[REVIEW] The Nightmare Man – by J. H. Markert

THE NIGHTMARE MAN often feels like it is obviously paying homage to great stories and storytellers; I can see some liking that, but I found it distracting and a bit frustrating. However, there are some gritty and memorable scenes/visuals scattered throughout this book, as well as ideas. It’s difficult to say why I didn’t enjoy this novel more than I did–it brought to mind BOOK OF ACCIDENTS by Chuck Wendig. Like that title, I felt that the story would be one I’d better enjoy as a movie or TV show than I did as a book. The writing wasn’t poor at all, but I couldn’t latch onto the author’s voice; it wasn’t distinctive enough. As such, I had a tendency to lose interest and want to skim the pages. Again, some great ideas here and a lot of familiar ground in the horror community, but maybe not a groundbreaking novel to write home about. I could see myself giving this author another chance later, though, and that’s a good sign. 3/5