Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

What a fun and fast-paced book! This story is equal parts, serial killer thriller and mystery with elements of horror to up the creep factor. Secrets of the past are coming back to haunt the main character, making this a psychological thriller that will keep your heart rate up.

Is what’s happening real? Is it supernatural? I let you discover the answer for yourself.
And you can’t beat the character development combined with plenty of twists to satisfy the hardcore thriller reader.

I reserve 5 stars for books that excel in several ways, and Sleep Tight wins big in plenty of ways. Enjoy this “chiller” book, keep the lights on, and sleep tight!

The cover gives off creepy haunted house vibes so I knew I just had to snatch this one up!

“Sleep tight” follows detective Tess and psychologist Justin, a married couple who are searching for their daughter who was kidnapped from school. Every parents worse nightmare come to life only made worse by the fact this missing persons case could in fact be linked to a serial killer.

This book blurs into the horror genre with mentions of cults, serial killers and murders. As well as dabbling in the psychological thriller genre by touching on mental health, grief, loss and addiction.

I found this book exciting, captivating and fast paced. I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen in the big finale!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, J. H. Market and Netgalley for the EARC!

Publish date: September 10th

For starters, just WOW. This is my first ever J.H. Market book and certainly will not be my last!

In Sleep Tight you follow the FMC Tess, who is a detective following in her fathers footsteps and her husband Justin, a psychologist, as they take you on a twisty ride to finding their daughter, Julia, who was kidnapped from her school. Tess holds a crucial memory that could help aide them in finding Julia. Could it be linked to the notorious serial killer, Father Silence, who Tess’s father took down many years ago?

This book touches heavily on cults, mental health issues including addiction, as well as many murders. It is everything I would want in reading a horror/psychological thriller. I was hooked from the very first chapter and had to finish it within two sittings because I needed to know what happened to Julia and all the connections.

This is easily a 5 star read for me, although I do have questions involving a sort of side character, Noah. But I feel like it could easily set it up for the author to do another story on Noah if he ever wanted to venture that way.

All in all it was an awesome read! Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC of this book!

Did you read that book?

Sleep Tight
By J.H. Markert

Plot: Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his “House of Horrors,” they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast. When lead detective Tess Claibourne’s daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, it is race against time to solve the mind of a killer and stop events that have been in motion for years!

Review: I went into this book completely blind and read it solely because of the cover (I judged right!). From page one I could not put this book down (or sleep afterwards!). If you are a fan of the show “True Detective”, “The Killing” and movies like “The Black Phone”, this book is for you! You are left on the edge of your seat, holding onto every single word. I could not have predicted any of the twists. Adding on that the writing is spectacular, the characters are so well developed, and the actions never stops, this is THE book to read on a cold October evening!

Calling it now, this is the BEST book of 2024!

Sleep Tight is out September 10th, 2024! Thank you to J.H. Markert, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC copy of Sleep Tight in exchange for my honest review!


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In this fast-paced, read-in-one-sitting novel, Markert weaves a tale with intricate moving parts. The narrative is dark, gloomy, reminiscent of the movie Identity, and infused with elements akin to HBO’s True Detective. As the action unfolds, the story introduces compelling complexities that leave readers pondering the true identity of the antagonist.

Our main character (MFC) may hold a crucial childhood memory that could connect to her daughter’s kidnapper. Could it be linked to the notorious serial killer her father, a respected detective in their hometown of Twisted Trees, brought down decades ago? With flawed yet hopeful characters, we follow Tess—a detective like her father—and her estranged husband, Justin, a psychologist, as their daughter is abducted from school. Is this incident related to the recent murder of Tess’s parents, which occurred just before the serial killer’s long-awaited execution? And why do the clues lead to a man recently laid to rest?

Tropes:
Cults
Serial killers
MFC returning home after decades to solve a mystery
Second-chance love
Missing child

Triggers:
Abundant instances of child abuse and death
Sexual assault
Animal fatalities
Some gore

This marks my first encounter with this author, and I found their storytelling both vibrant and dark. I eagerly anticipate diving into more of their work. Brace yourself—this book will keep you guessing, reluctant to set it aside.

You will not be able to Sleep tight after reading this book. It was so good and keeps you awake at night thinking about all the creepy things in it. People wearing animal masks, storms, and even an amusement park. This book is a dual timeline but not confusing at all. It really drew me in from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. If you are looking for a new creepy book, this is the one for you. Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC.

SLEEP TIGHT is a genre-bending psychological thriller/horror novel about a serial killer known as Father Silence and his House of Horrors. It’s complex, with characters you can invest in emotionally. The ‘BEFORE’ chapters are all about the build-up; they create an air of mystery and suspense that makes you doubt everything you think you know. The strong cast of characters keeps you intrigued and following along to the last page. This one’s for horror fans who like their villains to be memorable, their stories twisty, and their resolutions satisfying.

SLEEP TIGHT will be available on September 10th, 2024. 4 out of 5 Stars.

I loved this book! it had me hooked from the beginning, kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole story, and I even audibly gasped at one point! Aha...that never happens!
A lot is going in this book, so get ready for a dizzying ride! You're constantly being dragged from one lead to another, and then off we go again on another loop. But I loved it!
There were just a couple things that kept me from rating it higher than I did. I can't say too much without making it a spoiler. So I will just say I was left wanting more of an explanation, or maybe more of a build up to one of the key elements of the most fascinating character in the book.
And I wanted more from them!
But even despite that, it was a nail biter and I loved every second! Highly recommend and I will be looking into other books from this author. =)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

Publication date: Sep 10/24

Sleep Tight
By J. H. Markert
Pub date: 10 Sep 2024
• A thrilling police procedural mixed with a touch of horror
• Slow moving, multiple characters, constant swapping of perspectives and timelines
• Horrifying and compelling plot lines
• Flawed protagonist that I felt needed a humbling moment
• Masterfully developed villains' backstories
• Explores DID, dissociative identity disorder, through a paranormal lens
• Somewhat satisfying ending but left me somewhat confused and unsure and led me to review and reread some scenes throughout the book
• Overall an entertaining and chilling horror mystery depicting inner demons propelled by unexplained supernatural forces

What a fantastic book! Struggled to put it down.

I mean serials killers, cult, creepy animal masks, priests, haunted forests, abandoned amusement Park....what more do you need? This has it all and it grabs you at the beginning for one hell of a ride. Loved it!

Notorious serial killer coined "Father Silence" is finally put to death 2 decades after his capture. Not having spoken a word since his arrent Father Silence's final words are haunting.

"Beware the one that got away."

Detective Tess Claiborne's father was the detective that caught Father Silence in his house of horrors. Within 24 hours of the execution, both Tess's parents are murdered and her daughter is kidnapped by someone calling themself "the Outcast." Along with her partner and psychiatrist husband Justin, Tess and her team slowly unravel what really happened the night of Father Silence's arrest and how her daughter's kidnapping ties into it.

This was a gripping story from page one and the story kept up it's momentum. There wasn't any downtime or slow spots in the story. The characters were believable and the twists felt true to the story and not out of nowhere. It reminded me a lot of the movie S7ven which is ironic because Tess says she was obsessed with that movie as a kid. I really enjoyed this book and will be continuing to watch for more books by this author.

👁️ Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert 👁️ A cultish nightmare the likes of which will keep you up well past your bedtime as Sleep Tight guarantees anything but. The story follows our main character Tess, who’s a detective and daughter of one of the men responsible for bringing going down Father Silence years ago, a serial killer who terrorized the residents of a small town and will forever be remembered as the boogeyman whom left a permanent scar on humanity’s memory. But now there’s a new killer who goes by the moniker of the Outcast who kidnaps the daughter of Tess. Now, Tess is sent on a collision course the likes of which you’ll never see coming as she is forced to work with her estranged husband, her partner detective, the FBI and many others but there are other forces at play here that may prove to much for Tess; even with all the help she has. Be prepared for an onslaught of cults, serial killers, twists and turns you will not see coming and a psychological aspect I could have spent hours delving into. Sleep Tight will leave you with many a great things running through your head but sleeping tight, well, that’s just not one of them. I primarily went into this read blind and I am more then glad I did, Sleep Tight is one of my top contenders for book of the year right up there alongside Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. I’ll leave you all with this, would you enter an insane asylum for the weekend and interview the most depraved criminals they have? Let me know down below my friends!Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for this ARC! This review is my opinion and only my opinion. #arcreviewer #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookreviewersofinstagram #horrornovel #horrorbooks #horrorbookstagram #horrorbook #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #horrorreader #horrorfan #horrorreads #horrorart #horroraesthetic @jamesmarkert74 #cult #cultbooks #nightmarestories #scarystories

I loved this book and could NOT put it down. I was absolutely enthralled by the characters and the story. It was definitely a 5 star read for me. I want to say so much more about my favourite parts, the twists and turns, and the parts that made me gasp... but I don't want to spoil anything, so I will just say, you should ABSOLUTELY read this book if you're into thrillers, Child abduction stories, police procedurals (that aren't boring), character development, character psychology/ abnormal psychology.


Now, this book is categorized as horror, personally, I'd probably put this more in the "thriller" category, or "horror-lite" category, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of it in any way- just something to note.

I've already ordered one of J. H. Markert's other books- Mr. Lullaby, and I can't wait to read it when it arrives.

Book TW's: Child abuse, death/ torture of pet dog(s) - suggested but not described at all.

Thank you to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC to read and review!

J.H. Markert could write a manual on how to properly watch paint dry, and it would keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

Markert hits a grand slam with his newest novel, Sleep Tight. Gripping from beginning till end, I could not put this one down and when I was forced to put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Markert has a knack for storytelling that is gripping, horrifying and just damn good.

Markert has been called “the heir to Stephen King” and that title couldn’t be more true. If you haven’t read anything by Markert, what are you waiting for?

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the pleasure of reading this horrifying gem!

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert is a deeply complex, action packed crime thriller that I would probably call a dark detective style thriller rather than horror.

I adored this book and it definitely gave gritty 70-80s feel. I kept picturing a series in my head with this one not unlike True Detective and boy would that be incredible.

The story delivered on all the things you expect in a thriller, cults, serial killers, The plot is very complex, lots of characters, a lot happening, lots of twists that just keep you guessing. I enjoy this kind of read as being a seasoned horror/thriller reader and watcher I always tend to guess ending or twists really early on. This story has you following so many different twists and scenarios that you just are just trying to take everything in.

Sleep Tight is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to read more from this author now! Definitely will be adding this to my library.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this early. Publishcation Date Sep 10th 24

In 'Sleep Tight', we are taken on a journey following detective Tess Claibourne. Tess, the daughter of the detective who captured the notorious serial killer 'Father Silence', is now facing challenges in her adult life. Her daughter Julia is kidnapped, triggering Tess to confront her past.

Despite the well-introduced characters, J.H. Markert dives straight into the plot, allowing readers to understand the characters through subtle details. The book kicks off with intensity, building tension as the story progresses.

While events unfold quickly, some developments could have been more fleshed out. J.H. Markert excels in immersing readers in the narrative, creating a gripping tale with realistic characters. The inclusion of psychiatric disorders adds depth and intensity to the story, alongside the presence of a chilling murderer and a traumatized protagonist. The intricate layers of the plot are what made this thriller stand out for me.

I loved this book, from the moment I saw the cover to the moment I finished the last page. Absolutely loved it! But and this is a big but… how is this marketed as horror? A dark and twisty thriller? Absolutely! Horror? Not even close!
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. Especially me, because it had all the things I love. A cult like group, trauma, serial killers, repressed memories, consulting with a criminal and dissociative identity disorde. (You learn it quite early in the book, so this is not a spoiler.) All those aspects take you as a reader on one wild ride!
The only comment I have about this book is the showdown. Its was very rushed an very anticlimactic. For something that has been build towards for an entire book and how villainous the ultimate evil was… Well it felt like a little bit of a letdown. Not the actual plot, don’t get me wrong. I loved the twist of who was eventually the villain in this story, but the showdown… well that could have been more elaborate.
I cant wait to explore more by this author! Cause this book really left me wanting more!

This book could definitely be a movie.
Phenomenal from begiining to the end
It did not disappoint!!!!

Jeff Pritchard is being executed by the state today. He has been silent since he's been arrested. They call him the silent father. Jeff has been executed. So, no more killings. Right?! Jeff killed the unwanted, mentally, wounded, and troubled.
Jeff has been executed. So, who the hell has just killed Tess's parents and who has her daughter who has been kidnapped from school. Tess's father actually was the detective who arrested Jeff so many years ago
Is this a copy cat killer or someone seaking revenge on Jeff's honor
Someone is revenge killing everyone involved in the case or arrest of Pritchard
More outcast children are being reported as missing
And now the other arresting cop has been murdered. How did this copycat get to the airport so quickly and with Tess's daughter in tow as well. Is Tess looking for 2 killers now
A satanic cult?
What is the motive
Tess needs to go back to where this all started, where she abruptly moved from when she was a teenager Twisted Tree Kentucky. She is bound to find some sort of answers there and hopefully find her daughter as well
Sleep Tight! Don't let the killer bite!

This horror-thriller aims to check off every box on the ‘This Book Will Give You Nightmares’ laundry list: murders, kidnappings, revenge, ominous psychic visions, creepy priests, crazy cultists, a man with a very Split-like case of Dissociative Identity Disorder, and more! No really — so, so much more. (Too much, one might say.) Though it has the feel of a 90s detective thriller that I really enjoyed, I really struggled with the convoluted nature of the plot.

And listen, I love a complex, complicated web of murderous, spooky fun! You wanna introduce a serial killer who has a flair for the dramatic? I’m here for it. A tough female detective with an amnesia problem? OK, yes, sign me up. Some missing kids, a few creeps prowling the woods in animal masks, and haunted houses? Sure, why not? Sounds like a blast.

I think the issue with all the moving parts to this one, for me, is that some of the plotlines are really great. Compelling and horrifying and interesting. Which might not seem like a problem at first, right? But when you consider the fact that the strongest parts of the story never have a chance to breathe since there’s so much else going on, well . . . you get it.

TL;DR — even if this book wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I was certainly never, ever bored. And sometimes that's enough!

Markert is quickly becoming one of my prefered horror authors after reading this, The Nightmare Man, and Mister Lullaby.

The story follows Detective Tess Claibourne, a woman haunted by her father’s legacy as the detective who captured the infamous serial killer, Father Silence. Tess's life is thrown into chaos when her daughter is kidnapped, drawing Tess back into the shadows of her past, filled with repressed memories and dark secrets. The narrative is masterfully split between past and present, creating a suspenseful build-up as Tess unravels the tangled threads of her history and the sinister figures lurking within.
Markert's portrayal of Tess as a flawed protagonist is compelling, although her character could have benefitted from more moments of vulnerability to balance her otherwise strong, assertive demeanor.

The supernatural elements introduced through discussions of various mental illness (trying not to give too much away) add an additional layer of mystery but occasionally blur the line between psychological insight and paranormal activity, which might not appeal to all. However, this does contribute to the novel's chilling undertone and aligns with the eerie settings—from haunted forests to an abandoned amusement park—that Markert vividly describes.

The use of flashbacks and police interviews cleverly interspersed throughout the narrative not only enhances the mystery but also provides depth to the secondary characters and the central plot. The dialogue-driven storytelling amplifies the urgency and emotional stakes of the narrative, pulling the reader deeper into the labyrinthine plot crafted by Markert.

Despite some pacing issues and character developments that might have benefitted from deeper exploration, the novel’s strengths lie in its complex characters, intricate plot, and the relentless suspense that Markert maintains throughout the book. It’s a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and those who relish a story that can both intrigue and terrify. Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and J.H. Markert for the ARC.