Sleep Tight Kept Me Up ALL NIGHT!

Sleep Tight is the latest paranormal horror adventure from J. H. Markert. Just like the other stories, I quickly found myself a fan. In Sleep Tight, our characters are dealing with a serial killer and the dangerous legacy Father Silence introduced into the small town of Twisted Tree. The opens up with some of the individuals who brought in Father Silence being ritualistically murdered and the arresting detective's daughter, Tess, is somehow at the center of this conflict. When it continues to get all too personal with her daughter being kidnapped, this story takes off like wildfire.

I felt like this story was truly a fast-paced adventure! This starts immediately with action and it doesn't relent as the investigation and hunt for missing children commences. I enjoyed solving the mystery with the main characters and the switching perspectives was done so well that I could not put this story down until I had answers. The writing style keeps you in the thick of the mystery! It's just really great writing and I think it continues to keep getting better with each book from J H Markert.

Readers of psychological thrillers are going to DEVOUR this book. I think it holds so much for readers of any genre, but this psychological thriller had my heart racing and with some horror thrown in, this was an amazing read for 2024!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a digital ARC of Sleep Tight by JH Market. I have previously read The Nightmare Man by Market and really enjoyed it, and I need to read Mister Lullaby, but this one also speaks volumes why I enjoy reading Market's books. They are creepy and the tension is palpable. When I read Market's books, I feel like I can literally feel the hairs on the back on my neck standing up. It will also make you think about going to sleep and what could happen, reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Well done!

[Snack-Size Review] Sleep Tight, by J. H. Markert

Quick Bite: Put this one down, I dare you.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: Seventeen years ago, the serial killer known as Father Silence was arrested by Tess’s father. Today, he’s just been executed. But the story is far from over - the killings are happening again, and Tess’s daughter may be the next victim.

A Word From The Nerd: The synopsis doesn’t do justice to the incredibly complex story here. I’m not going to give a lot of details, because frankly, I’d be writing for days trying to cover it all. There’s a bit of Silence of the Lambs, some cult stuff, some major family dysfunction (across several families), addiction, and the coolest serial killer moniker I’ve seen in a while.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and some Old Sam bourbon.)

4.5 stars rounded up. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books, J.H. Markert and Netgalley for the Advanced Copy.

Confession time: I fully went into this novel expecting to be underwhelmed. The cover certainly caught my attention, but the synopsis didn't hook me and felt very similar to many other books that didn't deliver what they promised and left me disappointed. Being unfamiliar with the author, I was quick to assume I probably wouldn't enjoy this one either. I'll happily admit how wrong I was.

At the 30% mark I stopped being an arrogant know-it-all and realised this book had all the depth and layered story telling I was looking for. Markert introduced character after character, thread after thread, and somehow weaved them all together for a show-stopping finish. I can honestly say, this is the only book from the past... year(?) that managed to surprise me and kept me guessing. I hadn't figured out the reveals before I was supposed to, which is so uncommon these days that I had to tack on another half star for that alone.

Also found the inclusion of interview snippets, articles, and evidence from previous crime scenes to be quite effective at building on the story. The multiple POVs as well, while potentially confusing for some, really just worked for me to create a sense of scope. Markert utilised a lot of techniques here that really strengthened the experience of reading.

I'll definitely be checking out more from this author.

Wow! J. H. Markert might be my favorite horror author right now!

I absolutely loved The Nightmare Man. That book was 5 stars.

Now, I love Sleep Tight. The book was absolutely fantastic. It has everything I love in horror novels. This book is suspenseful, thrilling, and horrifying without being overly gory. This was an ideal horror book for me and I can't wait to read his backlist title, Mr. Lullaby, and any future stories J. H. Markert writes.

This one started off very strong, and although I got a little bogged down toward the middle, it redeemed itself in the end. There are A LOT of characters to keep up with, and that's always a negative for me.

Serial killer Jeff Pritchard, dubbed Father Silence by the media, is being executed. He killed at least nineteen people, but one of his would-be victims escaped, a child named Noah, who is now in a hospital for the criminally insane. When a copycat killer called The Outcast kills the detective who originally arrested Jeff, that incident brings with it a lot of characters and a lot of plot lines to keep track of.

I feel like there was a lot of extraneous detail in this book that weren't present in the previous two, and while I did enjoy it, I did find myself getting bogged down a few times with all of the details.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early copy. At the time this review was written, this title is set to publish September 24, 2024.

To me, this is easy horror to read. Every chapter ends on a cliff hanger making you want to keep reading. You’ll definitely be hooked and read most of it in one sitting.

The story has several twists that kept me guessing. At times it could be confusing. But made sense in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, J. H. Markert, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read Sleep Tight. I have written this review voluntarily.

Review: Not for me. The book was Too violent, graphic and awful for my taste. . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Detective Tess Claibourne has spent many years haunted by a terrible event that happened when she was a teenager. She can’t remember all the details but it ended with her father arresting a serial killer called Father Silence. Now, after all these years, Father Silence is executed.
But there‘s a new serial killer in town. He‘s calling himself The Outcast and he just murdered Tess‘s parents and kidnapped her daughter. To stop this new horror, Tessa must face and untangle her web of lost memories.

I read my first J. H. Market book, Mister Lullaby, last year and really enjoyed it. When I was approved for an eARC of Sleep Tight, I couldn't wait to get started.

The story is part police procedural, cult horror and crime thriller - definitely something I like to read.
The mystery was compelling and the story held my interest from the beginning. There were lots of unexpected twists and some of the imagery creeped me out.

I‘m not necessarily a fan of an amnesiac narrator who doesn’t remember important parts of the backstory. It always feels a bit unbelievable and too convenient. But it still worked in the context of this story.

What didn’t work for me was the huge amount of characters. This in combination with the multiple POVs was quite confusing and I had a difficult time remembering who certain characters were and how aspects of the story fit together. There was just too much going on at times. Sometimes less is more.

In “Sleep Tight,” Father Silence, a serial killer, is finally executed. However, before anyone can rest tight, a new killer emerges targeting those connected to the original case and kidnapping children. Detective Tess Claibourne, haunted by her past and desperate to save her kidnapped daughter, goes back to Twisted Tree and seeks help from the sole survivor of Father Silence's crimes, hoping to unravel the mystery.

The book delivered a thrilling ride with its fast pace and constant tension. Despite the number of characters, the author skillfully developed each character, making them integral to the story and adding depth to their character. The inclusion of multiple perspectives offered a truly immersive experience. It was nice getting a glimpse of their minds throughout the story. I enjoyed the plot build-up with the author using police interviews from the past and showing memories. It can be predictable (if you read a lot of mystery/thrillers), but it didn’t diminish my overall reading experience– there were still moments that had me in awe. The suspense is strong, but I wouldn’t necessarily tag this as “horror.” There were also times were I struggled with the writing style and plot– it can become too messy and hard to follow. However, while the complex plot occasionally required me to pause and absorb everything, it ultimately kept me intrigued and wanting more.

I’ll keep more of my thoughts once this is published and everyone can read it to avoid spoilers, but I still definitely recommend this book! For the plot, I would give this 4 stars, but since the writing and plot can be hard to follow, I’ll give this a 3. This book will come out on September 2024! Thank you Crooked Lane Books, J. H. Market, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Review posted: July 13, 2024
Reviews can be found on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6664090684?book_show_action=false) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/C9XAb3yS2vQ/).

The cover of this booked grabbed me from the start so I had to request!

I loved "Sleep Tight" by J.H. Markert. It is a fast-paced thriller/crime/police procedural masterpiece that is packed with tension from cover to cover. The story is filled with so many likeable, though flawed, characters that make the storyline incredibly captivating.

I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a police procedural horror. I have never read any books from this author but have recently purchased The Nightmare Man and this was a great introduction to his writing style.

Thank you, #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

JH continues his nighttime theme brilliantly with "Sleep Tight." In the dark, all the scary things come out to play, and I find this incredibly interesting. He has a talent for blending fantasy and reality in such a masterful way that it keeps you hooked.

There were parts where I had to slow down my reading because there was so much happening that it was hard to wrap my mind around the story. Despite this, the pace is steady, and the plot moves forward nicely. The characters are complicated yet well-developed, making the story all the more engaging.

Overall, "Sleep Tight" is a fascinating read that balances horror and fantasy in a way that only JH can. If you enjoy stories that challenge your perception of reality and keep you on your toes, this is definitely one to add to your list


I would like to express my deep gratitude to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twisted and creepy, I enjoyed this horror read immensely. Tess is a cop with a messy personal life. Separated from her husband, her daughter hates her and she’s barely keeping it together when an infamous serial killer is executed. The police officer who stopped him is Tess’s father, so she gets involved in a very complicated but engrossing series of events featuring cults, multiple personalities and the kidnapping of her daughter. I loved the characters. Tess is messed up, but really trying to be a good mother. Her police partner, Danny, and his wife Eliza are specially adorable. The baddies are, as usual with this author, a little over-the-top but so scary that it doesn’t matter. The plot involves supernatural elements along with a procedural. Every single location is hair-raising, and the last part is very suspenseful. Markert’s novels should be in any horror reader’s library. Five stars.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books.

When a serial killer is put to death 2 decades after terrorising a local community, it seems like the end of a nightmare. But a matter of days later the people involved with the case are being by systematically murdered and children are going missing. With another killer on the loose and her daughter missing it is up to the daughter of the original arresting officer and the one victim that got away to solve the case…but the surviving victim is in an asylum for the criminally insane….

This is a really compelling read: part Silence of the Lambs, part Split I really loved the way that trauma is examined and mental health highlighted as a very terrifying thing.
Sleep Tight combines psychological thriller, slasher and folk horror in one brilliant package. The chapters are short and the narrative shifts perspective which means you are kept on the edge of your seat the whole time. There are some classic tropes in here with some plot twists I saw coming, but there are other totally original plot points that completely absorbed me. This was a great read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers!
Serial killers, cults, missing children, and missing memories-this book had it all! Creepy in all the right ways, I tried to limit myself to only reading during daylight hours-yes, it was that creepy-but had to binge read it nice and quick because it was just that good!

***SPOILERS***

The author did a great job of setting up the premise and then immediately getting right into the action. Loved all the different POVs! The little snippets we got of Tess’ past as the memories resurfaced were very intriguing. At no point in reading did I ever have any idea of how this was going to end. As soon as I had an idea it was squashed and I was left confused again. Loved the way everything came together in the end. I only noticed one inconsistency but it didn’t bother me much. When “Father Friday” shaved his head and suddenly the warden knew who he was with the new description, it didn’t make sense to me. If he had been coming to see the prisoners the first Friday of the month for a while then that means the warden would’ve saw him with hair as him shaving it was new. But like I said didn’t bother me much just left me wondering if I possibly missed something. I liked how the ending was somewhat left open and gave the possibility for a second book. Overall very well written and attention grabbing.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a psychological read this was! I was hooked on every word. Tess is battling demons both past and present as she searches for her daughter and through her memories to uncover the truth. I thoroughly recommend anyone read this book. I will be searching for other books by this author.

This book was amazing and so twisted with layers upon layers. It's a dense read but all the information in the book is necessary. J.H Markert has a brilliant mind to create this story. The last half of the book made me gasp so much and made me think back to the bread crumbs that were left throughout. A great read for fans of psychological thrillers with a focus on split personalities. I would love to see this as a movie in the future and can't wait to read more of his books.

SLEEP TIGHT by J. H. Markert

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC ebook.

The book starts off with Father Silence finally being put to death after terrorizing the rural town of Twisted Tree, nearly two decades ago. He disguised himself as a priest and preyed on the most vulnerable. The day after his execution, the detective that put him behind bars has been found murdered. A new serial killer is taking the credit for this murder and calls himself the Outcast. Tess Claibourne, the detective’s daughter, is also a detective. Tess has suppressed childhood memories and is terrified with the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy. Tess’s daughter has been kidnapped by the Outcast and Tess must face her fears and find her daughter.

A dark, chilling, psychological crime thriller that will have you turning the pages fast. This delves into the dark and complex framework of the human psyche. I throughly enjoyed reading this and thought it was one of the better dark crime thrillers I’ve read. Touching on mental health, cults, addiction, abuse, and relationships. James Markert writes under the name of J. H. Markert too. I’ve read A White Wind Blew, by James Markert and enjoyed. I will be reading more of his books.

I struggled to put this book down.

Every chapter leads you further and further down a dark path and honestly, no matter how hard you try to guess what’s at the end, you never will.
I’m usually pretty good at figuring out plots but this one had me blindsided.

I had a little issue with the different pov’s in the beginning but the author makes it effortless to settle into the different narratives and timeframes.

I loved the characters. The inclusion of trauma and mental illness in different scopes was a diverse tough that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Brilliant read.