This book is terrifying in the best possible ways if you’re looking for a horror book grab this one and then buckle up because the world building is amazing and the world of LaLaLand is absolutely freaking nightmarish!!

If you want to be terrified and you want your mind long and you want to book that’s highly disturbing then go get this book on audio! The audio makes it so much more creepy! I did a little of both and I would highly recommend the audio the narrators, David Bendena and Lauren Ezzo, made the atmosphere all that more sinister.

Once I got into this book, I couldn’t stop listening, but yet it was so creeped out there was times I had to push pause and then just shake it off. It gave me the weirdest vibes felt real. I literally got chills at times thinking about this nightmare realm called, LaLaLand.

I don’t want to give away anything I want you guys to go grab it. I hope that I’ve built up enough interest that you grab it and then go in blind, because the least amount you know the more creepy it is. This book is not for the faint of heart. It contains violent descriptions and realistic horror, but if you’re a true horror fan and do not hesitate to pick this up.

This book is from Crooked Lane Books and I read/listened to it through NetGalley and libro.fm - so thank you for the advanced copy. This is my late, but honest review.

I've read The Nightmare Man by J. H. Markert and loved it. So, could Mister Lullaby, his new novel be as good? Well, honestly...Mister Lullaby is BLOODY amazing! Perhaps even better than The Nightmare Man. I was drawn into this book like a moth to a flame and felt slightly bereft when the ending came. Now I can't wait to read Sleep Tight.

I love this author and this audio was fantastic! Super creepy- loved the atmospheric feel of it. Great audio!

I have become a big fan of J. H. Markert. Mister Lullaby is as good as The Nightmare Man.
We meet the characters from that novel before the events that changed their lives.
I love Beth Gardner and would love to read more about her.
J. H. Markert has been called the heir to Stephen King and I wholeheartedly agree and plan to read all I can get my hands on.
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

What a fantastic audiobook narration! The perfect blend of eerie and unsettling! MISTER LULLABY crept in with a sly deftness and absolutely gave me goosebumps! Thank you so much for the early listen!

J.H. MARKERT is one twisted Son of a Gun. Don't mistake that as criticism, instead, it is actually 100% a compliment.

This is the second horror novel from this author I've read and I am quickly becoming a huge fan. In December of 2022 I posted a 5 Star review of THE NIGHTMARE MAN and MISTER LULLABY is just as amazing as that first book.

One of the best things about this book is the character-building. J.H. Markert has an uncanny knack for creating believable characters.

Although this is a horror story, the author doesn't rely on cheap tactics such as bloody gore to keep the readers attention, instead, he carefully crafts the entire world his characters inhabit. This world-building is one of the reasons his stories are so terrifying... they come across to the reader as entirely possible. That is absolutely terrifying.

With so many books on the market, and so many authors writing 'horror' novels, it takes a truly talented and exceptional author to create more than one book that warrants a rating of 5+ out of 5 Stars, J.H. Markert is that one in a million author and I will buy every book he writes.

I rate MISTER LULLABY with the highest rating possible. If I could give this book a rating of more than 5 out of 5 Stars, I would definitely do so.

DAVID BENDENA and LAUREN EZZO were the perfect choices to narrate the audiobook version of MR. LULLABY. Their voices compliment each other and both have an incredible sense of pacing. Not only that, but it seems to me they were invested in creating not just narration, but an experience for the listener.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone and everyone who enjoys the genres of horror and/or thrillers, need to buy not only MISTER LULLABY, but also THE NIGHTMARE MAN. I guarantee that you will become as big of a fan as I am.

5+ out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

*** Thank you to #NetGalley #Dreamscape and #JHMarkert for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook. ***

I ADORED The Nightmare Man. So what happened when I saw the advance copy for the authors next book pop-up? I begged. I sold a kidney. It wasn't pretty. But, hey, I got the book, and it was definitely worth it. I didn't love it AS MUCH as TNM, it definitely had way more supernatural elements than I was expecting, but the writing, the story, and the characters were amazing

This book was ok. There was a creepiness throughout that kept me interested. However, I felt the story moved very slowly and it was hard to get into.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader audio version of this book. I generally like horror, but this story was too out there for me. Mister Lullaby is freaky and scary, but I did not love him. The best horror novels make the reader love the dark character. The story sounded like it would make a great read, however somehow it takes a turn for the worst. 2.5 stars.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review Mister Lullaby on NetGalley (published 11/21/23).

Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review Mister Lullaby on NetGalley (published 11/21/23).

Narrators: David Bendena and Lauren Ezzo

Stars: 2.5

This was not written for me and is an absolute miss. I feel like my brain doesn't function with this type of writing. This feels cryptic and mythical; fantasy not thriller. I may be seeing thriller and looking for suspense. The story is so slow, with too many characters with too many issues. I was never comfortable. Approximately a third of the way I decided I wasn't making a flow chart. The book was not important to me; sadly I only liked the synopsis.

The female narrator was good. I was able to stay more focused with her. The male narrator was difficult. Every time he spoke, it jarred me. His voice didn't fit.

There is some foul language; however, surprisingly given the context and characters it is minimal.

The book is creepy, odd and dark, maybe it was written for you.

I loved The Nightmare Man and this was a great second book from J.H. Market.

In a small town there is an infamous tunnel that always seems to have disaster and tragedy associated with it. It was collapsed in after a young boy, Sully Dupree, was injured and remains in a coma. We get introduced to some key members of the town that all have connections to Sully as well as some people that have never been to the town or even have met the boy but still have strong connections to him. As bizarre murders start happening and bodies are showing up at the tunnel and a brief moment where Sully wakes up with a warning members of the small town of Herrod’s Reach start to learn that there are two worlds and the sleeping world is starting to come into the real world.

This book is very entertaining but does take some concentration to follow along. There are a lot of different story lines that are all intertwined but it takes some time before you see how. As someone with night terrors I’ve always found folklore around dreams intriguing and especially loved the use of it in this book. If you read The Nightmare Man you would have already gotten a taste of this world from J.H. Markert. This book is a standalone though and you don’t have to have read The Nightmare Man to read this one but there are bits of the story that overlap and there is even a part where the setting and plot of The Nightmare Man is specifically talked about.

I did a tandem read while also listening to the audiobook and I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. There are multiple narrators that jump back and forth between time and places so hearing the different narrators made it easier to keep track of what was going on. The narrators were wonderful and brought each of the many characters to life.

The way the book ended has me very hopeful that there is going to be a sequel where we’ll get more answers. If there isn’t then it’s a disappointing ending but an entertaining read.

"In the vein of T. Kingfisher and Christopher Golden, the boundary protecting our world from the monsters on the other side is weakening—and Mister Lullaby is about to break through."

Imagine if Freddy Krueger lived in real life and not just nightmares, that's the kind of horror that @jamesmarkert74 writes. Terrifying, creepy, and so unique I absolutely loved returning to the Nightmare World in Mister Lullaby. Told through multiple POV's the story is complex and can feel a little confusing at first. The different POV's were so well written that I felt like I knew the characters, and the story comes together brilliantly as the characters gather for the final show down. My only complaint about this book is that I didn't want it to end - I need more of the Nightmare World!

I started 2023 reading (and loving) The Nightmare Man, started 2024 with Mister Lullaby, I cannot wait to see what @jamesmarkert74 has in store for 2025!

Thank you to @netgalley , @dreamscape_media and @crookedlanebooks for the gifted copy of this book.

I loved this audiobook so much!
The mix of supernatural, thriller, suspense and horror was just perfect. A bit disturbing and creepy to keep me at the edge of my seat.

I did not read J.H. Markert's last book ,The Nightmare Man, so I was pleasantly surprised with his latest Mr Lullaby. I have been a bit disappointed in horror recently, it doesn't seem creepy, most strange and weird, or maybe it is the books I have been picking up, but Mr Lullaby was a good small town hour story.

Violence seems to linger in the small town Harrod's Reach. It resides in dark empty tunnels and a place called La La Land that seems coexist in the minds of people in comas.

The story is creepy, spooky, and strange, but not the crazy insane strange I have been encountering recently. Think early Stephen King strange.

The story started out as a slow burn, building the world you were entering, but it was interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. The writing flowed with the story, but the book was a bit character heavy, which, because I listened to it on audio sometimes got a bit confusing to me. I feel if I could have flipped back between pages, this would have been less of a problem for me. I did have to concentrate on who was who several times.

Even with the heavy POVs and characters, it was a worthy soft horror story, it creeped me out at times, which is what I look for in a horror book naturally. I look forward to going back and trying The Nightmare Man and anything in the future that Markert puts out.

Terrifying and Bone Chilling.......................

Mister Lullaby by J. H. Markert brings to you a terrifying tale of Harrod's Reach town. I had it as an audiobook on Netgalley. The narrator's voice was so chilling that it created an atmosphere of pure terror while listening. Ted's character was absolutely terrifying. I loved the concept of tunnel and other worldly beings. The story goes back and forth in time so that the readers feel relatable to the events. Past secrets revealed, action, and a little bit of romance make it perfect for a movie plot. I would love to see the characters come alive in a movie. Lalaland's concept was so unique that it is still fresh in my mind.

With every page, the terror gains momentum. And after Ted's arrival in Harrod's Reach, it was pure insanity. The book is so absorbing, and I would suggest everyone listen to the audiobook, especially at night. The voice of the narrator is definitely going to chicken you out. If you are looking for real terror, then this book is not to be missed at any cost. Also, the author has spelled out some hints about his previous book, which came as a shock to me. I would not be a spoiler by revealing that twist. Definitely, the book deserves 5 stars.

While reading the book I experienced a sense of Déjà vu. Mister Lullaby reminded me of Dr. Sleep by Stephen King. With that, it was a pretty good read.

Thank You to J. H. Markert and Dreamscape Media, for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

After a boy, Sully, is injured in an abandoned tunnel and left in a coma, the town is determined to wall it up. When Deputy Sheriff Beth Gardner finds twin bodies at the tunnels entrance left with lullabies, she starts to think that maybe the superstitions aren’t completely off kilter. Soon after, Sulky briefly awakens from his come to give his older brother a message.

Mister Lullaby was easily a five star read for me! I absolutely loved it and I want and need more! Sully is trapped in Lalaland with other coma patients in a world filled with evil creatures of sleep and that alone gave me the heebie jeebies. I received this book as an ALC and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was listening to it. The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing to life such a creepy story. I was completely engrossed in this scary story and I’d recommend it to everyone! This is the second book I’ve read by this author and now J.H. Markert is an autobuy author for me! I am so sorry my review is so late. I read it in November and I am still catching up on reviews. Mister Lullaby is available now and I still need to get my hands on a finished copy!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Mister Lullaby is the type of easy-going horror that make for a quick, enjoyable read. It is filled with international lullabies and their folklore roots. These make for engaging ways to tell stories because there is a “dreamworld” that opens many story-telling possibilities. These nightmares that come to life keep the tensions going until its conclusion. My favorite part is the use of an abandoned train tunnel as the source of horror that haunts the town. This gave the nostalgic vibes that brings to mind the coming of age horror of Stephen King like It, Silver Bullet and The Body.

The narrators read the chapters in the type of gentle voice that one might hear during bedtime stories, which is a nice touch. Their voices were very comforting. Love touches like these.

I have a bit of mixed feelings baout this book. I think the story line was very interesting (and creepy at times) but it was difficult to get into the book as there were so many characters and POV's to keep track of which is the main reason for me this book cannot get more than 2 stars. I think the book would have benefited to maybe sticking to 3 POV's max in the beginning and maybe at the halfway point explore more POVs. I also feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions and not in a good way at the end of the book that should have been easy threads to just tie up at the end but were just left there and kind of forgotten.

Okay. I will begin with the fact that horror is not really my thing, but I wanted to give it and this book a try. With that said, this book was way to scary for me!

However, if you are a fan of Stephen King, you will most likely love it. Dead mutilated bodies begin showing up from the beginning, and just keep coming throughout this long book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!