If you're looking for a spooky read to kick off the Halloween season, "Sleep Tight" by J.H. Markert should be on your radar. The story is set in the eerie town of Twisted Tree, where a serial killer, Father Silence, seems to linger even after his execution. With nineteen victims to his name and only one survivor, you'd think the terror would be over, but the nightmare is just beginning. A new killer, known as the Outcast, emerges, and Detective Tess Claibourne is thrust back into her personal hell when her daughter is kidnapped. Tess, grappling with her own unresolved trauma, must return to the scene of past horrors to find answers and face secrets buried deep in the town’s past.

This novel is a blend of horror, crime, and mystery, with plenty of religious and cult undertones. The plot moves at breakneck speed, packed with complex, grisly scenes that feel both creepy and suspenseful. Told through multiple points of view and shifting timelines, the narrative keeps you on edge, and cliffhanger chapter endings only add to the tension. At times, though, there’s almost too much happening— with themes of multiple personality disorders, addiction, childhood trauma, and grief, it can feel overwhelming.

Still, "Sleep Tight" delivers on its promise of a dark, disturbing atmosphere. The characters are well-developed, and despite the whirlwind of events, it’s easy to get caught up in their stories. Fans of serial killer thrillers will appreciate the inventive twists and the tight pacing. While the ending feels a little rushed, the journey is gripping enough to make this a worthwhile read for thriller fans.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a sucker for a good creepy story, and this hit the mark. When Father Silence is finally executed for his crimes, a series of murders begin, and it becomes a race to save all involved.

Though I did pick a few things early on, I wasn’t prepared for just how twisted it all was going to be.

Great character building, compelling storyline, creepy bad guys, and an ending that could have you torn - it certainly gave me mixed emotions!

A great read for spooky season!

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert is a chilling psychological thriller that masterfully intertwines suspense and emotional depth. The narrative centers around a mother whose life spirals into chaos when her son goes missing, prompting her to confront dark secrets that threaten her family’s safety. Markert’s writing is gripping, filled with unexpected twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats. The exploration of fear, love, and resilience makes this a compelling read for fans of thrillers that delve into the complexities of the human psyche.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Crooked Lane Books for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Deep stories, spooky vibes, small towns

Well, this is deeply unsettling, creepy.. just wow. It was filled with action, every single page. I enjoyed it very much. It's a great spooky read pick.

Sleep Tight by J. H. Markert was a creepy read. I have loved all of this author's books. Looking forward to the next installment by this author.

The serial killer called Father Silence is finally executed by Lethal Injection, bringing an end to the horror inflicted upon the residents of Twisted Tree, or so it would seem. Then the deaths start and children are being kidnapped. This is a very creepy and dark story. Heads up- lots of graphic talk about animals being killed-I skimmed right past. I thank Netgalley, Librarything and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.25/4.5 ⭐️

Jeff Pritchard, known as “Father Silence” by the media, is executed after 17 years in prison. A former janitor who disguised himself as a priest to lure victims, including children.

Tess Claiborne feels deeply relieved after the execution. Her father, Leland Patterson, was the detective who captured Pritchard back when Tess was a teenager. After many years, the family can finally have this dark burden lifted off their shoulders. Tess still has to worry about her marriage crumbing after her husband Justin’s recent affair though.

Tess, a detective herself (following after her father), drops off her daughter, Julia, at school the next morning. When she gets to work, she received an urgent phone call from a man calling himself, “The Outcast.” He tells her that, “We did a bad thing” and apologizes before hanging up. Tess discovers that she has lost both her parents and her daughter that day.

Tess, Justin, and Danny (Tess’s partner) are thrown into a double murder and kidnapping case that they know must be connected to “Father Silence.”

My opinions:

This book was very well written. It is almost too detailed at times and feels longer than it should be, but I appreciated the elaborate information at the same time.

This is a great thriller/mystery for someone who enjoys crime books. It keeps you guessing and had many twists.

I enjoyed this book and I liked the ending; however, I was left feeling a lot of sympathy for Benjamin and all the abuse and neglect he endured. His twisted vision of trying to save other children from a childhood like his.

Overall, it was an awesome thriller and I will be reading more by this author!

I also listened to the audiobook and it was very well done.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to the ARC of this book. I truly appreciate the opportunity!

I am not normally a huge horror fan (or so I thought before reading this)

I really enjoyed this and I didn't think I would!

It was like being in a slasher film or a nightmare, it was so well written and actually made me a bit nervous to keep reading but at the same time I couldn't put it down!

Tess's character was also great!

Full review to be on instagram shortly!

“Are we born evil or made that way?”

Sleep Tight by J.H. Market
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

This was a PAGE TURNER. The POVs, the story, the thrills.

A silent serial killer is put to death but not before uttering some chilling last words. This puts in motion a string of events that lead you down a path where the answers are rooted in the path and for our FMC, in her hometown she left many years ago.

She has to return not only to find answers but rescue her daughter.

My fave book by JH Markert to date.

Are you ready for a very creepy read? Do you love serial killer stories? If so, Sleep Tight is a book for you!

When a serial killer is put to death, the detective who put him in jail is murdered and a string of crazy events begins. From characters with multiple personalities, to gritty cops, to cults, this book has it all.

Overall the story is very well written, and the ending caught me by surprise. It is a dark read though, so be prepared! This one is out now if you need something creepy to read for October!

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert is a horror novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
Twisted Tree is a small town in Kentucky with a horrendous history.  Noah Nichols is in a hospital for the criminally insane after brutally killing his father.  Noah himself is the sole survivor of a madman, who had disguised himself as a priest and preyed on the weak.  When the police arrested the man,  they found the bodies of both children and adults in and around the house.  Noah Nichols was lucky to survive Father Silence and his "House of Horrors".

Now, nearly 20 years later, Jeff Pritchard (or Father Silence, as he came to be known), has just been put to death.  At the end, he finally broke his silence.  His parting words...."Beware the one that got away".  Is he talking about Noah?

The morning after his execution, the arresting officer and his wife are brutally found murdered by someone calling himself the Outcast.

Tess  Claibourne is a detective, and the daughter of the slain couple.  She and her husband Justin (a psychologist)  have recently separated. after his drunken affair.  Their 9 year old daughter isn't happy, and Tess is taking the brunt of Julia's anger.  Tess's work partner Danny isn't happy with the situation either.  He and his wife Eliza have been Tess and Justin's best friends forever.  Now the foursome has been torn apart.

But they will have to work together now....Julia has been kidnapped by the man calling himself the Outcast.  He may be one of the growing fans that have flocked to the area to immortalize Father Silence.  A cult is forming, and they have no qualms about killing.  

Tess and Justin head to the Hospital to talk to  Noah,  in hopes that he can shed light on what happened in that house and if there was someone else that they should be looking for.  But Noah is not what he seems, and it is hard to trust his broken mind.  But Tess has her own issues with a broken mind.


My Opinions:
WOW... I can't get enough of this author!  Beware, there is a lot going on in this book (as you can tell from my synopsis).

Yes, this was horror, but it was more "horrific events".  It was more creepy and suspenseful than outright horror.  That being said, the author doesn't shy away from visual grossness, so be warned.

This plot was just "out there" with plenty of twists.  Although I had an idea as the identity of the perpetrator when first introduced to the character, the reasons behind everything were slow in coming.  When revealed, everything fit.  The storyline went back and forth in time-lines, but it was never confusing.

The characters were fully fleshed out, and there are a lot of them!  I loved Tess and her missing memories. Personally, I may have smacked Justin for constantly pushing Tess to remember her past.   I absolutely loved the relationship between Danny and Eliza.  Now it's hard to cheer for the bad guys, but both Noah and "the Outcast" had some redeeming qualities and I really liked them  (well, maybe not all of their actions).

 Overall, I loved the book.  I don't give that many 5 star reviews, but this one deserved every star!.  It held my attention from start to finish.  Be ready for a wild ride.  It was one creepy read!

In a nutshell, Sleep Tight is a lot to work through. It's an interesting story, but it's also hard to track. I couldn't even attempt to guess how many character names we learned over the course of this story. It was one of those situations where I got to the end and would hear a name and be like, 'who's this'?

I will not even attempt to get into the actual plot with you...

I really enjoyed the initial set-up, hearing the story of Father Silence, and meeting our MC, Tess. There were also a lot of the bits towards the end were I felt fully invested, but the middle part got muddled and my attention definitely wavered because of that.

I guess I would say I felt similar with this author's earlier two works that I've read: The Nightmare Man and Mister Lullaby. Markert has exciting, ambitious concepts, but I'm not sure their execution always ends up working out for me. To be fair though, I enjoyed this more than I didn't.
I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy Gritty Crime Thrillers that swerve into Horror territory. This one succeeds in capturing that gritty, dangerous feel and I did feel like it progressed at a fast clip throughout.

Some of the aspects of this definitely worked better for me than others, but overall, I think it's a good book. I would also recommend the audiobook, as that was well narrated by the always fabulous Andi Arndt.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for providing me with copies to read and review. J.H. Markert continues to intrigue me with his creative concepts and dark atmosphere. Though this wasn't my favorite of his, I still felt it had a lot of strengths. I will def be picking up whatever he releases next!

**Review: Falls Short of King’s Legacy**

Sleep Tight by JH Markert tries to channel the eerie atmosphere and small-town horror that Stephen King is known for, but it ultimately misses the mark. While the premise had potential, the execution feels disjointed, with underdeveloped characters and predictable scares that lack real tension.

Markert’s attempt to weave psychological horror into a supernatural narrative falls flat, and the story never fully delivers on its promises. For those hoping to find the next King, Markert is definitely *not* the heir apparent. Unfortunately, this one’s a miss. **Two stars.**

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! I will have to check out more by this author. I did take off one star because it was a little hard to follow at times. 4 stars!

Another great title for an author that's quickly becoming my go-to horror pick. This one is a little more of a crime thriller than the last two that I've read, but still with many creepy edge-of-your-seat moments. Unfortunately real life got in the way of finishing it in one day, but always the story was in the back of my mind, creeping into my dreams, just waiting until I could finish reading. I loved it and can't wait until the next!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The cover on this one fooled me. I thought this was going to be more of a horror novel but it actually was a crime thriller about a serial killer. It was a good read, but chapters were a big long and drawn out.

Detective Tess Claibourne's daughter Julia is kidnapped, and she is desperate to find her. Tess' father was a detective that captured one of the biggest serial killers out there, The kidnapping seems to be related as it happened shortly after the serial killer was executed. It is all about finding Julia, and unraveling all of the relation to the executed serial killer. What you find out, will come as a surprise!

I was wildly impressed with this book… and here’s why. I’ve read plenty of horror books over the course of my almost 40 years now on this planet. My grandparents, who raised me, always had Stephen King novels laying around the house and exposed me to plenty of horror movies before I probably should have been. So I’m no stranger to old and new styles of horror writing.

But what was so different about this book was that it hit all the right terror elements. Even so much as having me checking over my shoulder or watching my kids a little closer when we were in public.

Plot and Setting
The synopsis will give you more detail, but this is a story about a family (Tess and Justin) who are suffering in their marriage and their daughter goes missing. The daughters kidnapping is related to something from Tess’s past and she must unbury her hidden memories to understand how she’s connected to the abduction of multiple children and the memory of a serial killer from her hometown.

Terrifying Antagonists
This story was not for the faint of heart as it depicts plenty of horrific situations of child abductions, psychologically distressed individuals, murder and other elements. The way the timelines are laid with a back and forth perspective slowly reveals the terrifying elements that played out in the past for the main character Tess, but also from different vantage points of the present including the antagonist. Good horror books provided a look into the mind of the antagonist and really help you see into their way of rationalizing their behaviors. It’s not an easy thing to look at, but Markert really dives into these characters and helps you see things from their own eyes.

Relatability to the Antagonists
While the antagonist was scary in his own right, abducting children and killing people that got in his way, Markert impressed me with his ability to make the character also seem human and relatable in a way that made me feel neutral to him by the end. But there are many main characters as part of the “antagonist circle” as I’m starting to call it, and each one has their own relatability and terrifying elements.

Psychology of Trauma
The main elements in this story revolve around trauma and how the mind approaches dealing with traumatic events. From the defense mechanisms of the mind where memories are sublimated and repressed, to the development of multiple personalities to the physical affects of trauma like the loss of eye sight.

These were the pieces of this book that really had me invested in all the antagonists a little more than the protagonist. Having studied Psychology as part of my own college education, I was absolutely fascinated by the way Markert weaved these traumatized characters together into a web of vicious feeding.

My favorite character of all was Noah. His story was deep and heartbreaking from a traumatizing home life as a child, to the development of multiple personalities to protect himself from that trauma, and the eventual assistance he tries to provide to the protagonists as they are looking for their kidnapped daughter.

Overall Feeling
I’d read this book again and again to see what hints and pieces I missed earlier on in the book. All of the characters were well written and provided key milestones to move the story forward. As I’ve already said, I was most impressed with the psychological elements of this story and how well Markert laid them out and represented them in a way that made me understand the actions of a damaged mind. By the end of the book, I kind of felt like, “Yea… I can understand his logic there.”

I really enjoyed this one! There were times when it had me on the edge of my seat (literally! I almost fell off the couch a couple times haha) and I could not put it down. There were a few parts that were a bit slow but luckily they were few and far between. Overall a great read! I recommend.

This felt like a genre mash-up, because sometimes it felt like a mystery and sometimes it felt like horror. It's a good combination, though, and it was an interesting story. When a serial killer is executed after being in custody for decades, the killings start again. Who is behind this? What is motivating the cult? What really happened in the past? This was interesting, and I appreciated how the tension built later in the story. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Holy cow. That was a ride! I usually don't go for anything with a slight police procedural to it so I was worried when I started reading this book. Within the first quarter of the book I was reassured that it was not your normal police Thriller.

I had my thoughts and feelings about how this is going to end, I was partially right but in the end it was shocking but made total sense. This will be the book that I recommend to anyone looking for a ghost, murder mystery, Thriller, serial killer book.

There were obviously a few parts where you have to live in suspended belief, like what serial killer is going to leave a person with their phone. Untied as they put them in the back of the trunk. But in the end it was totally worth it and I enjoyed this immensely.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review