Sarah Kelly was a respected TV journalist, until an attack in her own home left her housebound, crippled by agoraphobia and fear. A year later, she's trying to cope as best she knows how and is the thick of her podcast series, investigating the arrest and imprisonment of a young Muslim man for the murder of his girlfriend, twelve years earlier.

Told in the first person, Don't Let Me In intersperses Sarah's experiences with the podcast itself. Because of this, it was pretty well paced and a good first standalone novel from Phil Kurthausen, the author of the popular Erasmus Jones series.

Sarah tries to juggle her investigation, the podcast and the online trolls that come along with it while trying to work around her agoraphobia, her marriage, and motherhood. While she makes it clear she's only theorizing, she provides an alternative suspect, a misogynistic hedge-fund manager who tries to shut her down and then forces his way into her life. Soon, it becomes obvious that her most prolific troll, constantly sending death threats, rape threats, and even photographs of her son and home, isn't the young man the police thought. So is it the man who she's touted as a likely murderer, or is it someone else?

We're not actually given too many different suspects. Because Sarah's life is so insular, her circle is small, and few of those are allowed into her fortress. While you might have an inkling of what's going to happen, it isn't exactly as you'd expect. And then there's a twist that will blow your mind and, if you're like me, want to throw your device across the room because ... well, because.

Don't Let Me In lost half a star for me because there were the odd niggly little continuity errors interspersed throughout that caught my attention. Don't let that stop you though! While Sarah isn't the most likable character, it is really an enjoyable read and the ending is truly a shocker!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this!

I was really drawn to the premise of this book, however found a great deal of the last part to be so loquacious that it made it hard for me to read. The conclusion, although unpredictable, seemed to go in circles. It would have been nice to see this more concise. I really struggled with understanding what the relationship really was between Henry and his wife. His character seemed aloof and detached throughout. The son seemed extremely odd and detached as well.

Oooh this was a good read. Set out brilliantly and well written. It’s bound to keep the reader thinking and on the edge of their seat! I loved how the podcasts were part of the story so that the reader coule be a listener too and decide about the case and facts for themselves.

Poor Sarah is looking into an old murder case but not everyone is happy about that or agrees with her views. Because of this she has put herself into a vulnerable position to hate and harm, which I wouldn’t do. This has turned Sarah into an anxious, scared and lonely woman which is obviously within the first few chapters. I felt sorry for her.

A real page turner that has you searching for answers yourself. Will Sarah uncover new evidence? Get the police to reopen the case and look again? Or will it all get too much and too personal for her? Brilliant.

A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend!

A pretty good read. Better than I was expecting. It kept me keen all the way. Will definitely consider this author again

I was given an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a honest review
This book straddles the line between being poorly written and predictable, and also being engaging and enjoyable. By no means highart but a good time killer

Don’t Let Me In is a gripping psychological thriller and very modern murder mystery.

It starts with a great, stark opening and I immediately warmed to Sarah: her thoughts and fears and anxieties. She is a great – if believably fallible – heroine. The supporting characters are all three-dimensional and the situations described – both in the historical case and the real-life present – are scarily realistic.

The Serial/Making-a-Murderer-esque podcast plot is compelling and runs nicely alongside the development of Sarah, her family and her personal situation. There are some frightening insights here into victims of social media trolling and misogyny.

There’s a good few twists in this story and, although I did predict one, I did not see the main ones coming. The book has both a rollercoaster finale and an additional sting in the tale, like the cherry on top. This is a great psychological mystery thriller and I would be intrigue to read more from Phil Kurthausen.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Don’t Let Me In.

I’m going to be right up front. I did not care for this book. The premise was okay, although familiar. It was exactly like the podcast “Serial.” Quite ironic, really, because in the real life podcast, a woman named Sarah investigates the murder of a high school girl who was strangled several years prior, and whose ex-boyfriend was convicted of the murder. So goes the plot of this book. I did not find the Sarah in the book to be particularly likeable, which made it difficult to care anything about what happened to her. I also think that one of the reveals was drawn out way too long; there was no suspense, just distraction. I did finish the book, but I had guessed two of the other reveals about one-third of the way through. I am sure there will be some people who love this book, but because of the reasons stated above, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books, and the author for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

A former TV presenter, Sarah Kelly became agoraphobic after an attack in her own home. Creating a new career as the presenter of a true crime podcast, she has built quite a following as she looks into the murder conviction of a young man she believes is innocent.

Unfortunately, because the accused is a Muslim, hate trolls have come out in force. For the most part, Sarah takes the online invective with the ‘all attention is good’ attitude, but when one troll threatens her son, the fear comes up to swamp her again, and her husband, Henry, just doesn’t understand why she won’t give up her crusade.

The victim’s brother, Mohammed, is a close friend and supporter of Sarah, and her producer Cathy has her back too. Even these friends might not be able to protect her as she gets closer and closer to revealing the true killer’s identity, though.

The issues of online trolling (particularly of female journalists) and Islamophobia in the UK, both in 2005 when the murder occurred and today, are given some very close inspection through the lens of Sarah’s investigation and experiences. There is a great deal of thought put into examining these issues and their solutions, which was why I found the final reveal of the real murderer to be so massively disappointing.

I realised where the clues were pointing about halfway through the book and thought ‘oh no, please tell me this isn’t going there’... and then I was disappointed. I’m going to spoiler slightly by saying it was an Islamic honour killing, which was just so opposed to the sympathetic treatment the Muslim characters received through the book I felt thoroughly let down.

Does the author not understand that having this be the answer to the puzzle basically means the beliefs of the Islamophobes the heroine spent the entire book fighting against were VALIDATED? There were plenty of good candidates for the villain without playing right back into the trope the book spent the whole time trying to shoot down. And Sarah’s behaviour at the very end just made me thoroughly dislike a character I’d been rooting for all along.

While most of the book was well written and I found myself thoroughly engaged by the podcasts and the investigation, and sympathetic to Sarah’s issues, the end made me thoroughly lose my temper as all the author’s conscious and unconscious prejudices apparently boiled over. Two stars for thoroughly annoying me.

Don't Let Me In is Phil Kurthausen's first standalone novel and on the whole, it's a compelling read that addresses some important issues, the most prominent of which is the main character Sarah's agoraphobia. Having had a friend who suffered from this debilitating mental illness, I liked that it helps to raise awareness of an often misunderstood health issue but also uses it to weave an interesting story. The tension in the second half of the book was palpable and had me reading faster and faster in order to ascertain what would eventually happen. There is action aplenty but Mr Kurthausen expertly manages each thread of the story so it never becomes confusing or convoluted.

Sarah is a memorable character as not only has she her agoraphobia to deal with but online trolls, a fairly detached and distant husband and her mission to find information to solve cold case murders, all feature heavily in her life. She is a well-developed character who is flawed and you really sympathise with her for what she is having to go through. Due to her inability to leave the house, she produces podcasts at home and her current podcast features her investigation into a girls death where she uncovers some vital information which could lead to the solving of the cold case from 12 years ago. It does take a while for you to warm up to the writing style but once you do it's a fantastic journey. With realistic characters, a gripping plot and the authentic portrayal of agoraphobia, this is certainly a twisty and unpredictable thriller. Oh, and I mustn't forget that ending! Wow! However, if you like your reads clean with no bad or potentially offensive language then this may be a novel to pass on, but I loved it!

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

"From behind the locked door of her home, Sarah broadcasts her popular podcast. When she starts to seek the truth about the murder of a teenage girl 12 years earlier, she soon finds herself the centre of unwanted attention."

The story is narrated from Sarah's point of view. She works from home running a podcast, she has agoraphobia so it's not easy for her to leave her house. During one of her podcast, she is investigating the murder of a girl years before where she discovers information, doing this lands her in trouble and dealing with negativity online. This was a great story with believable characters.

Thank you #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC of #DontLetMeIn
Pub Date 22 Oct 2018

I am sorry to say Don't Let Me In by Phil Kurthausen was one of the hardest books I tried to read this year. This book did not grab me however, I kept on reading it, I put it down then came back to it......Nope It still didn't pull me in like other books I have read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bloodhound Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

I am so frustrated after reading this book. I should be writing a positive review but my mind just drifts to the mistakes in the story.
If you watched a movie and an item was placed in a person's pocket but magically appeared in the hands of a person who is in a completely different part of the house your mind wanders to this mistake. If it happens over and over, the frustration builds.
I loved the storyline and I do think once the mistakes are polished up you are looking at a 4/5star rating. Unfortunately I can only award 3 stars as I don't know how so many mistakes can go unnoticed.

3.5
Had a hard time getting into this one. Once I did I found a good twisty story. Sarah is an interesting, well developed, character and I liked the pod casts interspersed throughout the story. I was surprised a few times as the book got going and the ending was awesome!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bloodhound Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

Billed as a gripping psychological thriller this book lives up to its name particularly in the second half when the tension really ramps up. Sarah ,a once well known broadcaster,now podcasts from home. She has agoraphobia ,online trolls, her husband Henry and a young son, who seems detatched, to deal with whilst trying to prove the innocence of Khalil who was found guilty of murder whilst still at school.. The online trolls ,particulary Frenchie who seems to know Sarah's every move ,add to the tension as does the description af a life lived within four heavily fortified walls. At times you feel yourself going mad with the boredom and horror of living such a life. The people she trusts to help her are not necessarily trustworthy or honest with her and when she accuses someone of the murder it really starts to get creepy. Great story told from Sarahs perspective ,it takes a while for her reason for being agoraphobic to emerge .

When I read the blurb for "Don't Let Me In" I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the novel. Something about it just grabbed me, I loved the idea of the podcast having read other novels based on this kind of narrative and the protagonist, Sarah, and the case she was working on all hooked me immediately! Sarah is an investigative journalist with a real interest in miscarriages of justice. She has become embroiled in the case of a murder that took place twelve years earlier and the boy, Khalil, who was charged and imprisoned. Khalil's family have approached her to investigate further and while she never claims to be the saviour who will free him she is more than happy to poke about and unearth evidence that the police may have missed.

Sarah is a complex character and this struck me immediately; her agoraphobia and her level of paranoia hinted at a dark secret in her past and I wanted to know what it was! A journalist who has locked herself away from the outside world she is investigating the death of a young girl twelve years earlier. Was there a miscarriage of justice? And are her investigations going to unlock a nightmare of her own?

Immediately we are confronted with evidence of trolling and some hints that Sarah is hiding from something or someone. The scene where her cat enters the basement with a dead bird in its mouth...the doors are always locked in her house! This totally freaked me out, this tension building was fantastic and I was compelled to read on to find out what was going on!

I loved the topical nature of the novel; that concept of a whole life and persona being created online; those perfect #Insta snaps hiding what is really going on. It really explored the whole notion of people creating a life, a spin to hide the, often very different reality.

As I said, Sarah is a complex character, she is actually quite unlikeable if I am to be brutally honest. But this novel was cleverly plotted and executed that I found myself completely drawn into Sarah's life. She is a sharp character with some real jaggy edges,  but there was something about her that engaged me.  Perhaps it was her idiot of a husband, Henry, who irritated me so much I could have happily punched him. Through Sarah's character we are able to explore mental illness, impact of trauma, the online narrative that is at the centre of modern day life and its nasty side of trolling and abuse. This is definitely a character-driven novel and for me, the plots actually faded somewhat into the background as I became fully immersed in the lives of Sarah and the other characters. Sarah has very few "real life" relationships other than with her husband and son, her boss Cathy and Khalil's brother Mo, she spends most of her life with online "friends" and trolls. Her panic at leaving the house or the outside world making its way into her life is tangible throughout and I actually found myself reading without breathing at times!

Two storylines marry together in perfect harmony; Sarah's investigation into Lauren's death and Khalil's conviction along with Sarah's own secret, just what has happened to her to cause her to shun the outside world? To barricade herself in her own home? Add to the union the topical issue of online trolling and this whole life lived on social media phenomenon then we have a perfect partnership. The exploration of trolling was extremely disturbing and I wish I could say it was exaggerated but I know that it wasn't. It was a real eye-opener into what online living can really lead to.

This novel twisted and turned all the way through, leaving me never quite sure of who to believe. Topical and twisted it had me hooked all the way through!  A real heart-pounding read and one that I would recommend!

review will be on blog as part of blog tour

Solid 4 stars. Strong start and an ending with a twist! The middle was a little boring and drawn out to me but all in all thriller of a book written like a podcast.

Thank you #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah suffers from agoraphobia, I can relate to this. I suffered for two years, all better now, sorry I must not digress.
Sarah's home is a fortress, she works in her basement delivering pod casts. Before her illness Sarah used to be a journalist. Her weekly podcast is about a muslin man who has been convicted of killing a white woman. Sarah is convinced that this is a miscarriage of justice and is determined to find the truth.
As her podcasts become even more popular, some one is not happy with all the publicity. First comes the hate mail then the vitriol text messages and finally the death threats.
Then her family is threatened.
I was hooked from the first page. There is so much tension and suspense and it is very well written.
This book is a four and a half star psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. This is a new author for me and I will definitely be looking out for more of his work.
I would like to thank the author Phil Kurthausen, Bloodhound books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Great Read !!!

Sarah recites podcasts from her basement. She has not left her house for 12 months; a solid agoraphobic. Hooking into a 12 year old murder case in which the defendant was tried and found guilty, Sarah's popularity rises. Found guilty - (Khalil) remains in prison as Sarah decides to find him innocent of killing his girlfriend, Lauren Grey. Initially, someone else had been accused of the murder, but an eyewitness alibi changed all of that.

At a party, now 12 years ago, were many classmates including Lauren. Among them were Khalil and his best friend, Tom Ellis. Many stories came out from the teens but nothing more than hearsay. Khalil's brother, "Mo", befriends Sarah and together they work to free Khalil. Yet, after a number of meetings with Mo, Sarah begins to feel uncomfortable.

Eventually, Tom's wife, Emma, confides in Sarah that Tom had confessed to her that he killed Lauren because she did not want him. Yet, until Emma receives money (six figures or more) as an advance for this, she will not allow this information to be released. She is planning to divorce Tom and they are bankrupt and she needs the cash. Sarah knows this will be an outstanding journalistic coup and uses her own money for the advance.

Sarah is so relieved and happy that she goes to the supermarket to buy a special dinner for her family. She meets Tom there and he tells her that he will have her house and all of their possessions. (lawsuit?) She runs home and collides with Peter, the sewage worker - avoiding him, locking herself inside the house. The final blow occurs when she finds out that Emma has retracted her statement. She had been bribed, Emma says, and she even has a tape recording of her meeting with Sarah. Henry (Sarah's husband) and Finn (their 8 year old son) go to Henry's mom's house. This, after Henry tells Sarah that SHE has to figure out how to deal with the mess. At least her cat is there with her. And I ask, why no psychiatrist?????

Sarah's friend, Cathy, has not spoken to Sarah since a doomed dinner party - but gets a message NOW. She takes a cab to Cathy's house - afraid that Cathy's louse of a boyfriend had done something bad to her.

Cathy has a black eye. Cathy, "No, he didn't hit me. We were drunk and I bashed it by accident".

Not believing that her boyfriend hasn't abused Cathy, Sarah opens the bedroom door and... "Sarah, no!"

The rest of the story is "spills and chills" so they say. I loved this book!!! Again, I forgot to take a lot of notes - was too interested in what would happen next. Just wait until you find out!!! A fast-moving brilliant thriller that will not let you down!!!

Many Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for a wild read!

The story is told from Sarah's point of view as she works from home running a podcast due to her agoraphobia. Her podcast is investigating the murder of a girl years before where she uncovers all sorts of ideas and information, getting herself into trouble and dealing with the online trolls.

You get to know a few characters in the book, none of which are particularly likeable, although I did love the cat - not so much the name for the cat....Lil'Bitch!

The story is well written and allows you to go through the feeling that Sarah experiences which really adds value.

I found it slightly challenging to get in to at first (hence 4 stars) but did enjoy the story, and was particularly gripped to the second half of the book where there are some big twists that I very unexpected......the final chapter is also mind-blowing! I did have slight suspicions but didn't for a second thing I might be right!

Overall a good, enjoyable gripping read!

Not bad but a bit hard to get into. I thought perhaps three stars, but the ending killed it. Absolutely the most ridiculous ending I have ever read, hard to believe the editors didnt change it. I cannot recommend this book. Too many better ones out there.