Behind the Door (Kathy Ryan #1) by Mary SanGiovanni #bookreview #horror #supernatural

Title: Behind the Door

Author: Mary SanGiovanni

Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Publication Date: August 28, 2018

Page Count: 190

My rating: 3 stars

About the book:

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 . . .

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.

Find this book online: 

Goodreads  /   Amazon

About the author:

Mary SanGiovanni is the author of a number of novels including THE HOLLOWER TRIOLOGY (the first book of which was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award), THRALL, and CHAOS, and the novellas FOR EMMY, THE FADING PLACE, and POSSESSING AMY. Her short 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. 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 and the Garden State Horror Writers. She lives in New Jersey with her son and her cat.