What a spooky story! It's got all the requirements for a horror novel---creepy town, kids, tortured pasts, other worlds. I really enjoyed Mister Lullaby by JH Markert. The story started out slow for me but once I was "in the world" of the book I was hooked. Definitely give this author a try. This is my second book I've read by him and he is very good at creepy and sinister tales! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Spooky, thematic and an absolutely compelling premise!

There's so much going for this book and I'm so happy to see the reviews from others talking about just how terrifying it was for them. Unfortunately for me, as much as I enjoyed the set up and build - I just never seemed to connect with the story as much! Entirely a personal thing and maybe just to do with my own headspace, but I do plan to revisit next October to give it a reread in the season it's perfect for!

in his novels, James intriguingly always reveals the murderer early into the book - which the first time i found a bit strange - i thought it defeated the point of guessing the murderer as the reader. but james makes it work SO well. it’s always so fascinating reading from the perspective of the villain, James always creates such intricate backstories for all the characters in his novels. ⠀
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He also always manages to bring out the history nerd in me - in this one it was about a tunnel with plenty of mystery surrounding it - even creating a whole history of a railway town and murders/tragedies associated with it.⠀
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thank you @netgalley for my e-copy of this 🌙 it’s out 10th august everyone! <3 ⠀

It’s no secret that this was a year packed full of new horror releases, but 2023 seems to have saved me one of the best for last. J.H. Markert’s Mister Lullaby is a haunting novel that truly surprised me, delivering a seamless blend of visceral darkness and supernatural horror that left me feeling both discomfited but eager to read more.

Set against the backdrop of a creepy little town named Harrod’s Reach, the story first directs our attention to an abandoned train tunnel that locals around the area all know well. Strange things have been occurring there for as long as anyone can remember, ranging from the eerie to the gruesome. A few who have ventured inside have never returned. Severed limbs have also been mysteriously recovered from within its depths. And one year, a child named Sully Dupree suffered an unfortunate accident while inside the tunnel, leaving him in a coma. Despite calls from the frightened townsfolk to have the tunnel’s entrance walled up, authorities have been reluctant, unwilling to give into superstitions. Regardless, any attempt at sealing it would inevitably fail, as the bricks would crumble and fall apart for seemingly no reason at all. Then one day, two bodies are discovered at the tunnel, with messages with references to lullabies left upon them.

Following a long stint in the military, Sully Dupree’s older brother Gideon returns home to Harrod’s Reach, just in time for his kid brother to briefly awaken from his coma and impart a message, hinting at the existence of a twisted, unseen world beyond our own. Enlisting the help of his childhood friend Beth Gardner, now the Deputy Sheriff, Gideon seeks to uncover the mystery behind this nightmarish realm called LaLaLand, where Sully’s mind is trapped alongside those of other children whose physical bodies are also frozen in slumber. Fighting a silent war, they are working together to keep the evil from this dream world from breaking through to the other side. However, in the waking world, a troubled man starts to hear voices in his head from an entity he calls Mr. Lullaby, and following his directions, begins hunting down and killing any coma patient he can find.

Readers who enjoy sinister tales that push the boundaries will have a great time with this one, especially if you have a penchant for supernatural horror that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Mister Lullaby is also my first book by J.H. Markert and it certainly won’t be the last. The author’s skill lies in creating a unique and frightening mythology that shines through brightly in this novel’s plot which unfolds through multiple perspectives, forming an overall picture of fear and suspense. Both the real world and the nightmarish LaLaLand were vividly brought to life, the juxtaposition between these two different realities resulting in an added layer of complexity.

While it’s true that the narrative starts slow, it is never boring, as the momentum eventually builds to an urgency that keeps propelling us towards the climactic ending. One of the novel’s strongest aspects is the exploration of its characters—their past and present, as well as their knotty and complicated relationships forged through shared trauma. Backstories and personal struggles are revealed in tandem with revelations surrounding the old train tunnel, with the town’s grisly history serving as both a backdrop and a character in its own right. As secrets are unearthed and the stakes get higher, I found myself both captivated and appalled by the visceral horrors that unfold. All I can say about this is, Mister Lullaby is definitely not for the faint of heart.

And if the allusions of the cover aren’t immediately obvious, there are also strong echoes of Stephen King’s influence here, but also of Joe Hill’s NOS4R2, though at the end of the day, Markert’s voice is distinct. If you relish the weird, the uncanny, and the macabre, do yourself a favor and pick up Mister Lullaby, a darkly imaginative tale of horror which will burrow into your thoughts and stay there for a long time.

I must not have been paying attention when I requested this book. I was reading it and thinking it seemed very familiar. True, there were elements of many other horror writers in here. But it was more than that. There seemed to be a connection but my brain wasn’t quite making it until a little more than half way through. It was then that I checked out the author and realized that I had read a previous novel and there were similarities and an interwoven mythology. Once again, I enjoyed this book as the pure horror that it was. I realize it is not a sequel in any sense to The Nightmare Man. But it is definitely in the same universe. I’d love to see them meet at some point.

What a good one!!!
I enjoyed it, maybe I wasn't blown away and I'm admitting it but it was good. I was entertained most of the time but bored at times so that makes me say it wasn't the best.

It's a creepy read, sinister nightmares coming to life and invading a small town through a tunnel... it was a really creative story. I wasn't scared at all, I wanted nightmares myself 😂😂😂 You know me, I want the creepy scary ones and this one wasn't (for me).

There's some creepy and cringe characters which was part enjoyable and part confusing, specially with the different timelines.

I do recommend it for all those who like not so scary but scary reads hahaha if you know what I mean 😂😂 Won't give tou nightmares or anything.

🦌🦌🦌🦌 / 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a unique and chilling story that had all the right vibes: dark, sinister, creepy, dangerous, and more. I enjoyed the horror elements and incorporation of mythical creatures and lore. It took me a little bit to finish this one, as it was a bit complicated and sometimes hard to follow, but it was entertaining nonetheless. I’d recommend this one to my fellow horror fans!

Horror at its best - reminds me of Stephen King novels. A small town, a tunnel of terror. Years of missing people, dead bodies with missing body parts. Simon is considered simple by the town, both his parents missing with only a body part each recovered. Childhood friends Beth, Jax and Gideon have grown up with secrets and now may be the only hope to save their town from the ‘mares’. Every badman from children lullaby's are here, killing. The ending kept me from giving this five stars but ,I would still recommend reading if you enjoy this genre.

Mister Lullaby is an intriguing horror novel with an exciting premise. It was an engaging read. However, I struggled with the back and forth in time and the amount of characters. I did expect more from this story as I was a massive fan of The Nightmare Man. But I am looking forward to what Markert creates in the future.

Readers will be hard pressed to understand what is real and what is living in the characters imagination. The author keeps us guessing throughout the entire story. It is truly a story that will make the reader have vivid thoughts. The characters are very interesting including the animals. There are plenty of surprises to be had to the very end of the story.

A Tunnel Of Nightmares

This stand alone sort-of sequel to The Nightmare Man is as good or better than that first book. There's an atmosphere of dark foreboding evoked by otherwise prosaic scenery that reminds me of novels by Dean Koontz. It's frightening and fantastical and I absolutely loved it.

The author has created some likable and memorable characters. There are also others I wish I could forget. It's giving nothing away to declare that Mister Lullaby is about really monstrous human beings. Ticking down the list of my own trigger warnings I checked violence, murder, extrrremely k*nky BDSM and other dark se*ual content, homicide, child neglect/abuse, and I've probably missed other potentially upsetting topics. Markert handles events well and while some are vivid, they’re important to story development.

If you prefer your entertainment to stay on the cozy and vanilla side, this book may not be for you. But, if you love horror, reading it is well worth adding to your store of nightmares. I enthusiastically recommend it, and not because I want others to stay up at night or because I got a free advance reader's copy.

I have no obligation to them for their gift, but I give big thank yous to author J H Markert, publisher Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley. Mister Lullaby is a five-star hit for me.

Mister Lullaby is a dark, fast-paced story full of mystery and serial killers. I really enjoyed the dual timeline, which helped build tension and intrigue as things progressed.

I would've liked a little more resolution at the end, it felt very abrupt, like we're meant to expect a sequel. But overall the creepy vibes were on point.

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert

Parents sing lullabies to their children hoping they will sleep. They rock or walk their little babies while whispering, shushing, and singing to them. This book puts a dark spin on dreamtime, comas, and might have you questioning what really happens when you dream while sleeping.

What I liked:
* The plotting, pacing, writing, setting, and story
* The characters, good and bad, and how they made the book come alive
* That the shift between past and present when telling the story worked seamlessly
* The link between lullabies and dreams/dreamland
* The historical aspect of the story
* Thinking about the ‘what ifs’
* Thinking about people I have known in comas and discussions I have had about “where they are”
* Growing to care about some of the characters and hoping that perhaps I will see them in a future book
* The hope at the end of the book…at least for some
* That the book ties in a bit with the previous book, The Nightmare Man
* Wondering what book will come next from this author

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about whether or not believing in something can make it real

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

There are strong Steven King vibes in this story which combines horror elements with a hint of portal fantasy.

In the town of Harrod's Reach, nightmares have a habit of breaking through to our world through a portal in the form of an old train tunnel. And now, something (or someone) worse than nightmares is breaking through, too. In this book, the reader follows the story of both the acolytes of the Something Worse as well as the family members of a small group of guardians working to protect the portal from the other side, culminating in an epic battle.

Unfortunately, I did not fully engage with this book - maybe because it was trying for something rather epic fantasy in scope but in a lower number of pages? - and the ending felt very cut-off. I smell a trilogy coming, but I'm not sure book 1 got me fully on the hook where I need to find the rest, you know? It felt like The Stand but less immersive.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author for providing this e-arc for review.

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert

QUICK SUMMARY 🖊️
In Harrod’s Reach, there has always seem to be strange things happening. Particularly around an old train tunnel. After a young boy was found inside the tunnel in a coma the town decided to wall it up.

But the train tunnel isn’t the only part in this world that these strange occurrences have been happening, and now they’re all coming together.

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭
The book starts out with describing a character as “Simple Simon” and it took me out of it completely because I feel there’s is defiantly a better way to describe a person, and this continued through the entire book.

The story itself is there, I love the different point of views and the fantasy aspect of the entire thing. Even the slow paced I was here for because there was so much included in the story and then it was destroyed BY THE ENDING.

I was intrigued by this book, because I love a good horror story. Stephen King is one of my favourite authors.
While I did enjoy this book, I wasn't terrified by it. I did find it to be dark and kind of creepy though. I did find it to be original. though, something a little different from what I have read in the past .
An old abandoned train tunnel, that has .become dangerous to the town of Harrod's Reach.
Children have been found in comas and others have been found outside the tunnel, dead.
The tunnel has been boarded up, but now, after a few years, something is happening again in this town.
If you want to know more, check out my review and others on Goodreads.
I give this story a 3 out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I originally gave up on this ARC as it read too dry and confusing for me. Waiting until the release of the audio was a brilliant idea and worked much better for me. Soon enough I was engaged and wondering what the hell was going on in this weird little town. In a very loose sense the book reminds me of The Stand, in that a bunch of random people are brought together to this random town to take out an evil entity that escaped from some dark and unknown hell-scape. The book covers multiple POVs and often brings you right into the middle of the characters thoughts and dreams. My biggest issue was the utterly cheap ending we got. In fact I still don't understand how or why we got such an ending after a pretty exciting and bloody tale. The end seemingly came out of nowhere and leaves many more unanswered questions than I'd like. Aside from the crap ending I enjoyed all the thrills of this book and was on the edge of my seat as the tension built up and all the characters were finally brought together!

This is old-school Stephen-King style horror, with violence and mayhem caused by monsters, paranormal and human.

Missing and injured people and horrifying ‘dreams’ lead to a town harassed by other-worldly entities and a busload of serial killers and their only hope are a comatose child, a developmentally delayed woodcutter, a pathologically fearless deputy sheriff and a trigger-happy self-proclaimed coward with a grudge against the town.

There are multiple bizarre and disgusting injuries and deaths as the story progresses into the dark side, and some particularly disturbing body horror (antlers, dolls and other deformations). Horror fans are really not going to be disappointed by the mixture of psychological and shock-horror here!

I did find myself a little confused about an apparent side-plot related to characters called Mr Dream and the Nightmare Man, which didn’t seem to come to anything, but I later realised there was a previous book set in the same dream-walking world, so perhaps the answers are in there?

Mostly I was happily carried along for the ride, completely hooked and unable to surface until I reached the light at the other end of the tunnel, but I was definitely left wanting more and the ending felt a little bit hasty after the epic build-up that led to it. I really hope there is more in future – I would love to explore Lalaland and its horrific denizens in more detail.

This book is not exactly a sequel to The Nightmare Man, somewhat of an extension in another part of the world with new characters. I’m not much of a horror reader but I loved Nightmare Man and was exited to see what nightmares were coming to life next!

This was more of a slow burn buildup. Overall the concept was interesting. The spooky tunnel, Lala land linked to the normal world through coma patients, the mares escaping. I liked the story, but found the ending to be very abrupt and there were a few too many characters I had trouble keeping up with. I wish there was more with Beth and Gideon’s story. I had both ebook and audio, and listened to mostly audio. I enjoyed the narration and narrators helped set a dark and creepy atmosphere.

This book ticked all the boxes. I was on the edge of my seat, I was scared out of my wits and loved every single second of it.

I love when books build that kind of atmosphere and you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up!

Wicked character development and I loved the last one I read so I already knew the writing style was top notch!

Ending was perfect too!~

5 stars