This is quite a twisted tale about a family struggling with their grief and a mysterious imaginary shape shifting character called Black Mamba. Alfie is struggling to cope with his seven year old twins after their mum tragically died, he involves his wife’s own twin Julia to try to help as the twins become obsessed with Black Mamba and he is struggling to parent them. Throw into the mix his mother-in-law’s religious fanaticism and unusual beliefs and their home and family having a dark past this makes for a stark and sophisticated read. It uses quite simple prose so it’s easy to read and engage with, it’s a very slow burner but for me it didn’t have the suspense I hoped for although it’s undoubtedly creepy and there’s definitely times where the lines of reality and imagination and very blurred. The ending was very ambiguous which for me makes it difficult to truly appreciate the whole story then but it certainly left a chill.