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| (Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!) |
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 New Haven. 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.
Blackwood mansion looms, surrounded by nightmare pines, atop the hill over the small town of New Haven. 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.
my thoughts:
A haunting suspenseful mystery with a touch of gory - that is J. H. Markert's novel, The Nightmare Man, in a nutshell. And, it is fan-freaking-tastic! I absolutely LOVED this book! I can definitely see people gobbling it up come October - just in time for Halloween season. Then again, who doesn't love a creepy novel in the middle of winter, right? Either way, this book is here and ready to scare the pants off its readers.
Okay, so what's to love about the book? How about all of it!?!
1. Ben Bookman. His name alone makes me want to read the book. Plus, he's an author - bestselling! Oh, and he's heir to the Blackwood Estate - a creepy mansion with a dark history.
2. The Scarecrow. Ben's latest horror novel that he finished writing in the atrium of his family's home - Blackwood mansion. And, the inspiration for the horrific murders happening in town. Yep, the killings are imitating the ones written about in Ben's novel. Say what? A nightmare come to life!
3. Detectives Mills and Blue ( a father-daughter duo ) who are on the case and eager to find out whodunit before more gruesome murders occur.
4. Blackwood Estate. Creeptastic! And chock full of horror and darkness - the family's history and the home. Yikes!
5. Nightmares. Can they really be taken away from you? And if so, how? Also, what do you do with the nightmares that have been extracted?
And, that is all I will write about this book. Just know, that you are in for a real treat. The writing is top notch. The characters are the kind you want to keep reading about, long after the story is over. And the mystery is crazy scary. All in all, The Nightmare Man is a must-read for fans of horror - you are going to enjoy gobbling this one right up. Make sure to get your hands on a copy ASAP! Oh, and make sure to read it with the lights on.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
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