This one left me conflicted. I had such high hopes when I borrowed the audiobook from Libby, and while the premise intrigued me, the execution fell short of the gripping horror-thriller I hoped for. It’s not a bad book by any means, but the story felt uneven in ways that were hard to overlook.

Let’s start with the pacing. The book opens strong, introducing us to Tess, our protagonist. We know Tess to be the daughter of the arresting officer that put away Mr. Silence years ago. Though now a detective herself, she struggles to piece together her connection to killings of the past to help solve these present day crimes. The killer from Tess’s past is now finally being executed, and another killer rises up in his place. Both Tess and her therapist husband are thrown into a chaotic hunt for answers and this new killer who goes by the name The Outcast. Not only is The Outcast behind the death of Tess’s parents, but has also kidnapped Tess‘s daughter along with another child. So you can envision this immediate sense of pressure and urgency to get things solved. But after this intriguing setup, the middle section drags considerably. The tension fizzles as the focus shifts to an overload of characters and side plots, many of which felt unnecessary. I’ll admit, I nodded off while listening, and when I woke up and rewinded, I realized I didn’t miss anything—not a great sign for a thriller.

Advertised as a horror novel, Sleep Tight leans more heavily into crime thriller territory with some supernatural elements sprinkled in. Imagine a mix of Criminal Minds, Found, SVU, and Evil. We have a strange lady living in the old serial killers house, a lone survivor with multiple personalities, a lead detective whose memory could be the key to finding her daughter, addiction, paranormal aspects, vigilantism, and yes, even more. it sounds like a entertaining read right? While ambitious, this blending of genres often felt overstuffed. Some plot points—especially regarding Tess’s daughter’s kidnapping—strained credibility, and the paranormal aspects felt underdeveloped, leaving me wishing the author had either committed fully to the supernatural or omitted it altogether.

Overall, I can say that I liked this book, and I definitely enjoyed reading it more than I disliked it. There were definitely moments of genuine intrigue and creativity, and I admire Markert’s ambition in putting together a multilayered story. The ending even ties up most of the loose ends, offering some sense of closure. While it didn’t deliver the spine-chilling horror I’d anticipated, I’m curious to read more from this authors and see how Markert’s stories unfold in other reads.