Oh my goodness but this was a dark and twisty one!! I have had mixed success with Markert... I really enjoyed The Nightmare Man, but struggled to connect with Mister Lullaby. Fortunately, with Sleep Tight I'm pleased to report that I've once again found the perfect blend of psychological drama and horror and I found myself totally immersed. This was a wild ride, full of nightmares and boogeymen and lost children. I was never entirely sure where things were going to go next, and everyone felt unreliable and untrustworthy right up until the bitter end. Markert's writing style is easy to fall into, and his skill at establishing an eerie atmosphere is remarkable. I can see why he is compared to Stephen King - he too has that ability to capitalize on the fears of children and childhood in a way that resonates with adults without ever feeling over-simplified or infantilized. He knows we know the nightmares under the bed are real things, even if not what we expect them to be, and he plays on that knowledge with a virtuosity that makes your spine tingle and makes you want to look away, even as you're ever more furiously turning pages.

Consistently entertaining yet utterly unremarkable, "Sleep Tight" feels too much like others of its kind, novels about detectives and serial killers and cults and childhood trauma, for it to rise above the trappings of the genre. It is proud to belong, though, and Markert plays fair with his readers throughout. There are parts of it that don't work - notably the trauma - but "Sleep Tight" moves furiously fast, making up for what it lacks in meaningful characters and narrative depth with its use of convention.

This was a good read! It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Creepy but in a very good way. I went into it unsure what it was really about, and what I'd think. I like to go in blind and this is a book I'd recommend going into blind!

I'm torn. This story had tons of my favorite elements in a horror novel. Cults, serial killers, small towns, a slight supernatural edge(?), a cat-and-mouse with our lead and the proposed killer. But there was just too much. It hit on a lot of tropes but really didn't nail any of them. Sort of a "jack of all trades, master of none" vibe. It definitely kept me reading, wanting to see how the story unfolds. But some of the plot devices were just too "convenient". I feel that repressed memories is just an easy way to tie things together without having to really build something substantial. I loved this authors previous work so I'll just say it's not for me, but I'll definitely read his future works.

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary

The synopsis provides an accurate portrayal of the happenings within the story. There are breaks within the story to provide additional context, in the way of interview transcripts, and what appears to be police or news reports. It's a nice added touch.

Overall, it was written well, and it was definitely a wild ride of a story.

I enjoy a good thrilling police procedural plot that borders on horror. I love this authors style and the way he writes. It always hooks me and for sure creeps me out in all the best ways.

While I enjoyed this one, there were so many characters and pov's to track that the story itself lost some of it's oomph. I also didn't feel like the ending was tied up and I don't like leaving a book without answers, great concept though.

This was okay for me, it was better than Mister Lullaby but not near as good as The Nightmare Man (which I still think about).

So glad I was able to read this ARC. I have been in my horror era the past year and this book did not disappoint. If you’re looking for a gory or super scary, horror novel, this is not it. This work of fiction leans more towards a thriller with psychological themes. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a Segway into the horror genre.

My favorite part is that the author left the ending open for a potential sequel or series. If it does become a series, I will absolutely pre-order. Can’t wait to read mor!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I took a chance on this book because I have previously not enjoyed this authors work, but this sounded EPIC. And boy.....it was and delivered! I loved all the twists and turns and found myself thinking about the book throughout the day. If you like horror, mystery, and a bit of paranormal, this is a book you need!

Father Silence once preyed on vulnerable men and children, in Twisted Tree locking them away and subjecting them to torture. But now, decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death and leaving behind his last words “beware the one who got away “. Now children are once again disappearing and it seems someone is following in his footsteps. Detective Tess Claibourne has been haunted by a childhood trauma that she can’t seem to remember. Snippets of that day are triggered after her daughter Julia is kidnapped by someone calling themselves “The Outcast “. Tess makes the decision to return to her hometown of Twisted Tree where it all began. But there is more going on in this town and Tess has been part of it more than she knows. This was one exciting read with so many twists and turns that it had me glued to every page.

I see that this book is billed as a Horror read but to me, it didn't feel too much like a horror read - for me it fell more on the Thriller side of things. That being said, books in the Thriller genre aren't typically my thing but Sleep Tight may have just changed my mind!

This book kept me guessing from the beginning which I really appreciate because I'm usually pretty good at guessing what's going to happen in the plot of a book (I have decent pattern recognition which can sometimes be a curse when it comes to books) but with this book I really wasn't able to guess what was about to happen.

This book felt like I was reading an episode of the television show Criminal Minds which I very much enjoyed.

For a book that is being billed as a Horror book, the horror situations that happen seem to happen off-page or even in a fade-to-black situation which I didn't particularly care for. There was one instance of this that really bothered me, closer to the end of the book, where it felt as if I was missing an important scene because of the fade-to-black technique that was used. I understand that it was a creative decision that was made, and I know it was to make us feel as helpless as the main character did in that moment but as a reader I really wish I had seen what was happening in that moment.

Speaking of the main character, Tess Clairbourne was certainly not the most lovable character however, I can tell that was intentional. I appreciate a story where the main character isn't perfect, especially when that main character is a female, and I also appreciated the relationship between Tess and her husband, Justin - it felt realistic in a way that most relationships don't tend to in thriller/horror books.

There were some plot points that didn't really feel...necessary, in the end. I know they were used to move the main plot along, which makes sense, but when I was done reading there were plot points that I felt just didn't really matter for the end of the book.

All that being said, this was nearly a 5 star book but there was one point that happened in the book that knocked that down to a 4/4.5 star read.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that loves Criminal Minds or anything in that same class of entertainment.

This book is a delightful read that offers a compelling storyline and engaging characters. The author's writing style is captivating, drawing readers into the world of the story from the very first page. The plot unfolds with just the right balance of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers hooked until the very end.

Father Silence is scary and would probably give me night terrors for nights to come.

While there may be a few minor flaws or inconsistencies, they are easily overlooked in light of the overall enjoyment derived from the book.

Overall, this is a solid 4-star read that is sure to entertain and satisfy readers looking for a captivating story."

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Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
Sleep Tight
by J.H. Markert (Goodreads Author)
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I have a few gripes with this book, but in spite of these I really enjoyed reading it. I found it hard to put down, it's a real page turner. The suspense and all the twists and turns of the story were great.

The not so great mostly has to do with how far fetched I found some elements...
- A really whacky portrayal of dissociative identity disorder. I generally dislike when any harmful stereotypes about mental illness are used in any media;
- A small town in Kentucky that features multiple spooky locations. Really, a hospital for the criminally insane, a Gothic style church AND an abandoned mansion?
- The decisions and actions undertaken by several of the characters in medical or law enforcement professions. I don't think police officers and the FBI really let family members just have complete free reign over an investigation including accessing multiple crime scenes and interviewing key witness and suspects.

Anyway, if you can suspend your disbelief, it's a great read and I'll definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

I also thought maybe there was a little bit too much going on in the story. A lot of characters to keep track of, a lot of different things going on. Could maybe benefit from paring a few things back just a smidge?

3.5 ⭐️
This is an action-packed police procedural with elements of horror. I enjoyed the overall concept, but I think I expected more horror than crime fiction. Hence, this may suit other readers with suited preferences.

I think the ending and twists were good and suspenseful. The characters were wildly interesting. Particularly when we get to meeting those multiple personalities. Also, I LOVE that cover.

Unfortunately, there was such a slough of pacing for 60% of the story that it was difficult to motivate my reading. The number of characters crowded the story, particularly when you're dealing with multiple cops and multiple priests. Then, there's also the constant swapping of perspectives and timelines, so it feels a bit messy. I think the story would have benefitted from a big edit, as I can see how ambitious the author may have been to want to include all these wonderful ideas/characters, but perhaps separating them into other books could really give the main characters a stronger limelight. I'm also not a huge fan of the amnesiac narrator who conveniently remembers new plot points. I think I also struggled with the lack of grieving around some sudden deaths that happen to the main character, which just created a gap in believability or true depth of character.

Overall, it's a strong concept for fans of police procedural horrors.

What a wild ride!
This book had such a wide range of elements. A serial killer, a creepy cult, mystery, addiction, family drama, and so much more.

I will say, the last half of the book dragged for me. I felt it was a tad overwritten. All the chapters from various character POV didn’t feel necessary and took me out of the story a little bit.

Overall this was a good, creepy story with a few good twists.

I really enjoyed reading this! It was action-packed and suspenseful and the characters were complex, which made for an engaging and enjoyable read.

This book had so many action scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, and leaping up to get the nervous jitters out! Each scene was gripping, and the excitement felt like it would when reading the climactic scene before the resolution, even though we were only half-way through the book! I was completely and utterly engrossed as the tense, nail-biting scenes just kept getting better and better! J.H. Markhert sure knows how to thrill with his writing!

I really felt for Tess throughout the book as she struggled with all of the blows that life had to offer her! The pain of dealing with infidelity and the relationship challenges that come after that discovery, the feelings of being an inadequate mother and her recent struggle with addiction, had me wishing that the world would just give the poor woman a break! But of course, the twists just kept twisting, and we learn so many more heartbreaking things about our dedicated and hard-working FMC. The only thing I will say is that it’s a shame she didn’t play a bigger role during the events at the end of the book. I wanted her to have a big hero moment, but she was really just a bystander to all that happened.

I liked the other characters in the book as well. Their relationships with each other were written very well, and each character was unique, having complex issues or quirks that related well to the story. The anger, sadness and disappointment that these characters felt for one another was raw and real, because you could tell that they still cared about each other, despite these feelings, which got me invested in the story and its outcome very quickly.

The only other thing I will say is that I wish we could’ve gotten to know more about our antagonist, from the antagonist themselves. They were such an interesting and complex character, but everything we learnt about them, we learnt from other people! I would’ve loved a bit more insight into their motives and goals from their own perspective.

Overall, this was a great read. I would recommend this book if you like suspenseful thrillers that has creepy vibes which follow you into the night!

Note:
I have already posted this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph, and will be sharing posts about the book on Instagram at 9:30pm (AEST) on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th of March (I will tag the author). I will also make another post closer to the books’ release date.

3.5

This was definitely a well put crime thriller.
Definitely a little slow paced at times but only because with it there was a lot to know and put together. I did get confused a lot because of there being a lot of people involved. The beginning I was confused who was who but it got easier as long as I was fully invested while reading.

If you are a true crime lover and fan of shows like criminal minds this one definitely will be one you’ll appreciate.

This is a very complex and compelling crime thriller that verges on the horrific!

I was hooked from the very first page and needed to know what was going on. In between, I did struggle to keep track of all the characters, there were just a few too many.

The twists were very twisty and the turns quite thorny and I overall enjoyed my time with this book. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work in the future.

I love J.H. Markert’s writing and will always reach for their work. Mister Lullaby and The Nightmare Man were so SO good and when I saw they were releasing a new one, Sleep Tight…I just could not contain myself when I was approved for this e-ARC.

This book is fast paced and gripping and will keep your heart racing the entire time. You will turn each page wondering what is coming next. We have a ser!al killer put to death and his arresting officer turns up d3ad and people are wondering if we now have a copycat. The daughter of the found officer is now pulled into this new
k!llers web and it’s the race to find her own daughter before it’s too late.

Absolutely one that needs to be on your TBR if thrillers and horror books appeal to you. I will be thinking about this book for days and cannot wait for our author to come out with more books!

I must say it started really strong and actually also ended very strong but I personally struggle with the psycho talk. So basically all the paragraphs with a certain person I just couldn't! I ended up skipping those pages and there were quite some... So I guess I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected.

The story itself and the characters were great so if there would be a second book with Tess I still would give it a try because this aspect was fantastically written.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

3.5/5

This book was a super fast paced and action packed thriller. From the very first few pages it picks up speed and doesn’t stop until the very end.

It did a good job setting up a very interesting mystery that slowly unraveled and twisted along the way. But it felt like it was a bit too convoluted at times, like it kept trying to add more and more for the sake of having twists and turns. I did enjoy the story when I finally fully grasped the whole thing, but by then I was tired and ready for it to be over.

I think the biggest problem was the sheer amount of characters and constantly changing POVs. There were so many names and people to keep track of at all times that they all became muddled in my head. I feel like some more editing could have really made this shine far more. None of the characters ever felt really defined either except for Noah (but he was just inherently interesting due to his condition), but I think this is more of the pacing being so fast that they never had time to really come through in any significant way.

But overall as a fun fast paced thriller it certainly did its job.