Whenever I browse the Horror section at the bookstore, I always see what else looks intriguing other than the Stephen King books I’ve yet to read. The last time I did that, I discovered author Ronald Malfi, whose books have become a mainstay of my reading list. On my latest bookstore visit, I came across a couple of books by J.H. Markert and was intrigued by their covers and premises.
Mister Lullaby’s setting, cast of characters, and the presence of evil in a small town made me think of one of my favorite Stephen King novels, Needful Things. Despite these slight similarities, the storyline of Mister Lullaby is unique and intriguing, and the way it’s presented allows the reader to piece things together on their own before all is revealed.
Markert does a superb job crafting a narrative that gives you tiny clues and morsels of information that slowly weave together into a complex tapestry adorned with violence, evil, and plenty of bloodshed. There’s plenty to process as the reality of the situation affecting the small town of Harrod’s Reach comes into focus, and as the truth and the bodies start piling up, it’s anyone’s guess who will survive this nightmarish tale.
The ending left me wanting more, wanting to know what happens next to all the characters who survived by the end of the story. Some of the elements are left open-ended; will we see some of these characters again, or will their absence remain a mystery? In doing so, author J.H. Markert has given himself a broad canvas to paint on, much like Stephen King and his many stories set in the fictional towns of Derry and Castle Rock.
After reading the Acknowledgements, I’m excited to dive into The Nightmare Man and see what other twists and turns Markert has to deliver. His works are now a permanent fixture on my To Read list.
If you’re a fan of Stephen King or Ronald Malfi, I recommend Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert.