very much.
Thank you to #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #WhatWaitsInTheShadows.

Overall this book was a quick read. However, I still struggled to get into it at first. I think if this was a movie it might have been more interesting and had more of a wow factor. It was a bit difficult to try and visualise everything that happened. In parts it was very action packed but didn't hit you with that wow element.

3 stars

Thanks netgalley and. Wil Forbis for this amazing book, loved every minute of it could not put it fiem

Lisa aged seven saw her father killed, and her mother go mad.
She remembers very little of that night only that she thought she saw a monster in her cupboard.
No one believed her story about a monster, the police caught a man who they Said killed her father and sent him to prison for murder
Lisa always thought there was something wrong with her how can there be monsters.
But then she found an empty house near where she lived and felt an evil presence coming from the house and went to investigate,
Never realising what she would find.
Please write another book loved this one it really has the Wow factor.

Overall this book was a quick read. However, I still struggled to get into it at first. I think if this was a movie it might have been more interesting and had more of a wow factor. It was a bit difficult to try and visualise everything that happened. In parts it was very action packed but didn't hit you with that wow element.

3.5/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for eARC of What Waits in the Shadows by Wil Forbis for a free review.

I was hooked right in the beginning and the short chapters, in my opinion, felt like I was speeding right through it. This is my first book by Wil Forbis and the cover and title of the book got me intrigued. However, I felt like the book may have slowed down and the ending was just...okay for me. I saw that this is the author's first book and there is def a lot of potential! (Not bad for a first book!)

Overall, this book was "just okay" for me and I'd like to check out the author's future work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wil Forbis for an ARC of "What Waits in the Shadows."

I found this novel to be an interesting take on a familiar concept. I appreciated the short chapters and quick pace of the novel.

It read like a horror movie and had plenty of action and a solid setting. I could imagine it playing out in my head.

There was some gore, especially at the start and end, but not too much.

I was glad to see Forbis added to Goodreads so I could leave a review. I'm interested in the upcoming novel as well.

After an unimaginable tragedy occurs when Lisa is a small child, she is forever changed. With the help of a psychiatrist and a police officer she is able to grow up without further harm. As an adult she struggles with relationships both intimate and casual. She and her fiancé buy a house and things feel like they are coming together for Lisa. Things start to go bad when Lisa’s father’s killer goes up for parole. Lisa starts seeing things and she is sure she is going crazy. Soon she realizes there is something after her. Things begin to get worse. What the reader thinks s a guardian angel turns out to be something a whole lot different.

This book created many emotions. I was scared for Lisa as a child who had to witness such atrocities. I felt sorry for Lisa when she thought she was going crazy by the things she witnessed that seemed impossible. I was shocked when I found out what was following Lisa. This book was a really great horror book.

I loved the intro that immediately pulls in the reader, and also the fact that the reader knows the truth about who the killer is right from the prologue. I feel like this gave the reader and Lisa a connection that continues throughout the book.

I hated David even from the second he was introduced to us. I feel like the reader knows from the beginning that he was someone that wasn't going to be faithful. As well as Dr. Stein, I felt that from the very beginning I knew she was someone I wouldn't be able to trust and didn't like her. I felt that it was hard to get lost in the book when I wasn't connecting with any of the characters. Even Lisa fell off for me throughout the book, I felt like I lost my connection to her.

I did enjoy the aspect of Lisa helping children that have also experienced trauma, and I did enjoy Patrick and her connection, but I wanted to see more of him, since all we had was him going into the house and not really anything after that, and I felt that he could have played a fun role further in the book.

I did wish that the first person killed was someone that mattered more to Lisa, but is was some type of poetic justice for the woman that slept with Lisa's fiancé to be killed, especially when the monster was supposed to be protecting Lisa at first.

I'm surprised Jeremiah even left the jail when security cameras are something that would literally get him caught very fast, plus the fact that he kills someone and acts very violently after never being violent before was a very big switch to his personality.

I felt that towards the end the surrounding and the imagery got harder to picture with the portal and the settings as it gets into the shadows. I found it harder to follow along, especially being able to picture the whole book perfectly up until that point.

I also felt that Lisa is jumping into things so fast with her believing that she can kill this thing that they are fighting knowing that she can't shoot it, so I felt like it was slightly rushed and didn't exactly make much sense when they don't have a gameplay at all.

I wish that the reveal at the end of why it was doing this to Lisa needed to be bigger, I felt like the foreshadowing Lisa does at the coffee shop basically gave it away to the reader so I felt like it needed to be bigger, or add something different other than it was supposed to help Lisa but is now there to hurt her.

I did like the connection between Lisa and Jeremiah from when Lisa was a little kid. That was something that really threw me off, and I really enjoyed that twist!

What Waits In The shadows by Wil Forbis.
How long can horrifying secrets stay buried? Twenty years after watching her father's brutal murder, Lisa Kallman is on the verge of a dream life. Her father's killer is in prison, she has a job helping children who've suffered like her and she's about to be married.
But Lisa can't escape the foreboding dread that tells her danger is around the corner. And when she begins hearing strange voices and people around her vanish, she wonders if her own memories can be trusted.
Is Lisa going mad, or is something evil and inhuman stalking her?
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the cover. What a start to the book. I felt it did slow a bit after that. How they were. The way monster mansion was portrayed in the book it did sound scary and eerie. It then started to pick up. I loved how the monster how was portrayed. The mansion House too. For a debut book this was very cleverly written. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.