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.

I breezed through this one! It was so vivid, imaginative and creepy, I loved it. The characters were well-written and interesting. J. H. Markert is definitely an author to look out for, as this is another book from them that I enjoyed. Recommended, especially to horror fans.

Book : Mister Lullaby
Author : J.H. Markert
Pub Date : 16 Jan 2024

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books & the author for giving me the opportunity to read and give my honest review on this book. The cover of this book is soooo good and is very fitting with the story that unfolds.

I was so excited to see this creepy story show up on my shelf. I am a sucker for books that surround all the creepy/spooky and can give me the chills and believe me when I say this book his all those tingle factors for me. This was my first book written by this author but now I need to go find his other writings.

Mister Lullaby made me realize that my fear of dark quiet train tunnels (dark tunnels in general even) are truly something I should fear. I can't give too much away with this book because I will give all the secrets and gems away and the creatures that haunt my thoughts after reading this. I will just leave you with the fact that you need to read this book for yourself. You will not be disappointed. I sat and read this until the wee mornings of the night and finished it this morning and now I am saddened that it is over.

I am anticipating when this author comes out with another amazing creeptastic read. 4/5 stars for me!!!

Ever since reading The Nightmare Man I've been anticipating the next novel by this author. I was not disappointed. In fact, I would be hard pressed to determine which of those are my favorite.

This novel is like a fever induced nightmarish ride right through the center of Holy Hell Road and WTF Blvd.!

Nightmares are coming to life in this small town in the form of serial killers, arsonists, and psychopaths. But there's a lot more to it than what meets the eye.

In the old abandoned train tunnel, things are lurking. But where are they coming from and why do certain people seem to be drawn to it? These are all answers you'll have to read to discover but, trust me, this multi-layered story is full of terrifying creatures, bloodshed, and action.

I read through this in about two days and didn't want it to end. While it can be considered a "sequel" to The Nightmare Man, it's a completely standalone novel that can be enjoyed by anyone without prior knowledge.

I can't recommend this book enough! I will be reviewing it on my Horror Reads YouTube channel closer to the release date.

This is one creepy read! There's folklore surrounding Harrods Reach and it's truer than anyone could have imagined. Told in a past/present format, the novel focuses on the local legends that include seers, earthquakes, antlers, comas, Lalaland, and of course The Lullaby Express (a bus painted red with a black door). What do all these weird things have in common? It's a great, convoluted plot that probably should be read with the lights on as it's gruesome but fascinating!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

5 stars

Holy cow! That was a damned good book! I loved The Nightmare Man, but this one was just, wow! The storytelling here is top notch, and I love the world building and character development. The relationships in this novel felt so real, and familiar. And the characters are all lovelably flawed.
Mr Market is officially an automatic buy for me after this one. Some of the best horror I’ve read in years.