Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Now that I have had more time to read, I have been ravenous and completed two books in a little over a week. Last book club, we discussed a horror thriller and, today, we will be chatting about another one called The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert. Like the last book, I will be placing a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING on The Nightmare Man before we begin for gruesome violence, disturbing content, assault in all forms, and severe mental illnesses. Not interested? Please skip this post! Still want to learn more? Then let’s get to it in a spoiler free setting:
Ben Bookman, a famous horror author dubbed The Nightmare Man had a troubled upbringing. So much so that it’s no wonder he ended up as the celebrated writer he is today. His parents were both addicts and so he, his older sister, and little brother who went missing spent a lot of time with their grandpa at Blackwood Mansion. Grandpa Robert was a child psychiatrist who specialized in nightmares. His property was also home to a separate building, Oswald’s Asylum for the criminally insane.
During Ben’s childhood, he loved going to stay with Grandpa Robert because of the massive book collection. Each wall was covered floor to ceiling in them. There was also an atrium which housed books too, books of a strange kind. Books that had no writing in them at all, but the words would appear if they were opened long enough. Ben was always eager for a trip to the atrium and looked forward to bedtime stories each night of how nightmares came to be and how to stop them.
Fast forward to present day, and Ben’s new horror novel, The Scarecrow, has just been released. He will be doing a signing at the bookstore in his hometown of Crooked Tree and is ready for it to be over with. The signing did get cut short, but not for a good reason. An older man approached Ben’s table with the claim that his nightmare was “stolen” and kills himself. Yes, Ben’s books are nightmarish but this man’s nightmare specifically? He knows nothing about it.
Despite Crooked Tree’s sleepy appearance, it is a town where crime runs rampant and children disappear somewhat regularly. Detective Mills and his daughter, Detective Blue, arrive on a farm after a tip was called in from the mailman. In the barn, they find cocoons made of corn husks that house the slayed family. However, the little girl was found in her husk cocoon alive. Another murder of an equally gruesome nature happens, and another. All of these killings have something in common – they are down to the detail replicas of the murders in Ben’s book, The Scarecrow.
Ben becomes suspect numero uno in the case and is arrested after some questionable items are found at his home. After some good old fashioned police work, the real killer is found and says he was just doing what he was told. But, something is niggling at Ben and Detectives Mills and Blue. Could nightmares really be real? And, if so, are there more out there?
Time is running short for a girl who recently went missing and this particular nightmare belonged to Ben’s father. And, as Detective Mills reworks old cases to find a connection he learns that each perpetrator was plagued by nightmares and treated by Ben’s grandpa. To find the solution, they must return to the place where it all began – Blackwood Mansion. Will the nightmares end once and for all? Or will Crooked Tree continue to be the home for bad dreams come true? Read The Nightmare Man to find out!
I will be the first to admit that the plot to The Nightmare Man was pretty convoluted. There was so much happening and so many characters that I can see why several reviewers said it was confusing. I didn’t have that issue, which is probably why I enjoyed it a lot! Yes, the plot was absolutely farfetched. But, I thought that it was really well written and an interesting take on a horror novel. It felt very Stephen King – terrifying albeit a little campy and I was there for it.
The Nightmare Man went back and forth between Ben and Detective Mills in both past and present day, which you all know I love. While Ben was erratic, Detective Mills was cool as a cucumber and hilarious. I liked a majority of the characters for the most part, but Mills was definitely my favorite. He was your stereotypical grumpy old man who refused to retire from the force out of spite. Him and his daughter’s relationship was very estranged so it was nice to see them try and come together to solve the case.
There were a lot of minor twists and turns throughout The Nightmare Man and I didn’t manage to solve the grand reveal. It was a good one and and really helped tie the whole story together as there were a lot of loose ends. Once the reveal was revealed, I realized that my blinders were on for the entire book. So, if you like to play detective just be sure to keep an open mind!
I am going to rate The Nightmare Man with a six and a half out of ten stars. Every time I opened it up, I liked it. The plot was very creative and I think that I enjoyed bits and pieces of it more than the whole thing. This is a book that you can take or leave, but I’d recommend if you are looking for a unique horror thriller. Not bad!
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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