Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
The sole survivor of a serial killer might hold the key to stopping a new spree of murders in this propulsive thriller in the vein of The Black Phone and The Whisper Man.
Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.”
Beware the one who got away . . .
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.
The detective’s daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy.
When Tess’s daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.
With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre.
Review:
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
What a thrilling journey this book took me on! As a first-time reader of this author, I was unsure of what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The synopsis piqued my interest when I saw it on Netgally, and the actual read exceeded my expectations. This heart-pounding and chilling thriller, with its tale of murder, suspense, and psychological terror, had me on the edge of my seat. Now I can’t wait to get to ‘The Nightmare Man’ by this author, which is on my September/October TBR.
This story begins just before the execution of a notorious serial killer known as Father Silence, whose dark and twisted crimes haunted the Southern town of Twisted Tree. Several miles away in Montana, recently separated detective Tess Claibourne waits for midnight to roll around and the news that Father Silence has finally been put to death. Her father was the one to catch him, and his crimes have haunted their family for years.
Once the execution has been carried out, Tess feels as though she can move on with her life and figure out what to do about her cheating husband, Justin. But what Tess doesn’t know is things are about to get worse for her. The day after the execution, someone close to Tess is murdered in a fashion eerily similar to the murders committed by Father Silence. When the killer, who calls himself The Outcast, kidnaps Tess’s daughter, it’s a race against time to bring him down.
With no clear leads to follow, Tess is forced to team up with her husband, Justin, and delve into the mind of the sole survivor of Father Silence’s gruesome crimes. The problem is that this is a very dangerous man, and he’s locked away in prison, but Tess will do whatever she needs to do to get her daughter back, even if it means taking some risky chances. The further she involves herself in the case, the more dangerous things become, culminating in a heart-pounding final act.
What made this one so enjoyable for me was the way the author combined elements of horror and psychological suspense. While the plot feels familiar (detective hunting a copycat serial killer while struggling with childhood traumas and needing to connect with another murderer to help solve this crime – hello, “Silence of the Lambs”), Markert makes it feel fresh and exciting. Thriller lovers will find much to love in this book, with its captivating and fast-paced plot.
Markert’s storytelling skills are truly impressive, creating a tense and suspenseful atmosphere that held me captive until the end. The character development is also top-notch. Tess is a complex and relatable protagonist I rooted for the entire way. Justin, her philandering husband, is also someone I actually liked, and Danny, Tess’s coworker and Justin’s best friend, is equally likable. While I enjoyed all these characters, I think I was most transfixed with Noah, the boy who survived Father Silence and then turned into a cold-blooded murderer. His character was creepy yet sympathetic. And of course, we can’t forget about “The Outcast” – the big bad at the story’s center. He was even creepier, and I loved that the author fleshed him out in a way that made him more than just an ominous presence.
Overall, Sleep Tight is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a tightly wound fast-paced thriller with a touch of horror. It’s a haunting and suspenseful tale full of great characters and creepy antagonists that had me eagerly flipping the pages. This is definitely one that you’ll want to add to your TBR for the upcoming Halloween season.
