Knock Knock, Open Wide

Neil Sharpson’s Knock Knock, Open Wide traces a lineage of terror across two decades. The narrative begins with Etain Larkin, who discovers a corpse on an Irish country road and transports it to a remote farmhouse. This act initiates a night of horror that fractures her sanity. Twenty years later, Betty Fitzpatrick arrives in Dublin for college and joins the drama society. She falls for Ashling Mallen, whose family history remains hidden behind closed doors. Ashling isolates Betty from her alcoholic mother, Etain, while revealing a secret obsession with a forgotten children’s television program. The show featured a black goat puppet that emerged only when viewers misbehaved. While the rest of Ireland shares vague memories of the series, Ashling recalls the creature with terrifying clarity. The story examines how trauma echoes through generations and how shared cultural myths can mask individual nightmares. This novel suits readers who enjoy psychological horror rooted in Irish folklore and family secrets. It appeals to those interested in the intersection of media memory and supernatural dread. Readers seeking fast-paced action or clear resolutions may find the slow-burn atmosphere unsettling. The book relies on atmospheric tension rather than explicit gore. Sharpson, known for his work in the horror genre, constructs a narrative where the past refuses to stay buried. The ending leaves the boundary between the known world and the unknown permanently breached.