Book Review: When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel

4.5/5 stars. An excellent debut novel from Katherine Daniel, an author that we will no doubt hear more from in the future. This novel introduces us to the Mimic, an ancient creature doomed to live within the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia until a guilty heart can be found to take its place. When two siblings and eight strangers are forced to confront this horror at a small out-of-the-way grocery store a day before Thanksgiving, the question everyone begins to ask is, “Who has the guiltiest heart?”


Thomas is Jane’s older brother. Just two months ago, they went through a trauma that might change their lives, and now they are not on the best of terms but must ride together to a remote rented cabin to meet their mom, dad, and older sister Cassie for Thanksgiving. The family dynamic created by the author is fabulous and offers wonderful insight into the members of this Southern family. In fact, all of Daniel’s character work is strong throughout the story. I could picture each of the characters in this story as a clear counterpart to someone I have met in real life. I am impressed with the prose, the dialogue, the setting, the descriptions, the backstories of the characters, and the imaginative horror elements. There are some nicely developed twists throughout the tale, and the author kept this reader, at least, on the edge of his seat, waiting on the next shoe to drop.


This novel was a great read for spooky season, and I am extremely glad I got a Book of the Month copy of the novel, since it shipped prior to the official release date on October 20. No pressure on the author, but when does your next book come out? I highly recommend this story to all horror fans, and especially as a great new read for the month of October.

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