I really loved J. H. Markert's last book The Nightmare Man, so when I saw he had a new one coming out I knew I had to read it.
The world Markert has come up with is impressive. Creepy, twisted, and full of literal nightmares come to life this world has sucked me in and I hope we get more books in this world.
The town of Harrods Reach has been full of the crazy and unexplainable for many years, mostly centered around a tunnel in the woods. People go in, but they don't always come out, and sometimes all that's left are pieces. But the tunnel doesn't just go from one end to the other, for certain people it takes them to Lalaland. A magical place full of everything we have ever dreamed up, and some of them want to escape. Mr. Lullaby is the worst of the worst, and he has his own plan set in motion to get free.

This is more of a slow-burn horror, where we really get a feel of the town and its residents before the murder and general mayhem really begin. I am a huge fan of Gideon and was rooting for his survival from the moment we were introduced. Once we get to the last third or so things skyrocket and we're in the middle of not only the characters fighting for their lives against a bunch of serial killers, but also fighting to save their town. From start to finish I didn't want to put this book down, and I can't wait to see what Markert is going to write next!!

Even though this isn't technically that long of a book, I personally felt like it could have been even shorter. To me, the horror elements weren't enough, which is a bit unfortunate, since the concept of the book sounded very intriguing.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J. H. Markert for the advanced copy of Mister Lullaby in exchange for my honest review!

After *loving* The Nightmare Man I was beyond excited to get my hands on an early copy of Markert's newest book. While this one was good, I found it wasn't quite on par with Nightmare Man, and there were times I struggled to get through it.

I was VERY confused about who each character was, what their timelines were, and had a hard time remembering who was who. I did get it figured out by the end, but I do have to say the ending left a LOT to be desired, so be prepared for that.

Nevertheless, I won't hesitate to read this author again in the future! Mister Lullaby will be on US bookshelves November 21!

I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and audiobook for this one so I listened along as I read. What a twisted disturbing tale this was! It took time to come together (be patient starting out!) but the story really got going after midway. I don't easily get scared by books but there definitely was an eerie element to this one. I do hope there is another book in the works as the ending was not what I'd hoped for and I need answers!

Mister Lullaby by J. H. Markert was AMAZEBALLS! I mean.... I'm speechless! Not only is it well written and has dynamic sequencing but it is gorgeous in its nonchalant macabre. As a horror fan, this book is like someone Freedy Kruger recruited Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Thomas Hewitt, and Chucky, put them on an all-star team, and set them out on an unsuspecting world. Told from many points of view, with fantastical elements mixed in, Mister Lullaby will easily top many favorite horror books of the year list. This author is now an auto-buy for me.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really liked reading The Nightmare Man so I was super excited to read Mister Lullaby by J. H. Markert.
I know that the spooky season has just ended but if you like creative, chilling and those creepy stories….. pick this one up!
I love this authors writing. He immediately hooks you and keeps you entertained throughout the entire book.
Mister Lullaby is a meticulously crafted psychological thriller that will keep readers engrossed from start to finish.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Taut and suspenseful. Creepy and chilling.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, what an incredible book this is. This was my first exposure to J.H.Markert and he did not disappoint.

This suspenseful, creative, shocking, plot twisty and thrilling book is one not to be missed.

The boundary that protects our world from the creatures that haunt our darkest of nightmares is on the cusp of shattering - with it brings the greatest terror of all - Mister Lullaby. The town of Harrod’s Reach was built around the now ageing train tunnel that sits abandoned these days. Many of the townsfolk believe it plays a huge role in every shocking occurrence that has struck them in the last several years. It isn’t until their Deputy Beth Gardner finds two bodies at the tunnel entrance which coincides with Sully Dupree stirring from his coma with a message. To his older brother, Sully chokes out that he is among all the coma patients, they are stuck in LaLaLand - the ‘other side’ of the train tunnel. It is the most horrid place but it must be kept at bay at all costs. For Mister Lullaby is coming, ready to take on the rest of the world.

This was one of the most creative books I think I’ve ever read, with equal parts horror, thrills and fantasy elements that tie it all together. It was a big book, but it was one that hooked me right from the beginning and had me gasping for air at its ending.

This is one of my favourite books this year. A true master of the genre.

This one had some stand out moments and I specifically liked the creative descriptions of the realm of nightmares called "Lalaland."

However, I had a difficult time keeping all the characters straight with the alternating POVs and would have loved to have seen that streamlined a bit. I also had a hard time connecting with the storyline and being invested. It just didn't feel like a book I wanted to pick up or was excited to get to and was a little disjointed at times.

I ended up abandoning Nightmare Man so maybe if I finish that I would be more connected with this? I think they go together.

This is a fun addition to the universe created in The Nightmare Man. We get a new set of characters and a wholly unique situation that leads to a great battle of good and evil, using dreams, nightmares and coma patients. The plot sometimes meanders with lazy plot twists that don't add much to the story aside from a cheap shock here and there. But the characters are really neat, especially the nemeses. If you like Stephen King's forays into fantasy, you'll likely enjoy this similarly toned book.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This review is a hard one for me to write because this is a book I both really enjoyed but also didn't enjoy it. This one pains me to not give a 5 star rating to, but hey, honest reviews are what its all about right? Anyway, lets jump into the review.

Mister Lullaby is a story taking place in Harrods Reach where there was a tunnel that had previously been closed up due to past instances of harm begins to cause more issues. This story is told in multiple points of view, which I usually tend to love, however in this case it was actually really hard for me to connect with any of the characters because of how often the POV was switched. I feel like it was but wasn't easy to follow, mainly because of the constant shifting of narration, I found myself questioning who was who and how exactly they relate to this story. Mister Lullaby is also told in multiple timelines which I had no issues with, I actually enjoyed finding out how the timelines collided.

This was an extremely slow burn in my opinion, which is never really an issue for me, but I felt like the entire time I just wanted to know more about Mister Lullaby and LaLaLand. I felt like there was a lot more character building going on when all I wanted was world building, which in the end is totally a me problem. The writing itself is absolutely impeccable, to the point where J. H. Markert and his stories remind me of Stephen King, which I am a huge fan of. There are plenty of oddities within this story that I was so down with and the horror aspects and the gore in this one are on point! There were certain twists that were put in there that definitely threw me for a loop and I very much enjoyed them.

The concept of this one is so unique and spectacular that I literally couldn't stop reading and/or listening but it was just lacking something for me, and if I'm being honest, I still haven't been able to pinpoint what exactly. This book is definitely creepy as fuck, though I wouldn't say that I was ever actually scared, but it still had a pretty good shock value to it, especially with tying in the lullabys. I will say though the tie in of Nightmare man to this one was *chefs kiss​* absolutely genius and I loved it so so so so so much. The ending was pretty abrupt and I kind of expected more out of it, which leads me to believe there will be another book coming out, which if that's the case - hell yeah I'll be reading it.
I listened to this one via audiobook while reading the eARC. The narrators were David Bendena; Lauren Ezzo and they did a great job at bringing this one to life and really made this story extra creepy with their narration. Definitely recommend listening to this one.
Overall this wasn't my favorite, though I definitely enjoyed it. Will I read more of Markert's work as it's published? ABSOLUTELY, especially if there is a continuation of this story. I'm definitely recommending this one to all of my horror fans out there, I think this is definitely going to be one that people are going to love.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, J. H. Markert, Dreamscape Media and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. Mister Lullaby releases on 11/21 - be sure to check it out.

Such a fantastical story! Reminiscent of old Stephen king tellings. So much amazement and horror throughout the pages made it hard to stop reading. I’m so hoping for a continuation of the story and to see what happens next in lalaland.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

When Nightmares come to life!

There is an old, abandoned train tunnel in Harrod’s Reach, it’s a sinister tunnel that has seen its fair share of danger. A young boy is injured in the tunnel and bodies have been found outside of its entrance. It has become a real nightmare for the townspeople.

The young boy, Sully, who is injured is in a coma but wakes up just long enough to give a message saying “Run"! Sully has been trapped in Lalaland while in his coma! Lala what, you ask. Lalaland is a place where others in comas are trapped with the evil creatures of sleep. Sully with the others like him are fighting to keep the evil creatures from entering the waking world.

Teddy was never like the other children. He has growths on his head that he tries to keep hidden. He begins hearing the voice of Mr. Lullaby telling him to act by killing coma patients.

This was a dark and sinister tale that is not for the faint of heart. It is imaginative and does have strong Stephen King vibes. I had both the book and the audiobook and found myself listening to the audiobook more as I enjoyed the narration.

The book is slow to build and has many characters (mainly creepy), different timeframes, and an uneasy feel. I didn't find this book to be scary, but it is creepy, horrific and dark. Like other reviewers, I found the ending to be a little abrupt. I'm assuming the author is planning on another book.

While I enjoyed this book, I wasn't blown away by it. But I did enjoy the atmosphere, the sinister vibe, the danger level. Others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Original, dark, and atmospheric.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A young coma patient awakens briefly to warn the town that he’s trapped in Lalaland where mythical sleep monsters feed on the living minds that are inhabited there.
Meanwhile, a small town railway tunnel caves in and the residents of Harrod’s Reach realize that the boundary between the physical and the nightmare world where Mr. Lullaby lives is growing weaker by the moment. And Mr. Lullaby wants out.

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
0 /5 spice

Tropes:
Mythical Creatures
Otherworldly magical quest

Deb's Thoughts:
I raved about this book while I was reading it and couldn’t put it down! It would have been a solid 5 star read for me, but the book literally just ends, which killed the momentum. I can’t find a reference to a sequel and almost every aspect of the plot still needs to be completed. The writing is suspenseful, downright gruesome and captivating, so I’m confused as to why the author just left the reader hanging at the end.

Triggers:
Coma
Serial killers
Rape
Nightmarish Creatures

I went into this story blindly with my book club as a buddy read and with high hopes because they were all excited about it. Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy this story and so therefore I’m going to keep my review short and simple.
The story had potential-the idea of the fight to save the town from the evil LaLaLand and its inhabitants that you enter when you dream sounds like it should be good right? Especially when you read the description of some of the animals that exist in LaLaLand-purple snakes, red deer with orange antlers, etc. it sounds quite magical and so when the story finally gets to the point (and it takes a long time to get there btw) there is such a minimal amount of time in LaLaLand it is such a letdown! I mean, what has this all been about? Then there are so many secondary characters that are irrelevant to the story that just helped to bog down the details. And the ending left it open to a second book, but I think if they had edited this one a little better they could have made a better ending with this one and skipped the need for a second book imo.
Could have been good but missed the mark.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

After reading The Nightmare Man I knew I needed to read more from this weird universe with tunnels to other worlds.

I loved re-visiting old characters like Beth, Jax, Gideon and Sully. We get a lot more back story from each of the characters, which I really liked.

The book slowed down a bit through the middle, but by the last 50 pages it picked up like a rocket and I couldn’t put it down.

Mr. Lullaby was an extremely disturbing antagonist. I loved watching all the monsters from folklore being brought to life.

Beth and Gideon reminded me of gunslingers from Stephen King. But my favorite character was Simple Simon who wasn’t so simple in the other world, Lalaland. He reminded me of Tom Cullen from The Stand.

Read Nightmare Man first and then pick up this awesome sequel!

Well done horror for fans of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While this wasn't really my cup of tea, I appreciate how Markert wove several plot lines and tropes together to create a novel which will win him new readers.

I loved the nightmare man and i thought it was cool that the two books tied together. This one started off strong for me but i eventually lost interest and also got kind of confused. I wish there was more focus on just a few characters rather than many. I think it made for less character development. I loved the gory bits. But i just felt a bit detached.

I really loved the old school gory horror in this book, the multiple pov's, and the general story-line, but the ending was a bit disappointing for this reader. I am guessing there is going to be a sequel? Even so, the ending really needed to be slowed down and some of the questions answered rather than leaving it all hanging.

I knew I had to get to this book before Spooky Season ended and I am so glad that I did. Markert has a way of weaving and twisting a story together that makes you sit up and take notice. I was riveted to my seat from the moment I cracked the book open. The characters are phenomenally created, with a backstory, and baggage for each and every one. I wanted to get to know them and understand how they fit into the puzzle. The setting is perfectly creepy. I wanted to run screaming from the tunnel, wondering why anyone would want to go down there. Let alone play the game of In-One-Out-One. There is so much history that that links this tunnel to turbulent times in the town of Harrod's Reach. People disappearing, bodies and body parts found in and around the tunnel, people getting hurt and in comas. All linking back to this one place, a place that turned my blood to ice.

Deputy Sheriff Beth Gardner is waiting for her childhood friend at his welcome home party. They were born on the same day, during the same storm, and in their hearts, they are twins. Gideon has always been jumpy, the awkward boy, and in love with Beth from as far back as he can remember. He does not know what to expect from his family or friends. What he walks into is chaos. Bodies found earlier that day holding hands outside the tunnel. The bodies do not make sense, they are both killed in completely unusual ways. Other strange occurrences begin to happen more and more. Animals that are not the right color, seashells in Nebraska, and the tunnel coming alive with vines and flowers. Is everything somehow connected and what is happening in this small town?

The other amazing aspect of this book is that Markert's previous novel The Nightmare Man found its place in Mister Lullaby. It made my day to read this! I do not want to say more and give away anything. If you are looking for a terrifying read that will turn your dreams into nightmares defiantly give this book a try. Thank you to J.H. Markert and Crooked Lane Books for this insanely horrifying read.