DNF at page 206 or 64%

This book contains the bones of a good story, but the execution is lacking. I found it to be predictable and a bit boring. I was hoping that it would go somewhere interesting or subvert my expectations because one of the main characters mentions that what was happening was cliché. It became a chore to read so I decided to look at a few spoilery reviews and apparently it never gets any better. The dialog is cheesy, which would've worked if the author fully committed to a genre mash-up of horror and hard-boiled detective drama. Overall, this was underwhelming and disappointing.

Terrifying and Bone Chilling....................

The Nightmare Man by J. H. Markert is a book which is going to petrify you and shake you to the core. With its extreme hair raising plot, the author presents a horror tale never told. The plot is definitely going to give you creeps at night. You would not be able to relax at any point while reading the book. Every page brings new secrets with new characters. Also, the plot switches on and off between past and present. And, if I talk about the climax, it was satisfying as it summarizes all the mysteries of the plot.

Definitely, 5 stars for the book. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an opportunity to read and review the book. ( )

The Nightmare Man had a really good premise, and reminded me of some of the older school horror novels from my earlier days. With a fairly intriguing story line that got off to a strong start, fairly strong character development for the first half of the book, and some campy dialogue that I rather enjoyed, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, while the book started off rather strong, it didn't finish that way, and I found myself struggling to push through to the end.

While I expected the story to be focused more on Ben Bookman (even the names are cheesy, something I loved), the actual main characters were Detective Mills and his daughter Detective Blue who had something of a complicated relationship due to Mills struggles with alcoholism and insomnia throughout the years. And while the character development of these characters was very well done, I don't think the author took the opportunity to address the issues as well as he could. I did like how the author showed how complicated a relationship can be, and how there are always more than one side to an issue. I did feel like Ben's character wasn't as developed as the others which made him come across as unlikable and troubled, suffering from trauma due to his brother's disappearance all those years ago. I am not saying that that does not define one's life, I am saying that it is more complicated than it appears in this book, and I felt like it did a disservice to Ben's character. To me, it felt like the author was using Ben as a red herring, something that didn't quite work.

The first half of the book was quite intriguing, and I found myself flying through the pages. There was a lot going on and I found myself constantly flipping from one character to another as the guilty party, trying to figure out who could have done such a thing. While there were definitely some paranormal elements, they were superseded by the mystery and the horrible deaths and I enjoyed the investigation as that is something I like. I devour police procedural novels as fast as I devour horror novels so to have both of these in this novel was a treat. Unfortunately, when the book took on more of a paranormal element and focused on the nightmares, which was interesting, the whole plot went sideways for me and I started to lose interest. It's not that there weren't intriguing elements, it's just that the story became bogged down with too many plot lines and became muddled which made the great tension and overall spookiness of the first half disappear. And honestly, I just didn't see the point of some of the plot lines, such as the Jennifer/Julia one as I don't think all of them were necessary to the story.

Verdict
The Nightmare Man is well-written and has an intriguing story line, but too many plot lines in the second half of the book muddled up the story to the point where I started to lose interest and had to push through to the end. I did like the character development and enjoyed the idea behind this novel as I know I would not want my nightmares coming alive, but felt the author didn't use the ideas as well as he could have. However, there was so much potential in this book that I am definitely looking forward to his next book in this genre, and hopes he writes more. ( )

I have always been a fan of horror, Stephen King comes to mind, so when I saw this book being offered, I thought what the heck. I was not prepared for what came on the 336 pages. Not a page that did not catch my attention.

Ben Bookman, a horror author, has written numerous novels, all horror genre. He is currently working on his latest book called the Scarecrow. A bit of back story, Ben comes from a wealthy family, has a younger brother, and he is heir to Blackwood, an asylum. Ben has had nightmares for as long as he can remember, that is why he writes about them. At Blackwood, there is the Atrium that his grandfather has forbidden Ben and his brother to go in, but he does, he thinks that he wrote The Scarecrow. This room has many books, with no words. Now how could a room and its secrets be the cause of all the mayhem that is going on in the town?

Ben's brother disappeared when he was young and Ben has been doing what he can to locate him, is he dead or still alive. Ben is at a book signing when a man comes up to him, Ben thinking he wants a book signed, instead the man pulls a gun and blows his brains out.

A family is butchered, bound in corn husks and hung from the rafters of their barn. Similiar to what Ben has written in his book. As more murders happen, all mirroring Ben's book, the police are beginning to suspect Ben. He can't explain his absences, he is a sleepwalker.

Detective Mills along with his daughter Samantha Blue are tasked with solving the spate of murders that are happening in the small community. Detective Mills is another person who has nightmares, it turns out he is able to take on other people's nightmares.

Ben now is determined to find out the history of Blackwood, his parents' deaths in a car crash, and his brother's disappearance but this puts his wife and daughter's lives at risk. How is all this connected? Go get the book and find out, you will not be disappointed.

I read this book in a few sittings, riveted to the pages. Like I said I have always been a fan of horror, ever since I read the first Stephen King book Carrie. This book totally freaked me out. Scary from page to page, but I loved it and give it 5 stars for the scare factor! ( )

"Scarecrows scare. That's what they do."
Blackwood mansion looms atop the hill over the small town of Crooked Tree. Been Bookman, bestselling novelist and heir to the estate, spent a weekend at the manor to finish writing his horror novel, The Scarecrow. Now on the eve of his book's release, the story 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, mirroring the opening of Bookman's latest novel. When another family is killed, Mills and his rookie detective daughter, Samantha Blue, are 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", Ben quickly becomes the prime suspect. He can't remember much from the night he finished writing the novel, but 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.
Okay so this book was intense from the moment I picked it up. I have been in a bit of a slump since Babel but I consumed this book in no time. It was delightfully creepy, with the right level of gruesome, and had me scared to look out my window at night in case a scarecrow happened to be outside! I didn't want to put this book down at all. I NEEDED to know what was coming next. I wanted to know the answers to all the questions the book gave me. The author does a marvelous job of creating this immersive story with just enough creep factor to keep you on the edge of your seat. I think the best part was the various layers in the story which the author managed to tie up perfectly.
The book had so many layers we had nightmares playing an important role, we had murders coming from a book, we had an author who was haunted by his past, a cop with a troubled past, a family full of secrets, missing children, and fear. The book was told in short chapters that would tell events in the present and then suddenly give us a brief glimpse into events in the past. Each chapter left you wanting to know more and it wasn't until the end that things really came together and made sense. I had my suspicions as the novel progressed but I wasn't sure I was right, and I think that's why I truly loved this novel. Also, that ending was cruel.... that can't be the end of things. ( )