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.

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.