I’m not gonna lie to you - I read this back in November and it’s as if my memory has been erased. I remember nothing but the vibes.

So there was this man who disguised himself as a priest to prey on vulnerable members of society. His “House of Horrors” was found with one survivor who is now in hospital for the criminally insane. This pretend-priest is finally executed years later, but there’s another serial killer on the loose and the original detective’s daughter is now the one who must catch this guy. (Thanks, google!)

Confused? Me too. I think my main issue was there were so many characters that I would constantly think “wait, who is this again?” And it’s hard when reading on a kindle cos it’s awkward to flip back a few pages or chapters to jog your memory. There was just A LOT going on and jumping back and forth in time. My brain was struggling.

But clearly I enjoyed SOMETHING since I gave it 3 stars. I remember enjoying excerpts from police interviews back when Father Silence was caught. I also have a vague recollection of liking the main female character (the detective’s daughter) and the tensions between her and her husband, it really helped humanise them.

But yeah if you like police procedurals that are also quite twisty and dark, then I guess I’d recommend Sleep Tight? Maybe you could tell me what happens at the end cos I have no clue! 3 stars.

Sleep Tight kept me up all night- even scarier I was in Kentucky while reading it so it felt like it was happening around me!

This book was great at building suspense and had a bit of everything! The storyline was unique and interesting, and I was really surprised by all of the twists and turns up until the very end. I liked the alternating timelines and flashbacks to tell the story and to give clues along the way. However, with those alternating timelines came a lot of characters to try to keep track of, which became a little confusing at times. I liked how everything came together to a spooky, satisfying ending.

I wouldn't necessarily consider this a typical horror, but it was a great thriller/police procedural!

This book was so good it gave me anxiety. I'm newer to the horror thriller genre so need to look for more books like this.
I will be looking for more books by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Another stellar read by J.H. Markert. This author isn't afraid to delve into the creepy and sometimes disturbing stories. This one had that - - but also had a great mystery tucked in with all the horror. It kept me glued to it and flipping pages - - or tapping them on my kindle rather - - as fast as I could. This is one of those where I hesitate to say too much about the storyline. I will just say, if you aren't afraid of things that go bump in the dark or a little spooky - - or actually downright scary happenings, pick this one up. I've read several others by this author and I'm never disappointed - - sometimes a little freaked out - - but never disappointed.

This was a thrilling read that really kept me on edge. The story follows Nora, who’s dealing with the grief of losing her sister, but things take a dark turn when she uncovers a strange link between her sister’s death and unsettling events in her life. I found myself hooked from the start, trying to piece together the mystery alongside Nora. The twists were unexpected, and the suspense really built up, making it hard to put down. It’s a fast-paced, gripping book that I genuinely enjoyed, especially if you’re into thrillers with lots of surprises.

Sleep Tight by J. H. Markert is a chilling horror thriller that follows Tess Claibourne, a detective haunted by her past and the legacy of a notorious serial killer named Father Silence. Father Silence terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, masquerading as a priest while preying on vulnerable members of society. His killing spree ended when the police discovered his "House of Horrors" and found nineteen bodies, but one survivor—a boy who was locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Now, nearly two decades later, Father Silence is executed, but his death only sets off a new wave of terror. The detective who arrested Father Silence is found dead, and a new serial killer, the Outcast, claims responsibility for the murder. Tess, the detective’s daughter, is plunged into the investigation, but she’s haunted by her own trauma and the resurgence of the horrors that marked her childhood.

When Tess’s own daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, she is forced to confront her worst fears and the memories she’s buried deep inside. With few leads to follow, Tess returns to Twisted Tree to seek out the boy who survived Father Silence’s reign of terror. The boy now lives in a fractured, broken mind, and Tess must uncover the secrets hidden within if she has any hope of saving her daughter.

Sleep Tight is a dark, twisting tale that combines elements of psychological horror, mystery, and suspense. With a deeply unsettling atmosphere and a relentless pace, it will keep readers on edge until the final, terrifying reveal. Fans of Catriona Ward and Stephen King will find this story irresistible as it delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche.

I've been looking forward to reading Sleep Tight for a while; I just never got the time for it. The Nightmare Man and Mister Lullaby by the same author, J. H. Markert, are two horror books that I devoured when I read them, so I might have had quite high expectations.

I found Sleep Tight to be a good book, just not as captivating as the books I've read by Markert before. The best part of the book came towards the end when everything started to fall into place, and you got the background on Father Silence, etc. It's a perfectly fine book—well-written and interesting. I'm eagerly waiting to read Spider to the Fly by Markert. I got a review copy the other day.

Excuse me Mr. Markert, but who gave you the right? Who gave you the right to put this book in front of me and blow me away? I wasn’t even 20% in and the amount of stuff Markert threw at me that was crazy, intense, and had me in a choke hold is insurmountable. This was a wild ride and I was here for it. It was jam packed full of action and suspense and had me on the edge of my seat. The few and minor negatives were I was left with some questions that I wish were answered. I also wasn’t a big fan of another aspect that I’ll keep secret to avoid spoilers, but this a great book to read during spooky season! I will definitely be checking out this author’s other work.

Solid tension and plot in the early stages, but some of the prose felt undercooked, and it left me pretty cold by the end.

Excellent Book! I couldn’t put it down! It was so twisty and gruesome. I’ve never read anything by J.H. Market, but I definitely have them flagged for any books to add to my TBR

Not usually a horror girly but this was such a good book. I loved all the different characters. I am so glad I got to read this and would for sure recommend

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert is a wild mix of crime thriller, supernatural horror, and family drama, but it doesn’t always stick the landing. The story follows Tess, the daughter of a retired cop who helped take down the infamous serial killer Father Silence. But when her parents are brutally murdered and her daughter is kidnapped, she finds herself caught in a messy tangle of murder, secrets, and eerie mysteries. The book bounces between gritty crime drama and creepy horror, though not always seamlessly.

The setup is fantastic—the opening hooked me right away with its dark, suspenseful vibe. But the pacing? Kind of all over the place. The middle drags with too many long-winded conversations and scenes that slow things down just when they should be picking up. The final third, thankfully, brings more action and some solid twists, but getting there can feel like a bit of a slog.

Another hiccup is the sheer number of characters. By the end, I was struggling to keep track of who was who, especially with new names still popping up late in the game. The twists, though plentiful, didn’t always land with the impact they should have, and some of the big reveals felt more like filler than jaw-droppers. The supernatural elements were cool in theory but didn’t feel fully fleshed out, almost like an afterthought.

Despite its flaws, Sleep Tight has its strengths. It offers a unique blend of crime, mystery, and horror, but ultimately, the execution left me wanting more. If you enjoy gritty thrillers with a touch of the supernatural, it’s worth checking out. Just be prepared for a slower middle and some twists that don’t always land as well as you’d hope.

I love a good police procedural mystery/thriller (especially with a serial killer) but this one was very hard to follow. It had far too many POVs and I constantly got pulled out of the story due to being confused/slightly lost. I did find the characters like able, even with how flawed they all were, but I just didn’t find this one compelling or bingeable, which is what I was hoping for. It was still a solid thriller, but it’s probably a case of right book but at the wrong time for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Very fast paced but also very all over the place. While I love a gripping book, I also like to not be confused.

There were times I wanted to keep reading, but also times where I was wondering where all the included information was going.

There was a lot of creative concepts and a very dark atmosphere that almost started moving into horror. This, I definitely enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books of the ARC. I hope to read more by this author.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This one grabbed me because of the cover, and the synopsis. The setting of this was really cool, especially the parts mentioned in Montana where I am from. That added a lot of imagery and freaky vibes for me. I found this plot to be pretty twisted. I was not going into this assuming it was a psychological thriller, but more of a horror. I liked the plot points about the murder case and the asylum, it all made the story super eerie. I found this pretty bingeable but was left unsatisfied by the end.

Read 9/2/24 AND 11/6/24

4.5 stars.

I'm kind of glad I saved this for last in my little read-a-thon. This was so good. Although, nothing has surpassed my love for the authors first book, this one is definitely my 2nd favorite now. I'm always hoping for more horror elements, maybe some day.

Side note: I listening to the audiobook during a readathon but read the earc before release so I read the book twice but forgot to write my review the first go around.

For me this book was great! I loved it and although it’s not something I would usually read I enjoyed the change and the change of genre! There were so many heart thumping moments I loved the intensity of this book! I am definitely becoming a horror/thriller book fan and it’s a big thanks to this book for that!

Terrifyingly good. The quick-paced chapters leave little room to fully digest what is truly happening. As a result, you grow more and more unsettled as the book progresses. Twisty, dark, and guaranteed to keep you guessing until the very end.

I thought this book was very boring and not at all how it was marketed. It was a struggle to finish.