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Kathy Ryan #2
Behind the Door
Occult specialist Kathy Ryan returns in this thrilling novel of paranormal horror from Mary SanGiovanni, the author of Chills.
Some doors should never be opened . . .
In the rural town of Zarepath, deep in the woods on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, stands the Door. No one knows where it came from, and no one knows where it leads. For generations, folks have come to the Door seeking solace or forgiveness. They deliver a handwritten letter asking for some emotional burden to be lifted, sealed with a mixture of wax and their own blood, and slide it beneath the Door. Three days later, their wish is answeredfor better or worse.
Kari is a single mother, grieving over the suicide of her teenage daughter. She made a terrible mistake, asking the powers beyond the Door to erase the memories of her lost child. And when she opened the Door to retrieve her letter, she unleashed every sin, secret, and spirit ever trapped on the other side.
Now, it falls to occultist Kathy Ryan to seal the door before Zarepath becomes hell on earth . . .
Praise for the novels of Mary SanGiovanni
A feast of both visceral and existential horror.F. Paul Wilson on Thrall
Filled to the brim with mounting terror.Gary A. Braunbeck on The Hollower
A fast-building, high-tension ride.James A. Moore on The Hollower "
Some doors should never be opened . . .
In the rural town of Zarepath, deep in the woods on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, stands the Door. No one knows where it came from, and no one knows where it leads. For generations, folks have come to the Door seeking solace or forgiveness. They deliver a handwritten letter asking for some emotional burden to be lifted, sealed with a mixture of wax and their own blood, and slide it beneath the Door. Three days later, their wish is answeredfor better or worse.
Kari is a single mother, grieving over the suicide of her teenage daughter. She made a terrible mistake, asking the powers beyond the Door to erase the memories of her lost child. And when she opened the Door to retrieve her letter, she unleashed every sin, secret, and spirit ever trapped on the other side.
Now, it falls to occultist Kathy Ryan to seal the door before Zarepath becomes hell on earth . . .
Praise for the novels of Mary SanGiovanni
A feast of both visceral and existential horror.F. Paul Wilson on Thrall
Filled to the brim with mounting terror.Gary A. Braunbeck on The Hollower
A fast-building, high-tension ride.James A. Moore on The Hollower "
189 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2018
89 people are currently reading
1064 people want to read
About the author
Mary SanGiovanni
81 books481 followersMary SanGiovanni is the author of over twenty books in horror and supernatural thrillers. Her fiction has appeared in periodicals and anthologies for the last decade. She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, where she studied under genre greats. She is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers, and was previously an Active member in the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 29, 2018
3.5 Stars
Some doors should never be opened . . .
In the rural town of Zarepath, Pennsylvania there is a door. To the town, it feels as if the door has been there forever. No one knows where it came from, no one knows what lies behind the door, and yet generation after generation people have come to the door. They slide their carefully worded handwritten notes under the door, asking for forgiveness, asking for change, asking for an emotional burden to be lifted, looking for absolution, to be free of judgement, or free of their tormentors. Three days later, their wishes are granted. But as always one must be careful about what he/she wishes for, for better or worse, you will get what you ask for. There are no do-overs. There are no second chances. You can only submit one note and above all else you are to NEVER open the door.
Kari, like so many others in the town, has learned about the door and the wishes being granted. She hopes the door and what lies beyond on can help her. She writes her note, seals it with her blood mixed with wax, and leaves it under the door as instructed. But then she begins to regret leaving the note and decides to take it back. All she wants to do is retrieve her letter and in doing so, she does the thing she has been instructed never to do - she opens the door. In the process she has released every secret, every wish, every sin that others have left with the door.
“Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."
Soon people in town have their letters come back to haunt them and occult specialist Kathy Ryan is brought in to investigate and figure out how to close the door once and for all. But how? Will her experience be enough? Just what is her experience? I would have liked to have known more about her character. I am guessing that perhaps her story will be fleshed out more in future books. I hope so as she is the expert and I felt I knew more about the townspeople than I did her.
This book gets props for being both entertaining and original. There are a lot of characters in this book and the Author did a great job at giving them distinct personalities, sins, wishes, etc. Not only did that help with my enjoyment of this book but it also made keeping track of the characters easy.
Not once did I have to stop reading to try and figure out which character was being talked about.
This book is in the horror genre, but it is not what I would call scary or overly gory. There are some creepy and menacing scenes but nothing that was too gruesome or terrifying. With many books, readers need to suspend disbelief and I found it easy to do so with this book. A mysterious door in the middle of the woods with powers that opens to......(read and find out). I would have liked to have known a little more about the door and what lies beyond but again, I am wondering if this will be explored in future books in the series. Not this door perhaps, but other portals?
Overall an enjoyable book. This book is the first in the series and I will be looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to Kensington Books - Lyrical Underground and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Some doors should never be opened . . .
In the rural town of Zarepath, Pennsylvania there is a door. To the town, it feels as if the door has been there forever. No one knows where it came from, no one knows what lies behind the door, and yet generation after generation people have come to the door. They slide their carefully worded handwritten notes under the door, asking for forgiveness, asking for change, asking for an emotional burden to be lifted, looking for absolution, to be free of judgement, or free of their tormentors. Three days later, their wishes are granted. But as always one must be careful about what he/she wishes for, for better or worse, you will get what you ask for. There are no do-overs. There are no second chances. You can only submit one note and above all else you are to NEVER open the door.
Kari, like so many others in the town, has learned about the door and the wishes being granted. She hopes the door and what lies beyond on can help her. She writes her note, seals it with her blood mixed with wax, and leaves it under the door as instructed. But then she begins to regret leaving the note and decides to take it back. All she wants to do is retrieve her letter and in doing so, she does the thing she has been instructed never to do - she opens the door. In the process she has released every secret, every wish, every sin that others have left with the door.
“Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."
Soon people in town have their letters come back to haunt them and occult specialist Kathy Ryan is brought in to investigate and figure out how to close the door once and for all. But how? Will her experience be enough? Just what is her experience? I would have liked to have known more about her character. I am guessing that perhaps her story will be fleshed out more in future books. I hope so as she is the expert and I felt I knew more about the townspeople than I did her.
This book gets props for being both entertaining and original. There are a lot of characters in this book and the Author did a great job at giving them distinct personalities, sins, wishes, etc. Not only did that help with my enjoyment of this book but it also made keeping track of the characters easy.
Not once did I have to stop reading to try and figure out which character was being talked about.
This book is in the horror genre, but it is not what I would call scary or overly gory. There are some creepy and menacing scenes but nothing that was too gruesome or terrifying. With many books, readers need to suspend disbelief and I found it easy to do so with this book. A mysterious door in the middle of the woods with powers that opens to......(read and find out). I would have liked to have known a little more about the door and what lies beyond but again, I am wondering if this will be explored in future books in the series. Not this door perhaps, but other portals?
Overall an enjoyable book. This book is the first in the series and I will be looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to Kensington Books - Lyrical Underground and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
August 6, 2018
4.5/5*
In the small town of Zarephath, PA there exists a door. Everyone knows about it, and everyone knows what it does. Everyone also knows not to open the door: as in NEVER, EVER open the door. But, of course, someone does, and this is the basis for BEHIND THE DOOR.
Slight spoiler below:
Kathy Ryan is a fascinating character and I can't wait to read more about her. An occult specialist, she knows things. For this reason, she is called to Pennsylvania to help the town figure out what happened, and hopefully, how to undo it. She comes in and she's heard. Surprisingly, she's understood and respected-pretty much right off the bat, with the few naysayers quickly changing their tunes as the situation escalates. (As a women in a primarily male field, I felt that this was a bit optimistic, but hey, that's just me and again, my review.)
I thought the other characters were also well drawn and believable. I just wanted to hug both Kari and Cicely as much as I wanted to kick Ed and Toby. (And I wanted to kick a certain place on their bodies that isn't ladylike for me to mention.) Characters that inspire that kind of feeling in me demand to be heard.
To recap: BEHIND THE DOOR is a fast paced novel that moves right along. Evil in a small town is a favorite trope of mine, and combined with this type of horror, (see spoiler above), this was a must read for me. If any of this sounds vaguely good to you? This is a must read for you too!
My highest recommendation!
Available everywhere August 28th, 2018, but you can pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Door-Ka...
*Thank you to Kensington, Lyrical Underground and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
In the small town of Zarephath, PA there exists a door. Everyone knows about it, and everyone knows what it does. Everyone also knows not to open the door: as in NEVER, EVER open the door. But, of course, someone does, and this is the basis for BEHIND THE DOOR.
Slight spoiler below:
Kathy Ryan is a fascinating character and I can't wait to read more about her. An occult specialist, she knows things. For this reason, she is called to Pennsylvania to help the town figure out what happened, and hopefully, how to undo it. She comes in and she's heard. Surprisingly, she's understood and respected-pretty much right off the bat, with the few naysayers quickly changing their tunes as the situation escalates. (As a women in a primarily male field, I felt that this was a bit optimistic, but hey, that's just me and again, my review.)
I thought the other characters were also well drawn and believable. I just wanted to hug both Kari and Cicely as much as I wanted to kick Ed and Toby. (And I wanted to kick a certain place on their bodies that isn't ladylike for me to mention.) Characters that inspire that kind of feeling in me demand to be heard.
To recap: BEHIND THE DOOR is a fast paced novel that moves right along. Evil in a small town is a favorite trope of mine, and combined with this type of horror, (see spoiler above), this was a must read for me. If any of this sounds vaguely good to you? This is a must read for you too!
My highest recommendation!
Available everywhere August 28th, 2018, but you can pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Door-Ka...
*Thank you to Kensington, Lyrical Underground and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
July 21, 2018
Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni is a supernatural horror read that is the beginning of the new Kathy Ryan series. Kathy Ryan is a specialist in all things supernatural that gets called into the rural town of Zarepath when things get out of control.
You see, Zarepath has had something special in their woods for years and years. A mysterious door exists that the locals know will grant a wish to anyone that passes a note with a drop of blood on the seal under the door. Of course those tempting fate to ask the door for a wish know that you must word your wish just so or you just might get more than you bargained for.
Kari is a newcomer around town that didn’t know about the door but when a friend sees that Kari is just not getting over the heartbreak of losing her daughter she suggests the door may help take the pain away. Of course Kari is given the warnings that town folks have lived by for years, you can’t bring back the dead and just don’t open the door no matter what but when things don’t go as Kari imagined she’s determined to take back her wish.
Behind the Door is a solid horror tale that I’m sure many will love as Mary SanGiovanni is certainly a good writer. However, for myself having read and watched tons of horror over the years I was slightly disappointed there wasn’t more to the door than what there was leaving me to feel that this was just an OK read. We all know in horror someone will break that rule that they are told not to so it’s what the author does with that afterward that will make something truly unique and to me this one didn’t have anything truly spectacular happen. Since I’m tough to please in the horror genre I’d still say give this a shot though if horror appeals to you.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
You see, Zarepath has had something special in their woods for years and years. A mysterious door exists that the locals know will grant a wish to anyone that passes a note with a drop of blood on the seal under the door. Of course those tempting fate to ask the door for a wish know that you must word your wish just so or you just might get more than you bargained for.
Kari is a newcomer around town that didn’t know about the door but when a friend sees that Kari is just not getting over the heartbreak of losing her daughter she suggests the door may help take the pain away. Of course Kari is given the warnings that town folks have lived by for years, you can’t bring back the dead and just don’t open the door no matter what but when things don’t go as Kari imagined she’s determined to take back her wish.
Behind the Door is a solid horror tale that I’m sure many will love as Mary SanGiovanni is certainly a good writer. However, for myself having read and watched tons of horror over the years I was slightly disappointed there wasn’t more to the door than what there was leaving me to feel that this was just an OK read. We all know in horror someone will break that rule that they are told not to so it’s what the author does with that afterward that will make something truly unique and to me this one didn’t have anything truly spectacular happen. Since I’m tough to please in the horror genre I’d still say give this a shot though if horror appeals to you.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
August 28, 2018
**AVAILABLE NOW!**
BEHIND THE DOOR (A Kathy Ryan Novel), by Mary SanGiovanni, is a supernatural horror novel that really makes the readers think, and begs the question: If you could have anything you want--without knowing the possible repercussions--would you take that chance? In the rural town of Zarephath, PA, there is a "freestanding Door" in the woods that the residents both fear and revere.
"Some doors should never be opened . . . "
When new people move to Zarephath, they are inevitably told--in whispered reverence--about the town's mysterious Door. Rumors say that you can ask for something from it--but there are as many "bad" results as there may be desirable ones.
"Rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door . . . "
Kari, a newly divorced woman who tragically lost her only child, has recently moved here to try and get away from her haunting memories.
"You don't always get it how you want it . . . "
She is one of the many remarkable characters that the author does an incredible job of bringing to life in this book. The emotional intensity, pain, faults, strengths, fears, and desires are so real that they make you feel as though you were in this town, WITH these individuals. They became more than a name and a problem they had--they became . . . human. Even those with monstrous secrets were three dimensional.
". . . It was human nature that in times of fear or sorrow, people leaned toward wanting to believe in something over nothing . . . even faceless, nameless gods behind a freestanding door in the woods . . . "
I could practically feel the opposing pull of emotions in many of the townspeople. Creating individuals that your readers will be thinking about long after the book is finished is a challenging feat, but Mary SanGiovanni pulls it off so smoothly that she makes it seem nearly effortless.
". . . When you ask for things that defy the laws of God and nature, it never, never works out . . . I said you can ask for anything and you can . . . but we learned quick 'round here that you don't . . . "
This is the second standalone book I've read with Kathy Ryan as a character, and while her background and occult "training" are still very much in the shadows, I found that she fit perfectly into this novel--her arrival more of a gentle "ripple" than a "wave". In BEHIND THE DOOR, her persona seemed very certain, and developed when she is called in to help the townspeople with the sudden problem with: ". . . them behind the Door." Even without knowing her personal history, I didn't feel that anything crucial was left out here. Rather, I felt that we were given the perfect amount of information to go on, without overshadowing the theme of the novel with excess content.
". . . Maybe sometimes it was just as bad to get what you asked the Door for as it was not to . . . "
I think this is one of those rare novels that will stay with me for quite a while. I was certainly drawn to the well developed, complex characters, and the tense, frightening atmosphere brought about by the sudden, inexplicable changes besieging the town. However, the question of the very nature of "what" the town was up against, and the moral implications of what they had been doing--in secret--for centuries, are thoughts that I still find myself contemplating.
". . . Behind some doors are rooms hidden for good cause in places human beings were probably never meant to know about--rooms meant never to be entered-- . . . "
". . . It ain't natural to keep Karma from coming around and making things right . . . "
As for Kathy Ryan, she is an enigma all on her own. I am very pleased to hear that Mary SanGiovanni will be planning other novels that will incorporate this most fascinating character, as I can see that there is much potential to be explored here.
". . . as a species, humans were survivors . . . "
Overall, I felt this novel had an incredible blend of all of the elements I look for in a horror story. Added to this, we have a mystery that remains shadowed just enough so that our minds can have free reign over what we "think" or "imagine" it could be behind all of the turmoil. Part of the ingenuity here, I believe, is that we are NOT spoon-fed all the answers, but rather invited to participate in the speculation with the townspeople.
"There were some things worth surviving rather than changing . . . "
Highest recommendation!
BEHIND THE DOOR (A Kathy Ryan Novel), by Mary SanGiovanni, is a supernatural horror novel that really makes the readers think, and begs the question: If you could have anything you want--without knowing the possible repercussions--would you take that chance? In the rural town of Zarephath, PA, there is a "freestanding Door" in the woods that the residents both fear and revere.
"Some doors should never be opened . . . "
When new people move to Zarephath, they are inevitably told--in whispered reverence--about the town's mysterious Door. Rumors say that you can ask for something from it--but there are as many "bad" results as there may be desirable ones.
"Rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door . . . "
Kari, a newly divorced woman who tragically lost her only child, has recently moved here to try and get away from her haunting memories.
"You don't always get it how you want it . . . "
She is one of the many remarkable characters that the author does an incredible job of bringing to life in this book. The emotional intensity, pain, faults, strengths, fears, and desires are so real that they make you feel as though you were in this town, WITH these individuals. They became more than a name and a problem they had--they became . . . human. Even those with monstrous secrets were three dimensional.
". . . It was human nature that in times of fear or sorrow, people leaned toward wanting to believe in something over nothing . . . even faceless, nameless gods behind a freestanding door in the woods . . . "
I could practically feel the opposing pull of emotions in many of the townspeople. Creating individuals that your readers will be thinking about long after the book is finished is a challenging feat, but Mary SanGiovanni pulls it off so smoothly that she makes it seem nearly effortless.
". . . When you ask for things that defy the laws of God and nature, it never, never works out . . . I said you can ask for anything and you can . . . but we learned quick 'round here that you don't . . . "
This is the second standalone book I've read with Kathy Ryan as a character, and while her background and occult "training" are still very much in the shadows, I found that she fit perfectly into this novel--her arrival more of a gentle "ripple" than a "wave". In BEHIND THE DOOR, her persona seemed very certain, and developed when she is called in to help the townspeople with the sudden problem with: ". . . them behind the Door." Even without knowing her personal history, I didn't feel that anything crucial was left out here. Rather, I felt that we were given the perfect amount of information to go on, without overshadowing the theme of the novel with excess content.
". . . Maybe sometimes it was just as bad to get what you asked the Door for as it was not to . . . "
I think this is one of those rare novels that will stay with me for quite a while. I was certainly drawn to the well developed, complex characters, and the tense, frightening atmosphere brought about by the sudden, inexplicable changes besieging the town. However, the question of the very nature of "what" the town was up against, and the moral implications of what they had been doing--in secret--for centuries, are thoughts that I still find myself contemplating.
". . . Behind some doors are rooms hidden for good cause in places human beings were probably never meant to know about--rooms meant never to be entered-- . . . "
". . . It ain't natural to keep Karma from coming around and making things right . . . "
As for Kathy Ryan, she is an enigma all on her own. I am very pleased to hear that Mary SanGiovanni will be planning other novels that will incorporate this most fascinating character, as I can see that there is much potential to be explored here.
". . . as a species, humans were survivors . . . "
Overall, I felt this novel had an incredible blend of all of the elements I look for in a horror story. Added to this, we have a mystery that remains shadowed just enough so that our minds can have free reign over what we "think" or "imagine" it could be behind all of the turmoil. Part of the ingenuity here, I believe, is that we are NOT spoon-fed all the answers, but rather invited to participate in the speculation with the townspeople.
"There were some things worth surviving rather than changing . . . "
Highest recommendation!
August 26, 2018
There is a Door in the middle of the woods. It’s been there as long as anyone can remember but no one knows who or what “them behind the Door” are. You can use the Door one time and one time only. You need to word your letter carefully, seal it with wax and your blood, and slip it under the door alone at night. You can ask it to do anything at all and three days later you get what you want, “more or less”.
Due to the power of the Door and the amount of people who have used it there were a lot of potential triggers in the content, including suicide, family violence, sexual assault and paedophilia. What probably shouldn’t have surprised me but did was my reaction to certain characters. Once the Door was opened (it had to happen) and all hell started breaking loose I found the way I felt about the characters depended upon the details of the burden they had described in their letter.
I was concerned for the safety of some characters. I was anticipating with unbridled glee the potential comeuppance of others. I hoped for the redemption of some and the extended torture of others. I worked out the connection between a couple of characters early on and had looked forward to being a spectator as the dots were joined; although this wasn’t resolved the way I had hoped I’m not disappointed.
My favourite character was Cicely, Kari’s friend, who I found to be compassionate, wise and down to earth. She was the only character I ended up with a mental picture of and for some still unknown reason she wound up looking and sounding like author Toni Morrison in my head.
Kathy Ryan, a consultant to law enforcement agencies who specialises in the occult and supernatural, is called in to try to contain what was unleashed on this town when the Door was opened. The marketing for Behind the Door told me this was the first in a new series but once I started reading I discovered it’s actually the second, so Kathy’s character joins the story without a great deal of background information.
In Behind the Door you learn more about each of the townsfolk than you do about Kathy and I expect that the scar that’s mentioned several times and her less than perfect family that’s alluded to are explained in the preceding book, Chilled. Yes, I bought that book immediately after finishing this one and am already looking forward to reading it as well as the forthcoming Inside the Asylum.
I really had fun reading this book. There was enough information given about the characters (with the exception of Kathy) for me to become invested in their lives. The consequences of the Door being opened were interesting, with some gore and creepiness, but nothing that turned my stomach or made me want to look away. I enjoyed watching the chaos unfold and loved that I was able to suspend my disbelief as I got swept along for the ride.
There were a few question marks that remained for me after finishing this book, such as why Cecily never appeared to tell Kathy the words her husband had spoken to her, which seemed vitally important at the time. I also wondered about what seemed to me to be an inconsistency; whether the Door could be photographed or not. Kathy uses photos of the Door to help her solve the case yet makes a point of noting that it wasn’t odd that there are no photos of the Door in the Heritage Centre as “Often, such interdimensional oddities negatively affected digital and film media.”
My main niggles with this book were the ending and the limited information provided about “them behind the door”. While there were assumptions made and theories shared about their motivation I really wanted to know more. I also wanted information in the epilogue about how the events affected the individual townsfolk long term rather than how long Kathy stayed in the town after the events. I wanted to know how the resolution affected Cecily in particular as the ramifications for her could have been catastrophic. I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll find out what happens to Cecily later in the series.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground, an imprint of Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this book.
“You don’t always get it how you want it. And there’s no way to take it back, sugar, because rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door. Once you deliver your letter, it is out of your hands.”Would you use it? Would you ask it to remove a burden or give you something you’ve always wanted? I asked myself these questions and decided that although there are definitely experiences I wish I’d never had or things that are out of my reach that I’ve always wanted, the risk of using the Door would outweigh any potential benefits for me. In weighing this up though, I know I’m only doing so hypothetically. Who knows what I would do if the Door was right in front of me.
Due to the power of the Door and the amount of people who have used it there were a lot of potential triggers in the content, including suicide, family violence, sexual assault and paedophilia. What probably shouldn’t have surprised me but did was my reaction to certain characters. Once the Door was opened (it had to happen) and all hell started breaking loose I found the way I felt about the characters depended upon the details of the burden they had described in their letter.
I was concerned for the safety of some characters. I was anticipating with unbridled glee the potential comeuppance of others. I hoped for the redemption of some and the extended torture of others. I worked out the connection between a couple of characters early on and had looked forward to being a spectator as the dots were joined; although this wasn’t resolved the way I had hoped I’m not disappointed.
My favourite character was Cicely, Kari’s friend, who I found to be compassionate, wise and down to earth. She was the only character I ended up with a mental picture of and for some still unknown reason she wound up looking and sounding like author Toni Morrison in my head.
Kathy Ryan, a consultant to law enforcement agencies who specialises in the occult and supernatural, is called in to try to contain what was unleashed on this town when the Door was opened. The marketing for Behind the Door told me this was the first in a new series but once I started reading I discovered it’s actually the second, so Kathy’s character joins the story without a great deal of background information.
In Behind the Door you learn more about each of the townsfolk than you do about Kathy and I expect that the scar that’s mentioned several times and her less than perfect family that’s alluded to are explained in the preceding book, Chilled. Yes, I bought that book immediately after finishing this one and am already looking forward to reading it as well as the forthcoming Inside the Asylum.
I really had fun reading this book. There was enough information given about the characters (with the exception of Kathy) for me to become invested in their lives. The consequences of the Door being opened were interesting, with some gore and creepiness, but nothing that turned my stomach or made me want to look away. I enjoyed watching the chaos unfold and loved that I was able to suspend my disbelief as I got swept along for the ride.
There were a few question marks that remained for me after finishing this book, such as why Cecily never appeared to tell Kathy the words her husband had spoken to her, which seemed vitally important at the time. I also wondered about what seemed to me to be an inconsistency; whether the Door could be photographed or not. Kathy uses photos of the Door to help her solve the case yet makes a point of noting that it wasn’t odd that there are no photos of the Door in the Heritage Centre as “Often, such interdimensional oddities negatively affected digital and film media.”
My main niggles with this book were the ending and the limited information provided about “them behind the door”. While there were assumptions made and theories shared about their motivation I really wanted to know more. I also wanted information in the epilogue about how the events affected the individual townsfolk long term rather than how long Kathy stayed in the town after the events. I wanted to know how the resolution affected Cecily in particular as the ramifications for her could have been catastrophic. I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll find out what happens to Cecily later in the series.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground, an imprint of Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this book.
January 19, 2023
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Eh, so this was a bit weird. Not terrible, but not great either. A good editor was desperately needed.
This is the second novel in the Kathy Ryan series, but it can be read as a standalone because she’s barely in it. And when she is, there’s no information presented about Kathy that has too much bearing on the novel as part of a series. Really, without this being strictly marketed as in a series starring Kathy Ryan, I would never have known.
The chapter plotting is just so fucking weird. I’m sorry. Whoever saw this book plotted out and thought, “yes, good job,” was on drugs. And not the good kind.
In the small town of Zarephath, PA, there is a mysterious freestanding door in the forest. All the townsfolk know what this door does, but not why. And I have to say, I really didn’t mind the obscurity of the door, the creatures behind it or why it existed. There was something very Lovecraftian about the vibe and sometimes with creature-horror, it’s more interesting to not have all the answers.
So, this door grants wishes. Write down a wish and slip it under the door – your wish will be granted. But you have to be careful about the wording of your wish because things can go very, very wrong.
“You don’t always get it how you want it. And there’s no way to take it back, Sugar, because rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door. Once you deliver your letter, it is out of your hands.”
But of course, someone does open the door because people are the dumbest things on earth. I mean, you just know someone would open this door if it were real. Maybe a Qanon believer who thinks it's a government conspiracy where they hide all the Satan-worshipping liberals running the Cabal, or whatever the fuck it is they are on about.
Anyway, someone wants to take a wish back because it goes very wrong. So she opens the door and unleashes a torrent of deadly, otherworldly creatures onto the town. Cue Kathy Ryan – specialists in the occult and supernatural whose job is to help law enforcement handle the things they have no training to handle.
The concept was kind of fun and I was hyped to read a series centring on a woman who’s a little like the Winchester Brothers, but the execution was so off that it distracted my entire reading experience.
The first 50% of the novel is really heavy in scenes featuring the residents of Zarephath, exploring their wishes and how they connect. In some cases, there were really great connections being made that should have been explosive plot twists, but the writing was so clunky, wordy and unedited, that it seriously killed the plotting and pacing, even going so far as to delay the introduction of the series lead, Kathy Ryan, by like 100 pages which felt really weird to me.
I would have loved to see the novel open with Kathy, explain in a mysterious way who she was and what she did and then flip to the town where the chapters about the residents were streamlined towards the overall point of the plot. There was a lot of telling instead of showing in this novel, which is one of my biggest writing pet peeves. A chapter about a character would be 90% thoughts in their head, half of it totally unnecessary to moving the plot forward.
It felt like I was reading the first draft of a novel that still needed to be edited and reworked, instead of something ready to be published. That’s kind of a bummer because there was something really great about the concept for this.
If the writing had been cleaner and the plotting more dynamic, specifically in the case of the main character Kathy, I would have liked this a lot more than I did. But I’m still interested to read more about Kathy Ryan because “female supernatural doctor” is a fucking cool job.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book source: The publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review
Eh, so this was a bit weird. Not terrible, but not great either. A good editor was desperately needed.
This is the second novel in the Kathy Ryan series, but it can be read as a standalone because she’s barely in it. And when she is, there’s no information presented about Kathy that has too much bearing on the novel as part of a series. Really, without this being strictly marketed as in a series starring Kathy Ryan, I would never have known.
The chapter plotting is just so fucking weird. I’m sorry. Whoever saw this book plotted out and thought, “yes, good job,” was on drugs. And not the good kind.
In the small town of Zarephath, PA, there is a mysterious freestanding door in the forest. All the townsfolk know what this door does, but not why. And I have to say, I really didn’t mind the obscurity of the door, the creatures behind it or why it existed. There was something very Lovecraftian about the vibe and sometimes with creature-horror, it’s more interesting to not have all the answers.
So, this door grants wishes. Write down a wish and slip it under the door – your wish will be granted. But you have to be careful about the wording of your wish because things can go very, very wrong.
“You don’t always get it how you want it. And there’s no way to take it back, Sugar, because rule number one is that you absolutely, under no circumstances ever, open that Door. Once you deliver your letter, it is out of your hands.”
But of course, someone does open the door because people are the dumbest things on earth. I mean, you just know someone would open this door if it were real. Maybe a Qanon believer who thinks it's a government conspiracy where they hide all the Satan-worshipping liberals running the Cabal, or whatever the fuck it is they are on about.
Anyway, someone wants to take a wish back because it goes very wrong. So she opens the door and unleashes a torrent of deadly, otherworldly creatures onto the town. Cue Kathy Ryan – specialists in the occult and supernatural whose job is to help law enforcement handle the things they have no training to handle.
The concept was kind of fun and I was hyped to read a series centring on a woman who’s a little like the Winchester Brothers, but the execution was so off that it distracted my entire reading experience.
The first 50% of the novel is really heavy in scenes featuring the residents of Zarephath, exploring their wishes and how they connect. In some cases, there were really great connections being made that should have been explosive plot twists, but the writing was so clunky, wordy and unedited, that it seriously killed the plotting and pacing, even going so far as to delay the introduction of the series lead, Kathy Ryan, by like 100 pages which felt really weird to me.
I would have loved to see the novel open with Kathy, explain in a mysterious way who she was and what she did and then flip to the town where the chapters about the residents were streamlined towards the overall point of the plot. There was a lot of telling instead of showing in this novel, which is one of my biggest writing pet peeves. A chapter about a character would be 90% thoughts in their head, half of it totally unnecessary to moving the plot forward.
It felt like I was reading the first draft of a novel that still needed to be edited and reworked, instead of something ready to be published. That’s kind of a bummer because there was something really great about the concept for this.
If the writing had been cleaner and the plotting more dynamic, specifically in the case of the main character Kathy, I would have liked this a lot more than I did. But I’m still interested to read more about Kathy Ryan because “female supernatural doctor” is a fucking cool job.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book source: The publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review
October 1, 2018
The small town of Zarepath has a strange secret. A door. Nobody knows where it came from or exactly how it works, but if you follow some simple rules, it can ease burdens. It doesn't always work as expected...but it always works. A note sealed with wax and blood slipped under the door...an outpouring of emotion and need....wait three days....and the door does the rest. There is just one Big Rule that cannot be broken -- NEVER EVER open the door. Unfortunately, sometimes broken people break rules.
OMG! This book was so suspenseful and fun to read! I love weird, spooky stories and this story about a magical strange door was wonderfully creepy and awesome! The town did great for awhile dealing with times that the door sort of got things wrong....or letting new people in town know the rules....but their luck certainly ran out when a woman freaked out and opened the door to get her letter back. MISTAKE! There are no take-backs when it comes to supernatural shit-shows.... Who you gonna call?? Kathy Ryan, Occult specialist.
The whole time I was reading this book I wanted to yell at the residents of Zarepath...warning them. If supernatural beings offer you favors, wishes, assistance....ANYTHING...you say NO THANK YOU and walk away. There is always a price. And wishes never ever get granted the way you think they will. All those ghostly tales....like the one where two old people wish for money to pay a debt and just as they utter the wish there is a knock at the door. It's news that their son was killed and there is a death payment due them of exactly the amount they wished for. Like the old saying says....when you sup with the devil, you use a long spoon. It is never never wise to play games with things you don't understand. And it's even dumber to do it right where you live. Plus....if there is one un-breakable rule, it is pretty much a given that some ninnyhammer will come along and break that rule. There's one (or usually multiples) in every group/town/family. Always. The residents of Zarepath certainly learned their lesson. What were they thinking! Sure makes for an awesome story though!
Kathy Ryan is a great main character. She comes in to face the evil that has poured out of the open door, and shows amazing bravery and talents at facing the supernatural. It made for a great, eerie, entertaining story! Loved it!
Another book in this series, Inside the Asylum, is coming out in 2019! I will definitely be reading it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No magical doors were opened or messed with during the reading of this book.**
Merged review:
The small town of Zarepath has a strange secret. A door. Nobody knows where it came from or exactly how it works, but if you follow some simple rules, it can ease burdens. It doesn't always work as expected...but it always works. A note sealed with wax and blood slipped under the door...an outpouring of emotion and need....wait three days....and the door does the rest. There is just one Big Rule that cannot be broken -- NEVER EVER open the door. Unfortunately, sometimes broken people break rules.
OMG! This book was so suspenseful and fun to read! I love weird, spooky stories and this story about a magical strange door was wonderfully creepy and awesome! The town did great for awhile dealing with times that the door sort of got things wrong....or letting new people in town know the rules....but their luck certainly ran out when a woman freaked out and opened the door to get her letter back. MISTAKE! There are no take-backs when it comes to supernatural shit-shows.... Who you gonna call?? Kathy Ryan, Occult specialist.
The whole time I was reading this book I wanted to yell at the residents of Zarepath...warning them. If supernatural beings offer you favors, wishes, assistance....ANYTHING...you say NO THANK YOU and walk away. There is always a price. And wishes never ever get granted the way you think they will. All those ghostly tales....like the one where two old people wish for money to pay a debt and just as they utter the wish there is a knock at the door. It's news that their son was killed and there is a death payment due them of exactly the amount they wished for. Like the old saying says....when you sup with the devil, you use a long spoon. It is never never wise to play games with things you don't understand. And it's even dumber to do it right where you live. Plus....if there is one un-breakable rule, it is pretty much a given that some ninnyhammer will come along and break that rule. There's one (or usually multiples) in every group/town/family. Always. The residents of Zarepath certainly learned their lesson. What were they thinking! Sure makes for an awesome story though!
Kathy Ryan is a great main character. She comes in to face the evil that has poured out of the open door, and shows amazing bravery and talents at facing the supernatural. It made for a great, eerie, entertaining story! Loved it!
Another book in this series, Inside the Asylum, is coming out in 2019! I will definitely be reading it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No magical doors were opened or messed with during the reading of this book.**
OMG! This book was so suspenseful and fun to read! I love weird, spooky stories and this story about a magical strange door was wonderfully creepy and awesome! The town did great for awhile dealing with times that the door sort of got things wrong....or letting new people in town know the rules....but their luck certainly ran out when a woman freaked out and opened the door to get her letter back. MISTAKE! There are no take-backs when it comes to supernatural shit-shows.... Who you gonna call?? Kathy Ryan, Occult specialist.
The whole time I was reading this book I wanted to yell at the residents of Zarepath...warning them. If supernatural beings offer you favors, wishes, assistance....ANYTHING...you say NO THANK YOU and walk away. There is always a price. And wishes never ever get granted the way you think they will. All those ghostly tales....like the one where two old people wish for money to pay a debt and just as they utter the wish there is a knock at the door. It's news that their son was killed and there is a death payment due them of exactly the amount they wished for. Like the old saying says....when you sup with the devil, you use a long spoon. It is never never wise to play games with things you don't understand. And it's even dumber to do it right where you live. Plus....if there is one un-breakable rule, it is pretty much a given that some ninnyhammer will come along and break that rule. There's one (or usually multiples) in every group/town/family. Always. The residents of Zarepath certainly learned their lesson. What were they thinking! Sure makes for an awesome story though!
Kathy Ryan is a great main character. She comes in to face the evil that has poured out of the open door, and shows amazing bravery and talents at facing the supernatural. It made for a great, eerie, entertaining story! Loved it!
Another book in this series, Inside the Asylum, is coming out in 2019! I will definitely be reading it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No magical doors were opened or messed with during the reading of this book.**
Merged review:
The small town of Zarepath has a strange secret. A door. Nobody knows where it came from or exactly how it works, but if you follow some simple rules, it can ease burdens. It doesn't always work as expected...but it always works. A note sealed with wax and blood slipped under the door...an outpouring of emotion and need....wait three days....and the door does the rest. There is just one Big Rule that cannot be broken -- NEVER EVER open the door. Unfortunately, sometimes broken people break rules.
OMG! This book was so suspenseful and fun to read! I love weird, spooky stories and this story about a magical strange door was wonderfully creepy and awesome! The town did great for awhile dealing with times that the door sort of got things wrong....or letting new people in town know the rules....but their luck certainly ran out when a woman freaked out and opened the door to get her letter back. MISTAKE! There are no take-backs when it comes to supernatural shit-shows.... Who you gonna call?? Kathy Ryan, Occult specialist.
The whole time I was reading this book I wanted to yell at the residents of Zarepath...warning them. If supernatural beings offer you favors, wishes, assistance....ANYTHING...you say NO THANK YOU and walk away. There is always a price. And wishes never ever get granted the way you think they will. All those ghostly tales....like the one where two old people wish for money to pay a debt and just as they utter the wish there is a knock at the door. It's news that their son was killed and there is a death payment due them of exactly the amount they wished for. Like the old saying says....when you sup with the devil, you use a long spoon. It is never never wise to play games with things you don't understand. And it's even dumber to do it right where you live. Plus....if there is one un-breakable rule, it is pretty much a given that some ninnyhammer will come along and break that rule. There's one (or usually multiples) in every group/town/family. Always. The residents of Zarepath certainly learned their lesson. What were they thinking! Sure makes for an awesome story though!
Kathy Ryan is a great main character. She comes in to face the evil that has poured out of the open door, and shows amazing bravery and talents at facing the supernatural. It made for a great, eerie, entertaining story! Loved it!
Another book in this series, Inside the Asylum, is coming out in 2019! I will definitely be reading it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No magical doors were opened or messed with during the reading of this book.**
May 5, 2020
I really liked this book as it was gripping and suspenseful with a touch of mystery, horror, and mythical creatures added in for flavor!
Just looking at the cover of the book is ominous which made me want to reach out and pull open the door to see what was behind it for curiosity sake, but then being too curious can get you killed.
With that being said, the story pulls you into the town of Zarepath near the town of New Jersey where there is The Door that is built in the woods. It has been there for centuries as it helps the people of the town with their problems and families of the town have been going there to have the The Door solve their problems for them.
All they have to do is write a letter, with their problem they want solved, seal the letter with their blood and stick it under the door. In three days the request is either granted or denied. No sweat, right? Well everything would have been just fine if one of the town residents (Kari) hadn't decided that the letter she stuck under the door was not what she really wanted to do, so what would be the problem with opening The Door and retrieving the letter. Well for one thing no has ever attempted to actually "Open the Door" as that is just the law of the town.
"Do Not Open The Door". Very simple.
Kari opens the door and tries to grab the letter, but she ends up releasing "the bowels of hell" as every mortal sin and ghostly spirit is released into the town.
The town hires an occult specialist, Kathy Ryan to come in and deal with all the supernatural beings that are plaguing the town. She is also assigned the task of sealing the door which proves to be a bigger task than she thought. Will she get the door closed in time before the entities destroy the town? No spoilers here. You will just have to read the book!
Also this was my first book by this author and I have now added her to my growing list of horror authors. Four stars for this one.
Just looking at the cover of the book is ominous which made me want to reach out and pull open the door to see what was behind it for curiosity sake, but then being too curious can get you killed.
With that being said, the story pulls you into the town of Zarepath near the town of New Jersey where there is The Door that is built in the woods. It has been there for centuries as it helps the people of the town with their problems and families of the town have been going there to have the The Door solve their problems for them.
All they have to do is write a letter, with their problem they want solved, seal the letter with their blood and stick it under the door. In three days the request is either granted or denied. No sweat, right? Well everything would have been just fine if one of the town residents (Kari) hadn't decided that the letter she stuck under the door was not what she really wanted to do, so what would be the problem with opening The Door and retrieving the letter. Well for one thing no has ever attempted to actually "Open the Door" as that is just the law of the town.
"Do Not Open The Door". Very simple.
Kari opens the door and tries to grab the letter, but she ends up releasing "the bowels of hell" as every mortal sin and ghostly spirit is released into the town.
The town hires an occult specialist, Kathy Ryan to come in and deal with all the supernatural beings that are plaguing the town. She is also assigned the task of sealing the door which proves to be a bigger task than she thought. Will she get the door closed in time before the entities destroy the town? No spoilers here. You will just have to read the book!
Also this was my first book by this author and I have now added her to my growing list of horror authors. Four stars for this one.
September 19, 2018
Suggestion: If you haven’t already, Do Not Read the synopsis. It gives away way too much information. I much prefer going in blind and am glad I did for this one. It’s like that movie trailer you watch that pretty much gives away the whole fucking movie. I hate that. Anyhoo…
That being said, my review is spoilery too. Unless you read the synopsis 😉 So, beware...
There’s a Door in the Zarephath woods. It has the power to “grant things”. Unfortunately, as it can give, it can also take back. And if you open the Door…well, just don’t open it. Take my word for it.
Fug. Somebody opened it didn’t they? Fug.
Time to call Kathy. She’ll know what to do. She kicked plenty of demon butt before.
This was a very good horror in a small town novel. An assortment of colorful and sometimes creepy characters with a very interesting backstory and no shortage of bloody action. Plus, Kathy Ryan is back. If you haven’t checked out Mary’s “Chills”, then you definitely should.
That being said, my review is spoilery too. Unless you read the synopsis 😉 So, beware...
There’s a Door in the Zarephath woods. It has the power to “grant things”. Unfortunately, as it can give, it can also take back. And if you open the Door…well, just don’t open it. Take my word for it.
Fug. Somebody opened it didn’t they? Fug.
Time to call Kathy. She’ll know what to do. She kicked plenty of demon butt before.
This was a very good horror in a small town novel. An assortment of colorful and sometimes creepy characters with a very interesting backstory and no shortage of bloody action. Plus, Kathy Ryan is back. If you haven’t checked out Mary’s “Chills”, then you definitely should.
June 30, 2018
In the first of a new series featuring occult specialist Kathy Ryan, Mary SanGiovanni spins the old tale of the Monkey's Paw into a nightmare inducing novel of small town terror, and a mythos that is purely her own.
What would you wish for, if the risk is getting what you asked for....literally?
And if trying to take back that wish will only make things worse beyond all comprehension?
Exploring not only the threat of supernatural horrors from unknown dimensions, this page-turner offers up all the darkest secrets of small town life, from the petty little selfish wants, to the unholy needs that lurk within the human heart.....balanced against the traumas that life passes out without rhyme or reason, and the lengths one would go to stop the pain that dwells in their hearts.
Highly recommended.
This was an eARC from Netgalley.
What would you wish for, if the risk is getting what you asked for....literally?
And if trying to take back that wish will only make things worse beyond all comprehension?
Exploring not only the threat of supernatural horrors from unknown dimensions, this page-turner offers up all the darkest secrets of small town life, from the petty little selfish wants, to the unholy needs that lurk within the human heart.....balanced against the traumas that life passes out without rhyme or reason, and the lengths one would go to stop the pain that dwells in their hearts.
Highly recommended.
This was an eARC from Netgalley.
October 4, 2018
3 stars. A nice and solid effort, that fell short at the end, with an anticlimactic ending.
I was very well immersed in Mary SanGiovanni's story for most of the book. The horror scenes and the "Be sure your sins will find you out" vibes got me, not to mention the Lovecraftian elements. The lore behind the story seemed rich, and I was excited to see what would happen.
Up until we got to 3/4 of the book, when it suddenly became rushed and formulaic. Mary SanGiovanni went the extra mile and
And one last thing:
I was very well immersed in Mary SanGiovanni's story for most of the book. The horror scenes and the "Be sure your sins will find you out" vibes got me, not to mention the Lovecraftian elements. The lore behind the story seemed rich, and I was excited to see what would happen.
Up until we got to 3/4 of the book, when it suddenly became rushed and formulaic. Mary SanGiovanni went the extra mile and
And one last thing:
June 13, 2018
Review: BEHIND THE DOOR by Mary SanGiovanni
(Kathy Ryan Series)
Mary SanGiovanni is an estimable talent indeed. BEHIND THE DOOR takes my beloved Lovecraft Mythos and squeezes it till it squeaks--or in this case, hums. She does so while interweaving some of the worst instances humanity can fall prey to, both as prey and as predator. Portions of this novel made me want to weep, close my eyes, and rage--all simultaneously. I also screamed to see justice wrought. There is extreme horror here, frequently, and I don't recommend to read at night, alone (as did I). There is implacability, maximally. But guard your sensitivity, fire up your empathy, and jump in. Ms. SanGiovanni is about to carry you on an out-of-this-world ride.
(Kathy Ryan Series)
Mary SanGiovanni is an estimable talent indeed. BEHIND THE DOOR takes my beloved Lovecraft Mythos and squeezes it till it squeaks--or in this case, hums. She does so while interweaving some of the worst instances humanity can fall prey to, both as prey and as predator. Portions of this novel made me want to weep, close my eyes, and rage--all simultaneously. I also screamed to see justice wrought. There is extreme horror here, frequently, and I don't recommend to read at night, alone (as did I). There is implacability, maximally. But guard your sensitivity, fire up your empathy, and jump in. Ms. SanGiovanni is about to carry you on an out-of-this-world ride.
November 6, 2018
I totally enjoyed this book. I loved the whole supernatural feel of it and didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed Kari and Ceily's relationship but thought there should have been a bit more to it. It was to fast for me. The pace of the book was overall good and I didn't feel frustrated or bored with it. Which lately is amazing. I did have the feels for Kari because I have daughters so it was nice to feel I could relate to her. I also really enjoyed Kathy, although there was not much mystery to what she was going to do, it was still very enjoyable to read about her doing it. Just how she figured it out and how all of it comes to light was well written.
This is set in a little town in PA and well all towns have their secrets right? Well, this tale tells about a door and how a lot of town people have used this door both living and dead. Then someone decided to open this door and all of that bad comes descending upon the town. So it's a fight for who will live and who won't, as we join these townies and find a way to close that door or at least try to. Who will survive this, you will have to read. I did get into this book and it was a fast read for me as it dragged me in and kept me flipping the pages. I would recommend this to a horror/thriller/supernatural fan. I also think there might be another book in the making as they left a little at the end to make me think so. I would most certainly read it! I say read this - very little gore (but there is some) and mostly just great writing that keeps you hooked in this one.
I give this book 4 of 5 stars!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from SDSXXTours and the Author. This in no way influences my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to both the author and SDSXXTours for a chance to read this book.
This is set in a little town in PA and well all towns have their secrets right? Well, this tale tells about a door and how a lot of town people have used this door both living and dead. Then someone decided to open this door and all of that bad comes descending upon the town. So it's a fight for who will live and who won't, as we join these townies and find a way to close that door or at least try to. Who will survive this, you will have to read. I did get into this book and it was a fast read for me as it dragged me in and kept me flipping the pages. I would recommend this to a horror/thriller/supernatural fan. I also think there might be another book in the making as they left a little at the end to make me think so. I would most certainly read it! I say read this - very little gore (but there is some) and mostly just great writing that keeps you hooked in this one.
I give this book 4 of 5 stars!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from SDSXXTours and the Author. This in no way influences my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to both the author and SDSXXTours for a chance to read this book.
October 9, 2018
4.5. One of the best reads of the year so far.
August 25, 2018
After seeing Behind the Door on NetGalley and noticing it was written by a female author I'd never read, I absolutely had to have it, and so I requested it. Horror is a largely male community, especially when it comes to those that write. A little background research showed me I've really been missing out with SanGiovanni so when my request was approved, I was joyous. Needless to say, Behind the Door is probably one of my favorite reads so far this year.
The characters in Behind the Door are dynamic, with varying flaws, backgrounds, and intricately interwoven stories--some of which are heartbreaking, others which are revolting. SanGiovanni has talent when it comes to fleshing out a wide array of individuals and even those I shouldn't have felt sympathy for, I did. Rarely do I connect emotionally with characters in a book, so this was a welcome surprise.
Additionally, the plot flies along at a breakneck pace, making for a quick and easy read. It only took me a few sessions (despite my reading slump) to finish this suspense-ridden book. I loved the Lovecraftian theme of old gods and locked away horrors.
I really have nothing negative to say about this book. Everything was wrapped up nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it--in fact, I look forward to the opportunity to read more of SanGiovanni's work.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The characters in Behind the Door are dynamic, with varying flaws, backgrounds, and intricately interwoven stories--some of which are heartbreaking, others which are revolting. SanGiovanni has talent when it comes to fleshing out a wide array of individuals and even those I shouldn't have felt sympathy for, I did. Rarely do I connect emotionally with characters in a book, so this was a welcome surprise.
Additionally, the plot flies along at a breakneck pace, making for a quick and easy read. It only took me a few sessions (despite my reading slump) to finish this suspense-ridden book. I loved the Lovecraftian theme of old gods and locked away horrors.
I really have nothing negative to say about this book. Everything was wrapped up nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it--in fact, I look forward to the opportunity to read more of SanGiovanni's work.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2018
Behind The Door by Mary SanGiovanni captivated me from the synopsis that mentions an occult specialist. It also helped that the cover was so creepy, eerie, and menacing with these hands reaching out behind a door like they were coming for me. This is the first time I have read a book by SanGiovanni and it will most definitely NOT be my last.
There is a rural town in Pennsylvania called Zarephath. And deep in the woods of this town there is a solitary door that has always been there. And no one knows how it got there. All the townspeople know is that they can write a wish down, seal it in an envelope with wax and a little bit of their blood, slide it under the door, and then in three days the wish will come true. You can only have one wish. And you must never, ever open the door. Sounds… pretty awesome and easy, right?
But just as Stephen King probed our curiosity in Pet Sematary, the Door tempts someone in Zarephath that maybe someone close to them can return to the living. That one parallel being made, this book is highly original and fresh.
The author did a great job at creating a lot of characters whose stories become intertwined as we follow along. Each character had their pasts, their sins, their wishes, and their own trip to the Door. I loved all the reasons that people went to the Door and how they all became affected by it as the story progressed. SanGiovanni did an awesome job freaking me out with these parts!
I really liked the main character, occult specialist, Kathy Ryan. She was a strong lead and had a fun personality. She makes her voice heard and is seen as someone in control with good authority from the town early on. The town already believes in the powers of the Door, so it was not super hard for them to believe there was someone like Kathy Ryan who could come in and help them. It was really cool seeing a woman take this leading role and completely dominate it! I am a fan of Kathy Ryan and will be rooting for her as her story continues to unfold in later books. I read online that this is a series and I am excited for more!
Lastly, I will always be a fan of books that have evil in a small, rural town. It’s always fun for me to see evil try to sneak in the backdoor, of a small town with what one would expect to have small-minds and inhabitants who seem simple or lack ambition. I love how they pull together and how they become strong and we get to see the growth of those characters. So if that is your thing, then this book will not disappoint.
One of the themes I will leave with after reading this book is that some things are worth surviving instead of changing. 4 out of 5 stars to this book and I am already excited to see where SanGiovanni takes me next.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
There is a rural town in Pennsylvania called Zarephath. And deep in the woods of this town there is a solitary door that has always been there. And no one knows how it got there. All the townspeople know is that they can write a wish down, seal it in an envelope with wax and a little bit of their blood, slide it under the door, and then in three days the wish will come true. You can only have one wish. And you must never, ever open the door. Sounds… pretty awesome and easy, right?
But just as Stephen King probed our curiosity in Pet Sematary, the Door tempts someone in Zarephath that maybe someone close to them can return to the living. That one parallel being made, this book is highly original and fresh.
The author did a great job at creating a lot of characters whose stories become intertwined as we follow along. Each character had their pasts, their sins, their wishes, and their own trip to the Door. I loved all the reasons that people went to the Door and how they all became affected by it as the story progressed. SanGiovanni did an awesome job freaking me out with these parts!
I really liked the main character, occult specialist, Kathy Ryan. She was a strong lead and had a fun personality. She makes her voice heard and is seen as someone in control with good authority from the town early on. The town already believes in the powers of the Door, so it was not super hard for them to believe there was someone like Kathy Ryan who could come in and help them. It was really cool seeing a woman take this leading role and completely dominate it! I am a fan of Kathy Ryan and will be rooting for her as her story continues to unfold in later books. I read online that this is a series and I am excited for more!
Lastly, I will always be a fan of books that have evil in a small, rural town. It’s always fun for me to see evil try to sneak in the backdoor, of a small town with what one would expect to have small-minds and inhabitants who seem simple or lack ambition. I love how they pull together and how they become strong and we get to see the growth of those characters. So if that is your thing, then this book will not disappoint.
One of the themes I will leave with after reading this book is that some things are worth surviving instead of changing. 4 out of 5 stars to this book and I am already excited to see where SanGiovanni takes me next.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2018
This book was so exciting for me. What is behind the door? One wish you can write on paper and slip under the door. Would you do it? What would you ask for? This book had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know all about it and see what else the author had in store for us the readers. I could not put this book down. It was a great book of suspense and wonder for me! *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
July 8, 2018
In the town of Zarepath, which borders the state of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, lies a mysterious door. It is located in the deepest darkness part of the woods. Town folks, have no idea, where the door came from, it was just there.People have been writing notes about things they wish to come true and sliding them underneath the door. They had to seal the note with wax, and a drop of their blood. The wishes would take three days to be granted. Some people wished for their love ones, to return from the dead. This never workout, because the bodies were decomposed and they were never the same, as they hope they would be. Most of the town folks had used the door once but there were rules to follow. The door could only used once and you could not open the door. Kari lost her daughter Jessica. She slip a note under the door, wishing that she could forget about her. Kari, began to forget about her daughter but she did not want this to happen. She went to the door, and tried to retrieve her note. Kari, bang on the door but there was no answer. After struggling with the door for awhile, she finally got it open. What Kari saw on the other side of the door, she will never forget. After the door had been opened, everybody's wishes were reversed. Kari let out the sins and the secrets, that were trap behind the door. The local authorities, decide to bring in occult specialist, Kathy Ryan, to help with this problem. Can Kathy Ryan, solve the problem of the door, before it destroys town? This is the first book that I have read by this author. I plan to checkout other works by her.
August 31, 2018
"In the town of Zarephath, Pennsylvania, just past the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border and northwest of Dingmans Ferry out by the Delaware Water Gap, there is a Door." It stands with no support amid oak trees that don't grow too close. You go alone at night with a letter. Said letter must clearly state your wish and be sealed with wax that includes a drop of your blood. Slip it under the door and in three days, the Door gives you what you want for better or for worse. No one can use the Door twice, and never EVER open the door.
Kari, a bereft mother mourning the loss of her daughter three years in the grave, decides that her wish wasn't granted to her satisfaction so she's going to open the Door. Naturally, all hell breaks loose. All the wishes are returned, so to speak. And the dying begins.
Former sheriff Bill Grainger calls in Kathy Ryan, who is something of an expert in the strange and unusual. With Kathy's help, Bill and current Sheriff Timothy Cole join together to try and save the townsfolk of Zarephath from their tortured pasts and them behind the Door.
This was really interesting. I put off reading it because I could not get into the last title I attempted to read by Mary SanGiovanni. I really enjoyed this one though! Imagine if there was a place where you could go to rid yourself of your problem, whatever it may be - cancer, unwanted pregnancy, brutal war memories - and poof! gone. A fascinating concept, provided of course some idiot doesn't come along and open the door as in this story. Fast-paced and fun. 4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kari, a bereft mother mourning the loss of her daughter three years in the grave, decides that her wish wasn't granted to her satisfaction so she's going to open the Door. Naturally, all hell breaks loose. All the wishes are returned, so to speak. And the dying begins.
Former sheriff Bill Grainger calls in Kathy Ryan, who is something of an expert in the strange and unusual. With Kathy's help, Bill and current Sheriff Timothy Cole join together to try and save the townsfolk of Zarephath from their tortured pasts and them behind the Door.
This was really interesting. I put off reading it because I could not get into the last title I attempted to read by Mary SanGiovanni. I really enjoyed this one though! Imagine if there was a place where you could go to rid yourself of your problem, whatever it may be - cancer, unwanted pregnancy, brutal war memories - and poof! gone. A fascinating concept, provided of course some idiot doesn't come along and open the door as in this story. Fast-paced and fun. 4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2021
Mary SanGiovanni is simply an excellent storyteller.
In Behind the Door, she brings us a tale of wishes come true and the horrors that those wishes can ultimately bring. The book is hard, fast, and extremely chilling – all the more so because the reader, despite the gruesome horrors unleashed in our little town, can’t help but wonder what they themselves would wish for…and we just know that we’d do things better than our characters here.
SanGiovanni excels at both atmosphere and character development. One character in particular stayed with me. No spoilers here. I’ll just say that it’s the type of character I’ve had problems with in countless novels. Here, finally, an author made this character human. (Still a terrible, terrible thing – but human.)
I believe there are more Kathy Ryan novels to come and I am so completely on board. I want more.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
In Behind the Door, she brings us a tale of wishes come true and the horrors that those wishes can ultimately bring. The book is hard, fast, and extremely chilling – all the more so because the reader, despite the gruesome horrors unleashed in our little town, can’t help but wonder what they themselves would wish for…and we just know that we’d do things better than our characters here.
SanGiovanni excels at both atmosphere and character development. One character in particular stayed with me. No spoilers here. I’ll just say that it’s the type of character I’ve had problems with in countless novels. Here, finally, an author made this character human. (Still a terrible, terrible thing – but human.)
I believe there are more Kathy Ryan novels to come and I am so completely on board. I want more.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
July 18, 2018
This is a series I will most definitely want to stick with. I had previously read "Chills" by the same author which is where I first met the character Kathy Ryan. I loved her then and I love her now. In fact I think she was my favorite part of Chills.
The people in the small town of Zarepath have more than their share of secrets. The deepest and darkest secret of them all is one they have shared amongst the townspeople for generations. Hidden in the woods is a door that can rid you of your misery or it can rain misery upon you if you don't follow the rules. Your request must be in writing and you are in for a world of suffering if it isn't worded exactly the way you intend.
The characters are perfectly imperfect and managed to evoke my sympathy for them even as I raged against the pain that some of them had caused and things they had done. The fright factor is deliciously high and the writing style is imaginative and flows beautifully.
I received an advance copy for review
The people in the small town of Zarepath have more than their share of secrets. The deepest and darkest secret of them all is one they have shared amongst the townspeople for generations. Hidden in the woods is a door that can rid you of your misery or it can rain misery upon you if you don't follow the rules. Your request must be in writing and you are in for a world of suffering if it isn't worded exactly the way you intend.
The characters are perfectly imperfect and managed to evoke my sympathy for them even as I raged against the pain that some of them had caused and things they had done. The fright factor is deliciously high and the writing style is imaginative and flows beautifully.
I received an advance copy for review
September 27, 2018
After meeting the Kathy Ryan character in the novel Chills, I awaited her next adventure with great anticipation. This book was worth the wait. Scary and Lovecraftian and thoroughly engrossing, this cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for is fantastic. Well-drawn characters draw you deeper into the story with every page. If this is your first Mary SanGiovanni book, it will not be your last.
June 25, 2018
OMG!!!! This book is crazy good. Very creepy and scary. NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved all the characters. Was pulled in many directions but it all made sense. Sitting on the edge of my seat saying just one more page then I will go to bed. LOL
August 24, 2018
I received this arc from Netgalley.
Great read! This is one of the best horror books that I've read this year. Totally engrossing and well written. I could hardly put it down. This was my first book by this author but I'll definitely be looking for more books by her.
Great read! This is one of the best horror books that I've read this year. Totally engrossing and well written. I could hardly put it down. This was my first book by this author but I'll definitely be looking for more books by her.
August 14, 2018
The Biblical meaning of the name Zarephath is "ambush of the mouth." Appropriate, given that much of the horror in Mary SanGiovanni's Behind the Door is rooted in unspoken secrets.
Deep in the woods of Zarephath, PA stands a mysterious structure, the Door, framed in stone, its wood banded in metal. It opens to an alien landscape of a gray ocean and a enormous tower, a land populated by strange and evil creatures. Opening the Door is verboten - it is the one thing every man, woman, and child in Zarephath knows. You do not open the Door.
The Door, however, can grant wishes to those who dare to visit it. Properly worded, a letter detailing an individual's wants can be slipped through the thin crack at the bottom edge of the Door and their desires fulfilled within three days. But the urge to open the Door is strong, and after a single soul seeking a change in their life succumbs to pleas of "them beyond" the Door and briefly opens it, Zarephath is plunged into a nightmare. The wishes the Door has granted are being reversed, and after being haunted by the dead of his past, ex-Sheriff Bill Grainger calls on occultist Kathy Ryan to seal the Door forever.
Right off the bat, I was sucked into Behind the Door. SanGiovanni details the history and folklore of the Door, introducing us to the central figures of her small fictional town. We get an immediate sense of her characters, their afflictions, their flaws, as well as their relationships and their growing awareness of the Door and the evils that have crept through. This intimate overview of Zarephath and our protagonists reminded me, in some ways, of John Connolly and Stephen King, and SanGiovanni lulled me deeply into her narrative with deceptive, masterful ease. Her prose is crisp and tight, and the details are shared with such keen interest that it's impossible not to be absorbed.
Although it takes a while for series lead Kathy Ryan (first seen in 2016's Chills and very briefly mentioned in last year's Savage Woods) to appear, SanGiovanni at least gives us plenty of meat in other areas to chew on. Once Ryan finally sets foot in Zarephath, it's a headlong collision with Lovecraftian cosmic horrors and a race to the finish. SanGiovanni is flat-out an excellent Lovecraftian horror author, and she brings all the tentacled goods to the yard here. There's a particularly strong scene involving the discovery of a pair of corpses in a garage that, when Ryan prompts one of officers to turn over one of the prone bodies, had me softly muttering to my Kindle, "No, no, no, no, no." It's a wonderful bit of gross-out material, and the toll the Door begins to take on the townsfolk is a nicely horrifying discovery.
Ryan is a flat-out excellent series character, and I've been rooting for her return ever since I finished Chills a couple years back. She's a strong and capable master of the occult, and it's refreshing to see SanGiovanni's largely male cast treat her with the respect she's due. Perhaps it's wishful thinking to believe that a group of alpha male police officers and butch townies can treat a woman, even one with such specialized talents as Ryan's, as an equal whose abilities go unquestioned with nary a trace of mansplaining. But given that our Cheeto-In-Chief was, on the morning of this writing, taking to Twitter to call one of his former female staffers a dog, I'll gladly take it. Such an idealized portrayal of men easily and respectfully accepting the abilities and knowledge of women as equal, if not superior, to their own is not only welcome, but certainly necessary in these times. Maybe such a fair and balanced representation of the sexes is SanGiovanni's attempt to write her wishes into existence in the hopes that the Door can fulfill them. Or maybe it's just nice to read more into the text than was intended. If I can wish for something from this particular Door, however, it's for the return of Kathy Ryan, and soon. She's a character with plenty of staying power, and I hope to be reading many more volumes of her adventures in the years to come.
[Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this title from the publisher, Kensington, via NetGalley.]
Deep in the woods of Zarephath, PA stands a mysterious structure, the Door, framed in stone, its wood banded in metal. It opens to an alien landscape of a gray ocean and a enormous tower, a land populated by strange and evil creatures. Opening the Door is verboten - it is the one thing every man, woman, and child in Zarephath knows. You do not open the Door.
The Door, however, can grant wishes to those who dare to visit it. Properly worded, a letter detailing an individual's wants can be slipped through the thin crack at the bottom edge of the Door and their desires fulfilled within three days. But the urge to open the Door is strong, and after a single soul seeking a change in their life succumbs to pleas of "them beyond" the Door and briefly opens it, Zarephath is plunged into a nightmare. The wishes the Door has granted are being reversed, and after being haunted by the dead of his past, ex-Sheriff Bill Grainger calls on occultist Kathy Ryan to seal the Door forever.
Right off the bat, I was sucked into Behind the Door. SanGiovanni details the history and folklore of the Door, introducing us to the central figures of her small fictional town. We get an immediate sense of her characters, their afflictions, their flaws, as well as their relationships and their growing awareness of the Door and the evils that have crept through. This intimate overview of Zarephath and our protagonists reminded me, in some ways, of John Connolly and Stephen King, and SanGiovanni lulled me deeply into her narrative with deceptive, masterful ease. Her prose is crisp and tight, and the details are shared with such keen interest that it's impossible not to be absorbed.
Although it takes a while for series lead Kathy Ryan (first seen in 2016's Chills and very briefly mentioned in last year's Savage Woods) to appear, SanGiovanni at least gives us plenty of meat in other areas to chew on. Once Ryan finally sets foot in Zarephath, it's a headlong collision with Lovecraftian cosmic horrors and a race to the finish. SanGiovanni is flat-out an excellent Lovecraftian horror author, and she brings all the tentacled goods to the yard here. There's a particularly strong scene involving the discovery of a pair of corpses in a garage that, when Ryan prompts one of officers to turn over one of the prone bodies, had me softly muttering to my Kindle, "No, no, no, no, no." It's a wonderful bit of gross-out material, and the toll the Door begins to take on the townsfolk is a nicely horrifying discovery.
Ryan is a flat-out excellent series character, and I've been rooting for her return ever since I finished Chills a couple years back. She's a strong and capable master of the occult, and it's refreshing to see SanGiovanni's largely male cast treat her with the respect she's due. Perhaps it's wishful thinking to believe that a group of alpha male police officers and butch townies can treat a woman, even one with such specialized talents as Ryan's, as an equal whose abilities go unquestioned with nary a trace of mansplaining. But given that our Cheeto-In-Chief was, on the morning of this writing, taking to Twitter to call one of his former female staffers a dog, I'll gladly take it. Such an idealized portrayal of men easily and respectfully accepting the abilities and knowledge of women as equal, if not superior, to their own is not only welcome, but certainly necessary in these times. Maybe such a fair and balanced representation of the sexes is SanGiovanni's attempt to write her wishes into existence in the hopes that the Door can fulfill them. Or maybe it's just nice to read more into the text than was intended. If I can wish for something from this particular Door, however, it's for the return of Kathy Ryan, and soon. She's a character with plenty of staying power, and I hope to be reading many more volumes of her adventures in the years to come.
[Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this title from the publisher, Kensington, via NetGalley.]
September 6, 2018
I haven't read a horror novel in a while, so when I had the opportunity to read Behind the Door, I jumped on it. It is clear from the get go, Mary SanGiovanni is a fantastic writer. I was immediately drawn in by her writing style.
The characters are really compelling. I am looking forward to learning more about Kathy Ryan as the series progresses. I feel like we've just scratched the surface with her character and I can't wait to find out more. I loved how distinguishable each character was. Another testament to Mary SanGiovanni's writing.
The plot of this novel is super unique. While in the horror genre, I love that it is not overly gorey. A certain suspension of disbelief is necessary, but SanGiovanni's writing is so captivating, it shouldn't be an issue.
I'm a huge fan of this novel. I can't wait to see where the series takes us!
The characters are really compelling. I am looking forward to learning more about Kathy Ryan as the series progresses. I feel like we've just scratched the surface with her character and I can't wait to find out more. I loved how distinguishable each character was. Another testament to Mary SanGiovanni's writing.
The plot of this novel is super unique. While in the horror genre, I love that it is not overly gorey. A certain suspension of disbelief is necessary, but SanGiovanni's writing is so captivating, it shouldn't be an issue.
I'm a huge fan of this novel. I can't wait to see where the series takes us!
July 23, 2018
Behind the Door is an interest premise and quite a good read overall. The sinister stylings of the writer are very well evident within the pages though at times; the novel lacks some character focus that becomes more apparent towards the end.
The township of Zarapeth is quite a community of sordid characters and although this does add up for fodder when the action takes centre stage, there is never really any connection to the characters. Kari and Toby are not very likeable and most of the town feels like cardboard cut outs and this is where the story unfortunately lets the side down. It would have been nice to feel a real township and neighbourly relationships take center stage. Cicely is a well-rounded character but the rest don’t really stay in your mind. Kari is set up to be the lead but her character eventually gets set aside.
The Kathy Ryan character is very well realised and the moment she hits the scene, the character driven story comes alive. This may be for the fact that this is her second outing and in the author’s mind, she is three dimensional and very well crafted. The book comes alive when she appears. This is a bit like the Exorcist that he appears in the final third of the book and takes the story away.
The action and horror of the piece is very well done and menacing. San Giovanni has a real knack of drawing the creatures out into the opening and given them a spine tingling effect. The novel goes into overload with a very savvy finesse which keeps the reader totally emerged.
Unfortunately, the ending is well handled except that what we have is an epilogue that gives one side and we don’t really know about the other characters who make it to the end and how they will cope. This was a bit of a let-down and it would have been nice to have a paragraph or two about life in Zarapeth after that fateful night.
Overall, this is worth the read as there is a lot of good spine tingling horror to be found within the pages. A strong main character in Ryan when she does appear, does lift the novel up somewhat, but with a majority of the characters not very likeable gives the novel a slight flat feeling. San Giovanni does have a great talent and this novel is well written with a vivid imagination that lifts off the page. A good read that balances the horror and the metaphysical but lacks some in depth emotion.
The township of Zarapeth is quite a community of sordid characters and although this does add up for fodder when the action takes centre stage, there is never really any connection to the characters. Kari and Toby are not very likeable and most of the town feels like cardboard cut outs and this is where the story unfortunately lets the side down. It would have been nice to feel a real township and neighbourly relationships take center stage. Cicely is a well-rounded character but the rest don’t really stay in your mind. Kari is set up to be the lead but her character eventually gets set aside.
The Kathy Ryan character is very well realised and the moment she hits the scene, the character driven story comes alive. This may be for the fact that this is her second outing and in the author’s mind, she is three dimensional and very well crafted. The book comes alive when she appears. This is a bit like the Exorcist that he appears in the final third of the book and takes the story away.
The action and horror of the piece is very well done and menacing. San Giovanni has a real knack of drawing the creatures out into the opening and given them a spine tingling effect. The novel goes into overload with a very savvy finesse which keeps the reader totally emerged.
Unfortunately, the ending is well handled except that what we have is an epilogue that gives one side and we don’t really know about the other characters who make it to the end and how they will cope. This was a bit of a let-down and it would have been nice to have a paragraph or two about life in Zarapeth after that fateful night.
Overall, this is worth the read as there is a lot of good spine tingling horror to be found within the pages. A strong main character in Ryan when she does appear, does lift the novel up somewhat, but with a majority of the characters not very likeable gives the novel a slight flat feeling. San Giovanni does have a great talent and this novel is well written with a vivid imagination that lifts off the page. A good read that balances the horror and the metaphysical but lacks some in depth emotion.
August 13, 2018
I have tried and tried and tried to finish this book. In fact, I tried four times and only could get forty percent of the way into the book. I was really looking forward to a horror book. Instead, I got a snooze fest of a read. There was nothing appealing about the characters and nothing scary about the monsters that resided behind the door.
This is because the story moved extremely slow; as if to build up the big show down that was to come. However, when the story moves at a snail's pace, you have to have good character development in order to keep the reader's interest. For me, I lost interest. Within the forty percent that I read, I needed something to happen to keep me hanging on. The door can remain closed on this book for me.
This is because the story moved extremely slow; as if to build up the big show down that was to come. However, when the story moves at a snail's pace, you have to have good character development in order to keep the reader's interest. For me, I lost interest. Within the forty percent that I read, I needed something to happen to keep me hanging on. The door can remain closed on this book for me.
August 17, 2018
Behind The Door by Mary SanGiovanni is the 2nd in the Kathy Ryan Series.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Kensington Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Series Background (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books):
Kathy Ryan is called by police forces across the country when strange things are found. She is one of the leading experts in occult practices, ancient grimoires, devil worship, blood sacrifices, and rites to archaic gods and monsters. The reason behind her expertise is not well-known, but most agree that it has something to do with the scar that runs down her face. Her brother, once a member of a cult, and now in a mental hospital, is responsible for that scar.
My Synopsis:
Deep in the woods outside the town of Zarepath lies a free-standing Door leading to the unknown. The people of the town have grown accustomed to this Door, and give it the respect it deserves. Eventually newcomers are told about it as well. They all know not to open it. That doesn’t mean that people don’t visit the Door. If you have a desperate need, you can write a note, seal it with blood and wax, and slip it under the Door. Within three days, your wish will be granted, although the result may not be exactly what you were looking for. You must word your note very carefully, and there are no do-overs. You have one shot. There have been instances where people have brought back the dead, but unfortunately, they are still rotting. There have been other unfortunate incidents.
Kari has moved to Zarepath to finish grieving the loss of her 12-year old daughter. When Cicely tells her about the Door, she is full of warnings not to ask for her daughter back, and Kari agrees to phrase her letter appropriately, and only ask for the painful memories of her daughter to be removed. She follows the procedure, and slips her note under the door. A few days later, when she is in danger of losing all memories of Jessica, she realizes her mistake. Kari tries to get the letter back, and opens the door before she realizes her error. She gets it shut again, but not before something escapes.
Kathy Ryan is called to Zarepath when the retired police chief calls her about the Door. People are reporting that their wishes are being returned to them. People who wished for a clean bill of health are now filled with cancer, an unwanted teenage pregnancy returns to a woman who is now in her 50’s, and the dead are rising and coming back to kill their own murderers. And the list goes on. Kathy will have to find a way to reverse these events, and lock the door for good. But something else has been let out as well.
My Opinions:
Loved the book. Yes, this is the second Kathy Ryan book, but the author isn’t really concentrating on Kathy. The books are about the problem itself, and the people involved. Kathy just plays a part in solving the issue. On the other hand, Kathy is a strong, independent woman, earning the eventual respect (and perhaps a little fear) of the male police forces that she helps.
Mary SanGiovanni creates really good characters. Whether you like them or hate them, they are always deep enough that you understand where they are coming from, and sometimes you even cheer on the bad guy. This book was no different. Even the Door itself was a character.
The book had an interesting premise. A door that can grant wishes. It would be hard to resist. It is human nature to take the easy way out of a problem, and the author showed how people used the door for good, and for bad. The people hid their crimes, their murders, their sins….all behind a door that got opened. Scary, isn’t it?
It had a good balance of creepiness and lots of suspense, without being over the top. You didn’t want to set it down for fear you missed something.
SanGiovanni is a talented writer, and I am definitely looking forward to more!
For a more complete review of this book and others, please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Kensington Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Series Background (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books):
Kathy Ryan is called by police forces across the country when strange things are found. She is one of the leading experts in occult practices, ancient grimoires, devil worship, blood sacrifices, and rites to archaic gods and monsters. The reason behind her expertise is not well-known, but most agree that it has something to do with the scar that runs down her face. Her brother, once a member of a cult, and now in a mental hospital, is responsible for that scar.
My Synopsis:
Deep in the woods outside the town of Zarepath lies a free-standing Door leading to the unknown. The people of the town have grown accustomed to this Door, and give it the respect it deserves. Eventually newcomers are told about it as well. They all know not to open it. That doesn’t mean that people don’t visit the Door. If you have a desperate need, you can write a note, seal it with blood and wax, and slip it under the Door. Within three days, your wish will be granted, although the result may not be exactly what you were looking for. You must word your note very carefully, and there are no do-overs. You have one shot. There have been instances where people have brought back the dead, but unfortunately, they are still rotting. There have been other unfortunate incidents.
Kari has moved to Zarepath to finish grieving the loss of her 12-year old daughter. When Cicely tells her about the Door, she is full of warnings not to ask for her daughter back, and Kari agrees to phrase her letter appropriately, and only ask for the painful memories of her daughter to be removed. She follows the procedure, and slips her note under the door. A few days later, when she is in danger of losing all memories of Jessica, she realizes her mistake. Kari tries to get the letter back, and opens the door before she realizes her error. She gets it shut again, but not before something escapes.
Kathy Ryan is called to Zarepath when the retired police chief calls her about the Door. People are reporting that their wishes are being returned to them. People who wished for a clean bill of health are now filled with cancer, an unwanted teenage pregnancy returns to a woman who is now in her 50’s, and the dead are rising and coming back to kill their own murderers. And the list goes on. Kathy will have to find a way to reverse these events, and lock the door for good. But something else has been let out as well.
My Opinions:
Loved the book. Yes, this is the second Kathy Ryan book, but the author isn’t really concentrating on Kathy. The books are about the problem itself, and the people involved. Kathy just plays a part in solving the issue. On the other hand, Kathy is a strong, independent woman, earning the eventual respect (and perhaps a little fear) of the male police forces that she helps.
Mary SanGiovanni creates really good characters. Whether you like them or hate them, they are always deep enough that you understand where they are coming from, and sometimes you even cheer on the bad guy. This book was no different. Even the Door itself was a character.
The book had an interesting premise. A door that can grant wishes. It would be hard to resist. It is human nature to take the easy way out of a problem, and the author showed how people used the door for good, and for bad. The people hid their crimes, their murders, their sins….all behind a door that got opened. Scary, isn’t it?
It had a good balance of creepiness and lots of suspense, without being over the top. You didn’t want to set it down for fear you missed something.
SanGiovanni is a talented writer, and I am definitely looking forward to more!
For a more complete review of this book and others, please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
September 10, 2018
3.5 stars.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley and Lyrical Underground in exchange for my honest review.
Deep in the woods of the small town of Zarepeth there is a door that grants written requests. But you must be careful about your wording because once you slide the letter under the door you can never get it back. The only rule: don't open the door. Kari asks to have the painful memories of her dead daughter to go away, but when all the memories start to leave, she opens the door to get them back. She then unleashes terror upon the town and occult specialist Kathy Ryan is called in to investigate.
I loved the how creative the plot of this book was and all the other world elements. It felt like an episode of Supernatural, which is why I requested it. I've always loved reading about or experiences things in life we just can't explain. My roommates and I are pretty sure there is a ghost living in our house and it absolutely fascinates me.
If you had the chance to erase part of your past or remove something from your life that is hurting you, would you do it? SanGiovanni asks and answers these questions in her novel, and does so in a creative and unique way. I enjoyed learning about the townspeople and what requests they presented to the door. It made me wonder what I would ask for if I could.
This is a quick lighter horror read and great to pick up if you want something a little different.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley and Lyrical Underground in exchange for my honest review.
Deep in the woods of the small town of Zarepeth there is a door that grants written requests. But you must be careful about your wording because once you slide the letter under the door you can never get it back. The only rule: don't open the door. Kari asks to have the painful memories of her dead daughter to go away, but when all the memories start to leave, she opens the door to get them back. She then unleashes terror upon the town and occult specialist Kathy Ryan is called in to investigate.
I loved the how creative the plot of this book was and all the other world elements. It felt like an episode of Supernatural, which is why I requested it. I've always loved reading about or experiences things in life we just can't explain. My roommates and I are pretty sure there is a ghost living in our house and it absolutely fascinates me.
If you had the chance to erase part of your past or remove something from your life that is hurting you, would you do it? SanGiovanni asks and answers these questions in her novel, and does so in a creative and unique way. I enjoyed learning about the townspeople and what requests they presented to the door. It made me wonder what I would ask for if I could.
This is a quick lighter horror read and great to pick up if you want something a little different.
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