This may be one of my favorite reads. I was immediately hooked. The characters are complex, the pacing is great, and there are just enough twists that it isn't overwhelming. The author clearly did his research on human psyche and I appreciate that. To those who love a twisty thriller, I highly recommend.

4/5 stars

Swift and compelling with some solid twists, this book is more of a bleak crime thriller than straight-up horror. While is does have its share of tropes, it tackles some interesting ideas that draw a hazy line between real and supernatural. That worked for much of the story, but some threads felt abandoned by the end of the story. I'm all for having open-ended interpretations of plot points, but I don't think enough was done here to help establish this book in one realm versus another.

However, the prose was lean and the pages flew by, with some genuinely surprising twists and lots of questions raised throughout the book. Got me curious to check out his other books!

Usually, when a book has a few underlying storylines, it’s hard to keep them straight, but Markert did a great job with this story. From fleshing out Tess and Justin’s relationship (and its issues) to fitting together the pieces of the puzzle within the story, it was a fantastic read with a lot of different elements. Crime? Check. Current family drama tied into the past? Check. Cult? Check.

It took most of the book to get to the origins of Father Silence and to start to peel back the layers of how we got to Julia’s disappearance and how it tied into current events. All of the characters worked together beautifully to craft not only an entertaining book, but one with something for both crime and thriller readers alike. Don’t sleep on Sleep Tight - it’s a good one!

The first part of this book was slow and I nearly gave up on it but I'm glad I didn't. It picked up in last half and I was hanging on tight for the wild ride. Twist after crazy twist had my head spinning. I loved the spooky parts but wish the here had been more.

Wow wow wow.

100% 5* read for me.

This book just pulled me right in from the front page. It is not your typical detective/serial killer book, with a hint of horror , it was absolutely excellent! I just needed to know what was happening next, it kept me in such suspense and it was all I could think about when I wasn’t reading.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author and I will be definitely reading more by him.

Amazing read.

Creepy and suspenseful, this story kept my mind spinning! The first part took some time to evolve, but the final quarter moves at lightning speed. I loved how J. H. Markert planned several twists that I didn't see coming, and that the connections made sense in the end (as well as ties to other books from this author).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a really solid thriller from start to finish, and, while I don't think it can be strictly classified as a horror novel, it definitely sits on the fence of being closer to a dark thriller than just a run of the mill one. The pacing is snappy and the characters are complex and likable, with a certain slant on the hard-boiled detective narrative that was really good.

I don't want to ruin too much on the plot, but my only note is that it did get a little busy at the end. There was just a lot going on, and there was perhaps a bit too much with the characters trying to get sorted out towards the last 1/4 of the book. With that said though, it's where the fuller horror elements come in, and it does tie the events into a neat little bow that makes a good lick of sense.

This was a really quick read once you get into it, and it will have you flipping through the pages like it's going out of style, particularly in the middle of the book. A really good read if you're looking for something a little better than just plain thriller!

This book had a promising plot, but fell short for me. The amount of characters had me confused. The ending was also a little underwhelming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

While this started off a bit slow for me, it picked up and I really enjoyed it. I like stories that are a mix of crime and horror (like the Whisper Man). You really feel for Tess; she's been through so much and is going through so much. Definitely makes you care for the character, which for me to enjoy a book I need to find myself caring about a character.

The plot was great! You can't put it down once you get into it and need to find out what's happening! It was a great read!

This book would make a great movie. At times I felt like the twists and turns were over the top, and the ending was just wrapped up a bit quickly.

Markert has expertly crafted a cast of characters with compelling back-stories and complex emotions that keep the narrative fascinating as the plot rushes headlong to it's unsettling conclusion.

This book had a little bit of a slow burn at first but then it thoroughly captivated me. The house of horrors terrified me and I loved every second of it! This was my first Markert book and his writing style reminded me of elements of a variety of bigger horror names such as Chizmar. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

“Sleep Tight” read like a season of True Detective with its complex plot and multifaceted detectives. I really enjoyed the dark atmosphere and multiple povs. I did feel this book dragged a bit; while I love diving into a complex story, it sometimes felt like too many pieces to keep up with before changing routes, though I must give credit to how the author managed to tie up all of the little threads he created by the ending. As someone who really enjoyed the movie Split, the multiple personalities was a super intriguing part of the story as well. Overall, I wasn’t blown away with this story but the suspense and creepiness were a plus! Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the arc!

I was REALLY liking this and then at about 60%, I couldn't finish because I was getting confused and felt like the story wasn't moving at a fast enough pace for me. Not rating it low because I was enjoying it, but it wasn't for me and I couldn't get through it.

This book was PHENOMENAL. It has a slow start and Ngl at that point I thought meh, and put it down for a bit. But I tore through the rest of it when I got back into it. I have never read one of his books, but that was my mistake. I’ll be going back now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC! This will be out in September.

First of all, I loved this book! It’s a mix of crime and horror stories. The plot is complex, quite a number of characters involved, the story stretched back for 20 years but amazingly there are no plot holes and everything is brought together nicely and clearly.

Detective Tess was in her bad days. Her husband betrayed her, her daughter disliked her, her parents were murdered brutally and her past which she had traumatically forgotten came back to haunt her. And now her daughter was kidnapped forcing her to go back to the hometown her family had fled 20 years ago.

Why would all these happen when the murderer and abuser Father Silence was finally put to death 20 years after he was caught? Why would things point to the only surviving child victim who had been locked up in a mental hospital/prison all these years? Can Tess save her daughter?

This is a well written story that you won’t be able to put down once you’ve started reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

This story will stick with me for a while, when I tell you I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I had to finish this in one sitting! It gives me such Dan Brown vibes I couldn’t tell you why though.

This follows detective Tess Claibourne who suffers from represssed memories from her past when her father arrested “Father Silence” a child kidnapper and murderer. When Father Silence has been put to death, a new man the Outcast has kidnapped her daughter and she’s pulled back into the mess. She will stop at nothing to find her daughter YOU will not stop reading this once you start!

Once upon a time, Father Silence terrorized the town of Twisted Tree. When police finally apprehended him, they found 19 bodies and just one survivor– a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Two decades later, Father Silence has been executed, and a new killer has emerged. Calling himself the Outcast, he has murdered the detective who arrested Father Silence, and is now targeting others associated with the original case.

The detective’s daughter, Detective Tess Claibourne, is shattered by the news of her father’s death. When the Outcast also kidnaps her daughter, Tess is forced to confront the past and long-buried secrets… both in the mind of Father Silence’s lone survivor, and inside her own memory.

What a wild ride! If the TV shows Criminal Minds and The Following had a baby, it would be this book. So many twists and turns, super creepy vibes, interesting characters, and quick chapters. I couldn’t put it down! This was my first book by Markert, and I look forward to reading more!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I didn’t think I would enjoy Sleep Tight nearly as much as I did! A different take on a “final girl” scenario, I was drawn in immediately and screaming at Tess to get through this! Great read.

I have had this book on my radar for a while so I was very excited to read this and I was definitely not disappointed. It had me captivated and not wanting to put it down, coupled with being creeped out and then shocked by the twists. I cannot recommend this enough.