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Don't Let It Out
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26The assignment was simple: contain the forest. Don’t let anything out.
FBI Agent Daniela Rojas arrives with a secret mission of her own. To uncover the truth behind Project Greenfall, a classified experiment buried by the Canopy Collective. RCMP Corporal Cade Mercer is there for a different reason. Two years ago, his wife vanished inside these woods. No body. No answers. Only the quiet certainty that something took her.
Now they stand watch at the edge of a quarantined wilderness that shouldn’t exist. The forest is changing. Spreading. Breathing. Time slips. Reality bends. And beyond the fence they are ordered never to cross, someone is calling to them. A woman tied to both of their pasts—a woman who should be dead.
As the pull of the forest tightens, so does the infection taking root beneath the trees. What waits inside isn’t just survival horror, it’s something far more intimate.
Because this forest doesn’t just infect the body. It gets inside you. Learns you. Remakes you.
And by the time Daniela and Cade understand what’s happening to them…it may already be too late to escape it.
For fans of Jeff Vandermeer's 'Annihilation', Apple TV's 'The Gorge', Capcom's 'Resident Evil', and Naughty Dog's 'The Last of Us' , this dark, cinematic, eco-horror is a pulse-pounding descent into a living nightmare where nature fights back, and takes what it wants.
FBI Agent Daniela Rojas arrives with a secret mission of her own. To uncover the truth behind Project Greenfall, a classified experiment buried by the Canopy Collective. RCMP Corporal Cade Mercer is there for a different reason. Two years ago, his wife vanished inside these woods. No body. No answers. Only the quiet certainty that something took her.
Now they stand watch at the edge of a quarantined wilderness that shouldn’t exist. The forest is changing. Spreading. Breathing. Time slips. Reality bends. And beyond the fence they are ordered never to cross, someone is calling to them. A woman tied to both of their pasts—a woman who should be dead.
As the pull of the forest tightens, so does the infection taking root beneath the trees. What waits inside isn’t just survival horror, it’s something far more intimate.
Because this forest doesn’t just infect the body. It gets inside you. Learns you. Remakes you.
And by the time Daniela and Cade understand what’s happening to them…it may already be too late to escape it.
For fans of Jeff Vandermeer's 'Annihilation', Apple TV's 'The Gorge', Capcom's 'Resident Evil', and Naughty Dog's 'The Last of Us' , this dark, cinematic, eco-horror is a pulse-pounding descent into a living nightmare where nature fights back, and takes what it wants.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
N.A. Betts
6 books44 followersN.A. (Nick) Betts is a Canadian author of epic fantasy with a love for timeless storytelling. A Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, he crafts sweeping tales of good versus evil, drawing inspiration from Tolkien and other classic works of the genre. His stories are filled with tropes such as coming of age, self-discovery, and found family, while exploring themes of physical perseverance and mental resilience.
When he's not busy creating new worlds, Nick can be found enjoying professional wrestling, diving into stories of the unexplained, or relaxing with some good jazz. He lives just outside Edmonton, Alberta, with his wife and three cats, Bandit, Carter, and Addley.
When he's not busy creating new worlds, Nick can be found enjoying professional wrestling, diving into stories of the unexplained, or relaxing with some good jazz. He lives just outside Edmonton, Alberta, with his wife and three cats, Bandit, Carter, and Addley.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
RATING AND REVIEW TRANSPOSED FROM READER'S FAVOURITE
Link to the review for transparency: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite - 5 Stars
Don’t Let It Out by N.A. Betts begins with an introduction to Daniela Rojas, a former Army Ranger completing her final FBI training exercise under intense physical and psychological strain. From the opening scene, where Dani fights through pepper spray and multiple attackers, the story establishes a world driven by discipline, instinct, and buried tension. As she graduates and prepares for her assignment, hints of her past surface, especially a mission that ended with her as the sole survivor. Her reassignment to Seattle forces her back to unresolved events from that night. At the same time, the story introduces Cade Mercer, a Canadian officer struggling with the disappearance of his wife two years earlier, a loss that continues to affect his daily life. Their narratives begin separately but move toward a shared mystery involving a corporation called Canopy and a project known as Greenfall.
N.A. Betts places a strong emphasis on action and internal tension. The pacing is quick, especially in scenes involving training, confrontation, and pursuit, while quieter moments offer insight into the characters’ emotional states. Dialogue reveals relationships and advances the plot, often carrying an undercurrent of unease that reflects the larger mystery. Betts uses alternating perspectives between Dani and Cade to build momentum and broaden the narrative scope, giving readers two viewpoints that gradually intersect. Recurring elements like memory, guilt, and perception are woven throughout. Readers who enjoy fast-moving thrillers with interconnected storylines and a blend of investigative and psychological elements will find much to admire. Don’t Let It Out will appeal to readers who enjoy authors like Blake Crouch, particularly in the combination of suspense, science-driven mystery, and character-focused storytelling.
Link to the review for transparency: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite - 5 Stars
Don’t Let It Out by N.A. Betts begins with an introduction to Daniela Rojas, a former Army Ranger completing her final FBI training exercise under intense physical and psychological strain. From the opening scene, where Dani fights through pepper spray and multiple attackers, the story establishes a world driven by discipline, instinct, and buried tension. As she graduates and prepares for her assignment, hints of her past surface, especially a mission that ended with her as the sole survivor. Her reassignment to Seattle forces her back to unresolved events from that night. At the same time, the story introduces Cade Mercer, a Canadian officer struggling with the disappearance of his wife two years earlier, a loss that continues to affect his daily life. Their narratives begin separately but move toward a shared mystery involving a corporation called Canopy and a project known as Greenfall.
N.A. Betts places a strong emphasis on action and internal tension. The pacing is quick, especially in scenes involving training, confrontation, and pursuit, while quieter moments offer insight into the characters’ emotional states. Dialogue reveals relationships and advances the plot, often carrying an undercurrent of unease that reflects the larger mystery. Betts uses alternating perspectives between Dani and Cade to build momentum and broaden the narrative scope, giving readers two viewpoints that gradually intersect. Recurring elements like memory, guilt, and perception are woven throughout. Readers who enjoy fast-moving thrillers with interconnected storylines and a blend of investigative and psychological elements will find much to admire. Don’t Let It Out will appeal to readers who enjoy authors like Blake Crouch, particularly in the combination of suspense, science-driven mystery, and character-focused storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from Author
To view more reviews, click [HERE!]
This review is cross-posted. Check out the original post with the full review [HERE]
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Don’t Let It Out had me feeling like I’d gone and lost my marbles! There was a portion in the middle that I thought I was honestly losing my mind, asking “What the hell is happening??” over and over. Horror isn’t my main genre, but of those that I’ve read, usually it’s straightforward horror, no mind games. A nice ghastly haunt, a town that acts funny, etc. DLIT has been rather unique and leaves an uneasy feeling knotted in my chest.
The story begins and revolves around two main characters: Daniela Rojas, a former Army Ranger turned FBI and Cade Mercer, a Canadian officer; two strangers with two different pasts intertwining into one setting and goal within a forest that has claimed loved ones from both of them. The story starts with Daniela completing the last of her FBI training, fighting through pepper spray against multiple attackers. Seeming to lose ground at first, she eventually powers through, fighting in such a way even her instructor exclaims to have never seen a trainee do.
Slowly though, pieces of her past begin to painfully resurface: an ex-ranger, a failed mission, the loss of her entire team with her being the sole survivor. Daniela is relocated to Seattle and soon finds herself on a mission, assigned to the very same place that claimed her fellow rangers’ lives two years back. There she’s partnered with Cade Mercer, an officer who too has lost a loved one to these same trees. It’s been two years since his wife’s disappearance and though pills have helped, he continues to struggle with the loss constantly, a daily endeavor that he just manages to stave off. This forest assignment, his superior says, is something they know he needs.
The writing was stellar in this book. I like to describe it as “staccato”. Short, but punchy and delivering the perfect atmosphere: haunting, emotional, and suffocatingly vivid with moments that are so unclear, you can’t fully rely on the narrator’s mind and perspective anymore. The writing draws you in, makes you a little nervous to keep reading, but also does not hesitate to keep you glued to the book. There are many moments, you blink and find yourself reeling. A couple of chapters in, between Rojas’ and Mercer’s backgrounds, I find myself already deeply invested.
The story flows well and though short, there’s plenty of blood pumping action that leaves your heart at your throat as we, the readers, find ourselves in the minds of Cade and Daniela, fighting against something unknown. They can’t trust the voices that come out from their own radios, can’t trust the clock, can’t trust their own memories, and they might not even be able to trust each other.
Spooky scary? No. Eerie and unsettling that leaves a lingering sense of unease at the back of your brain? Absolutely. Don’t Let It Out was the perfect mix of mind games, untrustworthy narration, body horror, and something deeply unnatural and eldritch. If you are looking for a short horror that is unforgettable, this book won’t let you down.
This review is cross-posted. Check out the original post with the full review [HERE]
===========
Don’t Let It Out had me feeling like I’d gone and lost my marbles! There was a portion in the middle that I thought I was honestly losing my mind, asking “What the hell is happening??” over and over. Horror isn’t my main genre, but of those that I’ve read, usually it’s straightforward horror, no mind games. A nice ghastly haunt, a town that acts funny, etc. DLIT has been rather unique and leaves an uneasy feeling knotted in my chest.
The story begins and revolves around two main characters: Daniela Rojas, a former Army Ranger turned FBI and Cade Mercer, a Canadian officer; two strangers with two different pasts intertwining into one setting and goal within a forest that has claimed loved ones from both of them. The story starts with Daniela completing the last of her FBI training, fighting through pepper spray against multiple attackers. Seeming to lose ground at first, she eventually powers through, fighting in such a way even her instructor exclaims to have never seen a trainee do.
Slowly though, pieces of her past begin to painfully resurface: an ex-ranger, a failed mission, the loss of her entire team with her being the sole survivor. Daniela is relocated to Seattle and soon finds herself on a mission, assigned to the very same place that claimed her fellow rangers’ lives two years back. There she’s partnered with Cade Mercer, an officer who too has lost a loved one to these same trees. It’s been two years since his wife’s disappearance and though pills have helped, he continues to struggle with the loss constantly, a daily endeavor that he just manages to stave off. This forest assignment, his superior says, is something they know he needs.
The writing was stellar in this book. I like to describe it as “staccato”. Short, but punchy and delivering the perfect atmosphere: haunting, emotional, and suffocatingly vivid with moments that are so unclear, you can’t fully rely on the narrator’s mind and perspective anymore. The writing draws you in, makes you a little nervous to keep reading, but also does not hesitate to keep you glued to the book. There are many moments, you blink and find yourself reeling. A couple of chapters in, between Rojas’ and Mercer’s backgrounds, I find myself already deeply invested.
The story flows well and though short, there’s plenty of blood pumping action that leaves your heart at your throat as we, the readers, find ourselves in the minds of Cade and Daniela, fighting against something unknown. They can’t trust the voices that come out from their own radios, can’t trust the clock, can’t trust their own memories, and they might not even be able to trust each other.
Spooky scary? No. Eerie and unsettling that leaves a lingering sense of unease at the back of your brain? Absolutely. Don’t Let It Out was the perfect mix of mind games, untrustworthy narration, body horror, and something deeply unnatural and eldritch. If you are looking for a short horror that is unforgettable, this book won’t let you down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Don't Let It Out is an incredibly strong debut horror novella that thrives on atmosphere, tension, and psychological unease. Rather than relying solely on jump scares or nonstop action, N.A. Betts creates a story that slowly burrows into your mind, making you question everything alongside the characters.
From the moment FBI Agent Daniela Rojas and RCMP Corporal Cade Mercer arrive at the quarantined forest, the story carries a constant feeling of dread. The mystery surrounding Project Greenfall, the disappearing reality within the woods, and the eerie presence calling out from beyond the fence all build an unsettling atmosphere that keeps you hooked. What makes the horror work so well is that the danger never unfolds exactly the way you expect it to. Just when you think the story is preparing for a typical scare or confrontation, it shifts direction and leaves you even more uneasy.
One of the best parts of this novella is how it makes you second-guess what you are reading. The story encourages you to go back and search for details you may have overlooked earlier, looking for hidden clues or connections that were quietly sitting in the background the entire time. That layered storytelling adds so much depth to the reading experience and keeps the tension alive even after putting the book down.
From the moment FBI Agent Daniela Rojas and RCMP Corporal Cade Mercer arrive at the quarantined forest, the story carries a constant feeling of dread. The mystery surrounding Project Greenfall, the disappearing reality within the woods, and the eerie presence calling out from beyond the fence all build an unsettling atmosphere that keeps you hooked. What makes the horror work so well is that the danger never unfolds exactly the way you expect it to. Just when you think the story is preparing for a typical scare or confrontation, it shifts direction and leaves you even more uneasy.
One of the best parts of this novella is how it makes you second-guess what you are reading. The story encourages you to go back and search for details you may have overlooked earlier, looking for hidden clues or connections that were quietly sitting in the background the entire time. That layered storytelling adds so much depth to the reading experience and keeps the tension alive even after putting the book down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
That eerie sense that something is not right, that gap in memory you cannot explain, that dark figure that is always there...and yet not.
The way that this would translate into a film is unreal because you can just visualize all the little instances of 'off' the characters, Cade and Dani, go through as the story goes deeper. Little things you didn't think were important at the beginning suddenly take on a new meaning and there's just one very glaring truth...your eyes see what IT wants you to see. Both Dani and Cade have their own struggles once they get to this site; Dani with the loss of her team and her being the only survivor and Cade with his wife missing for the last two years. But absolutely NOTHING is as it seems. The eerie radio calls, the difference in time, the slowly fracturing mental states, the whispering of the trees...just a whole vibe of unsettling. In the best way possible.
As someone who just dips into a little horror every now and then, this was an interesting eco-horror story that just leaves you feeling on edge and questioning everything.
The way that this would translate into a film is unreal because you can just visualize all the little instances of 'off' the characters, Cade and Dani, go through as the story goes deeper. Little things you didn't think were important at the beginning suddenly take on a new meaning and there's just one very glaring truth...your eyes see what IT wants you to see. Both Dani and Cade have their own struggles once they get to this site; Dani with the loss of her team and her being the only survivor and Cade with his wife missing for the last two years. But absolutely NOTHING is as it seems. The eerie radio calls, the difference in time, the slowly fracturing mental states, the whispering of the trees...just a whole vibe of unsettling. In the best way possible.
As someone who just dips into a little horror every now and then, this was an interesting eco-horror story that just leaves you feeling on edge and questioning everything.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What starts as a mission to contain a quarantined forest quickly spirals into something far more disturbing. The deeper Daniela and Cade are pulled toward the truth behind Project Greenfall, the more reality itself begins to unravel. The forest itself feels like it's constantly shifting, watching, and learning. Every scene carried this heavy sense of dread that never really lets up.
The story seamlessly blends psychological horror, survival horror, and mystery, so that I genuinely had no idea where things were heading next.
There was also the emotional core underneath all the horror. Cade’s desperation for answers and Daniela’s own connection to the secrets buried inside the forest added weight to the story. Everything felt personal and increasingly unsettling.
Some moments genuinely had my heart racing, while others left me sitting there trying to process what I had just read.
Eerie forests, reality-bending horror, creeping paranoia, and it leaves you feeling haunted. I loved it.
Thank you so much N.A Betts for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤
The story seamlessly blends psychological horror, survival horror, and mystery, so that I genuinely had no idea where things were heading next.
There was also the emotional core underneath all the horror. Cade’s desperation for answers and Daniela’s own connection to the secrets buried inside the forest added weight to the story. Everything felt personal and increasingly unsettling.
Some moments genuinely had my heart racing, while others left me sitting there trying to process what I had just read.
Eerie forests, reality-bending horror, creeping paranoia, and it leaves you feeling haunted. I loved it.
Thank you so much N.A Betts for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rating: 5
Pre-ARC ERead
Warning: this will make you question your sanity more with each turn of the page.
Big thank you to N. A. Betts for this early read. It is truly a masterpiece and I cannot wait to purchase the final, polished version for a reread!
Truthfully, I don’t know where to begin with this review. This book is such a psychological nightmare it’s amazing. From the very first page, you’ll question everything. This book will have you flipping back and forth searching for details that just. aren’t. there. Every twist is unexpected with a new horror waiting behind every corner. This bite sized horror book packs a punch I wasn’t ready for and I guarantee you (as someone who can usually predict the ending) you’ll never see that one coming.
Follow up warning: scary noises (such as your cat sneezing) in the middle of the night may be terrifying after finishing this novella.
Pre-ARC ERead
Warning: this will make you question your sanity more with each turn of the page.
Big thank you to N. A. Betts for this early read. It is truly a masterpiece and I cannot wait to purchase the final, polished version for a reread!
Truthfully, I don’t know where to begin with this review. This book is such a psychological nightmare it’s amazing. From the very first page, you’ll question everything. This book will have you flipping back and forth searching for details that just. aren’t. there. Every twist is unexpected with a new horror waiting behind every corner. This bite sized horror book packs a punch I wasn’t ready for and I guarantee you (as someone who can usually predict the ending) you’ll never see that one coming.
Follow up warning: scary noises (such as your cat sneezing) in the middle of the night may be terrifying after finishing this novella.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
This book punches straight into your psyche and leaves you reeling.
From the very first page, something feels off. The story is filled with unsettling moments and interactions that raise more questions than answers, creating a constant sense of unease.
There were points where my heart was racing. I was completely absorbed. I found myself trying to piece everything together as the story unfolded, drawn deeper into its eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
The setting is haunting & the buildup is incredibly well done, and that ending… wow.
If you enjoy horror that lingers long after the final page, this is a must read!
This book punches straight into your psyche and leaves you reeling.
From the very first page, something feels off. The story is filled with unsettling moments and interactions that raise more questions than answers, creating a constant sense of unease.
There were points where my heart was racing. I was completely absorbed. I found myself trying to piece everything together as the story unfolded, drawn deeper into its eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
The setting is haunting & the buildup is incredibly well done, and that ending… wow.
If you enjoy horror that lingers long after the final page, this is a must read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I have no proper words that will describe the claustrophobia, unease, worry and excitement i felt at the same time while reading this book.
At times even i thought i lost my god damn mind, was i reading the same thing over and over was i too impacted by whatever Dani & Cade were going through.
This book will make you question reality and your sanity while the same time having claws so deep into your mind that you cant stop reading and if you do it will have a pull so strong that you will have to continue there is no other way.
For my first eco horror this was magnificent. The way this book had me captivated was beyond reality.
At times even i thought i lost my god damn mind, was i reading the same thing over and over was i too impacted by whatever Dani & Cade were going through.
This book will make you question reality and your sanity while the same time having claws so deep into your mind that you cant stop reading and if you do it will have a pull so strong that you will have to continue there is no other way.
For my first eco horror this was magnificent. The way this book had me captivated was beyond reality.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Notes for Nick’s Book:
WTF was that?! I sat with this for a while, trying to calm my mind and make sense of it all… it starts with government conspiracy vibes but the only conspiracy is the unreliability of the dual narratives. If you think you know what’s going on, don’t hold your breath because it will change and remind you that you know nothing!!
Reality is continuously bent to the point that we are left questioning what the characters actually know! And what we actually know… I re-read it thinking I’d have a better grasp on it the second time but that was not the case!!
Did we ever stand a chance??
WTF was that?! I sat with this for a while, trying to calm my mind and make sense of it all… it starts with government conspiracy vibes but the only conspiracy is the unreliability of the dual narratives. If you think you know what’s going on, don’t hold your breath because it will change and remind you that you know nothing!!
Reality is continuously bent to the point that we are left questioning what the characters actually know! And what we actually know… I re-read it thinking I’d have a better grasp on it the second time but that was not the case!!
Did we ever stand a chance??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Don't Let It Out is a fantastic tale of militaristic, scientific, governmental oversight, with horror, action, emotional distress, mystery, and existential dread. For such a quick read, this novella packs a punch in the gut with grotesque and vivid imagery throughout the unsettling and cautionary tale that will linger with you long after the conclusion. I will be reading this again because I found myself overly engrossed in picturing certain scenes, and I know I'll pick up on nuances I missed.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A mind melding journey, with many twists and turns, Don't Let It Out was an amazing story.
This is my first book I've read by author N.A. Better and after reading this I have purchased all his other works.
It's the story of Cade Mercer and Dani Rojas as they explore a Force in a forest that ties into their past tradgies. It's not what you would expect at all.
A must read for all Horror fans
Ryan Haigh
Stories : The True and the Fictional
This is my first book I've read by author N.A. Better and after reading this I have purchased all his other works.
It's the story of Cade Mercer and Dani Rojas as they explore a Force in a forest that ties into their past tradgies. It's not what you would expect at all.
A must read for all Horror fans
Ryan Haigh
Stories : The True and the Fictional
Review of advance copy received from Author
Really great read. I give it a solid 4.5/5. Loses half a point because I wanted more, but it's beautifully bite sized and unable to be put down.
The author really built the tension and dread well, I was always left in the dark, once you think you have it figured out you realize you're wrong and are left with more questions and a sense of growing unease.
The author really built the tension and dread well, I was always left in the dark, once you think you have it figured out you realize you're wrong and are left with more questions and a sense of growing unease.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fast paced and sit on the edge of your seat book. This book pulled me right in and wouldn't let me go. It was adrenaline inducing. It relies heavily on the human emotion and the lack of giving up when faced with your own demons. If you are a horror fan its a must read
Review of advance copy received from Author
Don’t Let It Out! by Betts is Jeff VanderMeer by way of the Duffer Brothers. A psychological mindscrew of a read that will have you second guessing reality every step of the way. Fast-paced and bone-chilling.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is an excellent entry into the eco-horror genre! Betts does an awesome job of character and world building, and the visuals of the forest happenings is CRAZY! I loved the unexpected twisty ending as well. Great read!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews