I enjoyed Sleep Tight, even though it was different than what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a creepy horror story based on the cover and description, but it turned out to be more of a police procedural, mystery-thriller instead.

I liked the writing style and the short chapters. The pacing was okay, it did slow down in some parts but gained momentum toward the end with an action-packed conclusion. I guessed certain twists early on and the ending was a little unsatisfying.

While the story was interesting and I did enjoy it, it was quite different from what I expected. I would still be open to reading more from this author in the future. I’d recommend this book to fans of police procedural type stories.

3.5⭐️

"The sole survivor of a serial killer might hold the key to stopping a new spree of murders in this propulsive horror thriller in the vein of The Black Phone and The Whisper Man.

Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the "clear heir to Stephen King."

Beware the one who got away...

Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his "House of Horrors," they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor - a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

The detective's daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence's legacy.

When Tess's daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.

With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre."

I mean, obviously a town called Twisted Tree had its own serial killer. Am I right?

This is a fairly good story in the horror novel canon that is growing, but it isn't the first I'd pick. I generally go for something a little more complex. That being said, it was enjoyable and entertaining.

What the heckkkkkk did I just read. This was a masterpiece. The story was so creative and masterfully dark. The combo of serial killing, cult following, dual timeline, and amnesia was sublime. I read this book every free minute I had because I just couldn't get enough. It's a fast read for a procedural because there are so many twists and action throughout. You definitely don't get slogged down in the details.

It's rare for me to not predict a lot of a thriller. And I definitely did not predict some of the mysteries and explanations. I had so much fun reading this I'm always shouting about it into the void.

Spectacular give me 14 more. Chef's kiss. I probably need therapy.

“Are we born evil or made that way?”

Where are my serial killer book lovers? You need this one! Years ago, Father Silence terrorized the town of Twisted Tree with many murders leaving only one survivor. After 20 years, he is finally executed. But that same night, murders happen in the same vein as Father Silence. He is calling himself Outcast and is killing all involved with the previous trial. Tess Claiborne is a detective following in the footsteps of her father who caught Father Silence. When her father is killed, her childhood trauma from the killings resurfaces and now her child has gone missing. She then travels to Twisted Tree to interview the one survivor who is now in a lockdown facility for his “broken” mind to get as much information as possible.

That introductory paragraph is a lot, I get it, but so much happens in this book. It is a really creepy, get-under-your-skin type story. It travels from the present with Outcast to the past with Father Silence so we get the juicy details of both investigations. While there is terror for the kidnapped kids in the moment, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the stories of the past. I was putting together the pieces before it was fully obvious and let me tell you, I was yelling at these characters! I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down. Is it a bit far-fetched? Sure, but in the best way. It repeatedly hit with more and more details which sucked me in completely. And the psychological mind games? *chef’s kiss* I love that the story stayed “real” and didn’t throw any paranormal aspects in because there is nothing more scary than learning what a man will do! So if you love a horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes your heart want to explode with anxiety then this book is for you!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @CrookedLane for the copy!

The book releases September 10, 2024.

Part psychological horror part crime thriller, this book keeps you glued to the pages! Each chapter ends on a cliff hanger that literally won’t allow you to stop reading. Read TWs and then pick this one up for the upcoming *spooky season*!

Loved this book! Real life horrors were brought into the light with this book as the characters faced a suspenseful and creepy plot.

This was such a captivating book! I was hooked throughout the entire thing. I liked that each chapter was kind of in the perspective of each character but had bits from everyone else as well. There were a few characters that I think could have been more built out, but overall it was really well done. A good thriller with a satisfying ending!

DNF @15%

I liked the prologue. I thought this was going to lean more towards horror, but it's more of a police procedural and I don't typically like those types of books.

** “In hindsight, a lot people should have known a lot of things. But unfortunately, the world doesn’t ever run in reverse. And one thing I’ve learned to be a hard truth is that hindsight never proves useful.” **

Under pen name J.H. Markert, author James Markert continues his rebrand in the contemporary horror/suspense genre with “Sleep Tight,” a deeply dark and disturbing thriller.

The execution of Jeff Pritchard, aka Father Silence, convicted of the deaths of several teenagers, sets off a flurry of horrific events. Tess Claiborne, whose father helped arrest Pritchard, is quickly pulled into the situation when several people involved with the original case are targeted.

But when she meets the boy who got away, Noah Nichols, things get even stranger. He becomes a catalyst for information to help solve the present-day situations.

Markert delivers a brilliant story with incredibly twisty plot lines that will shock and stump the reader. He is an expert at creating deeply flawed characters, as well as incredibly evil and psychologically damaged people.

His story reveals the damage that can be done when we treat others as outcasts, as well as what happens when we bury secrets, and the impact of bitterness and revenge.

“Sleep Tight,” which is due out Sept. 10, will appeal to fans of shows like “Criminal Minds” and authors like Stephen King and Ted Dekker. However, be forewarned this book, unlike Dekker’s, contains a lot of foul language.

Five stars out of five.

Crooked Lane Books provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Missoula police detective Tess Claiborne must find Outcast fast. This moves back and forth in time to tell the story of Father Silence, a heinous killer who even in death hovers over the lives of many. This is a fast paced (thanks to short chapters) read that merges crime and horror. You'll root for Tess even as you cringe at the situations she faces. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARc. A good read.

This book was something else! Wow. Though it stated off with a bang and what seemed high action it was also slow. Which I know doesn’t make sense but I just felt in the beginning we were going round and round without anything truly happening.
But man as we got into it it was so fun and crazy.
So many creepy elements and so many twists. I loved all of that.
Loved the ending. Very horror book vibes. Def an interesting book!

ARC 📖 Review: Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 9/10/24

This was one of my most anticipated releases this year! I did enjoy this story as it was a fast paced police procedural with a great concept. That being said there were so many characters to keep track of which confused me at times and caused me to lose interest throughout. I would definitely still recommend this one, just make sure you keep track of all the characters 😂and you’ll enjoy it! Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

☠️🧒🏼🛝

Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his “House of Horrors,” they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

#horrorreader #policeproceduralbooks #bookstagram #booknerd #booksbooksbooks #read #reader #bookworm #booklover #readmorehorror #spookyreads #reading #scarybooks #books

💥💥Book Review 💥💥

Sleep Tight
By J. H. Markert

4 🌟’s

This book was an amazing book to read from the very beginning of the book. It always had me gripping the edge of my seat for what is coming next. It has different POV’s because it goes between past and present showing growth in all the characters that play apart in this novel. This is book is filled with non-stop idolization of cult monstrosities, malicious villains, and empathetic/believable group of characters. This is a perfect crime thriller with cultish trepidation.


hank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one! Police procedural, dissociative identity disorder, serial killers and family drama.

The main characters, Tess and Justin, search for their kidnapped daughter. Tess, a detective, realizes that this kidnapping is personal and is tied to a serial killer from her hometown, who was recently put to death in the electric chair. Lots of twists and turns. Loved the addition of Noah, the escaped victim of the killer, and his other personalities.

For fans of thrillers, generational trauma and horror.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This was the first book I have read by this author, and I have to say I am HOOKED! I will definitely be checking into their other novels. I am a huge Mystery/Thriller fan and Sleep Tight checked all of the boxes for a book I knew I would LOVE: a serial killer, copy-cat murders, kidnapping, revenge, a crazy cult that wears animal masks, multiple personalities/identity disorders, stolen/assumed identities, psychic visions and fractured memories. This book was SO GOOD!

Sleep Tight opens in the aftermath of a series of brutal murders, committed (in the past) by a man known as "Father Silence". He kidnapped a bunch of kids and a whole bunch of other bodies were found in his "House of Horrors" when he was finally arrested, Fast forward into the present, and Father Silence is about to finally be executed for his crimes. Which triggers a series of copy-cat murders which don't seem to be random -- more a revenge plot against those involved in the Father Silence case.

Detective Tess Claiborne, is sucked back into the new investigation, when her parents and daughter (Julia) targeted by the new killer, The Outcast. Tess and her husband Justin spend most of the book helping the investigation and trying to find their missing daughter. Along the way, Tess must battle her broken memories of her encounter in the past with Father Silence and race against time to solve the case to save her family and her childhood town from the killer.

I really enjoyed this book, and I couldn't put it down! The plot definitely kept you guessing until the end. The big reveals were SO GOOD and so well-timed! The multiple personalities did make things a little confusing at times, but it was definitely worth it when the ending was revealed! It was a very twisted but well-woven web of characters and backstories and it really all came together beautifully. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you love a good thriller about serial killers!

Rating: 4 stars!

Im sorry, what?! The Outcast, Father Silence, Tess & her family, the multiple snips of POVs, the Playhouse.. Everything about this book had me chomping at the bit to read more. I had to figure out who the Outcast was.

There were slower parts of the story, but I think everything that was in the book was needed to have the grand reveal at the end with every character's backstory.

This book gave more "police thriller" vibes vs. straight horror, but there were definately strong horror elements.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Gripping Psychological Thriller with Depth

J.H. Markert’s Sleep Tight is an engaging psychological thriller that delves into the darker aspects of the human psyche. The novel’s intricate plot and well-drawn characters create a suspenseful and immersive reading experience. Markert’s skillful storytelling keeps readers on edge, with unexpected twists and a gripping narrative that explores themes of fear and trust. While some plot elements may feel familiar, the book’s strong character development and compelling suspense make it a standout entry in the genre. A captivating read for fans of psychological thrillers.

This is one super creepy crime horror novel that absolutely NEEDS to be on your spooky TBR list this fall!

This was the first book I have read by @jamesmarkert74 but it will not be my last. This story was jam packed with elements that I love in a suspenseful crime novel:
🕵🏻‍♀️ a tough female detective/protagonist
🏚️ creepy buildings/locations
🖤 a slight touch of supernatural elements
👀 cult vibes
🏘️ small Southern town setting
💨 fast paced

Thank you @crookedlanebooks for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Do you love true crime or intense thrillers? Sleep Tight is perfect for you.

Honestly when serial killer was mentioned and knowing it was a horror thriller, I was here for it no questions asked. The comparisons to The Whisper Man feel very on brand because of the focus on children (also child death) and the thriller aspects of both books. What starts as an execution of the serial killer, leads to more deaths and a winding road that leads Catriona Ward back to her hometown where everything started.

I couldn't put this book down. I felt the pacing was just right to keep me reading. Although maybe a tad long, I enjoyed this book a lot. I really want to dive into Markert's backlist. I can't wait for what he comes out with next.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.