Behind the Door

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By Mary SanGiovanni

Publisher Description

An occult specialist must find a way to close a paranormal Pandora’s Box in this horror series debut by the acclaimed author of The Hollower Trilogy.

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 or where it leads. For generations, folks have come to the Door seeking solace or forgiveness. They bring handwritten letters, sealed with a mixture of wax and their own blood, and slide them beneath the Door. Three days later, their wishes are answered—for better or worse.

Kari is a single mother grieving her teenage daughter’s suicide. She made a terrible mistake when she asked 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 . . .

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7 Reviews

3.5

TheBookBud

Created almost 5 years ago

“This is the second installment of the Kathy Ryan series about an occult investigator. She is brought to a town in Pennsylvania this time, to shut a door to another dimension that has stood in the woods of a small town for decades. In this one, Kathy doesn’t make an appearance until about half way through the book because the main focus is on the people of the town who have used the door. They have used it for reasons as sick as covering up crimes committed, to trying to dull the pain of a lost loved one. Her character design in this was amazing, she has you nearly upset for the loss over a child molester by the end. She really gives you a hard look into the mindset of people struggling with guilt and temptation. Nothing was sugar coated in this and I think that’s the most appealing thing in SanGiovanni’s novels, the harshness she brings into her writing. No one is really safe. Well, no one except Kathy….which I found to mean even more this time. In the first novel she appears in, Chills, she get’s into a car wreck that would have killed anyone. But not Kathy, no no, she walks away nearly unscathed. In this, Kathy comments on her ability to drink like a fish for years, and it have no negatively lasting effects. I think in this, SanGiovanni really hints at the idea something is protecting the agent, or she is something more powerful herself which is why she is in the line of work she is in. It’s an interesting over-arcing story line honestly. Gives a good spin to the numerous paranormal investigator type series. In summary, this was even better than the last, a hard 4 out of 5 stars at minimum. This author is a breath of fresh air, bringing a new element to a tired story about the end of the world.”

Diana

Created about 5 years ago

VeeReads

Created over 5 years ago

“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...”

Horror DNA

Created over 5 years ago

“I had not read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28502853.Chills__Kathy_Ryan___1_ and did not initially realise that Kathy Ryan had featured in an earlier https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/480837.Mary_SanGiovanni novel. However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of this new offering, as Kathy does not feature until well into the story, at which point the scene and main characters are already well established. Upon arrival, she does take centre stage, but never truly dominates what is a very enjoyable novel littered with engaging characters. SanGiovanni has created a clever tale which leans on both Stephen King’s Pet Sematary and in particular the classic MR James short story, The Monkey’s Paw. Actually, if you think of any work which uses the age old moral code: “Be careful what you wish for”, you’re in the correct ball-park. Behind the Door may well have been inspired by earlier classics, but it is no copy, with the author having fun developing characters whose age-old wishes really do return to bite them in their nether regions. You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by https://www.horrordna.com/books/behind-the-door-a-kathy-ryan-novel-mary-sangiovanni-book-review .”

Melissa

Created almost 6 years ago

“I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the first part of the book, but it went downhill for me after that. I wasn’t a fan of the characters. And the ending felt rushed and it just ended abruptly. The writing was good and I will try this author again. I just wasn’t a fan of this book.”

About Mary SanGiovanni

Mary SanGiovanni is the Bram Stoker-nominated author of the Kathy Ryan novels, Savage Woods, Chills, and numerous other novels, novellas and short stories. She also contributed to DC Comics’ House of Horror anthology, alongside comic book legends Howard Chaykin and Keith Giffen. She has been writing fiction for over a decade, has a Master’s in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University, and is a member of The Authors Guild, Penn Writers, and International Thriller Writers. Her website is marysangiovanni.com.