Gideon returns home to Harrod’s Reach after being discharged from the military with a purple heart and a limp. He's not anxious to be home, a place he fled after being blamed for his younger brother Sully's coma. His welcome home party, thrown by his mother without his knowledge - or desire - is interrupted by a phone call that Sully had woken up. Upon rushing to their house, Sully is under once again. But the wheels are in motion...

A young woman from Charleston, SC, suddenly wakes up from her coma with a mission - she must go to a town in Nebraska, Harrod’s Reach, and see a boy named Sully. She met Sully in Lalaland, a place where coma patients live. Something big is brewing and she knows he needs her help.

A man named Teddy, who has spent his entire life with odd lumps in his skull is wandering around the country killing dead heads - people in extended comas. A voice has been helping him on his journey - telling him where to go, who to kill. Until one day he sees a bus and the voice tells him to buy it. He repaints the bus, names it Mister Lullaby, and moves toward Nebraska, picking up the most undesirable passengers he can find en route to kill Sully.

But what will happen when everyone arrives in Harrod’s Reach?

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Nightmare Man, I was so stoked to read this book. Horrible crimes with supernatural elements, a creepy tunnel, and people being put to sleep with lullabies. Honestly, this book just left me disappointed. I found it so confusing. The timeline seemed to be jumping around a bit, although it helped after I realized it was not in chronological order. There were tons of characters to keep track of. It just seemed all over the place, and the ending was a bit abrupt. I want to know what happened to Sully and the other coma patients. Was the sheriff okay? What about the rest of the town? So many unanswered questions.

Overall this was fine, but I was really hoping for a story more similar to The Nightmare Man. At this point, I may or may not pick up the author's next book.

Mister Lullaby is the 2nd-novel that I have read from Horror author, J.H. Markert and honestly, after my experience with this, I'm starting to second guess my feelings on The Nightmare Man, which I thought I had fun with. This story just did not work for me at all.

In this one, which is almost completely lost from my mind, we're in the small town of Harrod's Reach. Most of the action centers around an old railway tunnel and the fantastical, horrifying properties it may hold.

We follow a whole host of people as they deal with the repercussions of the nature of the tunnel. There's quite a few individuals in comas, there's a lot of characters in general and every once in a while there was a bit of a coherent storyline that I was actually intrigued by.

I know this is coming off as all sorts of salty, and I apologize for that, but these are the general feelings I walked away with; confusion and disappointment. In fact, I was confused by this right from the start. I found it muddled and hard to track, and definitely not an easy narrative to settle into. I'm not trying to work too hard here. I read for fun and escape. I don't want to be taking notes in order to follow a cast of characters.

Don't get me wrong, there were glimmers of interest, things I wanted to learn more about, but those portions never lasted long enough to really hook me. There were a lot of moving parts, and many of those parts were things I had seen before. It felt like a Hodge-podge of Joe Hill and Stephen King ideas rolled into a ball and thrown in a casserole dish, trying to make something delicious, but it burned in the oven.

And that's how I walk away. Burned.

With all of my venting out of the way, I am sure this review helps you not at all, because I am also going to say, if you are interested in this book, PICK IT UP!!! At the end of the day, I know nothing. This is simply my opinion based upon my own personal reading experience. Everyone's taste is different and everyone enjoys different things. I have read quite a few reviews and I know a lot of Readers are enjoying this. You could be one. I would never tell someone not to read a book and I'm not going to here.

There's a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. The fact that I didn't enjoy this means absolutely nothing. Regardless of my experience, I want to thank the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am 1 - 1 with this author now and do plan to pick up whatever he releases next. I am hoping this particular story is just a one-off for me and that I will love the next one!

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert
Pub date: November 21, 2023

Small town horror is my favorite! Add in an abandoned train tunnel with a history and you’ve got a winner. Harrod’s Reach has had it’s share of trouble and the tunnel seems to be at the heart of a lot of it.

I’m foregoing the whole rehashing of the synopsis but instead will say this:

There’s a gift that some writers have, one that leads the reader into a place of discomfort. That gray gloomy place of sinister intent. Most horror readers (any reader) know exactly what I mean. This is when I become wholly invested in the characters and their outcomes. This is when I clearly visualize what the author is describing to me. This is when I stay up late to finish a book because it has a grip on me.

That’s the beauty of storytelling and why I value those that can draw me into a story so fully. That’s how I felt while reading Mister Lullaby. I was captivated, horrified, and committed to the outcome.

Thank you for writing this, Mr. Markert, your story will stay with me for a while.

Dark and macabre, intense and eerie!

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for this gifted DRC.

It was a rollercoaster as it's very fast paced and sometimes I felt a bit breathless. Mister Lullaby is a good horror with fantasy elements.
There's blood, there violence and there's anything you can expect from horror story.
The author did a good job in delivering this story, he never spares punches or surprises and the it kept me on the edge.
I liked it, recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Mister Lullaby’s pace is fast. The book takes place within a week of Gideon’s arrival home after being honorably discharged from the Army. I was iffy on the pace. The author threw a lot of information at me at the beginning of the book. I had to reread specific chapters. If the pacing had slowed down a little, started at a medium pace, and then amped up, I could have processed the information better.

Trigger/Content Warning: Mister Lullaby has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Mental Illness (graphic, on and off page)
Violence (graphic, on page)
Murder (graphic, on page)
Gun Violence (graphic, on page)
Rape (graphic, on page)
Grief (graphic, on page)
Fire (moderate, on and off page)
Bullying (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
Racism (minor to moderate, off page)
Alcoholism (moderate, on and off page)
Anxiety and anxiety attacks (moderate and off-page)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (moderate to graphic, on page)
Blood (graphic, on page)
Gore (graphic, on page)
Body Horror (graphic, on page)
Coma (graphic, on page)
Dead bodies and body parts (graphic, on page)
Loss of autonomy (graphic, on page)
Homophobia (moderate, on and off page)
Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Mister Lullaby. It is not graphic.

Language: There is graphic swearing in Mister Lullaby. There is also offensive language used in various parts of the book.

Setting: The Before part of Mister Lullaby is set between Harrod’s Reach, Nebraska, and Lalaland. The Then part of Mister Lullaby is set in Harrod’s Reach and wherever Teddy drove the bus.

Tropes: Chosen One, Emotional Scars, Reluctant Hero, Dark Lord, Good vs Evil, Childhood Friends, Monsters, Humans Can Be Evil

Age Range: I recommend Mister Lullaby to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

The night Gideon arrives home, his younger brother, who has been in a coma for three years, wakes up and starts shouting names. Why he shouts out names confuses his family until Maddy shows up in town. Her explanation is crazy: Sully is trapped in a nightmare land called Lalaland. There, he is struggling, along with other coma patients, to keep the monsters inhabiting that world from bleeding into this one. But something is wrong, and the king of these monsters, Mister Lullaby, is trying to break through. While trying to process the information he has been told, Gideon and his best friend, Beth, are stunned when prominent figures in the community start showing up brutally murdered. Can Maddy be believed and trusted? What is happening in town? Can Gideon and Beth protect their loved ones and the townspeople from the evil trying to come through? Or will they fail?

Main Characters

Deputy Sheriff Beth Gardner: I didn’t know how to feel about Beth. On one hand, she was a great police officer and rose to the job when the Sheriff was attacked. But, on the other hand, her personal life was a mess. She was friends with Gideon and Jax. But her friendship with both was not equal, and it showed. She sided more with Jax (who was awful in the flashbacks and the present day) than Gideon. Even during the storyline, she didn’t treat Gideon like an equal. The use of his nickname, Giddey Up Gideon, was used as a way of putting him in his place. But she was determined to protect Sully at any cost when push came to shove. What she did at the end of the book was very selfless.

Gideon Dupree: I liked him, but he was so damaged that I thought his character wouldn’t rise to the occasion. He was bullied relentlessly throughout school and beyond (Giddey Up Gideon referenced how he ran). He blamed himself for Sully’s accident even though he had nothing to do with it (it did happen while he was watching him, though). And his Army career left him with even more scars. But, by the middle of the book, I saw something shift in his character. It happened when Maddy came to town, and it evolved. By the end of the book, even though he was still damaged, Gideon had come into his own.

Theodore Lomax (aka Teddy): Teddy’s character sent chills up and down my spine. He was a serial killer who had a very troubled and trauma-filled childhood. He had a voice in his head, called Mister Lullaby, that was instructing him to kill coma patients. Teddy also killed other people for fun. But Teddy realized the voice wasn’t a figment of his imagination until he bought a bus (which he named the Lullaby Express) and started picking up random people. It was real. His end game was to go to Harrod’s Reach and set those random people loose while he searched for the name at the top of his list, Sully Dupree. He was evil personified, and I couldn’t think of a better antagonist for this book.

Maddy Boyle: I liked her character. But I did wonder what her connection to Harrod’s Reach would be and what would happen once she got there. I liked how she was like an envoy to Lalaland (having been there herself). She was able to convince Gideon and then Beth about the dangers that were coming out of the train tunnel.

Simple Simon: I went back and forth on including him as a significant character. I decided to have him as a central character because of his actions in the book’s second half. Simon knew a lot about what was going on with Lalaland bleeding through, and he was a massive factor in the events that went down at the end of the book.

Sully Dupree: The whole storyline is centered around Sully. He was still a powerful force even though he never woke up and talked. I can only get a little into what happens with him because of spoilers.

My review:

Mister Lullaby was one of my most looked-forward-to-read books. I had seen it featured on other blogs and was thrilled when Crooked Lane Books sent me the widget. So, when it was finally time for me to read it, I dove right in. I finished the book liking it but was disappointed by it simultaneously (thus the star rating).

Mister Lullaby has various POVs. Not only that, but the author also split the chapters into Before and Now. The author labeled each chapter with who it focused on and whether it was Now or Before. But I got lost while reading. I would backtrack to determine when the chapter occurred (the who part was obvious). It frustrated me but not enough to DNF.

The main storyline of Mister Lullaby is good, and I find it fascinating. I liked that the author tied his previous books into this one. It made for an interesting read. But, sometimes, I lost sight of the storyline (Sully, the train tunnel, Teddy, Gideon, Beth, and Maddy). There were so many secondary storylines thrown in (some I feel were to fill in empty plot holes) that my head was turned around. Did I need to know why Jax was such a dick? Or why did Beth marry him? Not really (even though it was sad). That stuff could have been left out or mentioned in passing. Another example was the chapter with Chimp and the weird fish. My head was spinning by the end of the storyline, and I couldn’t keep everything straight.

The storyline with Teddy and his collection of serial killers was interesting. Unlike the main one, this storyline was tight and kept to just the storyline. The only time it deviated was toward the end of the book, but even then, it was all right.

The horror angle of the book was well written. I want to warn everyone that it is bloody and violent. I did jump during some scenes, and in others, I had to read gagging.

The end of Mister Lullaby did disappoint me. It seemed very rushed. The final battle was almost anticlimactic (compared to what was happening around them). I also needed clarification on why Beth did what she did. There were storylines left in the air. I also have not received a resolution about what would happen to the town or the aftermath. They might have plans for another book in this universe (or even a sequel). I also have an answer as to why the book’s ending was the way it was. The author explains everything in the acknowledgment section after the end.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and J.H. Markert for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Mister Lullaby. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author and enjoyed it for the most part. I really liked how the book started off until about the midway point where the dark fantasy elements really started to take over. I’m a huge Horror fan and there’s a good build up of dread with grotesque imagery but I personally don’t enjoy when the story starts to lean more into fantasy than Horror. This is more of a personal preference though and it gave me major Joe Hill vibes. The writing is excellent but there is a large cast of characters to keep up with and there was too much going on towards the ending that I wasn’t a big fan of. Overall, it’s a good story that I believe readers of Dark Fantasy would enjoy.

This is my second title by this author, and while I really enjoyed it, I think it could have landed better if there was just a bit less going on. Some of the plot (and frankly, some of the punch of the horror) was lost in what (to me anyways) came off as auxiliary information. Overall I really ate this up and just think it could have used a bit more editing. The bones were good and kept me engaged.

Wowza! The author really outdid himself with this spooky thriller. For me it was reminiscent of old school Dean Koonz or Stephen King. It was simply outstanding and high on the creep factor. I wouldn't call it the scariest thing I've ever read - - that honor will forever belong to "It." It was, however, an inventively creative and spooky book that shows the author's imagination ran wild.

The author gives you bits and pieces from different character points of view throughout the story. It was quite interesting to see how everything finally comes together in the end. The story itself focuses on an area that you visit in your dreams known as LaLaLand. It's inhabited by creatures that are unimaginable and people that are often worse than the animals.

The boundary between LaLaLand and our world is wearing thin and if it breaks, horrendous monsters will be freed to prey upon this world. Not only that, but Mister Lullaby will have unchecked free reign. All fo this leaves the residents of Harrod's Reach trying to desperately fight the evil from taking over their small town.

I also listened to the audiobook and it was done quite well. The narration was excellent and kept me immersed in the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for both the early listening copy and the ebook. I chose to review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

This book has too many points of views and too many timelines. If you are listening, give it some time for you to sort out what’s what. It took me a chunk of time to realize who was present, who was past and who was in what world. Once you figure it out, you want no part of LaLa Land. No thank you, this book turned out to be soo creepy! I did need more to the ending, I felt like it just ended while still needing another chapter. Despite that, soo creepy and so good. The LaLa Land characters were a head trip.

"Lullabies were full of monsters. Full of dark, disguised by beautiful singsong rhythms. Or was it the sinister disguised by something beautiful?"

This is the second book I've read by this author. Although this is a stand alone it did feel very much like a sequel to the Nightmare Man and it references it frequently.

This is a cool story that is similar in a lot of ways to the author's first. Something is causing the wall between real life and dreams to break down, allowing Mr Lullaby to get closer and closer to our world and wreak havoc on Harrod's Reach.

I enjoyed this and The Nightmare Man and recommend both.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A young boy, Sully Dupree, is injured in the abandoned tunnel and left in a coma. Gideon is returning home His mother is throwing him a surprise party. When he enters the gym, he draws out his weapon when they all yelled “Surprise!” Meanwhile to everyone’s surprise Sully has awoken from his coma briefly. When he had gone to an old railroad tunnel that had been bricked up due to its bad reputation. The bricks have been breaking down.
In the past, people had died, lost limbs or into comas never waking. What will happen now after hearing Sally’s mysterious message?

The book starts out slow. The “before”and “now” dual narratives are slightly confusing. I became aware of multiple perspectives over those times.The plot started pickin up for me after I realize the multiple perspectives. When the people in comas connected, it was eerie and creepy. The blend of horror and thriller is mixed well so when the horror of the novel creeps up on me, I wondered what I would find out next. The ending that is given makes me think it will have a second book. After all what was Mr. Lullaby driving a bus called Lullaby Express doing by picking up oddballs and killer? My advice is don’t get on that bus!

This book has so many subplots inside plots and main plots there’s no way I could do it justice by giving a summary there’s a guy named Theodore who has horns coming out of his head and he’s going around killing all the people on his list that are in a coma he has been told to do this by Mr. lullaby and so It’s his job to kill the dead heads. While riding around in his Mr. Lullaby bus every now and then he runs across a random straggler and picks them up because this we find out our serial killers and this includes the love of Teddy’s life Brandy a.k.a. the black widow. Madison on the other hand a stripper who danced to pay her way through South Carolina university was attacked and she was the only one of the horseshoe rapist to live when she wakes up she has an overwhelming urge to go to Herrid’s Reach, Nebraska when she woke up she had the name Solomon Dupree on her lips and for some reason this is who she was supposed to go see. Over in Harrods reach Gideon Dupree Sully‘s older brother in the one most people blame for his accident has come home from war with a Purple Heart something he isn’t proud of nor likes to talk about soon after arriving home the strange things at the town tunnel begin again dock and Gideon‘s childhood best friend Beth‘s adopted father Grover who is also the sheriff had an accident and this is only days after Simple Simon found a woman raped with a horseshoe on her stomach and a man decapitated with his head on his stomach close to the tunnel. As for Grover in doc for some reason it looks like simple Simons favorite toy his chainsaw he calls “the ripper” had something to do with it but when Beth goes to his cabin in the woods she notices strange talismans cut out of trees surrounding his home but when she goes in the house she sees what looks like an orange squirrel but when she looks around she thinks he’s been painting animals bright colors. When she finally finds Simon she sees he is in the tub trying to drown himself but when she takes him out he goes with her willingly and she even allows him to take his book called La La Land that he is drawn and written himself. As far as Beth knows the 6 foot five hulk of a man supposed to have done it Simon has never hurt anyone nor could she imagine him doing it but she locks him up until she investigates. OK these are the three main factors and trust me when I say there’s a lot I haven’t mentioned I mean this book should’ve been a series but either way it was still an awesome awesome read and I can see why they compare him to Stephen King I also get those vibes from the story and trust me there is a lot of story here. I would have given it five stars but I really didn’t love the ending after all that buildup and then Bam but despite that it was still a great story and one that may have you sleeping with the lights on from now on. I want to thank crooked lane books and net galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This was a propulsive read that stays within the "universe" of the first novel, although only just by a brief mention. I'll be interested to see them hopefully combine in the next book. I love this idea of nightmares haunting people in real life and the veil between the worlds dissipating.

The first thing I noticed about this story was how much it echoed the tropes of a Stephen King novel-a small town, large cast of characters, and elements of a coming of age story combined with strange paranormal happenings that pull all of these components together. This is what pulled me into the story and carried me through the good and unsuccessful moments of this story.

What I struggled with was the structure of the story. We bounce around a lot between the past and present from one point of view to the next. I found myself losing track of what was the present and past because most of it felt like the present moment. I believe there were some great ideas on the paranormal side of the plot, but it did go a bit too far into explaining things away- I think I would have enjoyed more ambiguity to amp up the ominous occurrences and characters.

What I enjoyed about this story was the core cast of characters. I liked their back stories and connections. Gideon and Beth were my favorite characters and I found myself invested in their stories.

If you are intrigued by authors whose style echoes King, I think you should definitely check this story out. If you are not a King fan, I think Markert has a lot to offer in the setting and characters that make up this story and it is worth giving this book a read.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley for giving my the opportunity to respond to this book with my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed The Nightmare Man last year and was looking forward to Mister Lullaby, and let me tell you, it was just as good! I loved the audio as well, it only added to the super creepy atmosphere of this story. I also loved the tie in to childhood lullabies, especially when a young boy in the small town of Harrod’s Reach is injured, and folks have been dying in crazy ways close to the entrance of a decrepit train tunnel.

This was a crazy wild ride, complete with paranormal elements and a crazy ending. I do wish I had the book to follow along with as it was hard to keep straight with only audio in the beginning, but once I got going it was fine. I definitely recommend this one for horror fans and there that love the paranormal mixed into their stories. It is creepy and I did have to listen in the daytime lol, but that is how I like these types of stories to read.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Mister Lullaby is a fabulously creative and entertaining horror read. The world building is impeccable and the terror level throughout is stellar.
The cover grabbed my attention and immediately brought to mind IT by Stephen King. The story is also reminiscent of King’s writing in books like Sleeping Beauties and Lisey’s Storey, bringing paranormal & supernatural into the horror seamlessly.
Mister Lullaby is a terrifying and fast paced read that reaches beyond imagination and will leave you scared to fall asleep.

I have posted this review on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HCS5BLWE4/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5963217873

And Amazon

Mister Lullaby by J. H. Markert is the first book I've read by this author. I was thrilled to find out that I have his previous book - The Nightmare Man - in my TBR pile. Why? This book was BLOODY AWESOME! I don't know why it made me think of Stephen King's IT, because the story is totally different, but the creepy feelings this book caused reminded me of that tome. I'm not sure why I stopped reading horror; luckily I've dipped my toes back into that pool or else I would have missed this frightful book!

Harrod’s Reach, Nebraska has long been a spot where creepy things occurred. The town was built around a decrepit old train tunnel, where a horrifying train accident took place a long time ago. Sully Dupree, a young boy, was seriously injured in the tunnel and is now in a coma, and most of the town's residents think the tunnel should be sealed off. Deputy sheriff Beth Gardner, a pragmatic person, doesn't want to believe in the superstitions of the area, until she finds two corpses at the tunnel's entrance, left in macabre poses with calling cards inscribed with old lullabies. Sully briefly wakes from his coma, screams out a message then falls back under. Since the accident, Sully's mind has been trapped on the other side of the tunnel in Lalaland, a frightening place inhabited by mythical creates of sleep. He is trapped there with hundreds of other coma patients who are fighting to keep the evil in Lalaland from crossing over into the waking world. Meanwhile, Teddy Lomax, a man troubled by a painful childhood, has been hearing a voice in his head that he calls Mr. Lullaby, and he's started to do what the voice tells him to do quickly: kill a list of coma patients. Something in the tunnel is trying to get through...and Mr. Lullaby is on his way.

This is one of those books that grabbed me by the throat and would not let go until I raced through to the end. Whew, what a gory, disturbing ride! And it WAS truly disturbing. (Funny story: I was in the middle of the book and my husband was about to have surgery. He said he was heading toward Lalaland. I about freaked out! Do I let this man go under anesthesia?! A cooler head finally prevailed, but it did feel absolutely creepy!) I don't really want to get into the story, because you need to read each foreboding chapter and be surprised by events like I was. But let me point out a few things that really scared the bejesus out of me. Apparently human evil is just as scary as supernatural evil. (Yeah, wait until you get on board Teddy Lomax's bus, the Lullaby Express, and find out about the passengers he picks up on his way to Harrod's Reach!) Part of the story takes place "before", while Teddy was on his trip to reach the tunnel. The rest of the action takes place "now". It's not confusing going back and forth. Another frightening aspect were the words of the lullabies mothers actually sang to their children throughout history. They are dark. They contain evil. And they make me wonder how on earth would someone tell their children these things?! ***Shudders*** There were some fantastic characters! Of course we had Teddy, who goes through a frightening transformation as he works his way around the country killing coma patients. Gideon Dupree, Sully's older brother, returns home from the military with a Purple Heart, PTSD and secrets. He's been afraid of most things during his life; can he be strong for his friends and family? Sheriff deputy Beth has lived her whole life in this town. When her dear friend the Sheriff receives a chain saw wound to his gut (I told you it was gory!), she must protect the town as more death and destruction come through. Simple Simon is considered a slow man and spends most of his time sleeping, but don't ever mistake him for being stupid. My favorite character is Maddy Boyle, who was in a coma, has now awakened and she makes her way to Harrod's Reach when she begins to put the clues all together of what is really transpiring. This book is absolutely thrilling; you'll want to clear your calendar so nothing disturbs your journey to Lalaland. You will never view deer, fish, seashells and vines the same again. Bloody awesome, I say!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Mister Lullaby was a fun follow-up to The Nightmare Man. I enjoyed how it wasn’t a direct sequel but more of a spin-off in the same reality. The characters are so easy to fall in love with, and the bad guys are just so easy to hate. This story is your classic, spooky, boogie-man tale. It was giving Darkness Falls, but instead of the tooth fairy, every sleep monster you can think of. I really hope the author writes a third installment where we get to meet Mister Dream!

We've all had those scary dreams where you wake up, sit straight up in bed, your heart pounding but can't remember what the dream was about, just that you don't want to go there again. This is how I view MISTER LULLABY, except the entire town of Harrod's Reach is having the dream and some can't wake up. These sleepers are the soldiers in a battle to keep the "monsters under the bed" from entering the waking world. JH MARKERT has taken bits and pieces of the worst collective memories and woven them into a story designed to make sure you stay awake at night. The story seemed to jump around somewhat but I'm not sure if that was design to keep the story edgy. It definitely made an impression on me. I'm hoping I don't meet Mr Lullaby in my dreams tonight.

Blown away be another book by J.H. Markert. This book moves at a quick pace and the tension slowly builds. The longer you read the harder it is to stop. There’s a lot going on and POV changes throughout. Great small town creep factor going on. I highly recommend this book for anyone you likes horror books (even if they don’t scare you anymore) because the story telling and buildup is worth the read.