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 ( )

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.

( )

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.** ( )

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:
In my mind, this is a novel of cosmic horror. It doesn't feature Cthulhu or any Lovecraftian creatures, (though there are tentacles), but major aspects of it are there. What's behind the door is not of this world. Check. What's behind the door doesn't give a hoot about humans or humanity in general. It is cold, indifferent and unfeeling. Check, check, check. Now, it could also be interpreted as supernatural horror, in general, and that's fine too. But this is MY review and here we are.

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-Kathy-Ryan-Novel-ebook/dp/B077WZKJ2R/chashorc...

*Thank you to Kensington, Lyrical Underground and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.* ( )

What if you could make a wish, any wish, and your wish would be granted as long as you followed a few simple rules?
In a forest surrounding the small town of Zarepath, there is such a door. No one knows where the door came from or what it leads to but any wish will be granted in 3 days as long as it is sealed with wax and a bit of blood. Kari is a single mother trying to cope with the death of her daughter. She decides to write a letter asking the powers that be to erase the memory of her daughter but realizes it is better to grieve and remember rather than forget the person existed at all. She regrets writing the letter and tries to get it back but in the process opens the door and releases an unspeakable horror into the world at large. It is up to Kathy Ryan, an occult specialist to close the door that has been opened.
I always love Mary Sangiovanni's writing. I really like Kathy Ryan's character and how she shows what makes each person tick. The writing is suspenseful and I especially enjoyed Behind the Door because there were elements of the unknown and ancient Gods that remind me of H.P. Lovecraft but without going overboard.
Be careful what you wish for... ( )