Horror is one of my favorite genres to read. I love getting scared just from reading a book. Of course, that does backfire on me when I read these books alone and before bed. But that is something I have learned to deal with over the years. So, when I got the invite to review The Nightmare Man, I jumped on it. I am glad that I did because this book was creepy and scary at the same time.

The Nightmare Man had an exciting plotline. Ben Bookman (don’t you love his name!!) is signing books at his local Barnes and Noble when a local farmer approaches him, accuses him of stealing his nightmare, and commits suicide. Meanwhile, Detective Winchester Mills and his estranged daughter, Detective Samantha Blue, are investigating a series of murders identical to the last book Ben has written. This investigation sets into motion a series of events that cause Ben to question his sanity. It also strains an already rocky relationship between Detective Mills and his daughter to the breaking point. But, it also reveals a common source. All murderers had been treated at the Asylum that Ben’s grandfather founded. And there are ties to the disappearance of Ben’s younger brother, Devon, years earlier. How is everything tied together? Why has to crime rate gone up so much in recent years? And why can’t Ben remember the night his grandfather took him into the room with the tree? How does that tie into Devon’s disappearance? And what about the books? What is so special about them? Everything is answered in the jaw-dropping ending.

The Nightmare Man is a fast-paced book in the creepy town of Crooked Tree. I missed where this book should be set (if it was even mentioned). But, if I had to guess, I would assume it was one of the mid-western states.

I loved the characters in this book. Every single one of them, except for Ben’s daughter, was damaged in some way. Also, the main characters (Ben and Detective Mills) are unreliable narrators, with Ben being more unpredictable than the Detective. That added to the general air of confusion going on in the book. I LOVED it!!

Ben—I initially didn’t like him and believed he could have done the murders. His marriage was on the rocks, with him thinking that his wife (who was pregnant) was cheating on him, and to add a cherry on top, he was the prime suspect in the murders of a family in Crooked Tree. Years earlier, he was also a suspect in his brother’s disappearance, but Detective Mills couldn’t make anything stick. When he finished his last book, he was on a coke and booze binge and couldn’t remember what happened at Blackstone that weekend. By the end of the book, my view of him did 180. Things were revealed that made me do a double take.
Detective Mills—Again, this was another character that I initially didn’t like. He was gruff, a functioning alcoholic, and had a history of abuse toward his daughter. But, he was also pitiful. The love of his life died before him, his relationship with his daughter deteriorated after he hurt one of his grandsons, and he kept having nightmares. He was one hundred percent gunning for Ben for the murders in the barn, but he was also savvy enough to know that something wasn’t right. There was a neat twist in his plotline that didn’t make sense at first. But, at the end of the book, it did, and in a way, he did redeem himself.
The Nightmare Man fits perfectly into the horror genre. The author did a great job thinking up new spins on old fears turned nightmares. I will never look again at scarecrows or the Tooth Fairy the same way. His spin on those (and others) was enough to cause me not to sleep at night. I will never get the visual image of a woman pulling teeth out of a young kid’s mouth and laughing out of my head.

There were two significant storylines in The Nightmare Man. The one with Ben, his demons, his family, and what happened that weekend at Blackstone. The other one was the investigation of the murders, Detective Mills’s relationship with Blue, and the past cases in which he made arrests. Everything is tied together at the end. And after they are tied together, the author throws in a couple of twists that made me question everything I had read.

There are trigger warnings in The Nightmare Man. They are mental illness (and how it was portrayed in the book), drugs, alcohol, torture of children, torture of imprisoned people (in the Asylum), cutting, and implied grooming of a child.

The end of The Nightmare Man was utter chaos. There was so much revealed that it was almost too much to unpack. I had to reread the ending three times to understand what had happened. There were a couple of twists that took me by surprise. There was also a death that I wasn’t expecting. I liked the epilogue, and from the final lines of that, I got the vibe that there may be a sequel. You can’t end a book the way the author did, and there not be a sequel!!

I would recommend The Nightmare Man to anyone over 21. There is explicit violence, explicit language, and moderate sexual situations. See also my trigger warnings.

This was a book completely to my liking! I really like a book where the line between reality and the supernatural is thin and you don't know who or what you can trust. The Nightmare Man by J. H. Markert is a detective novel with horror and folklore you can only imagine in your worst nightmare. This is a book with many twists and turns, many unpredictable discoveries and you don't know what will appear on the next page.

Book Review

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert
Pub date: January 10, 2023

The Nightmare Man is getting all the stars! Such an incredibly unique story that hit all the markers. There’s no drag in this story, no filler - it is the perfect blend of supernatural horror and psychological suspense. A small town and a cast of characters that I quickly became emotionally invested in was enough to hook me but the premise was the cat nip to my little kitty heart.

The dual timelines and alternate POV gave the story depth and the inclusion of a book within a book coming to life is a spectacular puzzle to pry apart. Blackwood Mansion is a character in its own right, dark and dreary, and it’s inhabitants just as complicated.

This is hard to review without revealing too much of the plot so I’ll leave it at that but I’ve been recommending this to everyone who enjoys the genre as much as I do.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for this gifted DRC.

TL;DR

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert entertains through engaging characters exploring the effects of their past on the present. A cop tries to find a killer who is recreating the murders from an author’s book. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert

For half a year now, I’ve been learning to bake bread. It’s an amazing journey that I never thought I’d like as much as I do. The best thing about it is its simplicity. Right now, I use three ingredients: flour, water, and salt. That’s it. I have a sourdough starter that pulls yeast from the environment to give my bread the rise. I love it. What I’ve found, though, is that people mistake simple for easy and simple for dull. Neither is the case. Something made with care, with time, and with good craft can produce depths that are unexpected. The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert made me think of artisanal bread because the story seems crafted with the utmost care. But more than that, Markert selected quality ingredients, starting with his characters. The whole story is driven by character, and while we’re learning about these people, we’re also advancing the story. At the heart of Markert’s characters are family secrets causing modern day trauma. These simple elements make a story with depth and with heart. But don’t be fooled; simple doesn’t mean easy; it doesn’t mean dull. It means a solid, entertaining story that will keep you glued to the page. I’m not sure if artisanal horror stories are a thing, but I’m gonna say this is one.

Detective Winchester Mills and author Ben Bookman have met before when Ben’s brother disappeared as a young kid. Now, they’re meeting again as murder victims are found posed in the exact same way as described in Ben Bookman’s newest novel. Mills, and his daughter detective Samantha Blue, find the victims hung inside corn husk cocoons. During a signing, a man who accuses Bookman of “stealing his nightmares” commits suicide in front of Bookman and the entire store. This drives Bookman to drink; after all, who wouldn’t be traumatized by witnessing and being blamed for a suicide? The drinking strains his already fracturing marriage with pregnant wife, Amanda. As a reporter, Amanda is sidelined during one of the most important stories of the year; as a woman, she’s freaked out by the erratic nature of her husband. She sends their daughter, Briana, to her parents while this is all being sorted out. Naturally, Bookman is a suspect in the killings, but Mills and Blue don’t have enough to arrest him. However, they know he’s hiding something from them. But that shouldn’t be a shocker; everyone in this book is hiding something from everyone else. Mills from Blue, Blue from Mills, etc. As Mills and Blue investigate, they see more and more connections to all the insane crimes that Mills has investigated in his career. Meanwhile Ben tries to clear his name and save his marriage while learning that family secrets may just be the key to it all.

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert is a third person point of view novel that switches between Mills, Bookman, and a dreamlike view of past incidents. It is a deeply character focused novel with horror and speculative elements attached. Markert keeps a tight pace that engages the reader. This book isn’t pushing any narrative or structural boundaries. It’s just a good story, well told. I was glued to the pages from start to finish.

Detective Mills and Ben Bookman

Winchester ‘Winny’ Mills is a great character. He’s a surly, insightful, old man. Mills is a widower who still loves his wife; he even still plays Uno with her memory. Like everyone in this novel, he has his own secrets. His bedroom ceiling is covered with dreamcatchers. Mills suffers from nightmares, but more than that, he can take nightmares from people through touch. The detective is a bit of a cliche, but because Markert has invested so much in the character, he’s believable. Mills gets the most character work in the novel, and I looked forward most to his chapters.

Ben Bookman has a lot of character insight given, but I don’t know that I can say much about who he is as a person now. His backstory fuels the plot as much as his writing. I think readers get more about who he was as a child than we do about who he is today. We learn that he’s a good dad; we learn that he wants to keep his marriage, but he doesn’t act on it until possibly too late. The thing is, I’m not sure I mind. Ben changes quite a bit throughout the story. There are major revelations that would spoil the book if I commented on them. So, I will just say that Ben has one of the more interesting character journeys that I’ve seen in a while.

Mills and Bookman have a history together. Mills investigated the disappearance of Bookman’s younger brother. So, a lot of the character work on Bookman is given to us from Mills point of view. I liked this set up because some of Mills thoughts were validated and others weren’t. It shows that when cops make up their mind, it rarely changes without overwhelming evidence. Mills and Bookman’s interactions were fun. While seeming to work at cross purposes, they both seek the truth of what’s happening. Mills goes about it in a legal way; Bookman looks to be covering something up. It’s a fascinating duo.

Criticisms

I enjoyed The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert. It’s a solid and entertaining horror story. That said, it has some things that bothered me. There’s implied sexual assault that was kind of left hanging out without any resolution. The speculative parts of the horror novel are a bit too subtle in the first part of the book; it was jarring as they ramp up in the second half. I liked the speculative elements; it just feels like they went into overdrive in the second half.

The ending was my least favorite part of the book. The mastermind behind everything bothered me. This person wasn’t unbelievable as the BIG BAD; the book just says that it can’t be that person. Then boom it’s that person. While the book goes to pains to show that the characters aren’t operating with 100% correct information, I don’t think enough hints were dropped early on to suspect who it was.

Now, this could entirely be a me problem. I know that. Remember reviews are subjective and based on personal experience. Maybe I missed the clues that Markert set out. If you thought it was set up excellently, please, drop a comment below to let me know.

Conclusion

J.H. Markert’s The Nightmare Man is a solid and entertaining horror story. The characters and their past drive the action. Let me tell you, it’s a hell of a ride to be on. The Nightmare Man is the first novel I finished in 2023, and it set the bar high for all the novels to follow. It was a fun, fast read that had me glued to the page. If you like books that have you reading just one more page, just one more chapter before bedtime, this is the book for you. Highly recommended.

Like nothing I've read before! So many twists and turns! This book was quite the ride. Gruesome one minute, hopeful the next. Some very creatives scenes as well. Really well written. The Nightmare Man takes you on one hell of a freaken ride!!!

I hope The Nightmare Man is just the first of many novels to come from J.H. Markert. I love stories, especially horror stories, that feature writers as a main character—some of Stephen King’s best work uses this trope—so I was already excited to read this one.

I’ll keep spoilers to a minimum here. Ben Bookman is a bestselling horror novelist, who terrifying work has earned him the nickname of The Nightmare Man. His latest novel is sure to be another hit, but just as his newest book, The Scarecrow, is being released the police are alerted to a gruesome murder scene…which exactly mirrors a scene from this newest novel. And this first crime scene is only the start. As more scenes from the book play out, Ben is naturally considered as a prime suspect. But can he really be behind it all or is something more sinister at work? What about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the writing of the novel, which occurred at Ben’s Grandfather’s creepy Blackwood estate over the course of a mere few days—which Ben himself admits he remembers little of. This is a wonderfully twisted story with excellent characters and some truly gruesome scenes. (One of which actually reminded me a bit of a scene from the movie In The Mouth of Madness.) I’d say J.H. Markert’s stellar debut gives horror fans everywhere a reason to be excited. I’d like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Nightmare Man.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1WN0JRXZOCEB7/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Unfortunately, I didn't finish reading this book, so I can't give a very informative review. The material did not hold my interest and I DNF at 27%.

Starting 2023 off with a horror read, because why not? And this one was definitely creepy, but in the best way! I mean nightmares are coming to life; what’s more scary than that?! I’ll admit, read this in one sitting and was on the edge of my seat for most of it. Ok, like all of it! There are several characters, multiple POVs and timeline jumping - but it all works! The book is detailed, I definitely cringed a couple times. So if you don’t like blood and gore I’d skip this one. There is a lot going on at the end, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we haven’t see the last of The Nightmare Man and Mr./Ms. Dreams.

***ARC received from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

Its not often that I pick up a horror book, they used to be my main read for years back when I was a teen but I am glad that I picked up this book as it was a frighteningly good read.

Following two points of view, Ben Bookman on the cusp of publishing his newest novel and Winchester Mills a homicide detective investigating the towns newest homicide. Both are the perfect characters to be driving the story. Ben is a bit of an unreliable narrator as he tries to piece together what happened to him up to the publication of his book. Mills is a detective pushing himself to the edge his job the most that he has. The book does a great job of weaving their stories together, Ben and Mills are more interconnected than might originally seem. I loved the way that the book did this for most of the characters, they are all connected in some way back to the Bookman family and the asylum that they have run for years.

While this book had some graphic scenes I found it more of a psychological horror book, its not about gore and axe wielders although they are certainly there. Its about the horror of our nightmares about what scares us. To say more would unfortunately give away too much of the plot.

The writing was really good, the author does a great way of bringing emotions to life. It is written between the present and the before, letting us have more information on Ben and Mills. It also drops nice little foreshadowing for the future. I never found anything to graphic or described in details that would gross a reader out. Most of the graphic scenes take place off page, which is fine with me. I’d rather a book focus on the atmosphere and creepiness of horror than just blood and guts every page.

My one real complaint is that the climax of the book tries to do to much with too little time left over. Everything feels crammed right into the last few chapters and that unfortunately robbed many of the scenes of being really scary. Critical scenes were rushed and with too many characters it made everything feel chaotic instead of frightening. I get what the author was trying to do but it felt designed for the end of a multi book series we as the reader read and not a stand alone with a multi book series within its pages.

In the end I still really enjoyed this book, staying up way to late in the night wanting to know what came next.

While horror isn’t my usual genre of reading, this sounded so intriguing I just couldn’t help it. Markert does a fabulous job of making you feel off balance from the get go. You walk into the story almost feeling like you’ve missed something, like you’ve accidentally walked into the middle of a sequel despite knowing full well this is a first time book. Never quite sure whether you’re losing your mind, wether the atrocities are real or a figment of your imagination, Markert waves an amazing fictional world. This guy is a Stephen King in the making.

I just finished The Nightmare Man by J H Markert and here is my review.

Ben’s book signing doesn’t quite go to plan. A fan blows his brains out right in front of him. His book, the scarecrow, was written in a few days at the ancestral home. He doesn’t remember much from the time he spent writing the novel there and his nanny/researcher…. Fled that night and won’t answer the phone to him or his wife.

That is just the tip of the iceberg.. Someone is re-enacting the murders from his book. A book that has only just been released.

Detective Mills and his rookie daughter work the case in tangent and the more they untangle, the more likely Ben is the killer they have been looking for. Ben has his own reasons for not being honest with the police. It stems from a mystery from when he was a teenager. The mystery of his missing brother and it all seems to have started in the atrium. A room his grandfather kept. A room full of books.

All the answers seem to be linked to Blackwood's history but can they figure it all out before another dead body turns up?

I had no idea how horror packed this book was going to be until I opened it. It is seriously not for the faint of heart. Horror is my jam.. This book… Premium jelly. I don’t think I have been this scared by a book in years. It checked every box, creeped my whole world out for hours after too.

Ben is so complex and I loved all the layers between him and his family and the detective. Twists and turns, gore and the hairs on the back of my neck stood so tall the whole time. Loved the whole ride. I would have liked to have known more about the blackwood estate and the Grandfather but it felt complete without it. Loved the plot, especially as it was a story that had been done before but had its own unique twists to it.

Lucid writing with really clever character development. I rarely give 5 stars to horror books but this is well deserved.

If you love horror books and need a fix…. This has to be your next book! Out today!

Thank you @crookedlanebooks and @netgalley for my review copy

Ben Bookman's newest book, The Scarecrow, is just released. How could the events of the new novel have happened in real life weeks before the release. Ben, his family, and the detectives on the case need to find a way to stop the unnerving events from the book from continuing. 

The Nightmare Man is part mystery, and part horror focused on family secrets with disastrous consequences. This plot went in directions I was not expecting. The reader will need to read to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes. The characters were well developed and memorable, and the antagonists were truly nightmare fuel.

This book will be a hit for those who love mysterious horror novels as well as those who like books about books.

Only a week into 2023 and I have my first pick for top ten! I’m not sure how this one can be beat, I’m willing to predict this is going to be in my top five. Yeah, it’s that good.
The Nightmare Man is a collection of everyone’s worst nightmares in one story. It’s dark and terrifying, full of suspense and mystery. I’d say if you combined all of Stephen King’s greatest hits, you would have this book. The writing is just as good, the characters just as deep, and the fear just as real.
The characters in this book are intense. The protagonist has a backstory that is totally dysfunctional dark family influenced. The lead detective is a gruff, but tender complex character that evolves in a direction I didn’t see coming. But the Nightmares.. omg those are core of the story. Think every possible horror movie villain, escaped from a spooky mental hospital, and terrorizing a small town. Totally messed up and awesome!!
I bounced between audio and print, so I could read this faster. The narrator, David Bendena, is a vocal chameleon. He can switch from middle aged man to elderly man, woman to child, and insane maniac, like it’s nothing. I had to check to make sure it was just one narrator, as I was convinced Ben and Mills were two different people speaking. I’m blown away by his talent. He convincingly spoke with emotion, and made the story come to life. It made it that much more scary.
I will be reading more from this author. I’m totally sold on his work.

In this story, Ben Bookman is a bestselling author who spent one weekend at the family estate writing his latest novel, The Scarecrow. He doesn’t remember much about that weekend and now the things that happened in the book are starting to happen in real life.

This story was really fascinating to me, and I loved the paranormal aspects of it. Highly recommend it to lovers of paranormal/psychological thrillers with a touch of Horror.

Wow! What a read! This is a book that is hard to put down. I absolutely enjoyed this read!

This horror piece will keep you on the edge of your seat from the start, and one that you will need to dedicate the time to read as soon as you start. This is not a start and pick up later read.

Highly recommend!

I really don't know why so many authors lately seem obsessed with time jumps. Occasionally they work out and work well and I even enjoy them. Occasionally they feel a bit like a hot mess. I was looking to a good horror. I got more of a hot mess.

If you love books filled will horror, mystery, suspense, and thrills, I highly suggest you read this book. J.H. Markert brings you into a story that is so wild and twisted. I've never read a story like this one, and I loved it. All these characters are haunted by nightmares at some point in their lives, and after seeking professional help from Robert Bookman they all go away. Where did they go, though? Why are the gruesome murders occurring are just like the nightmares? Why are the murderers copying the characters from Ben Bookman's stories? Those are just a few of the questions you'll ask as you read along, but there will be many more questions with answers that are extremely shocking. When I tell you I was glued to this book, I'm not exaggerating. Once you get pulled into this story, it is hard to put down. It's packed full of wonderful characters, unbelievable horror, and family secrets that go back generations. I just can't get over how brilliantly this was written. I really can't recommend this book enough.

RATING:: 4 stars

Thanks to #netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for my advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

I am always on the lookout for new horror authors who give me the same thrills as SK and Dean Koontz, so I snatched this one up when it came up on Netgalley!

This was a dark and gritty horror that takes the reader on a wild ride in which for most of the book you haven’t a clue what is going on.

Ben is a successful horror author who is in a bookshop signing his latest book when a man approaches him and accuses him of stealing his nightmare. Then, in front of everyone, he pulls out a gun and shoots himself.
At the same time, the local police are called to a barn in the middle of a cornfield in Crooked Tree, where an entire family is found slaughtered and hung in cocoon-like traps made of corn leaves. This is exactly the same scene that takes place in Ben's latest bestseller.
And so the show begins.

I absolutely loved the concept of being able to capture nightmares or being possessed by them!

I found so many elements in this book that I love about a horror novel. We have an unreliable narrator, nightmares that become reality, references to local folklore, scarecrows, sleepwalking, cornfields and an asylum: the perfect ingredients for a great horror novel!

The pace was good and it held my interest throughout. There were some really gory scenes that I must warn the more squeamish of you about!

I would have given the book a higher rating if the ending had not been so confusing. There was too much last minute information thrown in and too many characters at the end to keep track of.

Also the big reveal seemed very unlikely and was never explained! I need to know what happened to Devon when he disappeared...

All in all excellent character development and writing style! The concept was very interesting and I hope to read more from this author....

This book was really good which was a surprise because it took me awhile to get into it. I enjoyed the characters and the entire plot. I really enjoyed this one and I world recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This year is starting out really well. Another 5 star read. Hard to believe the author hasn’t written horror before. This story was electric and gripping start to finish. I can honestly say I didn’t want to put it down at any point. The horror drive on this was high and hit all the check marks for me to be a must read for 2023. You all have to check this out. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I’ve already ordered my physical copy of this. Now if I could just get the author to sign it!!😜