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Harvesting the Nightmare Fields
xxxx awakes to the nightmare of a broken mind and body, at the mercy of a local farmer with a dark, abominable secret, who pulls him from the twisted wreck of his car.
As he recovers, clawing his way back through tortured memories and twisted nightmares, xxxx realizes the person he fights to remember should have been best left forgotten, buried alongside the truth of his own personal demons.
And those demons are breaking through into reality...
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is the latest novel from Bram Stoker-nominated author Ross Jeffery.
As he recovers, clawing his way back through tortured memories and twisted nightmares, xxxx realizes the person he fights to remember should have been best left forgotten, buried alongside the truth of his own personal demons.
And those demons are breaking through into reality...
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is the latest novel from Bram Stoker-nominated author Ross Jeffery.
- GenresHorror
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2024
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Ross Jeffery
28 books362 followersRoss Jeffery is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of 'Tome', 'Juniper', 'Scorched', 'Only The Stains Remain' and 'Tethered'.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 24, 2024
I didn't really connect with this book, maybe my expectations weren't in the right place because my first encounter with Jeffery's work was The Devil's Pocketbook which set the bar pretty high in terms of characterization and lore. Also it was described to me as being a type of horror that it's absolutely not which probably didn't help (it's folksy small town horror meets captivity horror).
I wasn't really a fan of how the main character progressed near the end and I sort of wanted more about the place and the things that were trapped there. I really liked Abe as an antagonist though.
I wasn't really a fan of how the main character progressed near the end and I sort of wanted more about the place and the things that were trapped there. I really liked Abe as an antagonist though.
October 3, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is a psychological horror novel written by Ross Jeffery, and published by Cemetery Gates Media. A story that plays with the loss of memory and with grief elements, exploring the mind of a character (Pip) that is living a nightmare, both mentally and physically, playing with the prose to create an oppressive sensation while exploring what's left of Pip.
After a car accident, our main character is "rescued" by a sort of farmer, Abe, that holds him prisoner in his home, and puts him the name Pip; a rescue that soon turns into a kidnap, pretty much in the style of Misery, but adding into the mix how Pip's memory is broken. While his body is healing, Abe puts him to work, hinting at many points what might be Pip's end, starting a cat-mouse game in which Pip will need to understand Abe's mind while he recovers and tries to survive his own nightmare.
As the story is told through Pip's POV, Jeffery takes the opportunity to share the panic and the fear he's experiencing. In a situation where he's the prey, he's not only suffering due to Abe, but also because of the nightmares he's experiencing during the nights. With a particular writing style, we share the fixations and how there are few things that can calm Pip. Abe is an excellent antagonist, sadistic but with a human side that makes you have empathy for him.
Greatly paced, Jeffery puts a great effort into creating an oppressive atmosphere, mixing those human fears with the supernatural elements. If you are looking for a great psychological horror proposal, Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is a perfect choice!
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is a psychological horror novel written by Ross Jeffery, and published by Cemetery Gates Media. A story that plays with the loss of memory and with grief elements, exploring the mind of a character (Pip) that is living a nightmare, both mentally and physically, playing with the prose to create an oppressive sensation while exploring what's left of Pip.
After a car accident, our main character is "rescued" by a sort of farmer, Abe, that holds him prisoner in his home, and puts him the name Pip; a rescue that soon turns into a kidnap, pretty much in the style of Misery, but adding into the mix how Pip's memory is broken. While his body is healing, Abe puts him to work, hinting at many points what might be Pip's end, starting a cat-mouse game in which Pip will need to understand Abe's mind while he recovers and tries to survive his own nightmare.
As the story is told through Pip's POV, Jeffery takes the opportunity to share the panic and the fear he's experiencing. In a situation where he's the prey, he's not only suffering due to Abe, but also because of the nightmares he's experiencing during the nights. With a particular writing style, we share the fixations and how there are few things that can calm Pip. Abe is an excellent antagonist, sadistic but with a human side that makes you have empathy for him.
Greatly paced, Jeffery puts a great effort into creating an oppressive atmosphere, mixing those human fears with the supernatural elements. If you are looking for a great psychological horror proposal, Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is a perfect choice!
September 13, 2024
Brilliant!
HARVESTING THE NIGHTMARE FIELDS is a chilling, sinister tale from a master at the top of his game. You can't go wrong with anything by Jeffery, but this is one you do not want to miss. Highly recommended!
HARVESTING THE NIGHTMARE FIELDS is a chilling, sinister tale from a master at the top of his game. You can't go wrong with anything by Jeffery, but this is one you do not want to miss. Highly recommended!
July 8, 2024
Ross Jeffery’s Harvesting the Nightmare Fields is, in my opinion, Ross’ strongest book to date. The king of grief horror does, of course, stick to his chosen subgenre, and the grief horror contained within that beautiful cover hits home page after page, as we discover layer after layer of the complexity of the main character, but this time Jeffery mixes the entire thing with body horror, torture, and the unending tension of an unhinged mind. All with the background hum of paranormal and cosmic horror never far from intruding.
I think this book works so well because of the beginning section – which establishes a sentence structure held rigidly throughout the book – a series of one-sentence paragraphs. Perhaps two, if Jeffery was feeling generous. It insists that the reader absorb every sentence. It is unrelenting – it feels like a poem gone out of control – the first chapter alone is punishing in its length – over twenty pages of sentence-long paragraphs, and you feel every flare of pain and agony the MC experiences, as you fight to understand his predicament. And those sentences play with their form – patterns, and wordplay as much a part of the experience as the story itself. It feels like you have won a battle with yourself upon reaching chapter 2 – where the true story begins. But by then you have become grounded in that storytelling art. Trial by fire, the strongest move on. By then you'll feel his broken ribs, his disfigured legs, you'll know that up is up and down is down but there's something in those fields, and it's just waiting to get you.
Because much of the story takes place in the mind of the MC, it sets up our sympathies for him, trapped, disfigured and broken – much like in King’s Misery – at the mercy of an unsympathetic carer. I can understand that comparisons will be made, yet what sets this apart are the nightmares, created and manifested by the character's own forgotten past. That, we learn (as does the Character), piece by piece, as memories resurface and "pip" makes the journey into understanding.
It also makes the process much more painful.
Be prepared for the direction this story takes – Jeffery deftly confounds our need for a hero, painting more and more disturbing images onto the MC’s life. Though his captor is repugnant, Pip is also no saint. The tragedy of his situation is blunted by the circumstances of his incarceration, and the sickening realization from the reader, that his actions have led him to his own haunting.
"Harvesting" is intelligent horror, the paranormal aspects injected into the story balancing the body and grief horror which grind the reader down page for page. It’s an experience, to say the least, at the hands of a tormentor at the top of his game – Jeffery’s mixture building to the crescendo that could end no other way, the threads planted so early on in the story ensure you leave the book as ruined as the MC when he enters it.
Superb. An experience.
5 out of 5 ⭐’s
I think this book works so well because of the beginning section – which establishes a sentence structure held rigidly throughout the book – a series of one-sentence paragraphs. Perhaps two, if Jeffery was feeling generous. It insists that the reader absorb every sentence. It is unrelenting – it feels like a poem gone out of control – the first chapter alone is punishing in its length – over twenty pages of sentence-long paragraphs, and you feel every flare of pain and agony the MC experiences, as you fight to understand his predicament. And those sentences play with their form – patterns, and wordplay as much a part of the experience as the story itself. It feels like you have won a battle with yourself upon reaching chapter 2 – where the true story begins. But by then you have become grounded in that storytelling art. Trial by fire, the strongest move on. By then you'll feel his broken ribs, his disfigured legs, you'll know that up is up and down is down but there's something in those fields, and it's just waiting to get you.
Because much of the story takes place in the mind of the MC, it sets up our sympathies for him, trapped, disfigured and broken – much like in King’s Misery – at the mercy of an unsympathetic carer. I can understand that comparisons will be made, yet what sets this apart are the nightmares, created and manifested by the character's own forgotten past. That, we learn (as does the Character), piece by piece, as memories resurface and "pip" makes the journey into understanding.
It also makes the process much more painful.
Be prepared for the direction this story takes – Jeffery deftly confounds our need for a hero, painting more and more disturbing images onto the MC’s life. Though his captor is repugnant, Pip is also no saint. The tragedy of his situation is blunted by the circumstances of his incarceration, and the sickening realization from the reader, that his actions have led him to his own haunting.
"Harvesting" is intelligent horror, the paranormal aspects injected into the story balancing the body and grief horror which grind the reader down page for page. It’s an experience, to say the least, at the hands of a tormentor at the top of his game – Jeffery’s mixture building to the crescendo that could end no other way, the threads planted so early on in the story ensure you leave the book as ruined as the MC when he enters it.
Superb. An experience.
5 out of 5 ⭐’s
October 30, 2025
I just finished Harvesting the Nightmare Fields and this one is an absolute gut-punch. If you're into psychological horror that really messes with your head, you won't regret checking this out. Highly recommended if you're looking for a dark, claustrophobic, visceral read!
September 20, 2024
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields by Ross Jeffery
This is a psychological horror novel that surprised me. It is told in a unique fashion. From the prologue, we are right in the shit with a man who awakes upside down in a fresh car crash. A scary situation by itself, but he also can't remember who he is. Ross does a great job making the writing mimic the panic, pain, and adrenaline fueled state of the mystery man. It took me a second to get into the rhythm of that section, but it was a superb lead-in to the rest of the story.
A farmer of sorts , Abe, "rescues" the man he begins to call Pip, but holds him prisoner in his old home. What follows is a cat and mouse/prison break story that felt like a mash up of the Stephen King novel and short story Misery and Children of the Corn, respectively. With also a bit of M. Night Shyamalan's film Signs in terms of setting and the eerie feeling of being watched.
The intriguing parts of this novel have to do with following Pip as he is living a waking nightmare during the day and subjected to full-on horror fuel in his sleep. You see, the fields are haunted and Pip's wreckage has busted the barriers that prevented the malignant forces from escaping.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially once the relationship between Pip and Abe started to form its messed-up up shape. I live for the dialogue between these two. Abe is such a diabolical and morally challenged old man who has his own demons. His persona felt cinematic, and he chewed up the pages. I also loved the mystery of what is really happening at this farm. Trust me, I haven't given away anything, and the way I felt about our hero was constantly changing. I applaud Ross for bringing out the gray areas of life to the forefront. I was caught off guard many times.
There is still more to read this year, but I would be surprised if I read a better chapter than chapter XX here. Oh my goodness, talk about a visceral climax.
Thank you to @cemeterygatesm for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
@rossjefferyauthor
This is a psychological horror novel that surprised me. It is told in a unique fashion. From the prologue, we are right in the shit with a man who awakes upside down in a fresh car crash. A scary situation by itself, but he also can't remember who he is. Ross does a great job making the writing mimic the panic, pain, and adrenaline fueled state of the mystery man. It took me a second to get into the rhythm of that section, but it was a superb lead-in to the rest of the story.
A farmer of sorts , Abe, "rescues" the man he begins to call Pip, but holds him prisoner in his old home. What follows is a cat and mouse/prison break story that felt like a mash up of the Stephen King novel and short story Misery and Children of the Corn, respectively. With also a bit of M. Night Shyamalan's film Signs in terms of setting and the eerie feeling of being watched.
The intriguing parts of this novel have to do with following Pip as he is living a waking nightmare during the day and subjected to full-on horror fuel in his sleep. You see, the fields are haunted and Pip's wreckage has busted the barriers that prevented the malignant forces from escaping.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially once the relationship between Pip and Abe started to form its messed-up up shape. I live for the dialogue between these two. Abe is such a diabolical and morally challenged old man who has his own demons. His persona felt cinematic, and he chewed up the pages. I also loved the mystery of what is really happening at this farm. Trust me, I haven't given away anything, and the way I felt about our hero was constantly changing. I applaud Ross for bringing out the gray areas of life to the forefront. I was caught off guard many times.
There is still more to read this year, but I would be surprised if I read a better chapter than chapter XX here. Oh my goodness, talk about a visceral climax.
Thank you to @cemeterygatesm for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
@rossjefferyauthor
September 9, 2024
Harvesting the Nightmare Fields by the enigmatic talent behind its chilling pages is a masterclass in intelligent horror, a genre-bending odyssey where the paranormal doesn’t just coexist with but enhances the visceral body and grief horror that pulses through its veins. From the moment you dive into this harrowing narrative, you're ensnared by a tormentor who wields psychological and supernatural terror with a chilling expertise.
Jeffery’s storytelling is nothing short of alchemical, skillfully blending dread and desolation into a crescendo that feels inevitable yet no less gut-wrenching. The intricately woven threads of foreshadowing and psychological manipulation ensure that as you traverse the landscape of this dark tale, you’re not merely observing but becoming an active participant in the unraveling.
As you turn each page, the weight of the narrative is like a relentless force, grinding down the reader with an unyielding tension that builds to a devastating climax. The book doesn’t just leave you unsettled; it leaves you irrevocably changed, much like the protagonist who emerges from this grim journey as shattered as the world he entered.
In Harvesting the Nightmare Fields, the horror is not just in what lurks in the shadows but in the depths of the human psyche, making the book a profoundly unsettling experience that lingers long after the final page is turned. If you're ready for an encounter that will haunt you and your thoughts, this is one harvest you won't soon forget.
Jeffery’s storytelling is nothing short of alchemical, skillfully blending dread and desolation into a crescendo that feels inevitable yet no less gut-wrenching. The intricately woven threads of foreshadowing and psychological manipulation ensure that as you traverse the landscape of this dark tale, you’re not merely observing but becoming an active participant in the unraveling.
As you turn each page, the weight of the narrative is like a relentless force, grinding down the reader with an unyielding tension that builds to a devastating climax. The book doesn’t just leave you unsettled; it leaves you irrevocably changed, much like the protagonist who emerges from this grim journey as shattered as the world he entered.
In Harvesting the Nightmare Fields, the horror is not just in what lurks in the shadows but in the depths of the human psyche, making the book a profoundly unsettling experience that lingers long after the final page is turned. If you're ready for an encounter that will haunt you and your thoughts, this is one harvest you won't soon forget.
September 10, 2024
I am so conflicted with Philip, oh my God! He's such a contradiction and might just end up being one of my favourite characters if I can sort out my feelings surrounding him.
Philip wakes, trapped, unable to remember who he is, what happened to him, or where he is. He can't move, isn't even sure if his limbs are all still attached, but is soon found by someone who will make sure he atones for his mistakes, both tearing up the man's fence and the things he's done in his past that he can't remember. For this man isn't an ordinary man, he's the Peace Keeper and the Keeper of the Nightmare Fields.
For a book that's mostly told in two places, I was completely sucked in from the start. I was really rooting for Philip, expecting him to be this fantastic person once he recovered his memories (entirely forgetting what author I was reading), only to find out that he's something else entirely. So then I kind of hated him for awhile but he did something that completely turned my opinion around. I'M CONFLICTED
The concept that Ross has envisioned, the fields containing the nightmares and secrets of this little town, is something so fascinating to me! I've not really read anything like it, and Ross has such a gift with atmosphere and storytelling that blows me away every time I read something of his. He's an instant buy, and Harvesting the Nightmare Fields just might be his best one yet!
Philip wakes, trapped, unable to remember who he is, what happened to him, or where he is. He can't move, isn't even sure if his limbs are all still attached, but is soon found by someone who will make sure he atones for his mistakes, both tearing up the man's fence and the things he's done in his past that he can't remember. For this man isn't an ordinary man, he's the Peace Keeper and the Keeper of the Nightmare Fields.
For a book that's mostly told in two places, I was completely sucked in from the start. I was really rooting for Philip, expecting him to be this fantastic person once he recovered his memories (entirely forgetting what author I was reading), only to find out that he's something else entirely. So then I kind of hated him for awhile but he did something that completely turned my opinion around. I'M CONFLICTED
The concept that Ross has envisioned, the fields containing the nightmares and secrets of this little town, is something so fascinating to me! I've not really read anything like it, and Ross has such a gift with atmosphere and storytelling that blows me away every time I read something of his. He's an instant buy, and Harvesting the Nightmare Fields just might be his best one yet!
March 7, 2025
Captivity, nightmares, totems, and eventually freedom. What if all your wrongdoings turned into nightmares to haunt you?
Would you seek out the redemptive power of a totem crafted by a man who carries his own burdens just to make it go away, clear the conscience, somewhat set you free?
In the town of Chew, a man referred to as "Pip" crashes his car into a fence on a farm owned by Abe. Abe is quite the antagonist and a mystical evil, but at times, he is drawn to compassion towards Pip and the two form quite a relationship during the restoration of the fence.
I found that this is a highly thought-provoking book. When you turn the last page you will sit and think about what you just read and how there's more to the story on a deeper level but the depth that you have to go to see the full story unfold depends on how far you're willing to dig into your own soul.
The truth will always set you free!
Would you seek out the redemptive power of a totem crafted by a man who carries his own burdens just to make it go away, clear the conscience, somewhat set you free?
In the town of Chew, a man referred to as "Pip" crashes his car into a fence on a farm owned by Abe. Abe is quite the antagonist and a mystical evil, but at times, he is drawn to compassion towards Pip and the two form quite a relationship during the restoration of the fence.
I found that this is a highly thought-provoking book. When you turn the last page you will sit and think about what you just read and how there's more to the story on a deeper level but the depth that you have to go to see the full story unfold depends on how far you're willing to dig into your own soul.
The truth will always set you free!
November 12, 2024
It took a bit for this one to really get going, but once it did I didn’t want to put it down!! 🙌
I had a love/hate relationship with both of the main characters Pip and Abe. 😅 Definitely well-developed characters! And while they were extremely creepy, my heart went out to all of those trapped in the field! 🥺
Highly recommend this one to my creepy horror-loving peeps who don’t mind a bit of a slow burn! 👏
Thank you to Cemetery Gates Media and Ross Jeffery for the opportunity to read the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
I had a love/hate relationship with both of the main characters Pip and Abe. 😅 Definitely well-developed characters! And while they were extremely creepy, my heart went out to all of those trapped in the field! 🥺
Highly recommend this one to my creepy horror-loving peeps who don’t mind a bit of a slow burn! 👏
Thank you to Cemetery Gates Media and Ross Jeffery for the opportunity to read the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
August 4, 2024
This one packs a punch right to the gut! It throws the reader directly into the middle of a nightmare on page one! I did think the middle was a little slow, but there are just enough little bread crumbs throughout to keep me invested and engaged with the story. I'm so glad I keep reading though, because the last 100 pages or so are just WOW!! I did not see those twists coming!
August 5, 2024
Exceptional!
September 13, 2024
Another incredible read from this author. In my opinion, no one does grief horror better.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews