Book Review- Behind the Door

Summary:

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 answered—for 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 . . .

What I Thought:

Mary Sangiovanni has a way of making you care about the most despicable characters. This book is NOT for the faint of heart or easily triggered, as with most horror novels. Sangiovanni holds nothing back in the telling of the horrors of this small Pennsylvania town.

I am not a speed reader but finished this book in record time. There is not a single dull moment in this novel and begs one to ask the question… What is worse: the painful consequence of real life or the risk of getting exactly what you asked for?
I gave this book 5 stars for delivering everything the first book of a paranormal series should. 

About the Author:

Mary SanGiovanni is an award-winning American horror and thriller writer of over a dozen novels, including The Hollower trilogy, Thrall, Chaos, The Kathy Ryan series, and others, as well as numerous novellas, short stories, comics, and non-fiction.  Her work as been translated internationally.  She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, and is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers.  She was a co-host on the popular podcast The Horror Show with Brian Keene and her own podcast-turned-blog on cosmic horror, Cosmic Shenanigans, and is currently a cohost of The Ghost Writers Podcast.  She has the distinction of being one of the first women to speak about writing at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, VA, and offers talks and workshops on writing around the country.  Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently resides in Pennsylvania.

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