I was so invested but I am unsure if it was genuine interest or just confusion. It felt like this book wanted to be too many things at once? Like, was this a supernatural horror? a murder mystery? a play on some OG erotic horrors? I honestly don't know, and I just couldn't figure it out.

It just fell flat for me because I was too confused to be any other emotion.

Art is apparently imitating life as the events that happen in Ben Bookman’s newest release, The Scarecrow, start happening in real life. And Ben himself can’t really remember writing much of the book, only that he did it while he was in The Atrium, his grandfather’s “forbidden” room that’s full of thousands of books that have no words in them.

I haven’t really been reading horror the way I did in my younger years, but there was something about this story and the cover on the book that drew me in. It is quintessential horror, with the requisite amount of gore, as well as all the scare factors that keep you on the edge of your seat while reading. There were several times I had to put the book down, I guess I just don’t have the constitution for it like I used to.

This was one of the rare stories where I actually liked almost all of the characters. Ben was quite complex, and I really liked Mills and his daughter, Samantha. I wish we had gotten a bit more background on Blackwood Manor, the mystery of his missing brother and their grandfather, particularly since the events all seemed to start in the Atrium.

Overall, this was a book that creeped me out and gave me some good scares. Lots of twists and turns, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

This was like two different stories in one, to me. It starts out one way — with the murders and the detectives and the mystery of Bookman’s lost weekend when he wrote the novel seemingly overnight — and ends in such a way that I wasn’t entirely sure I understood what was going on. Like, I don’t even know how to explain it? There was a house and rooms and little girls and what was up with that guy? The whole thing was bizarre and graphic, but also too convoluted for me.

Not gonna lie, this was kind of disappointing for me because the execution feels off. It reads like it wanted to be a supernatural horror epic but just couldn’t figure out how to do it in a way that wasn’t confusing.

Twisted and creep-tastic. We need more scarecrow horror! Get ready for some serious gooseflesh.
4 stars!

james NEVER misses. i’ve loved all the thrillers he’s ever came out with - they’re always complex, twisty and gripping - and this one was the same! the characters are always so cleverly created and appear at such convenient times… you can tell James plans this books comprehensively

A very exciting and original idea for a horror novel. I felt like I was reading an 80s paperback that you would find out a used bookstore.

The Nightmare Man is a delicious horror book.
J.H. Markert creates a world full of nightmares, magic, and horror. Ben Bookman has been writing horror books for years. But things turn dark when someone is perpetuating real-life murders that are the same as in his new book, The Scarecrow. At the center of the investigation is the writer himself who can't remember much of the weekend he wrote the book. Haunted by a history left by his grandfather, Ben learns that his family home may be at the center of the murders. So did Ben do it or is someone else trying to set him up?
The chapters switch between the detective investigating the case, Ben, and vignettes of the past. These past stories have no kind of timeline and it's hard to understand what goes where. (This is something Markert fixes in the next book.) The pacing is great, and the story is darkly imaginative but the ending is a little rushed. I imagine it's to add to the excitement but I didn't even have time to breathe.
But overall this is a solid novel.

Holy Sh¡t this one was terrifying. I'm not the biggest horror reader and I'm sure there are more terrifying reads out there, but this one scared me. I enjoyed this goosebump inducing scenes!

I found this book to be interesting enough to finish within a week. The twists and turns kept me turning the pages in search of answers. I do look forward to reading another of this author’s books on my TBR pile. Perfect mix of suspense & creepy.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the copy for review.

The Nightmare Man actually gave me nightmares. I love a good horror book and this one entered my top 5 as soon as I was done. Bravo.

The Nightmare Man hooked me on the cover alone. Scarecrows have always been creepy to me. The story started with a bang too. It could have been edited a little better there were a few slow parts especially at the beginning but overall it was a great, original horror story. I’ll definitely read the authors next book.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

This was an enjoyable, suspenseful read. I've seen a lot of criticism about unlikable characters but I think that may be part of the point of this book.

I have attempted to read this book three times now and have finally given up at the 70% mark. The first time I tried, I made it to 22% as it starts off really good, but then gets dull. The second time, I made it to 35% and just got so bored. The characters are all so unlikeable - especially the main character. There is so much dialogue and just repetitive description that it took a lot for me to get to 70% - even with eventually skimming paragraphs. This book had so much promise for me, and it does have a great creepy vibe, but it just fell short of what it could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my first time reading this author, but I can see myself needing to pick up the rest of them based on this book alone. A truly enjoyable, suspenseful read. I couldn't get enough.

Well written, keeps you engaged up till the end. There is total tension while you wait to find out what happens at the end, and that is my kind of book! Murder, spooky, dark woods. Yup.

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! And completely messed my dreams up. Def have this going into the re-read tbr yearly.

Well written, a good story, but I had a hard time finishing sadly. I love horror but had a hard time with this one

The Nightmare Man is a crime-horror book involving nightmares, murders, family secrets, and complicated characters. I was immediately intrigued by the setting and the premise, especially with a reveal that takes the story somewhere unexpected. The writing is captivating with visceral descriptions of dark scenes and haunting nightmares.

I thought the characters could have been fleshed out more because they followed basic archetypes, resorting to predictable reactions whenever things get tough. I wasn't a fan of the cheating trope and how it's employed here with miscommunication and vagueness that annoyed instead of intrigued me. It felt like a romantic drama at times, which wasn't helped by the fact that I didn't care about the protagonist and his passive behaviour. The procedural aspect brings an interesting angle, but I think the book would have worked better if it had just zoomed into the dysfunctional family drama and the power (magic?) behind their secrets. A great effort but I was left wanting more.

A truly harrowing whodunnit.

J. H. Market has created a truly interesting horror novel focusing on dreams and nightmares. This book was a pleasant surprise from what I originally thought it might be. It is a medium paced book that I found myself racing to finish as I approached the end.

This book follows a horror author, who is currently stuck writing a sequel to his hit book. When murders start being discovered that align exactly with his novel, he knows something else must be going on. There are so many moving pieces to this story that it felt a little hard to keep up with at times, however it all comes out to a startling but very interesting conclusion.

Check this book out!

The Nightmare Man captivated me from the very first chapter. Murders that are copied from a book are hardly a new thing to write about, but the way Markert writes it. Well, I was hooked and I found the story to be thrilling. The ending, well let's say that I want a sequel to this book because I feel that this is just the top of an iceberg...

Update: There is a sequel called The Mr. Lullaby and I can't wait to read it!