The Nightmare Man by J. H. Markert

The Nightmare Man

by J. H. Markert

T. Kingfisher meets Cassandra Khaw in a chilling horror novel that illustrates the fine line between humanity and monstrosity.

Blackwood mansion looms, surrounded by nightmare pines, atop the hill over the small town of Crooked Tree. Ben Bookman, bestselling novelist and heir to the Blackwood estate, spent a weekend at the ancestral home to finish writing his latest horror novel, The Scarecrow. Now, on the eve of the book’s release, the terrible story within begins to unfold in real life.

Detective Mills arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder: a family butchered and bundled inside cocoons stitched from corn husks, and hung from the rafters of a barn, eerily mirroring the opening of Bookman’s latest novel. When another family is killed in a similar manner, Mills, along with his daughter, rookie detective Samantha Blue, is determined to find the link to the book—and the killer—before the story reaches its chilling climax.

As the series of “Scarecrow crimes” continues to mirror the book, Ben quickly becomes the prime suspect. He can’t remember much from the night he finished writing the novel, but he knows he wrote it in The Atrium, his grandfather’s forbidden room full of numbered books. Thousands of books. Books without words.

As Ben digs deep into Blackwood’s history he learns he may have triggered a release of something trapped long ago—and it won’t stop with the horrors buried within the pages of his book.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

Ben Bookman has been hard at work on his latest novel, The Scarecrow. He even heads home – to Blackwood mansion – to get it written. Unfortunately, the events of his book seem to be coming to life, and that means the town of New Haven is in for a horrible time.

Enter Detective Mills, the person responsible for investigating a gruesome murder. A murder that eerily matches up with Ben's book. You can see where this is heading. What is real? What is fiction? And what can humanity do when the lines between the two begin to blur?

My Review:

Wow. Wow! This is the first novel I've read by J.H. Market and guys, I'm hooked! The Nightmare Man is such a chilling and fantastic read. If you love stories where the lines of fact and fiction blur, you will love this book.

Oh, right, it's also pretty horrifying. The marketing of The Nightmare Man (T. Kingfisher meets Cassandra Khaw) is so painfully spot-on here! Seriously, I've never seen a more accurate comparison. As a fan of both authors, I mean that in the best way possible.

The Nightmare Man is worth the read, especially for horror and mystery fans. You'll also probably enjoy it if you like darker fantasy novels.

Highlights:
Nightmares turned Real
Mystery/Horror
Scarecrows
T. Kingfisher Vibes (yes, please!)

Trigger Warnings:
Missing Children
Serial Killer

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Finished reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Reviewed