The Bogeyman

Cautionary Tale Novels #3

by Matt Hilton

Genres: Horror

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2026

About the author

Matt Hilton worked for twenty-two years in private security and the police force in Cumbria. He is a 4th Dan blackbelt and coach in Ju-Jitsu. He lives in Cumbria with his wife and son.

Matt is the author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thriller series, as well as standalone horror thrillers and short stories that have appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. Matt's first novel - Dead Men's Dust - was a Sunday Times best-seller and was shortlisted for the ITW New Novel Award 2009.

Reviews

[Chewable Orb]

The Bogeyman (A Cautionary Tale, Novel #3) by Matt Hilton
3.75 rounded up to 4🔮orbs
Pub. Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Joffe Books/Severn House



Orb’s boogeyman….

💡 Orbs Prologue: The looming house has stood for well over a hundred years. The monument, once beautiful in its day, a token of wealth, remains steadfast on the plot of land, nestled comfortably on the outer loop of what used to be the city horse track. Now, a far more weathered-looking rendition gives way to something new altogether. Sure, the city christens it a historic landmark, and on paper that remains true. However, from my first night at my aunt’s place, this proved nothing more than a nest for pure evil….

🧐 A small glimpse: The Harclay House, Sophie Wade’s new home. Or shall I say her sister Kelsey’s ex-residence? Kelsey has vanished. It has been some time now, but rightfully, Sophie has always been bothered by her sister’s disappearance, so much so that she decides to live in her sister’s old room at the Harclay House in an attempt to dig into the past and find some concrete answers. Matt Hilton’s The Bogeyman touches upon unhealed wounds, opening a Pandora’s box of family secrets that will keep readers up at night. Can Sophie find any semblance of answers? Can she withstand the cockroach of a landlord, Billy Burton, he of the extremely unsavory sort? With an interesting cast of characters in tow, Hilton ensures that flipping the pages only makes the heart pound faster and the eyes grow dry. Nothing can help you, dear reader, as the treacherous story unfolds, and you are left to confront the Bogeyman!

👍 Orbs Pros: Don’t go in the basement! Those who read my reviews understand my love of the forbidden place. Oh yes, rest assured there is a spooky basement! Gut-wrenching! The backstory, which I will not go into detail on, is utterly deplorable! Hilton successfully had me sympathizing with our MC, Sophie, and thus created a wonderful reading connection. Hilton teases! The creation of a story that provided no solid footing was brilliant. I gathered tidbits here and there, but the characters' motivations were left up in the air, which lent to a more mysterious feel. On more than one occasion, I falsely accused a particular character. Bravo, Mr. Hilton! Soft on the brain, for the most part! The stylistic approach of Hilton’s writing is very straightforward. Easy, clear, and concise! For fans of this one, Hilton has supplied us with two more books in the Cautionary Tales series that can be found on Kindle Unlimited!

👎 Orbs Cons: Is it complex enough? For some who need a bit more tantalizing selection of words, characters, and thoughts, this one might fall short. The house! Oh my, this was the biggest drawback for me. Again, this could be a “me” thing, or it could have been a brilliant part of Hilton’s vision that threw me off. Harclay House presented a maze-like quality, and one where I found myself most often lost. Now, was that the point? I don’t know, but on several occasions I suffered reader's vertigo.

⚠️ Warnings: Graphic violence. Torture. Sexual assault and abuse.

Highly Recommended!⁣⁣⁣ A solid offering for the spooky season. Personally, I will be continuing this series and see what more Hilton has up his sleeve. With some triggers, this may not appeal to everyone, but for those accustomed to the horror genre, this one may satisfy!

💡Orbs Epilogue: As often the case, all things started quite normally. Eating dinner with extended family and such. The sunny blue skies soon gave way to a more chaotic scene as the wind, thunder, and moon made their appearance. I climbed the long, winding staircase up to the guest room. Each step in this house emits a rather unsettling creak. The wooden floors protest under my weight, and as I lie upon an antique four-poster bed, the squeaking of old box springs emanates through the room. The dolls' glass eyes stare at me from behind glass cabinets, marking me for impending doom. Scared silly, I resort to deep breathing to alleviate my anxiety. Somehow, I listlessly fall asleep only to be awakened by the sounds of furious scratching. “Orb, I know you are there! You know me, Orb. We are old friends!” a raspy voice says from overhead. I thought I had outgrown this. For heaven’s sake, I am a grown man now. “Leave me alone, Clyde!” I muttered. And then it dawns on me that perhaps we never truly leave the nightmares behind…

Many thanks to Joffe Books/Severn House for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sonja Charters]

I hadn't realised that this is actually the third book in the  Cautionary Tale Novels series by this author - it was obviously, my first read - but it really didn't matter as each book focuses on a different urban myth and so can be read in any order.

 

You know I hate to read series' out of order, but I still dove into this one despite it being my first read.

I was just so obsessed with this title and cover design that I knew it was going to be right up my street.

 

So, we all have different thoughts and views on what the bogeyman really means and I loved this interpretation which wove many layers into the one storyline that still gave us options to judge and make up our own minds.

 

This begins with a strong opening chapter which sets the atmosphere right for the start.

We meet Kelsey and get just enough of an introduction to set our minds racing before we skip forward to after she's gone missing.

 

Kelsey's sister Sophie is not convinced that she would just take off and leave, so now the police have given up the search, Sophie's feels even more compelled to take up the mantle.

 

Harclay House really felt like it's own character as more and more strange things start to happen.

It's always hard to know what to believe in and do we trust our narrator, are they flawed or is there really something much more sinister happening here?

 

I really liked the dual timeline fomat which gave us such an insight into the girls upbringing.

There were some tough topics explored here and some of these chapters were difficult to read - but they really allowed us to better understand these complex characters and their motivational better.

 

This was really well written and kept me immersed from start to finish.

The pacing was perfect and I was kept feeling both uncomfortable and on edge throughout - just what I'd expect from a good horror read.

 

Of course, I've immediately added the rest of the series to my wishlist so that I can catch up, and will certainly be looking into this author's backlist soon.

[Sarah]

The Bogeyman is a truly thrilling and frightful read from start to finish. The novel grabbed my attention from the first page and held it the whole way through. I couldn’t put this fast-paced high-tension book down.

Sophie Wade moves into a decrepit haunted house known as Harclay House, while trying to find her half-sister who disappeared from there without a trace two years prior. Strange occurrences start happening to Sophie - bumps in the night, pounding on the door, a creeping feeling of a presence. Is Harclay House haunted by a poltergeist, or is it something more? Did Sophie’s childhood terror, the bogeyman, return?

Matt Hilton balances the psychological horror and dread seamlessly. Beyond the occasional jump scares, the terror stems from Sophie and her housemates’ isolation and paranoia. The terror escalates with every chapter, until the adrenaline-fuelled finale. It's a heart pounding read.

Thank you, Severn House, for the advance reader copy.

[Hannah Boyland]

The Bogeyman is actually the third book in the Cautionary Tale Novels series, but can absolutely be read as a standalone, which is what I did.

The dual timeline was done so well. It flicked between Sophie’s past, and present, and did so in a way that really brought more to the story.

I think the dual timelines also helped me to get incredibly invested in Sophie as a character. I really wanted her to find what she was looking for.

It did touch on some difficult topics, but in my opinion, it did so in an appropriate and respectful way. I would just say to check the trigger warnings, as it may be triggering for some.

This is a story that really keeps you guessing on what’s happening. Is it really just an old house? Maybe it’s haunted? Or is there something even more sinister going on?

Although the cover claims this is ‘folk horror meets psycho thriller’, in my opinion, this is hitting more of the psycho thriller boxes - there’s not much folk horror really. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is a bad thing, but that if you’re looking for folk horror, you may be disappointed.

Without giving anything away, the end is absolutely insane! It gets SO tense, and absolutely wild.

I’m now super keen to read the other books in the series, which hopefully I will have time do soon, especially as these are on KU!

[Trina 🖤]

I really enjoyed this psychological horror story. If you like dark, creepy, haunting vibes that twist into living nightmares, this is for you! Eeriness wrapped in dread with a side of terror! I’m here for it!

The Bogeyman is part of the Cautionary Tales Series but can be read as a stand alone {that’s what I did}. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find the other two! All are available on KU!

[Jade Ford]

The Bogeyman was not quite what I was expecting - there was no elements of folk horror in my opinion, but it did give strong psycho thriller vibes along the veins of slasher/final girl novels. I was hoping for a bit more blurring between reality and paranormal - the paranormal aspects gave more 'who is that behind you', rather than supernatural, despite it's strong opening.

However, once I changed my expectations, it was overall a pleasant read. Kind of like curling up with a slasher film and a big bowl of popcorn - satisfying if not unexpected. The slow pace development of Sophie trying to put the pieces together to work out what happened with her sister, combined with throwback snippets to her history (which helped develop the character and our understanding of her motivations) was intriguing. When the reveal happened, the pace really accelerated which suited the urgency and panic of the characters.

I did find the elements of child abuse very hard to read. It is my only trigger that will make me not read a book if mentioned in the warnings, so it was unfortunate that I came across it here. (Apologies if I missed a page alluding to TWs)

However, I feel, that despite the book being not suited to me, I imagine a lot of readers will enjoy it.

[Alison Taylor]

The Bogeyman was a book that completely took me by surprise. It was not at all what I was expecting, and by the time I reached the final pages, I was completely hooked. This has to be one of the best books I’ve read all year!
We first meet Kelsey Middleham in the opening chapter, and what a way to begin the story. Kelsey is a young girl with several fears, but her biggest fear is the basement. Unfortunately, when there is laundry to be done, she has no choice but to venture down there. What follows is a dramatic, sinister and incredibly unsettling opening chapter that immediately pulls you into the story. It certainly made me want to keep reading!
We then meet Sophie Wade, who is moving into her new home at Harclay House. There is one rather unusual rule, though — men aren't allowed in the communal areas. Her boyfriend isn't particularly happy about this arrangement, but Sophie hopes that, in time, he will get used to it.
However, Sophie has another, much more important reason for choosing Harclay House. She is determined to find out what happened to her younger sister, Kelsey.
Kelsey has gone missing, and the police don't seem interested in investigating. Her bank accounts haven't been accessed, and Harclay House was the last place she was seen. Sophie simply cannot believe that her sister would walk out of her life without a trace. She is convinced that the answers must be somewhere inside Harclay House.
And there is definitely something strange about the place.
Sophie begins to get the unsettling feeling that she is being watched. Things are moved. Doors open by themselves. Strange noises come from apartments when their residents aren't even there. As Sophie gets to know her neighbours, Belle and Jude, she discovers that they have noticed strange things too. Jude believes they could be dealing with some kind of poltergeist, but Sophie and Belle aren't so convinced.
Then Sophie starts seeing a strange man.
When he approaches her one evening while she is walking home, the encounter leaves her seriously creeped out. From this point onwards, the sense of danger and unease only grows.
Alongside the events unfolding at Harclay House, we are taken back into Sophie's past and learn more about her childhood and her relationship with Kelsey. Their story is heartbreaking. After their father is imprisoned and their brother is killed in a car crash while fleeing from the police, Sophie is forced to grow up far too quickly and take responsibility for her younger sister. With their mother also having died when the girls were young, they really only had each other.
As the past unfolds, we discover the abuse and trauma the sisters experienced growing up, and some of these chapters are incredibly harrowing to read. We also gradually discover more about their father, what happened to him and the events that ultimately led to his imprisonment.
I really enjoyed the way the story moves between the past and present. The chapters set in the past are heartbreaking and often difficult to read, while the present-day storyline at Harclay House is chilling, suspenseful and, at times, downright terrifying. As Sophie and the others begin investigating what is really happening, the story becomes increasingly thrilling and exciting.
There is so much going for this book. The mystery surrounding Kelsey's disappearance kept me guessing, while the atmosphere at Harclay House created a constant feeling that something wasn't quite right. I loved the combination of the family drama, the mystery and the darker, more sinister elements.
And then came the ending!
The final part of the book was absolutely action-packed. It was exciting, terrifying and incredibly tense all at once. I genuinely couldn't turn the pages quickly enough, and I certainly wasn't expecting everything that unfolded.
The Bogeyman is a fantastic read that completely surprised me. It's chilling, heartbreaking, thrilling and full of twists and suspense. Matt Hilton has created a story that draws you in from the very first chapter and doesn't let you go.
Without a doubt, one of the best books I've read this year. Highly recommended!

[Rachelle Bronson]

Sophie Wade moves into Harclay House. The female only rooming house where her sister Kelsey was last seen. Kelsey’s been missing for two years, police have deemed her a run away, and now, the case is cold. But Sophie’s determined to find out what’s happened, if it’s the last thing she does. And it might just be, the last thing she does.

For not long after she moves in, strange noises in between the walls and in the attic space above are waking her from her nightmares. Nightmares reminding her of the childhood that was just too much to bear. After meeting a few of the eclectic women in the house, they decide to band together, along with Sophie’s boyfriend Callan, to figure out what all the commotion is about. Unruly pigeons? Hungry rats? What they discover is more than what they can comprehend. The bogeyman is real. And he’s about to descend on all of them.

I had a difficult time getting into the story at first. I found the characters two dimensional and the prose clunky. I felt like the story was being written on the surface instead of really getting into the meat of what it could be. At the climax, however, it became brisk, with jack-hammer sentence structure and gruesome descriptions, which redeemed it a bit. Without giving any spoilers, I also felt that there should have been a TW (trigger warning), for some of the subject matter was quite perverse. But the author handled it well.

In all, this book could of had more depth of story, and I would have liked Sophie fleshed out quite a bit more, but it was still a decent read.

I’m grateful to have been given an ARC ePub directly from the author, for an honest review.

[Claire Veldman]

Poltergeist thriller vibes? I'm here for it!! 🤭

Thank you @netgalley for letting me read and review The Bogeyman by Matt Hilton ❤️

Sophie moved into her new apartment with one goal: finding her missing sister. Kelsey has been missing for two years and the tale she's been told that she just ran away does not sit right with Sophie. While living in the same room as her sister did, she begins hearing strange noises and she starts to get ideas about what really happened here two years ago. 👀

I really enjoyed this book. I have to start with the ending because I didn't predict this?! I have read a lot of thrillers (also with a paranormal twist) and most of the time I can predict which way it's gonna go, but here?! Damn. Would never see that coming 🤭

The writing was good! But I do feel like there were parts where the story felt slow paced. There were some detailed scenes that didn't necessarily have to be there but that's just to my liking. I like my books right to the point 🤣 The characters were really fun and especially Belle was a great character to read about. The main character (Sophie) was a bit boring but I feel like that was needed for the story because everything around her was crazy. 🤭

The build up in this story was amazing. The dread and sensation became more pressing with each chapter working towards a really dark and intriguing finale. I really loved that. 👏🏽

The book was marked as horror and I don't think that really fits this book. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. This story will keep my thoughts spinning for a while! ☀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Hope Stewart]

The Bogeyman is a creepy, atmospheric horror story that understands an important truth: old houses are never content with bad plumbing and questionable wallpaper. They also need unexplained noises, doors that open by themselves, and something lurking in the shadows with absolutely no respect for personal boundaries.

Sophie Wade moves into Harclay House for a very personal reason. Her sister Kelsey disappeared from the same place two years earlier. Sophie is determined to discover what happened, even as the house provides an increasingly convincing list of reasons to pack immediately and never look back. Apparently, mysterious bumps in the night are not enough of a warning.

I enjoyed how Matt Hilton keeps the line between reality and the paranormal blurry. The mystery surrounding Kelsey’s disappearance gives the story emotional weight, while the unsettling atmosphere creates the feeling that something awful is always waiting nearby. A few haunted-house elements felt familiar, and some developments were more predictable than others, but the tension kept me invested.

The Bogeyman is an eerie and entertaining read with a determined protagonist, a sinister setting, and enough nighttime disturbances to make a tiny apartment with loud neighbors seem surprisingly appealing. Four stars.

[Jo Williams]

It opens with a shocker then teases as it takes the reader along with Sophie, who is trying to retrace her sister Kelsey’s path before her sudden disappearance.

It’s got everything to take you back to those childhood fears of the dark where you had to jump onto your bed from a slight distance to avoid getting close enough for any monsters lurking underneath to grab your feet: the unexplained noises, things moving seemingly of their own accord, and paranoia increasing day by day.

Sophie’s fellow residents were a little odd, sometimes feeling almost smothering, as accusations flew about excessive banging and entering no-go areas of the house, before they began to understand each other more.

The dual timeline worked well, taking the reader back to the events of their childhood. There’s a trigger warning for SA, and I felt increasingly tense as more and more of what happened to the sisters was revealed.

I found the novel quite a slow burn at times until suddenly it wasn’t, as it raced towards the finale. It’s not full of jump scares as I initially thought, but not everything in this genre has to be, especially when it comes to psychological horror.

This is the third book in the Cautionary Tales series and I’m now curious about the previous stories. A tense novel that will keep you wondering until the end.

[Meaghan Marx]

Sophie has decided to move into the boarding house her sister vanished into thin air from two years ago. She has decided she wants to solve the mystery of her disappearance by herself once and for all since the police will not take the disappearance seriously. Along the way she makes friends with some of the other boarders and learns that they all think the Victorian mansion is haunted. Some call it a poltergeist some say there is a boogeyman living in the basement. Along the way she begins to realize that the disappearance of her sister may only be the tip of the iceberg of the mystery that is Harclay House. When one of her friends disappears in a startling similar situation to her sister it begins to be clear that something bigger than ghosts may be going on there. And that sometimes people are way scarier than any ghost.

I loved this book so much. It was perfect kick off for spooky season. This was like a throw back to being a kid and reading a Nancy Drew novel. Not too spooky but just the right amount of horror and murder and mystery all wrapped up in one. Highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of a good “whodunnit”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Matt Hilton for giving me the opportunity to read this thriller before it came out!

[Nadine-Sue Sargent]

The Bogeyman is alive and kicking in this. It really is what nightmares are made of.

Sophie's noble quest to find out what happened to her sister just opens her up to the unseen dangers lurking in the house.

Initially I thought we'd get the sort of horror stories reminiscent of childhood tales. And, to some extent, you get that but the reality around the monster and his victims is far more harrowing.

The women form an alliance and it's clearly a friendship borne out of fear and a need to survive; although Sophie and Bella seem to have a strong friendship. I wondered if it's a need to protect and maybe a reminder of siblings that strengthens their bond 🤔

I think the women have good instincts and they clearly know something is going on that needs to be dealt with. At times, it almost seems like they're heading in the wrong direction but we do get to a turning point.

This is suspenseful. It drip feeds more and more horror and discomfort until you're left with that impossible situation with the characters where you question who's going to make it out alive?

[Pauline Render]

Although I’ve read many of this writer’s books, this is the first standalone I’ve read by him, and boy did I enjoy it.
When Sophie moves into Harclay House, there’s only one reason why she’s willing to move into such a rundown and creepy place. The disappearance of her sister, Kelsey, two years ago. The description of the house is suitably unsettling and I could almost feel my skin crawl at the unexplained noises and whispers, along with the unnerving landlord and his rules. The flashbacks into Sophie and Kelsey’s childhood added an extra both emotional, and horrific depth to the story. At first this was a slow burner for me, but as it progressed and Sophie along with two friends begin to discover the truth about Harclay House, the tension quickly ramped up until I was racing through the pages to its brilliant climax.
The Bogeyman is the first Cautionary Tale I’ve read by Matt but I know I’ll definitely be be going back and reading the first two in this series.

[Phil Rogers]

A psychological thriller that will keep you enthralled from start to creepy finish
Kelsey went missing two years ago. The cops have judged the missing person case as a simple runaway and take no further action. Her sister Sophie however is not satisfied, her sister would not just runaway so she’s determined to find out what happened two years past.
Sophie moves into the lodgings that were the last known address of Kelsy. Harclay House has a strange mix of all female guests, and even stranger things start occurring. Things going “bump” in the middle of the night, creepy feelings of someone’s watching and Sophie’s heightened awareness creates it’s own paranoia!
The story gathers pace until the breath-taking finale. Matt Hilton certainly knows how to set the scene and Harclay House soon takes on a Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates Mansion feeling.

[Dan Lawson]

The Bogeyman by Matt Hilton is an eerie, slow-burn supernatural thriller that serves as the highly anticipated third entry in his acclaimed A Cautionary Tale horror series. Moving away from the high-octane pacing of his famous Joe Hunter action thrillers, Hilton delivers a claustrophobic, "old dark house" mystery set in an apartment building in Carlisle, England, that blurs the line between human malice and paranormal dread.

The Bogeyman is a creepy, atmospheric triumph for fans of eerie, slow-burn horror who appreciate authors like Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and A.M. Shine. It handles themes of grief, childhood trauma, and urban legends with a deft hand, making it a stellar addition to Hilton's broadening horror catalog.

[Staceywh_17]

The Bogeyman was spot on for a post-Summerween/pre-spooky season read. It's the third book in Hilton's Cautionary Tales series, and is a standalone.

Now I love me a book where the main character is a sentient being, and Harclay House fit that bill perfectly. The claustrophobic cloying atmosphere was through the roof, and the house felt very much alive. Plot rhythm was perfect, and the suspense built with every page turned.

I chose to read it before I went to sleep...BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER! I can't be the only one who spent their childhood knowing the bogeyman lived under the bed, ready to grab at your legs if you dared move? Thanks Mum!

Can't wait to catch up with the other books in the series.

[Constantine Bech]

Slow to start, bloody to finish, the Bogeyman in this one is all too real, and all too twisted.
I was somewhat disappointed that the labels the novel has (paranormal, in particular) didn't fully translate to the actual plot, but there was eventually enough building there to keep even my pulp-addled brain interested.

I got my ARC from Matt Hilton himself and my extended, honest review of the book (which I grant upfront is not my usual genre fare) can be found here: https://gunghogeeksblog.wordpress.com...

[Jasmine Hall]

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advance copy. At first, I did not want to get into it. But, as I read along the lines, it became pretty good. However, the execution was slow, and that drove me crazy along the way. But this book did get me loving how old houses are always the theme in these haunted stories. I love it, and it was a good book to read around Halloween. But the execution is a bit slow.

[Kim McFall]

This was a solid 3 ⭐️ read

I really enjoyed the first half of the story. I was drawn in from the beginning, the storyline was intriguing, and it kept my attention.

However, the second half the pacing was off a bit, I wasn’t as interested, and it was just longer than I feel like it needed to be.

Overall, it was a fun, solid read with eerie, creepy old building, someone or something is hiding ready to get you vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc!

[Sue Wallace]

A good read.

The Bogeyman by Matt Hilton.
This was a good read. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I loved the start of this book. That got my attention. But then found it got slow and had to keep putting it down. Then it got really good. I never saw that coming. I did like the writing style and the story. It did take me a few days to read this book. overall a good read.

[Ali]

Had to DNF this. It's just so flat. The characters are flat and boring, the dialogue is awkward and I'm simply bored and don't feel its worth it to push through. From other reviews it seems it gets more exciting at the end but it's not worth it to me to try and get there if I have no interest on reading the first half or more.

Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy

[Sukhdave Takhar]

*thank you netgalley for the ARC so i was able to read and give my honest review*

I loved sophie and her overall character. I was a bit worried when i started book that i wasnt going like it but i glad i stuck to it. This was an awesome thriller that had me guessing what was going happen. I felt like the scares were good and that end wow loved it.

[Lisa reads alot Hamer]

This was a fantastically chilling and scary read, think of those scary stories you heard about the bogeyman when you were younger and this book taps into all those scary thoughts.
Full of atmosphere, suspense and horror and it kept me guessing till the end.
I could not put this book down, shocking in parts but a great read throughout with a well thought out plot and storyline.
Loved it!

[Joana Marta]

I was really looking forward to this premise, as I always enjoy a creepy house mystery paired with a missing person storyline. While the concept had a lot of potential, the story overall didn't quite build the level of suspense or tension I usually hope for in the genre.

The writing leaned heavily on exposition rather than showing events unfold, which made the pacing feel a bit slow for me. I also found some of the character interactions and conversations somewhat repetitive, which made it a little harder to fully connect with them or feel deeply invested in their journey.

It is an interesting premise with good atmospheric ideas, but the execution was just a bit too quiet and slow-paced for my personal taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sophie]

Thanks so much to Joffe Books and Netgalley for the ARC 🖤

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing right up until the end. When Sophie's sister goes missing from her dingy apartment, the police assume she has made a clean break for herself. Convinced that her sister wouldn't leave without at least saying goodbye, Sophie moves into her old flat, determined to find some clue as to her whereabouts. As soon as she moves into Barclay House, something feels off...the abrasive landlord, the creepy cellar, and the feeling of being watched...

I did find the use of SA to be a little gratuitous at times personally, but otherwise a great read.

[Angela]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers of The Bogeyman for the ARC of the book for my honest opinion.

The Bogeyman is about Sophie who goes to live at Harclay House after her sister goes missing from the exact same place 2 years ago. Things start happening that can't be explained.

Although at times a slog, the last 10% were fast paced and everything fell into place. I didn't love the final chapter - I don't need that much of a "happy ending" bow to it. It actually diminished from the climax for me. The rest of it was a decent book. I liked the Bogeyman (the character) and it was creepy. As a woman this is a worst nightmare situation.

Would I recommend it? Yes I would. It was creepy and the character of Sophie was fearless