Excellent new horror novel!

It's odd for me to read "new" horror and not spend my time comparing it to all the great horror I've read before it. However, this story starts with a bang and doesn't slow, so I had no choice but to just strap in and enjoy the ride.

The Nightmare Man is about an author whose latest book is suddenly coming true. Things are not quite that simple though and as the bodies pile up, and the crime scenes become more gruesome, sins from the past suddenly start to be revealed and connections are made.

I loved the use of nightmares in this story and the idea of a person who can give nightmares, and someone else who can take them away was fascinating, well done, and presented a thrilling story.

Also, my Stephen King-loving heart loved all of the references!

Highly recommend to all horror fans, or just anyone wanting a good scare.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked lane Books for the earc in exchange of an honest review.

I was hoping to find those kind of horror plot that looks like an eightie's horror movie. And I guess is what I've got in a way.

It doesn't ignore all the pop horror history. It acknowledge it. The beginning is haunting like one of Hannibal's murders in the TV show. It is twisted and Grim a bit staged.

Then the book goes alternating points of view of the detectives and the suspect, a conflicted writer. The writer is unreliable because in the beginning he is having blackouts and he sleepwalk. (Not gonna said anything else)

So it is all about a few common places of horror but is intriguing and well done.

Like and old movie that reads new and creepy.

If I had it when I was a kid I would have nightmares. Remmains of all those Saturday nights sneaking to watch horror flicks.

Really enjoyed it

I enjoyed this book. I can not wait for more by this author! Thanks to publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book!

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!

PS - I loved all the Stephen King references in this book.

Trigger warnings: suicide, language, gore

The premise sounded good, but the delivery created a cheesy story. Alliterative character names created a lot of confusion. I didn't find much to like about Amanda and Ben. Very little happened in the first half of the book. I just didn't engage with the story or characters. The concept was clever, but the result didn't deliver.

This book was so scary! The perfect book to read around Halloween. Very spooky and atmospheric. I would definitely recommend this for a horror book club!

Nightmares? Yes please. Creepy mansion in the woods? Absolutely. Off-limits room full of empty books? I couldn't ask for anything more. I was so completely immersed in this story that I flew through it. It took until about page 100 to figure out one of the twists but it was still a wild ride getting there. This story is told so cleverly that you think you have the other twist figured out but it ends up being so much cooler than you thought.
Ben Bookman is for sure an unreliable narrator but I didn't find it too frustrating. The nightmares were told in such detail that I was sure I'd end up having one. One downfall is that there are a lot of characters so sometimes I had to pause to remind myself of someones story line. This was easily overlooked in my rating though cause I found the premise to be original to majority of horror books currently out there. It definitely gives an old school horror vibe which I'm all about. I'm someone who has pretty vivid dreams and some messed up nightmares so I feel like I was meant to read this.

I think this would be a great movie and all horror fans should check it out! I can't wait to read more from this author.

TW for DV, CSA, SA, alcoholism, cutting

The Nightmare Man is a creepy, bloody story about nightmares come to life. If you're into a serial killer story, this has everything you're looking for in spades.

For me, this book was a bit of a mess. Genuinely creepy in some scenes, but enough, "Seriously?" moments that it took me out of the story.

It's funny, because when I went to search for this to review, I could NOT remember the title of this book. It's understandable problem if you've read it.

The Nightmare Man? The Scarecrow? The Screamer? Mr. Dreams? The Boogeyman? The Tooth Fairy? All are name dropped in this book (along with both the name of the person who embodies/is possessed by the bad guy AND the person who had the nightmares that gave birth to them.)

That's a lot of names, histories, timeline, and whereabouts to keep track of in a book. After awhile, it all started to feel like messy gobbledygook to me, (especially when "chainsaw man who likes to cut down trees" was introduced as a villain the 96% mark.)

It's funny because at one point a character actually says of this smallish town: "there seemed to be an overly high number of cases that not only registered as bizarre, but macabre enough to name." Yeah, no shit. Eventually the author does get around to explaining why Crooked Tree is serial killer central, (and it's a solid argument when it's revealed) but until, then it all strains credibility.

What bugs me is that there is a brilliant book INSIDE this one. I can almost see it and wish an editor had seen it too. The elements ARE scary. The mythology is solid. The characters are interesting (though sometimes their banter and actions defied logic so much it made me literally LOL). It had a solid paranormal element and some good old fashioned human evil characters.

I guess it bummed me out that I didn't love it. But I'm sure it'll push all the right buttons for someone else. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a old-skool horror novel, like the ones you used to sneak out of the library as a kid in the 80's, then this is you go to book! It is very well written, has good character development but it is also a bit cheesy. The names of the characters for example got my eyes rolling: Detective Blue and Officer Black? Hmmm...

The story is a slightly more original take than what you would expect: a psychologist treats children with terrifying nightmares and he is very capable at his job. He also has erected an asylum on the grounds of his property, a grand and dark house at the outskirts of the woods atop a hill overlooking the city and the asylum. Do you get the heebie-jeebies yet? No, well then know that about every monster that lives in the still of the night is about to get real !

The whole book is carried by two main characters: rookie Detective Blue and her father Detective Mills. I enjoyed their banter and their complicated relationship in general, it worked really well. Also the third main character, the author named Bookman (yes, indeed!) is unlikable, but very interesting. The first half of the book is defined by the development of these characters, and I thought it was very well done. The second half is centered more about the plot development, and there is where it went a bit downwards for me. The author threaded a lot of different plotlines together and it got a bit murky because of that.

All in all it is well written, but I'm afraid I'm expecting more goosebumps when I read a horror novel.

We've got a new Horror King on the block!

Looking for a crazy horror story? You've found one! An excellent read for Stephen King/Dean Koontz lovers.

This debut book is a crazy ride that will bend your mind as you try to understand what's happening while the events unfold.

Markert did a fabulous job of keeping the reader in the dark until the very last minute! Loved the writing style, the tension he created within the story and the main characters, even with all their faults.

Walking the line between creepy and horror, The Nightmare Man does a great job of being less about gore and more about scary scenes that may get stuck in your brain to think about in the dark! That's my favorite kind of scary story!

I've always been a vivid dreamer and as a kid I had recurring nightmares that were really scary! So this story hit really hard... and I loved it!

Dreams, nightmares, legend, lore, bad people, monsters, unreliable narrators, old scary mansions, missing children, creepy scenes, high action, detectives with secrets - this one has it all!

Releasing in Jan of 2023 - I expect this to make a big splash in the Horror genre and am so excited to be here for Markert's launch into the publication world!

Thank you to @crookedlanebooks for this ARC. It was a fantastic, five star read! All opinions expressed are my own.

The Nightmare Man is thriller/horror tour de force that almost falls apart under the weight of its wild ambition.
There’s so much that’s just wonderful about this book about what happens when someone seems to be copying killings out of a horror authors books, and of course is not that simple. What unfolds is a journey into nightmares, family secrets, generational traumas and abuse, possession, the supernatural and so much more. J.H. Markert crams this story to overflowing with plot and characters and mostly handles it expertly until the last 100 pages or so when things start to feel like too much. Still it is a journey worth taking and I feel like it’s a book people will be talking about. I had an awesome time in this nightmare! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

What was I thinking? I mean, it's literally called The Nightmare Man. I should've known better than to stay up late reading this right before bed, but there I was, messing up my sleep for a week.

Essentially, this story takes the "you're not safe in your dreams" trope to the next level with lots of gore, terror, and horror — plus a dash of police thriller and a sprinkle of dysfunctional families for good measure. However you categorize it, The Nightmare Man is scary!

I could've used a little more answers for the "why" for all this craziness, but I really enjoyed the references to real-life nightmare art, music, and folklore to give this thing credence. When you bring nightmares into the real world and back them up with concrete evidence… *shudder!*

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Nightmare Man.

I love anything scary so I was excited when my request was approved.

Mills has been a detective in his small town for a long time, a small town plagued by gruesome and bizarre killers. When he arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder (and bodies begin piling up), he soon realizes the deaths are connected in some way to Ben Bookman, a horror novelist and the heir to an ancestral home with a frightening history.

First, what I liked; the origins of Blackwood and the Bookman legacy. the purpose of the books, and how they affected the town and community.

Now, what I didn't like: the Bookmans. Talk about one screwed up family, but then what family isn't?

Why are they so screwed up? Because of their ancestor?

I didn't like Ben Bookman, even though one of the narrative threads is from his POV.

His character is weak; things happen to him, but he doesn't take initiative. His daughter is far strong than he is, but maybe that's the point.

Detective Mills ends up being the dominate character and personality, not surprisingly considering how he's tied into the Bookmans' twisted family legacy.

There's some timeline hopping, offering readers insight into the past, and it wasn't confusing to follow.

I found the writing style decent, the writing okay, a bit choppy at times, though I'm not sure if that's due to the author or editor's fault.

The ending was messy; the inmates have escaped from Arkham, there are a few plot holes left dangling, and the author seems to hastily write up a tidy-ish ending for the key players, which felt unsatisfying.

Overall, I liked the premise of The Nightmare Man, but the writing lacked flow and some of the characters were not well developed.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Nightmare Man definitely had its creepy moments. I'll admit that I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. Okay, all of it. The entire mystery took me on a horrific rollercoaster ride. One, that would probably make me pee in my pants from all the screaming.

There's a lot of characters throughout the book. Of course, one might look a bit closer towards the detectives and the author. Yet, we have so many supporting characters that were quite interesting as well. I honestly had no idea who to trust and who to suspect. Throw in some demons, nightmares, and anything else made to distract me from the truth and I was hooked. Completely and unapologetically attached to this. I couldn't put it down until I got to the very end.

Other than that, some of the reveals grossed me our or made me cringe. It will depend on when it happens though and who it involves. Some made me sad too. Especially towards the end when so many things are happening and lots of death.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this thriller. Could totally see it becoming a movie and wouldn't be mad if we got another book with the nightmare man!

I think this book would be a perfect late summer/early autumn read. Markert creates an interesting 'villain' and the lore that is slowly built up around the murders kept me captivated. I felt that this work was effective as a modern imagining of folk-horror, where the creation of elemental monsters is not relegated to the distant past, but is an ongoing invention. I look forward to reading more from this author.

If you are in the mood for a spooky and suspenseful mystery, this one is for you!

Novelist Ben Bookman returns to his ancestral home and discovers a gruesome story, much like the fiction he writes, is unfolding there in real life. How could the killer possibly know how all these tales of horror play out before publication? Ben desperately wants to end this madness, clear his name, and help detectives find the true evil . . . but how is that possible when the evidence keeps pointing back at him?

Find out on January 10th, 2023

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Nightmare Man for my unbiased evaluation. 4 stars

This was an intriguing concept and I was excited to dive into this story. I started and stopped, started and stopped again. Tried very hard to get into it and it just wasn’t for me. I loved the idea and am sure it will be fantastic read for some. I encourage all to give it a read if your a fan of this genre as it could be your fav.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Ben has just finished and released his latest book, he finished in one weekend that he can't really remember but he knows something good didn't come out it. Little does he know, that in the sleepy small town where his family home is; his book is slowly coming to life and not in a good. Ben writes horror novels and his books are the things of nightmares.

Detective Mills remembers Ben, but he doesn't know their worlds about to collide after he finds the Peterson family dead in the barn. Plus a little girl disappeared a week or so ago. Bad things are happening in New Haven. Mills knows his time is running out, but he hopes he can figure out what is going on before it is too late.

Ben's life begins to fall apart right after a tragedy occurs at his first book signing. Soon the police are looking at him because of the murders that are just like what happened in his book. Can Ben figure out the truth of his family's house and what happened the weekend he finished the book.

I will be honest I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I usually just read mysteries or thrillers and every now and then some other genre. I don't always like horror books, but this one was so good. The story was fresh and interesting and I was drawn in. I was also very excited with the way the book ended and the prospect that there might be more in this world. I don't recommend reading this late at night. It might just bring Nightmares.

THE NIGHTMARE MAN often feels like it is obviously paying homage to great stories and storytellers; I can see some liking that, but I found it distracting and a bit frustrating. However, there are some gritty and memorable scenes/visuals scattered throughout this book, as well as ideas. It's difficult to say why I didn't enjoy this novel more than I did--it brought to mind BOOK OF ACCIDENTS by Chuck Wendig. Like that title, I felt that the story would be one I'd better enjoy as a movie or TV show than I did as a book. The writing wasn't poor at all, but I couldn't latch onto the author's voice; it wasn't distinctive enough. As such, I had a tendency to lose interest and want to skim the pages. Again, some great ideas here and a lot of familiar ground in the horror community, but maybe not a groundbreaking novel to write home about. I could see myself giving this author another chance later, though, and that's a good sign.