Before the Harvest

by Kimberly A. Bettes

HIS TIME HAS COME When the Martins move their daughter from the crime-filled streets of St. Louis to the safety of the countryside, they don’t realize that the rural town they think of as a haven is loaded with secrets, and the farm they lease is far from safe. It is cursed land, and they’re about to find out the hard way that danger lurks everywhere, even in a small, peaceful farming community. AND SO HAS THEIRS... In a struggle to survive until dawn, will they make it, or will they only add to the rising body count?

Genres: Horror, Ebooks, Fiction

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2012

Reviews

[Jeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book. Kinda like the top horror movies rolled into one. Starts with a couple moving to a farm, getting in a fight. Guy goes to a bar to drink and gets told the story behind where he lives. Realizes the horror that is to come upon the land his family is residing. Meanwhile the scarecrow in the cornfield comes to life every 26 years to exact revenge on those living in the farmhouse.

It was a bit silly with the family running into the house, out of the house, back in again over and over. The ending was a bit of a letdown too. But not bad for an October read.

[Badseedgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a bloody, good book.

And I'm just saying, if I survived that night, I would have gone right into town and burnt all those bastards houses down. I'm serious about this, I would run through the middle of town fire-bombing every building screaming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChmUC...

Happy Halloween Y'all!

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was atrocious. I actually only read two thirds of it before I realised I couldn't take it any more. The set up at the beginning was okay but as soon as Tim got back to the house it turned into some kind of Benny Hill or Scooby Doo sketch. Run out of the house, run into the corn field, run back into the house, run out of the house. The writing is juvenile at best with too much repetition. References to horror movies, what a 'good girl' Jenny is, and how neither of the parents will rest until the other family members are saved even if they don't have any blood left (?) are on every page. I can't believe this book has ever seen an editor; I'm assuming it must have been self published because if this is the type of thing that can get published nowadays literature is in real trouble. Quite frankly I was wishing Lucius would just kill everyone to stop the bad writing.

[Courtney Key · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and Redundant

I would give this a half star if possible. The writing is repetitive and overly simplistic. The story itself reads as a bad Jeepers Creepers knockoff. I was highly disappointed and do not recommend this to anyone.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.

-Spoilers- I did like it, but I kept wondering why the monsters head didn't just blow off already? They shot him so many times. Then at the end I found out that he cannot be killed. I didn't care for the ending.

[Rebecca R Warde · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can something be so horrifying and so boring at the same time?



I was so desperate to leave this novel. Writing was juvenile and redundant. The author referenced horror movies every other page and made me think if this were made into a movie it would get a 5 out of 100 noon Rotten tomatoes.

[T.J. Mayhew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great - I could almost picture it as a decent horror movie! It was a nice touch that it included several character viewpoints, without the need to point out whose perspective we were with- the voices were clear and defined for each character. At times, the story was a little repetitive but I was able to forgive that because the story far outweighed the odd bit of repetition. I will definitely be checking out more from this author...

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't take this seriously. The errors (god I know, I'm such a stickler on that), the back and forth between each person's POV, and the fact that I'm fairly certain this has been done to death in the horror genre. It was annoyingly repetitive. I can recall a phrase that I read, line for line, twice from two different people. But I plowed on through. I didn't take it seriously, I couldn't find it creepy. But especially after the mother, after referring to her gratitude for an adrenaline rush, said she "could hear a fly fart from a hundred yards", just was the final nail in the coffin. From there on I managed to laugh at everything. haha you got stabbed repeatedly.

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m very shocked by the high rating of this book? Maybe I was out off from the start- when the mother couldn’t stop talking about her flapping breasts, or when the father believed a fantastical tale he heard in the pub in just a couple of minutes. Actions scenes weren’t tense or scary or anything, book felt like it dragged, I was skipping pages at a time.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Bill Schindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before harvest horror

Pretty damn scary. A husband and wife and child move from the city to a farm that grew corn. Leasing the plot they work hard but occasionally quarrel, always solved by the husband heading to a bar to drink 3 beers, no more no less while the wife has a glass of wine on their porch. No neighbor ever visits and the couple learns why. A dark history which sees ludicrous, but becomes a nightmare. Short but intense, not for trying to fall asleep at night, better after dawn.

[Alan Loewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Supernatural Slasher

I enjoyed the story, but I would have enjoyed it better if Molly had not been so stupid in the first chapter. Barefoot, wearing nothing but panties and a t-shirt, she walks around the moonlit farmyard trying to confront the man she has just seen with a massive knife in his hand. And she leaves her little daughter in an unlocked house sleeping!

Yeah, not the brightest bulb in the bunch.

However, when the action starts, it is relentless and doesn’t stop until the end so you’ll surely read to the end in spite of the illogic of the first chapter.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is in my top ten list of dumbest stories ever written. I rolled my eyes so many times that I was afraid I was going to get them stuck in the back of my head. I really don't want to rehash all the details. Every one star review that you see on here hit the nail on the head as to what the hell is wrong with this. I don't feel the need to repeat myself. The sooner I'm done with this the happier I will be.

[Angelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect since this is the first book by Ms. Bettes I have read, but I can promise it won't be the last. I wasn't scared because it takes A-LOT to scare me but it was really good and kept me up late flipping pages!

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pretty sure that, starting from now, I am really really scared of scarecrows.

This is an awesome and scary read, filled with action which starts from the very first page. Everything happens in about 6-8 hours and you can barely have time to breath. Loved it!

[Crystal Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how each chapter is by a different character. I quick and scary read. Appropriate for YA and even mature J readers.

[Yvette Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Action packed ,never slows down! I really ended this book. It catches your attention and keeps it the whole time!

[Susan Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

BBQ anyone

A good supernatural thriller. It amazes me that in reality given the horrors these people went through they'd be unable to move let alone survive

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't bad really. Just didn't keep my interest for some reason.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth the read

Started out a bit on the slow side and I wasn't sure it was going to be worth reading even though it is a shorter book. But Once past the the mind numbing first chapter it turns into a decent story. I still only gave 3 stars, because some parts of the story, just slowed it down. There were a few parts I just skimmed and didn't hurt the main story at all. But even so still a good story and worth checking out especially if you are a kindle unlimited subscriber.

[T. Giachetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have been warned!

This book is true horror, will leave you with terrifying nightmares. Is the author a descendant of the real Texas Chain Saw Massacre Family??? Horror awaits you with each turn of the page, do you have what it takes to finish this book??? If so, look for additional reads from this addictive horror writer!!!

[Misty Reigenborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling

Full of horror and suspense from the opening sentence right through until the end. You'll want to read this in one sitting.

[Bill Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could have ended on a more positive note if Lull's body had been removed from the scarecrow pole, pulverized and buried in a deep hole with holy water poured on it, salted and covered with concrete for good measure.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense, scary, roller coaster of a book.. Loved it.

[April Hesler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author. It was a quick and decent read (I read it in one sitting).
The story is creative, dark, and intriguing - though farfetched, as a story should be. It'd be a good horror movie, though short.

Molly and her husband had a fight, so their normal argument ritual has begun... She's drinking a glass of wine to unwind, he's out to have his three beers. While he's out, he's getting the local story of the barn he's bought, and Molly is experiencing that story first-hand....

[Chandria Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quick read and something good for when you're in the mood for a corny horror movie, except in book format. The characters weren't developed enough for me to really invest and the plot wasn't original or imaginative at all, but it was well written.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

very slow going

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book unfortunately didn't do it for me. It was too far fetched and predictable.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of a shift movie

Not the best just interesting enough to hold attention, but seemed like I've seen this or read this before. Okay short story.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boo!

I don't think I'll put out a scarecrow this season lol. Love reading this tale. Took me back to my youthful days of being scared silly.