Mr. Lullaby by J.H. Markert, published by Crooked Lane Books, is stand-alone mystery/ thriller. Set in the small town Harrod's Reach, Sully Dupree, a boy, is found injured in a tunnel.
Deputy Sheriff Beth Gardner is assigned to the case and she's pretty straight forward. She doesn't care for superstitions, but when more bodies show up and mystery whispers come to light, all bets are off.
I already read and loved the Nightmare Man and had high expectations for Mister Lullaby - and I was so not disappointed. A cutting edge read that gave me goose bumps and had me took more than one look under my bed at night. Masterfully written and told, a book that stays with you.

'This was what she imagined love should be. Messy and convoluted and silent and loud, but when shit hit the fan, when the house was on fire, you still danced.'

This was a fun and thrilling ride for me. Even though it was true to its genre and had plenty of horror-filled, macabre moments, there were several instances when it would slant toward thriller and because of the author doing such a great job at character-developing, it would cause my heart to warm up too.

Mister Lullaby and it's plot could be summed up in this line from the book: Imaginations come to life. But while that would do some justice to the plot, it wouldn't do justice to the book overall. Gideon, a young man who grew up in Harrod's Reach- a small town of a limited population where everyone knows everyone- comes back home from the army, labelled a hero. Everyone is gathered at the town's gymnasium to celebrate his coming back a hero with a surprise party. While unbeknownst to them, a surge of trouble is spurring elsewhere in the town at the tunnel that they've always considered as other-worldly and stayed clear of. There has been a whole history of strange and inexplicable happenings around that tunnel. Gruesome murders, decapacitated bodies and disappearing of children. However, the tunnel didn't get all of them. Sully Dupree, a child who went into the tunnel three years ago and came back alive but in a coma wakes up on this very night, revealing a string of names for the people to figure out. As his family realizes that someone sneaked into their house to kill Sully and that the list of names are other patients who are also comatose like Sully, they begin to try to piece together what this could possibly mean until people start dying near the tunnel again and a different world all together opens up to finish the world we know of today. As Lalaland begins to take over with Mister Lullaby leading the way.

This book delivered in every sense. From the descriptive and yet concise writing style to the characters and their depth, everything was carried out perfectly. I liked how easy it was for us readers to understand when the story had shifted to sometime in the past and when it was back in the present. There was no moment lost in confusion for that. The detective's notes incorporated as bonus details in between the chapters felt like secret insights into the whole story. It was a great touch to heighten the suspense. I also enjoyed the detail put into everything that was revealed about Lalaland. It felt like it was truly made of everything a person could imagine with its preposterous color combinations and the different monsters and their abilities that resided in there.

The eeriness that the creepy moments in the book contained sent goosebumps across my skin as it caused me to turn around and look over my shoulder continuously. Those parts were so well-written that they would suck me in and it would be impossible to block out. Not to mention the gruesomeness in here, it was extremely disturbing at times but totally added onto the vibe of this book. Lastly, even though the author had to do so much world-building, he took some time out to venture into the relationships the characters had with each other. Whether that would be platonic, familial or romantic, it created a connection with the characters that was tested when the ending of book appeared. I'm definitely going to check this author's other novel out and will keep a look out for his future works.

I thank Net Galley and the author and publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. These are my honest opinions and from myself only.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. This is a book of mystery and intrigue. Disturbing story. The characters keep the story line moving, but I could not get over the horrifying details.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc copy. I wasnt expecting this from this book not normally what i like to read but i have to say i really enjoyed it alot i will at some point have to reread this one the first have of the book was a little slower and my mind drifted off a bit and some points of the book i was lost and confused but the second half picked up alot i enjoyed the different pov from every character in the book .the ending i didnt enjoy as much thats why im knocking 1 star off

DNF - I appreciated the premise of this book but, the writing style left something to be desired. I found the approach very heavy handed in exposition whereas I think this story would have benefited from some unknown as the reader struggled to find their footing alongside the characters. In that same breath, the characters felt incomplete - shadows of who they were meant to be. Ultimately, this wasn't for me.

This is Stephen King level horror and I don’t say that lightly. The world building, the character development, and, most important, the fear. This is one of the best horror novels I’ve read and will most likely be my book of the year. I loved it so much that I’ll be reading it again.before release day.

Let’s just say…. I have no desire to visit Harrods Reach anytime soon! So wonderfully descriptive and dark, this is a must read for thriller/horror lovers.

I've come to the conclusion that I really just don't enjoy this man's writing style I've tried to do his last 2 novels and they end up being slots for me at least. Sorry about that but Ill take myself out of this equation in future endeavors.

It has taken me a few to get my thoughts together on this book. I really enjoyed reading this one, but the end … well it didn’t feel like there was one. 😩 I’m still not over this! 👀

That said, I actually really liked the book up until the lack of ending. The POV’s were a “then and now” set up that was interesting to watch connect. The suspenseful and eerie vibe carried throughout and settled within your spine. I really enjoyed the callback to The Nightmare Man because I loved that book!

This did not feel like it was finished and I felt like there was not a proper resolution and left me with so many questions! I’m still a fan of this author and look forward to the next horror release. If you haven’t, check out The Nightmare Man, one of the best small town horror I’ve read.

I have no words. This book was amazing, I was scared and also on the edge of my seat through the entire last half. It was a long book, but I never got bored and was thoroughly entertained throughout. The best horror novel I have ever read. That’s it. That’s the review.

A dark novel about horror legends that all collide. Chilling and compelling. It take a little while for this to get going but, man, once it did there was no putting UT down. Excellent horror read.

Thank you NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for my e-ARC of Mister Lullaby.

I thoroughly enjoyed this for the most part, and thought it was creepy and foreboding. I would recommend for anybody who enjoyed NOS4A2 - as the writing was reminiscent of Joe Hill & Stephen King.

I would suggest some proofreading as I did have a couple of weird things happening with my formatting and layout.. On a similar note, while the chapters all vary in length - Chapter 39 was so long.

SPOILERS.
I did make note part way through reading that Beth & Jax's relationship seemed a bit bizarre - and I was so glad to seem there was intention behind that.

The pacing of the last third of the story was chaotic. The ending was definitely a let down, and left me frustrated and underwhelmed. We the readers are left to try and make sense of what has happened to our beloved Simon & Beth and the town of Harrod’s Reach.

Compelling and absorbing horror tale from Markert (pen name for James Markert) about a town that has a history of weird things happening in and around an old train tunnel, with people dying or disappearing. It's all connected to a place called Lalaland and a group of comatose people in this world that are alive and well in the other. Can't really explain much without giving things away, but it's all rather interesting and keeps you turning the pages. The ending is rather rushed and seems to set up for a sequel, as characters and subplots are left unresolved. If so, then it makes sense and I'm looking forward to the next one. If not, then then the hurried and open-ended resolution doesn't do justice to what came before. The acknowledgements hints at more of the story, so we'll have to wait and see. 3.5 stars bumped to 4. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely creepy. I enjoyed it and there were some subtle nods to Stephen King in it. I will read more my this authors.

This was a tough one to rate because while I really enjoyed the majority of it, it just doesn’t feel complete. Mr. Lullaby had the most abrupt ending of any book I’ve ever read. It was actually quite jarring. Like, it literally ends immediately after the most climatic part of the book. There was zero resolution and all the reader is left with is maybe everything worked out? Like, most likely it did? But who knows?! Not me! There was just so many loose threads. Add in the weird instalove and you have me, a conflicted reader. My last gripe was two of the main characters were in their early 20s and they did not come off that way at all. If that information wasn’t given, you would definitely think Beth and Gideon were in their 30s.

On the flip side, this was looking to be a 4 star read before the end (or lack thereof). It was tense, creepy, well-paced, and it was fun reading how the different POVS connect. Markert excels at small town horror and really knows how to build an eerie setting and unsettled feeing in the reader. I also loved all the connections made to his other horror book, The Nightmare Man (great book WITH an actual ending). Overall, I’m not really sure how to feel about this one. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for his next book and urge you to check out Nightmare Man if this is an author you’re interested in.

This is a good spooky one but it is hard to get into at first. It doesn't pick up until about halfway through. I wish i had read the Nightmare Man first. I heard it's some of the same characters.

I thought the cover was eye-catching, and the description sounded intriguing.

This was eerie, chilling, and unsettling. Which is what I'd hope for when reading a horror book. The chapters were quite short, so I found myself reading one chapter, then another, then another. I was unsettled but also gripped. In fact, I did get some Stephen King vibes from this, and I wonder if other readers would agree with that comparison.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Intriguing and suspenseful! Creepy thrilling and confirmed why I don't go into dark stormy tunnels.

I've really enjoyed reading this. The small town horror was very well done and the characters are quite rounded. There are moments of genuine creepiness that contributes to overall shock factor. However the book did take its time to settle, have the characters play out and during that part it was quite easy to put it down. But its best to power through it and the second half of the book is quite rewarding to any horror fans. The author definitely knows how to spin a tale around a small town surrounding a tragedy and the lore that builds around that.
Definitely will read the author again.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I was deeply intrigued by the concept of this book and super stoked to read it after Net Gatgally accepted my Arc request.
The blurb spoke of mythical creatures and boundaries between worlds thinning, which is my jam! The book delivered in terms of atmosphere and the creep factor, but the pacing pulled me out numerous times.

The author has a way with words. Reminiscent of Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Koontz. In that sense, he painted beautiful yet somber backstories, padding the characters with rich roundness that, despite contributing to character growth, deterred from the pacing. There was just too much info dumping about high school and childhood and details that said the same thing over and over again in different fashions.

Recollections of childhood popped up too frequently, and instead of being there with the action, I got pulled back into the past so many times that it began hurting the action. Things got muddled, and apart from a few excellent action scenes, I got a feeling that the characters were sitting around daydreaming. Pun intended.

I guess the book isn't for me since it feels like a part of an upcoming series, and a couple of my expectations did not come to fruition. For example, I really wanted to read more about Lalaland and about Mr. Lullaby himself, who was represented mainly by a mustache-twiddling serial killer.

To summarise. Fantastic writing great atmosphere, but too many backstory dumps.