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.

This book was PHENOMENAL. It has a slow start and Ngl at that point I thought meh, and put it down for a bit. But I tore through the rest of it when I got back into it. I have never read one of his books, but that was my mistake. I’ll be going back now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC! This will be out in September.

First of all, I loved this book! It’s a mix of crime and horror stories. The plot is complex, quite a number of characters involved, the story stretched back for 20 years but amazingly there are no plot holes and everything is brought together nicely and clearly.

Detective Tess was in her bad days. Her husband betrayed her, her daughter disliked her, her parents were murdered brutally and her past which she had traumatically forgotten came back to haunt her. And now her daughter was kidnapped forcing her to go back to the hometown her family had fled 20 years ago.

Why would all these happen when the murderer and abuser Father Silence was finally put to death 20 years after he was caught? Why would things point to the only surviving child victim who had been locked up in a mental hospital/prison all these years? Can Tess save her daughter?

This is a well written story that you won’t be able to put down once you’ve started reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

This story will stick with me for a while, when I tell you I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I had to finish this in one sitting! It gives me such Dan Brown vibes I couldn’t tell you why though.

This follows detective Tess Claibourne who suffers from represssed memories from her past when her father arrested “Father Silence” a child kidnapper and murderer. When Father Silence has been put to death, a new man the Outcast has kidnapped her daughter and she’s pulled back into the mess. She will stop at nothing to find her daughter YOU will not stop reading this once you start!

Once upon a time, Father Silence terrorized the town of Twisted Tree. When police finally apprehended him, they found 19 bodies and just one survivor– a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Two decades later, Father Silence has been executed, and a new killer has emerged. Calling himself the Outcast, he has murdered the detective who arrested Father Silence, and is now targeting others associated with the original case.

The detective’s daughter, Detective Tess Claibourne, is shattered by the news of her father’s death. When the Outcast also kidnaps her daughter, Tess is forced to confront the past and long-buried secrets… both in the mind of Father Silence’s lone survivor, and inside her own memory.

What a wild ride! If the TV shows Criminal Minds and The Following had a baby, it would be this book. So many twists and turns, super creepy vibes, interesting characters, and quick chapters. I couldn’t put it down! This was my first book by Markert, and I look forward to reading more!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I didn’t think I would enjoy Sleep Tight nearly as much as I did! A different take on a “final girl” scenario, I was drawn in immediately and screaming at Tess to get through this! Great read.

I have had this book on my radar for a while so I was very excited to read this and I was definitely not disappointed. It had me captivated and not wanting to put it down, coupled with being creeped out and then shocked by the twists. I cannot recommend this enough.

This is the 3rd book by Markert in the horror genre that I’ve read and his work just gets better. There’s a confidence in this book and this story that’s magnetizing. This book blasts off and drags you with it the entire time. The chapters are so rapid fire it almost leaves you breathless. Fantastic work again from Mr. Markert. He has quickly become a must read on day one author. Please keep them coming and we shall keep reading them.

Father Silence, a criminal who was on death row for his terrorizing acts in the town of Twisted Tree, is finally executed. Upon his arrest the police found 19 bodies and one child, who is now in a criminally insane mental hospital. Father Silence’ reign of terror ended at his arrest by Tess Claiborne’s father. On the night of his execution in Kentucky, things break open and a resurgence of evil that has lain dormant for 20 years is back.
Father Silence has not spoken a word in 20 years, until the night of his execution. “Beware the one that got away.” What happens next is a page turning horrific story that is filled with elements of true crime, satanic worship, multiple personalities, thriller and horror book all wrapped into one. This book was outstanding. I cannot recommend it enough. And yes, there is a cliffhanger at the end that will keep you up at night.

There is always a little thrill when this author brings us a new story! And this one did not disappoint.

Father Silence is about to be put to death for some horrible crimes. The town of Twisted Tree is about to find out that even in death, the crimes don’t stop.

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.


Since his arrest by Det. Claibourne, he hasn’t spoken a word. Until he was in the electric chair and then said, “Beware the one who got away”.


The next morning the detective and his wife are brutally murdered. Leading the charge will be his daughter, also a detective, who is keeping some things quiet too, although to be fair, she doesn’t remember those things yet.


When her daughter is kidnapped, Tess will go to any lengths to get her back.


This story had so many twists and turns and just when I thought I knew, I did not. And that is wonderful! We may have a new horror writer now!




NetGalley/ Crooked Lane Books September 10,2024

This was a great book. It is a mixture of thriller, crime fiction, and horror. The author did a fantastic job!!!! This is the type of book that you get annoyed when people interrupt you when you are trying to read. Looking forward to more from this author. The author did a great job of character development. I was able to feel for each one and what they were feeling on every page.

Bravo!!!!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this. W O W!

This is true crime mixed with horror and thriller?! I’m not sure how to define it but it was incredible.

This is the first 5-star read I’ve had in a while. I don’t even know how to categorize this book but the best comparison I could make is that reading this book felt like I was watching a movie like “SEVEN.”

It was so fast-paced with so many twists and turns BUT, ZERO PLOT HOLES! Which was shocking. Everything truly came together.

I recently read The Nightmare Man by JH Markert and really enjoyed it, so was excited for this new release. I love a scrappy and flawed woman detective investigating a case that is way too personal to her, so this was set up to be right up my alley.

Let’s start with the good. This book is an absolute page-turner! The pacing is perfection. I couldn’t put it down, had to know how all the pieces fit together. I love Markert’s style of blending cop drama with subtle supernatural elements and giving it all a twisty ending. Think magical realism meets police procedural in the best way. When reading this at night, I was genuinely creeped out by a lot of the imagery, and I am a seasoned horror reader.

The not-so-good:
The plot is really complex, and unfortunately verges into convoluted-territory. There are a ton of moving pieces, even more characters, two eras to keep track of… I struggled at times, having to flip back several pages to remember who somebody was. Now, I don’t mind a complex plot when it resolves and all the loose ends get tied up, which I found was the case with The Nightmare Man. Unfortunately, with Sleep Tight, there are a TON of loose ends at the end. (Things like “how did character A start working with character B? how did character C know [or NOT know] that?)

I can sort of see what Markert was going for, and LOVE the concept, but it really didn’t come together the way that I was hoping it would.

Also, I can’t figure out why this was named “Sleep Tight” – as far as I can tell sleep is not a theme in it. Like, at all. My best guess is that the author is trying to make it fit with prevoius titles, the Nightmare Man and Mister Lullaby.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance review copy!

So creepy! I stayed up way too late to finish this! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

this was insane!! it was a mix of mystery and horror. i could not put it down and there was so many twists. the beginning had me hooked wondering who this boy was and then into the detectives story and following. this was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint!