BEFORE HE KNOCKS

by J.T. Callahan

A faceless man lurks outside a home.

He’s killed twice before, but this one is different. She’s a mother. With a son too young to believe in the bogeyman, waiting outside their door.

Meanwhile, Archie gulps his warm glass of milk and begins to write. For Archie, killing is easy, but documenting his victims as their hope slowly wanes, that’s always more difficult…

The story itself is terrifying. The narrator, sociopathic. And together, it made Dom Driscol’s debut novel an instant bestseller. With some critics already calling the memoir-style thriller, the scariest work of fiction in decades.
But unfortunately for Dom, not everyone is a fan.

That includes part-time sleuth, Izzy Hernandez, who happens to notice a few peculiarities that others have missed. Like the startling similarities between Dom’s antagonist and the man who’s been terrorizing Izzy’s hometown of Springfield for years. A man the local media have infamously dubbed, The Splinter.

But in an investigation full of conmen and killers, nothing is as clear as it appears. And as Izzy races to solve the case, the line between fact and fiction quickly begins to blur…

317 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2025

About the author

J.T. Callahan currently lives in Boston with his wife, dog and newborn son.

BEFORE HE KNOCKS is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Ray Schow · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Absolutely Gripping Read!

Before He Knocks by J.T. Callahan is one of those rare books that grabs your attention from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the end. The writing is sharp, vivid, and full of tension — every chapter left me wanting to read just one more. Callahan has a real gift for storytelling; the pacing is perfect, the characters feel real, and the plot unfolds in a way that’s both unexpected and deeply satisfying.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that was truly hard to put down, but this one definitely was. Whether you’re drawn to strong character development, suspense, or simply great writing, Before He Knocks delivers on every level. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still trying to figure out how I really feel about this. It was good don't get me wrong. It will mess with your head a bit. It's hard though because through most of this book, I really did NOT like Izzy or Dom. I can't lie about it. Yes, they redeemed themselves in my eyes but that was hard. And I'm a twist I didn't expect, I feel for Steve. Man. Just all over the place. And the last few chapters, I'm glad turned out how they did. That was good. Took a lot for me to get there. I was almost debating putting it down at one point because of Izzy and Dom but I had to see it through. I'm glad I did. It was a ride for sure.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was insanely intense. The mystery and suspense pull you in and keep you turning the pages. I devoured this in one day. There was no way I was putting this down until I was finished. It was so cool that Izzy was seeing the inconsistencies that others had missed. And Dom writing died his deeds? That was just narcissistic evil. But this book was so dark and twisted, it’s a must read if you like your books to pull you in and hold you captive until the end.

[Angie Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before he Knocks is a very well written, intriguing, and suspenseful debut novel. It draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists all the way to the end. Great character building leaves me hoping this is the first in a series of stories following Izzy and Dom!!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a good thriller and this was exactly what I needed. From the start, the story is intriguing. I love the chapters that put us in the shoes of the girls who were taken, allowing us to see exactly what happened. I felt like those chapters added so much to the story.

I'll be honest, I didn't particularly care for Izzy or Dom in the beginning. Both felt like awkward, hard-to-like characters. But they quickly grew on me like they did each other. I enjoyed their interactions and had fun seeing how it played out.

This story was very well done. I thought I knew who The Splinter was at several points, but then the story would progress and I'd realize I was wrong. I loved not being able to guess who it was.

[Cheryl Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It appears to be written by AI, which is ironic considering the storyline. So many mistakes, missed words etc. that I found myself re-reading lines. The story was good but needed editing.

[Nicole Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good I read it in 2 days I knew what was going on the whole time but still I was like what is happening in a good way so much action happening. I do wonder though was 10 minutes enough? read the book to understand.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.