SLEEP TIGHT
by J.H. Markert
Crooked Lane Books, 2024
★★½✰✰
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.
The initial impression formed from the cover of Sleep Tight suggests it would be an old-fashioned horror narrative centered around a haunted house, a subgenre I happened to love. However, upon reading, it becomes evident that the storyline diverges from this expectation.
I will refrain from reiterating the plot; thus, no spoilers will be provided. I found Sleep Tight to be a rather average read; certain aspects of the narration were somewhat disconcerting at times and the pacing was inconsistent. Nevertheless, the overarching storyline was sufficiently engaging to maintain my interest and encourage continued reading, despite my reservations regarding the "interview" segments, which contributed to some pacing complications.
The protagonist, Tess Claibourne, is an archetypal character, presenting as a two-dimensional figure who exhibits only a modicum of interest throughout the narrative, at least from my perspective. The predictability of her being the daughter of a detective who pursues a similar career is a trope that has been overused in modern fiction. I did not establish a connection with Tess, which further exacerbated my concerns regarding pacing.
Overall, Sleep Tight presents itself as a crime thriller masquerading as a horror novel; regrettably, the author does not seem to firmly establish the genre he wishes to pursue, resulting in a diluted and generic narrative style. It is important to note that the story is not wholly unfavorable; there are moments of tension and some intriguing concepts scattered throughout. It’s important for readers to keep their expectations in check to prevent feeling let down, just like I did with this yarn.
I will refrain from reiterating the plot; thus, no spoilers will be provided. I found Sleep Tight to be a rather average read; certain aspects of the narration were somewhat disconcerting at times and the pacing was inconsistent. Nevertheless, the overarching storyline was sufficiently engaging to maintain my interest and encourage continued reading, despite my reservations regarding the "interview" segments, which contributed to some pacing complications.
The protagonist, Tess Claibourne, is an archetypal character, presenting as a two-dimensional figure who exhibits only a modicum of interest throughout the narrative, at least from my perspective. The predictability of her being the daughter of a detective who pursues a similar career is a trope that has been overused in modern fiction. I did not establish a connection with Tess, which further exacerbated my concerns regarding pacing.
Overall, Sleep Tight presents itself as a crime thriller masquerading as a horror novel; regrettably, the author does not seem to firmly establish the genre he wishes to pursue, resulting in a diluted and generic narrative style. It is important to note that the story is not wholly unfavorable; there are moments of tension and some intriguing concepts scattered throughout. It’s important for readers to keep their expectations in check to prevent feeling let down, just like I did with this yarn.
⁓B.J. Burgess
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