2.5 rounded up. From the cover to several key elements, this seemed to borrow heavily from Stephen King…with some Stephen Graham Jones thrown in. So many creepy elements…that never properly coalesced into a satisfying whole.

After the first few pages, I knew this was a book I wasn’t going to be able to put down, until I got to The End. If you like dark, absolutely unpredictable, twisted, raise-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck type of suspense as much as I do, you can't go wrong with this book! A very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters. The suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds. Worthy of your TBR list.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

This book hit the spot. I was really impressed by the ending of this book and that it was super creepy. First things first, I loved getting to know the characters and getting some of their backstories. I have read the horror genre before, but with this book, there was a sense of urgency. I loved the slow build!! It kind of reminded me of a Stephen King book where you get a lot of information that is relevant and much needed when you get to the end of the book. I will have to see what this author comes out with next!!

A small town’s old train tunnel, coma patients, murders, and strange occurrences are components in a rapidly developing convergence of nightmarish events in J. H. Markert’s Mister Lullaby.
When the man those in Harrod’s Reach refer to as Simple Simon reports through his drawings two dead bodies outside the town’s old train tunnel to the deputy sheriff, Beth, a string of strange events with lullabies left at the scene kicks off, supporting Beth’s ongoing personal investigation into periodic spikes of violent crime. The tunnel has long been a center for macabre, with injuries, disappearances, and severed limbs but after young Sully was injured and left in a coma after a tunnel incident years ago he suddenly, but briefly, wakes up and recites a list of names on the night of his brother Gideon’s return from serving in the Army. As strange things seem to be making their way out of the tunnel, such as seashells and fish despite no water around, some newcomers to town shed some light on what’s happening. An awakened coma patient, Maddy, arrives in town with a goal of gathering more coma patients and with a message from Sully in Lalaland, a colorful yet horrific world filled with dangerous mythical creatures, about the tunnel and their need to prevent horrors from coming through; meanwhile Teddy, has been hearing a voice in his head he’s called Mr. Lullaby has begun acting on what he’s been told – killing coma patients – and begins to make his way to Harrod’s Reach in a bus, named the Lullaby Express, filled with other killers. With the town experiencing the effects of what’s leaked through so far, and brutal deaths parsed out by those aboard the Lullaby Express, a battle with life-or-death stakes ensues.
With a wide cast of characters concentrated in and converging upon a small town, an intriguing, absorbing, and imaginative story as depicted through their perspectives develops in strange, supernatural, and brutal ways. There’s incorporation of some details and mentions of things from The Nightmare Man that link these two stories that center around dreams, nightmares, and the important impact of imagination together within the same world while remaining distinct entities that can be read and understood separately. The narrative slowly builds for a majority of the novel with a rapid succession of chaotic action and revelations, though some of the bigger revelations were made plainly clear through context early on, in the last few pages that leaves many loose ends in an abrupt ending, which is a bit dissatisfying to not know the full outcome of what took place; however, doing so does encourage readers to extrapolate from and fill in from their imagination, a staple of Lalaland.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gideon returns home from overseas to find his hometown and family still suspicious and awkward around him. They have been ever since his younger brother, Sully, suffered an accident which left him in a coma - an accident everyone considers to be Gideon’s fault. Before Gideon can even attempt to readjust to life at home, things start happening. Multiple murder victims turn up in his hometown within days. Sully, along with other coma patients, are showing signs of consciousness, and a great sense of urgency. It becomes clear that Gideon and his loved ones will have to fight to keep the sleeping world at bay and the waking world safe from the dreaded Mr. Lullaby.

I have been in a real reading slump, and when I do finish a book it’s usually an audiobook. I just haven’t had the time or the mental energy to stick with an ebook lately! But I had this ARC and I decided to give it a shot. Imagine my surprise and delight when I actually wanted to continue to pick this book back up night after night, and managed to finish it in a week. It broke the dry spell!

It’s an easy one to stick with given the various character perspectives and shifting timelines. Shorter sections make it easy to read just one more, until you’ve read like ten more on accident. Thankfully, the meat of the story starts early on, so there is little dreary exposition to trudge through. Also, honestly, this book feels like a movie. I could absolutely envision the apocalyptic scenes unfolding before me as the last third of the book raced by. It could definitely be the next big HBO miniseries!

I felt like, even though there was a lot of plot to get through, the author was still able to give each character so much depth. It really made me care more about what happened to them. Sometimes, with horror, I’m a lot more concerned about my own pending nightmares than anything happening to the characters!

But the ending - oh boy, the ending. If there hadn’t been an Acknowledgements section on the same page as the end of the book, I might have thought something was missing from this digital copy. I audibly said “WHAT, IT’S OVER?” because there were really so many questions left to be answered. Maybe there will be another book…but I really would have appreciated a few more chapters to wrap things up a little bit!

Overall, this is a creepy, unique novel with a folklore aspect which is sure to delight fans of dark legend. While I might complain about the ending, I still must highly recommend it.

Holy horror! Misery by J.H Markert was SO good!!! I hope there’s a next book and if there is, I need it immediately. The book was captivating, innovative, and had all the right elements of horror.

Fans of Stranger Things and Stephen King will definitely get a kick out of this book. I can see it being made into a movie. The scenes described would make for the best cinematic experience. I would 100% pay to watch the movie form of this book. Also, the story is just wild and utterly captivating!

It started a little slow but this was necessary to really set up the plot. Without understanding the fundamentals, it’s hard to get the full impact of the end of the book. The multiple POVs made it a bit confusing at first; but are essential to the book. I loved the differences in all of the characters. Each one brought their own elements to the story and their growth really made the book.

The last 100 pages really packed a punch with all of the action happening then. It felt like I was watching an action horror movie. I didn’t know what was going to happen next but I knew I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to find out!

The ending was so abrupt and didn’t really conclude every story line, which makes me think there will be second book. It is set up perfectly for one so fingers crossed. I want more of Lalaland and these characters.

Overall, I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you love horror and want a spooky read with a great plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

Quite the wild ride! When soldier Gideon reluctantly returns to his hometown he knows he will face unpleasant memories and realities. His younger brother, the family star, lies in a coma after an incident that occurred while Gideon was babysitting him. The family and the town blame him for the injuries his brother suffered in the town’s haunted tunnel. The tunnel has been bricked up but lately those bricks have been coming down. And earth tremors are threatening to let all hell break loose from that tunnel to destroy the town. One thing for sure- you will not be bored with this book. It’s well written and wild! Five stars!

Thank you NetGalley, J.H. Markert, and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Mister Lullaby in exchange for an honest review.

This one had a slow build and had a big payoff in terms of storytelling. It was spooky and intriguing throughout. It definitely had a Stephen King level of horror. The characters were able to move the plot along. The whole thing was pretty entertaining. I could see this book being turned into a very interesting movie someday.

If you enjoyed The Nightmare Man then you are going to absolutely love Mister Lullaby!
Murders, serial killers, monsters and the terrifying nightmares come to life, all combined in one small town, this is every horror fans dreams come true!
Things have been happening in the small town of Harrod’s Reach for years, terrible, unexplainable things, all centred around an old abandoned tunnel, and as with any old, scary tunnel surrounded by folklore the children are drawn towards it like moths to a flame.
One of those children was Sully Dupree who’s obsession led him to try running through the tunnel landing him halfway through resulting to him being in a coma ever since.
On the arrival of his older brother, Gideon back home, Sully suddenly wakes up and starts reciting names, names that have no meaning to anyone before slipping back into his coma. These names, they are names of other coma patients from all over the world.
One of these coma patients, Maddy Boyle, much to the surprise to everyone comes out of her coma with memories of being in a strange place, and a name, Sully. As she recovers from what put her in the coma in the first place she sets off to find Sully, unsure why, just that that’s what she needs to do.
What she, or anyone else knows is that these coma patients are all in danger. They are all being targets by one Mr Theodore ‘Teddy’ Lomax.
Teddy has been hearing a voice from a strange blue seashell he found and this voice is sending him on a trip with a mission. To kill all the coma patients, or ‘dead heads’ along the way.
As good and evil come together in Harrod’s Reach the tunnel comes to life, letting through some of the nightmare creatures from Lalaland into the town with horrific consequences……
This book is packed to the brim with so much imagination, clever plot lines and unforgettable characters that reading it time just flys by and the rest of the world disappears as it transports you to Harrod’s Reach. As I’ve already said, this is definitely the best book I have read this year, if not longer.
Mister Lullaby won’t be published until the 21 November 2023 but is available to preorder now and I can’t stress to you enough to get your copy preordered now so you can start reading straightaway on publication day. The book really is that good!

I LOVED J.H. Market’s The Nightmare Man, so I was was ecstatic to hear about Mister Lullaby.

This story was a bit slow at first, setting up the characters and the plot, but it did amp up. The character’s themselves were decently written, some fell a bit flat for me though.

The world-building of Lalaland and Harrod’s Reach was well done.

I really wasn’t a fan of the ending- the story didn’t feel finished or resolved.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author, & Crooked Lane Books!

The book is compelling, haunting, lyrical and poetic. The book is written in third person and it has multiple point of view with alternate perspectives. The characters are really intriguing and mysterious. The book gripped me from page one and I couldn’t put it down until I figured out the mystery.

Secret are hidden in the dark tunnel and mystery has engulfed the town. It’s haunting and brilliant. Murders were lining up and childhood lullaby became the most haunting song to ears. The line between fiction and reality blurs and dark secrets unveils with investigation and horrific truth too. Something mysterious and sinister was happening in town until the mystery encapsulated and secrets unveiled. The past had some inevitable connection with tragic turn of events. The author has also created a character inspired by Slavic mythology.

This is a first! A book so terrifying that it gave me day terrors! After taking a break from reading to have lunch, I found myself screaming at my salad (no, I wasn't protesting healthy eating habits or accusing my salad of behaving like a greasy cheeseburger). I simply remembered a scene from the book and my mind got stuck in that eerie LaLaLand, causing me to be frightened even in broad daylight.

Before you dive into this truly jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, and highly disturbing read that combines the scariest elements of Peter Pan and Stephen King's masterpiece "It," let me offer you a few warnings:

Firstly, don't you dare read it late at night in silence (fortunately, I was spared as my husband's snoring, which is worse than ten thunderstorms, accompanied me during my morning reading, reminding me that there are scarier things than monsters).

Secondly, don't you dare read it in a crowded cafe or restaurant because when you forget about the people around you, they might grow concerned by your screams, and little children may point you out to their mothers, urging you to quiet down!

Lastly, don't even think about secretly reading it during one of your Zoom meetings, even if they are dreadfully boring and the only thing that keeps you from drifting off is the anticipation of stealing a glance at the book positioned next to your computer. If you scream in the middle of a meeting, your colleagues may assume you're having a nervous breakdown, and they won't believe your explanation that you were reading a scary passage about Teddy—a character so ominous it will send shivers down your spine.

Now, after issuing my cautionary notes, let's recap the main plot:

There's something incredibly sinister happening at Harrod's Reach. Corpses are appearing, left inside an old train tunnel, accompanied by eerie calling cards inscribed with old lullabies. After the brutal deaths of two individuals, the police also discover Sully Dupree, a young boy in urgent need of medical attention who is placed in a medically induced coma. When he briefly awakens, he delivers a message to his brother from LaLaLand, the nightmarish realm where his mind remains trapped alongside other children. In LaLaLand, dangerous mythical creatures lurk, seeking a way to breach the barrier into the real world and haunt the entire town.

We are introduced to two distinct characters. The first is Maddy, the sole survivor who manages to wake up from her coma. Her mission becomes finding a way to halt these creatures from conquering her hometown.

The other character is Teddy, bearing the scars of a traumatic childhood. Haunted by an eerie voice that reaches him through a seashell, Teddy devises a horrifying plan that could alter the fate of the entire population.

Overall, this book is not for the faint of heart, as it contains violent descriptions and chillingly realistic depictions. However, if you're a true horror fan who devours old-school King novels, I couldn't recommend it more. It may be the perfect fit for your taste!

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Loved it , loved how it give me the feeling that it could be something that Stephen King would come up with.

This is an amazingly well executed horror novel.. As a fan of the authors previous book, "The Nightmare Man", I was excited to be given the opportunity to read"Mister Lullaby" as an ARC. This is a solid stand alone read but.......the tie ins to the previous book were amazing! I loved the writing style, as it felt very character driven and even though the cast of characters is huge and there are two separate timelines. the skill with which the author tied everything together was top notch. Without giving any spoilers, I can only say that the originality here was stunning, the writing was fluid and engaging, and the world building was excellent. This book has solidified J.H.Markert as a top shelf horror writer, sitting comfortably among the likes of King, Nevil, and Ahlborn. 5 solid stars!!!

Another awesome book from this underrated author! There’s something seriously dark occurring in the town of Harrod’s Reach and it centers around the old, abandoned train tunnel. For over a century, there have been mysterious injuries, disappearances, and deaths inside that tunnel. Right now, there’s a young boy named Sully in a coma caused by an unfortunate accident that happened – you guessed it – inside the tunnel. But he wakes up briefly, yells out a message, then falls right back into unconsciousness. The Deputy Sheriff, Beth, wonders if it’s a coincidence that two victims were recently found horribly murdered near the tunnel. And that’s only the beginning.

Meanwhile, we meet Maddy, a young woman just waking up from her own coma. She was the only victim to escape the Horseshoe Rapist and when she awakens, she starts piecing together memories of her time in the coma in a place called Lalaland. There everything is different, alight in bold beautiful ‘wrong’ colors but also with places like The Island of Bones. There are horrible creatures borne from nightmares that are trying to break through into our world. Although it seems fantastic, she can’t help feeling that it was real and that she regained consciousness with a mission.

The reader also sees from the perspective of a man named Teddy who we quickly learn is not quite normal and plenty dangerous. He also believes he’s on a mission, but his is so much worse. He hears a voice coming out of a seashell and he will do whatever horrible deed it tells him to do. He calls the voice Mr. Lullaby which is quite ironic. He’s soon on his way to Harrod’s Reach with a gang of similar miscreants and that’s when all hell breaks loose. Literally!

I just loved this story, it’s so entertaining and even though it’s clearly a fantasy, you can almost see it happening in real life. If there was ever a book that needed to become a movie, it’s this one. It would be so amazing to see Lalaland captured on the screen. The characters are much more developed than you typically see for a book like this. I really hope there are more stories to come as I also loved The Nightmare Man from the same author. He’s incredibly talented at creating these worlds that envelop you and make you want to stay forever.

This one was a strange read for me, alternately so creepy I didn't want to go on because I was afraid I'd never get the images out of my head, and so description-laden that I didn't want to go on because nothing seemed to be happening. I couldn't keep vacillating between tension levels... Rather than sparking my interest, it caused it to wane. I really liked The Nightmare Man, which seemed to have a much smoother flow and more consistent pacing that I personally felt was more conducive to the tale. I struggled with this one mightily before finally deciding that it just wasn't for me.

But even though the book and I were not well suited, and I wasn't able to finish, I do still have to call out the absolutely stunningly evocative cover... It provides the perfect amount of creepy horrifying-ness for the concept!

Mister Lullaby

Gasp

Did your heart flutter too?

The title alone scared me, then it was the kid in the yellow coat. He might as well have been holding a red balloon (IKYK)

I was right to assume, this book is straight up terrifying and I loved every last word of it !

I mean, this is J.H. Market, we are talking about here .

I read The Nightmare Man, last year and I swear I didn’t so much as blink for a week let alone “sleep” after reading. I knew right then I would be a fan of Market but GAH! Mr. Lullaby, exceeded my already high expectations.

Here is my advice :

1. Don’t read this book at night.

2. Be prepared to sleep with the lights on for the rest of your life.

3. Buy the book.

Teaser:

The small town of Harrod’s Reach has seen its fair share of the macabre, especially inside the decrepit old train tunnel around which the town was built. After a young boy, Sully Dupree, is injured in the abandoned tunnel and left in a coma, the townspeople are determined to wall it up. Deputy sheriff Beth Gardner is reluctant to buy into the superstitions until she finds two corpses at the tunnel’s entrance, each left with strange calling cards inscribed with old lullabies. Soon after, Sully Dupree briefly awakens from his coma.

Before falling back into his slumber, Sully manages to give his older brother a message. Sully's mind, since the accident, has been imprisoned on the other side of the tunnel in Lalaland, a grotesque and unfamiliar world inhabited by evil mythical creatures of sleep. Sully is trapped there with hundreds of other coma patients, all desperately fighting to keep the evils of the dream world from escaping into the waking world.

Elsewhere, a man troubled by his painful youth has for years been hearing a voice in his head he calls Mr. Lullaby, and he has finally started to act on what that voice is telling him—to kill any coma patient he can find, quickly.

Something is waking up in the tunnel—something is trying to get through. And Mr. Lullaby is coming.

DNF

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for my ARC of this book! I was super excited to reas this book has I love mystery/horror/thriller books. This book is on the longer side. At first the book was very slow to me and I could not get into it. It took me a lot longer to begin this book than it normally took me. I really tried and tried to get into this book but couldn’t . It’s more of a personal thing.

Harrod’s Reach is a strange town, and by strange, I mean really bizarre. People die in brutal ways, mostly near or in The Tunnel, a place that seems tied to another world,Lalaland.
Gideon has returned from the service,injured and not the person he was. His younger brother, Sully, still lies in a coma, and not only does Gideon blame himself, he is sure his parents do too. But this town is under siege and he will have to fight for what he loves.Fantastic animals, people with a desire to kill, and Mr. Lullaby have broken through. People will run,people will die, and maybe good will win over evil.
It is so hard to write about much that happens without entering spoiler territory. Though it seems like everyone who has come through from Lalaland is evil, there are some good people fighting to protect/save the world. I was furiously flipping pages until I hit the 95% mark, and then I couldn’t imagine how everything would wrap up with so few pages left. I’m not going to say more since the ending might work better for you. I however yelled loudly at my Kindle, “No”.
My first 2024 DRC. I loved The Nightmare Man and Mr. Lullaby, just a bit less. The story and characters were so good, I’ll just have to get over the ending.

An ancient terror is awakening in the small town of Harrod's Reach and someone has to stop it.
With an unsettling atmosphere J. H. Market introduces us to a story where the main characters not only have to fight against the horrors escaping from a terrifying world called Lalaland but against their own fears.
The author manages to create the perfect tension to trap you in a story that keeps you in a constant state of unease. The characters are interesting and have stories to tell. The narrative speeds up until it reaches a shocking ending where it seems to be open for a sequel.
A novel that is perfect for fans of S. King and will undoubtedly be a great read for horror lovers.