Creepy and suspenseful, this story kept my mind spinning! The first part took forever 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).

4.25 stars

Markert just gets better and better with each story. This book has it all. It’s got missing, children, extremely flawed cops, a really, REALLY bad guy…and twists and turns to keep your head spinning.

I loved each of his books, and I love to see him grow through each one as an author. I cannot wait for the next book. Definitely a buy now kind of guy!

Title: Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Pub Date: September 24, 2024

⭐ 5/5

✨ Unexpected Twists
🎭 Masked Cultists
⛓️ Dissociative Personalities
⏱️ Child Abduction
🧠 Trauma-Induced Amnesia

I loved every minute of this book. I've always found serial killers so intriguing, and Markert did an amazing job of rounding out the characters, making them all unique/compelling with interesting backstories.
The fast pace, multiple POV, and dual timelines kept me on the edge of my seat, I literally couldn't put it down and read it in a day! Sleep Tight is a must read for lovers of thriller/suspense novels, and I will be reading the backlist under both J.H. Markert and James Markert.

Thank you so much Crooked Lane Books and @netgalley for letting me read, review and share!🫶

I feel like it took a while for everything to come together but once it did, it was a wild ride. I definitely felt the story was very Stephen King esque. Likeable characters with great dialogue. I enjoyed this.

A missing daughter, a detective mother, and a therapist dad sets up a really engaging storyline. I’m not one for horror books and I wouldn’t categorize this as one even thought the cover gives horror vibes. It’s an incredibly face paced mystery that unravels before your eyes. You can’t see the twists coming nor predict the ending but it’s super satisfying all the same. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I love this book! I think it was a great way to spend my time! It was thrilling. If anyone is looking for a good thriller I definitely recommend!

<i>ARC provided by Net Galley for an Honest Review</i>
What a wild ride this was. A harrowing journey for heroine Tess to rescue her daughter and finally put the pieces of her past behind her. Unfortunately for Tess she seems to be the key piece to the resurgence of a killer and kidnapper of children. After a well known serial killer called Father Silence is put to death the mystery grows deeper. Tess loses her parents and her daughter is taken leaving her no time to heal, grieve or even deal. As she unravels her past, the present comes knocking and she can't help but question whether Father Silence worked alone. No one is safe if there is still someone else out there. But how could there be a partner the police never knew about? Often teamed with her estranged husband or fellow officers, Tess chases down leads one after the other. There was quite a lot of characters that I did occasionally confuse but the main ones were easy to differentiate. The book remains pretty intense from start to finish not only because a child's life many hang in the balance but so does Tess's sanity. With her life coming apart at the seams Tess's character shines as much as she does flounder (ie. she struggles with addiction) and proves she may be a flawed heroine but one you continue to root for.

This book had be guessing until the very end! I thought I knew, was sure I knew, I didn't know. What a ride this was! I loved it.

A terrifying mystery that keeps you one edge!
I could not stop reading!
The story follows Tess after a hometown murderer is sentence to death by the state for a series of deaths and kidnappings. Tess' father was there the night of arresst and has decided to take it easy and escape the world. However after her parents are found dead and her daughter missing tess must work with her cheating husband to solve who is hurting her family and why.
Filled with violence, mystery and death, this book is perfect for readers of stephan king, agatha christie and vc andrews all wrapped up in one novel

"Sleep Tight" was an incredibly gripping read that left me completely shocked. I devoured the book in one night, eagerly seeking clues about the mysterious kidnapper/killer and unraveling the secrets of the past. The constant suspense kept me on edge throughout. I'm definitely planning to buy a physical copy when it's released. Huge thanks to Crooked Lanes Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book caught my attention the moment I laid eyes on the cover. Reading it did not disappoint! It had me hanging and guessing what would happen next. A strong read and highly recommended!

Oh my goodness, what a fantastic read! I don’t know if I’ll be able to Sleep Tight after reading this one…I was absolutely consumed by this book and finished it in one afternoon. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, eager to keep finding clues as to what was going on, who the kidnapper/killer may be, and what happened all those years ago. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy when this comes out!

Many thanks to Crooked Lanes Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love darker books but rarely find ones that really feel like a page turner for me. This time that's exactly what I got. I enjoyed every page of this one.

Sleep Tight was an enjoyable, fast paced horror read. I found the characters to be very engaging, and with the addition of some good old fashioned creepiness, it made this book hard to put down. I didn't find this one to be as compelling as the author's prior work but it was still a good read! There was just a bit too much going on. If he could have narrowed the focus and left out some of the many many plot elements it would have done wonders for the tension. Thanks for letting me take an early look!

I just went back and reread the book description to ensure I wouldn’t fall into spoiler territory with this review.
A killer,Father Silence, terrorized the town of Twisted Tree, many years ago, and is finally being put to death. This should be a relief to everyone who is connected to this tragic time. But somehow, his death has incited a new wave of violence. The new killers name is the Outcast and he gets busy quickly.
Tess moved away from Twisted Tree after Father Silence was captured by her father. She is now a detective like her father, who is now retired. Sadly,her father and mother are both murdered, and Tess’s young daughter Julia is kidnapped. Why is Tess’s family being targeted? Can she figure it out and save her daughter?
The past is definitely connected to what is happening, but how? Father Silence Is dead, there is no doubt about that. As the past and present merge, we find out about Jess’s memory gaps from when she was a teenager. A whole slew of, let’s just say extremely deranged characters emerge, as Jess keeps searching to find her daughter. For most of the story, I wasn’t sure if there were just bad people involved or if this town was indeed controlled by evil.
Everything comes together in a way that I did not see coming! I hated that real life got in the way of my reading! This story had it all, and the cult,The Lost Children of Silence, was creepy beyond words. I loved how the author brought the story together, and the last line made me think/hope that there could be more in a future book.

This is a fantastic novel that's part serial killer thriller, part detective story, and part horror. These elements all weave together to form an unputdownable bone chilling read.

I don't want to say too much about the plot because discovering the various ins and outs of the narrative was something that kept me glued to the pages. Go in blind, I say.

But there are plenty of horrific moments, highlighted by past secrets, seemingly supernatural events, and relationships that twist and change over time.

And speaking of twists... yeah, there are a lot of them in store especially in the final third of the novel. This is a book that keeps you guessing, wondering, and sometimes scratching your head but when it all comes together, it's a jaw dropping affair as those loose ends are brought to life.

I didn't want to stop reading and even though life got in the way (stupid real life lol), I still managed to read it in two days. It's just too good to leave alone for any length of time.

I highly, highly recommend this novel.

A very creepy horror novel from one of my favorite authors. His southern novels under the name James Markert are some of my favorite and I am "today years old" realizing this is the same person. He writes brilliant horror as well as Southern magical realism. Great read.

First of all, that cover? Absolutely yes. So good. Had I not already been a Markert fan, I would’ve picked this up for the cover alone. Something about this color scheme on a horror thriller always does it for.

I liked this less than The Nightmare Man and more than Mister Lullaby. For those familiar with his other works. this one definitely has less horror elements but is his most terrifying. Likely due to the fact that it was the most realistic.

This is a fast-paced read that is non-stop action from beginning to end. I found Tess to be a compelling protagonist (though amnesia/repressed memories is a trope I feel is a bit tired at this point) and I eagerly ate up this story. All the main characters had solid back stories that made you root for them and understand their character motives a bit more. There were some great twists, too! I mean, I predicted most of them but I’m Detective Lloyd in this genre so it’s not uncommon for that to happen.

Highly recommend to fans of mystery thrillers, cult stories, and detective novels.

In 'Sleep Tight' we follow the story of detective Tess Claibourne.

Tess is the daughter of the detective who arrested the gruesome serial killer 'Father Silence' whose execution is planned for the near future.

Tess didn’t have an easy life after her father caught this gruesome murderer. The family moved regularly and Tess seems to have gaps in her memory.

Now that Tess is an adult, she has settled down with her husband and daughter Julia.

But then Julia is kidnapped in broad daylight and Tess' past catches up with her.

Her loss of memory does not help, and when the perpetrator also leaves bizarre clues that seem to have a link with 'Father Silence', Tess sees only one option: return to the hometown where it all started. Twisted Tree.

Although involved characters are well introduced, J.H. Markert wastes no time in extensive build-up. You therefore get to know the characters better by reading between the lines.

The book starts off intense. And when we meet the characters, the tension builds immediately.

As a thriller fan, I personally love this, although a number of events happened a little too quickly in my opinion, so the development of a number of things could definitely have been better.

J.H. Markert is absolutely capable of drawing the reader completely into the story. Not only do we see interesting characters who have their own agenda, but we also see how J.H. Markert brings his characters to life by staying as close to the truth as possible.

In this story J.H. Markt clearly researched psychiatric disorders and the addition of the disorder in this book made the entire story not only harrowing but also incredibly intense.

Add that to a gruesome murderer, a kidnapped child and the flashbacks of the traumatized Tess, and the story is complete.

What made this thriller so good for me was the complexity of everything.

Everything is connected and J.H. Markert is able to surprise you again and again with a twist that draws you deeper and deeper into the story.

In this thriller he definitely “plays” with human psychology and traumatised children.

I thought the plot was surprising and awesome, although the ending may have gone a little too quickly. But maybe I just wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

J.H. Markert, luckily for me, uses gruesome details. These can also be found in this story. Although slightly less and less graphic than in 'The Nightmare Man'.

The story ends with an epilogue that again has a dark edge.


Conclusion
'Sleep Tight' is definitely a page turner!

I loved the complexity of the story and especially with the addition of the psychological aspects, this story was intense.

The characters were interesting and unique and definitely made the story come alive.

The horrific events, past and present, as well as the urgency to solve this case and get Julia home, were palpable.

Perhaps the pace could have been a bit slower and a number of peripheral issues could have gotten a little more attention in the elaboration, but it was not disruptive.

I absolutely enjoyed this new thriller by J.H. Marker!

Omg. This is one incredible book fast read and intense. This has to be turned into a movie or series or something. I loved everything about this book 10/10