Karen is meant to be the one who fixes problems.

It’s her job, as a psychiatrist – and it’s always been her role as a friend.

But Jessica is different. She should be the patient, the one that Karen helps.

Except she knows things about Karen. Her friends, her personal life. Things no patient should know.

And Karen is starting to wonder if she should have let her in…

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Before I Let You In is a psychological thriller filled with a building sense of dread as the story progresses. It follows Karen, a psychiatrist and her two best friends, perennial singleton Bea and burnt-out mum of two including a new-born, Eleanor. In their group Karen is the protector, the one who looks after the others and fixes their problems, a role that gives her purpose.
But a dark cloud is brewing the horizon of her life, casting a shadow that will change her life forever. A new patient enters her office, he life, and has a profound effect. Some the things she says hit far too close to home for Karen, unsettling her. But then, isn’t that what any patient would do when on the defensive, deflecting the attention.

But things spiral. Karen’s life – and those of her two closest friends – start taking a strange turn. Little niggles and unsettling events explode into horrific and worrying situations for all involved. Everyone becomes embroiled in a campaign of fear, paranoia and ultimately death.

Jenny Blackhurst has crafted a deliciously menacing book filled with twists and turns. It leaves the reader reeling with revelation after revelation. This is a fast-paced, frenetic roller coaster of a book, plumbing into the darker reaches of the human mind. What drives a person to such disturbing and lethal acts? The book is gripping, and well written, telling the story from the past  perspective of the key characters, as well as the mystery antagonist. It also mixes in the psychiatric interviews of one of the characters in the present day.

All of this hints at something sinister having taken place. Blackhurst keeps you guessing right to the end in this dark, troubling thriller that hits all the right notes. All around, Before I Let You In is a troubling and brilliant book.

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