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A Man in the Field
A Man in the Field – the fourth installment in the Haunted Historical Mystery Series
Under the leaden skies of the Midwest, a gusty wind whips across the grasses, bringing the turning of the season to a small hilltop overlooking a desolate valley. Something rustles in the dry grasses… whispers from a scrap of humanity... not alive and not quite dead. Hollow and empty, it has lain on these plains for decades, held captive by a life it isn't quite able to remember... until kindness and compassion in the form of a boy and a baseball stumbles upon him.
Jacob and his family have come to this remote spot in the prairie, hoping to build a new life and find their own piece of happiness far away from it all, but something is watching them from the hill… a hundred year old mystery of terror and loss stirring in the grasses, waiting to be resolved.
Under the leaden skies of the Midwest, a gusty wind whips across the grasses, bringing the turning of the season to a small hilltop overlooking a desolate valley. Something rustles in the dry grasses… whispers from a scrap of humanity... not alive and not quite dead. Hollow and empty, it has lain on these plains for decades, held captive by a life it isn't quite able to remember... until kindness and compassion in the form of a boy and a baseball stumbles upon him.
Jacob and his family have come to this remote spot in the prairie, hoping to build a new life and find their own piece of happiness far away from it all, but something is watching them from the hill… a hundred year old mystery of terror and loss stirring in the grasses, waiting to be resolved.
- GenresMystery
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2024
65 people are currently reading
4398 people want to read
About the author
Regina Wixon
13 books48 followersHello and welcome! Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I have five published books in the Haunted Historical Mystery Series and will have two more published in 2024 – Seraphim and A Wiccan Haunting. In this series I endeavor to take my readers on a journey around the United States and around the world to be fascinated by our history in a series of chilling books I hope you will love.
In my standalone book, A Haunted Madness, I use a blend of mystery and paranormal elements to weave together secrets and revelations in a gripping story. I hope that you will enjoy this book of intrigue and suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
When I'm not writing, my husband and I are camping, roasting marshmallows and enjoying family with our two cats, Jelly Bean and Smokey. Any questions or comments?
Please visit my website at www.reginawixon.com or follow me on Facebook where I will keep you updated on upcoming books, and Twitter https://twitter.com/ReginaWixon.
Questions? Please email me at regina.wixon@gmail.com – I'll be happy to hear from you!
In my standalone book, A Haunted Madness, I use a blend of mystery and paranormal elements to weave together secrets and revelations in a gripping story. I hope that you will enjoy this book of intrigue and suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
When I'm not writing, my husband and I are camping, roasting marshmallows and enjoying family with our two cats, Jelly Bean and Smokey. Any questions or comments?
Please visit my website at www.reginawixon.com or follow me on Facebook where I will keep you updated on upcoming books, and Twitter https://twitter.com/ReginaWixon.
Questions? Please email me at regina.wixon@gmail.com – I'll be happy to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 2, 2024
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for a review. There will not be spoilers because I did not finish it. This is a DNF for me.
Unfortunately, I cannot rate this book highly. Something is very off about the prose and I am actually disappointed because I was excited to read this. I even moved it to the top of my reading pile, passing up other books that were patiently awaiting their turn.
I read until page 10 and they are short pages, so not too far in. By this point, the author had used the word "diaphanous" twice to describe different things. I feel like she was reaching for big words or using a thesaurus to find words that would make her writing sound more educated and elevated. I am not basing that comment on just her double use of diaphanous. Within the first 10 pages, she also uses odd words choices like scuttle, writhe, cavort, elongated, laborious, contraption, roused, wrested, on and on, etc, etc. At this point, maybe you think I can't handle a large vocabulary. That's not the issue. I expect colorful, complicated prose in contemporary literature or the classics, but not in a paperback thriller. It feels very inauthentic and reaching.
The overuse and incorrect placement of semicolons within the first 10 pages was grating on my nerves as well.
I know I may sound like a harsh critic, but I have read so many books that when one feels subpar, I notice immediately and I just can't enjoy it.
It may help the author to know that the average book is written at a 7th or 8th grade reading level because that is the level at which most people comfortably read fiction for enjoyment. Please just write what comes naturally and stop overdoing it with the thesaurus. One use of diaphanous in a novel is plenty. Two is overkill. (There may be more, but I don't know because I could not continue. I was wincing too much.)
The author should just rely on the strength of the story to capture the reader's attention. Simple words with a sprinkle of complexity will go a lot further with most readers.
From what I did read, the plot may be interesting, although a quick flip through later chapters exposed some very basic dialogue, so I am not regretting my decision to set this one aside and move on to a different book. I tried to like it, but I just couldn't.
Unfortunately, I cannot rate this book highly. Something is very off about the prose and I am actually disappointed because I was excited to read this. I even moved it to the top of my reading pile, passing up other books that were patiently awaiting their turn.
I read until page 10 and they are short pages, so not too far in. By this point, the author had used the word "diaphanous" twice to describe different things. I feel like she was reaching for big words or using a thesaurus to find words that would make her writing sound more educated and elevated. I am not basing that comment on just her double use of diaphanous. Within the first 10 pages, she also uses odd words choices like scuttle, writhe, cavort, elongated, laborious, contraption, roused, wrested, on and on, etc, etc. At this point, maybe you think I can't handle a large vocabulary. That's not the issue. I expect colorful, complicated prose in contemporary literature or the classics, but not in a paperback thriller. It feels very inauthentic and reaching.
The overuse and incorrect placement of semicolons within the first 10 pages was grating on my nerves as well.
I know I may sound like a harsh critic, but I have read so many books that when one feels subpar, I notice immediately and I just can't enjoy it.
It may help the author to know that the average book is written at a 7th or 8th grade reading level because that is the level at which most people comfortably read fiction for enjoyment. Please just write what comes naturally and stop overdoing it with the thesaurus. One use of diaphanous in a novel is plenty. Two is overkill. (There may be more, but I don't know because I could not continue. I was wincing too much.)
The author should just rely on the strength of the story to capture the reader's attention. Simple words with a sprinkle of complexity will go a lot further with most readers.
From what I did read, the plot may be interesting, although a quick flip through later chapters exposed some very basic dialogue, so I am not regretting my decision to set this one aside and move on to a different book. I tried to like it, but I just couldn't.
August 7, 2024
Haunting Tales
I had no idea that A man in the Fiekd was a series. Now, I know. Spirits in the grass surrounding the home of family that moved in. It's an interesting twist. I love idea. Great book.
I had no idea that A man in the Fiekd was a series. Now, I know. Spirits in the grass surrounding the home of family that moved in. It's an interesting twist. I love idea. Great book.
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August 3, 2024If you love historical mysteries with a supernatural twist, this book is for you
I just finished *A Man in the Field*, the fourth book in the Haunted Historical Mystery Series. I just love this series. Set in the eerie Midwest, the story follows Jacob and his family as they move to a remote prairie. They encounter a mysterious presence tied to a century-old mystery. This gripping tale of historical intrigue kept me hooked from start to finish
I just finished *A Man in the Field*, the fourth book in the Haunted Historical Mystery Series. I just love this series. Set in the eerie Midwest, the story follows Jacob and his family as they move to a remote prairie. They encounter a mysterious presence tied to a century-old mystery. This gripping tale of historical intrigue kept me hooked from start to finish
December 13, 2024
Excellent Story Telling
This is the second book I've read from MS Wixon, and I am very pleased with her story telling. This book is not scary in the typical sense, but real life can be more scary. Look forward to the next book.
This is the second book I've read from MS Wixon, and I am very pleased with her story telling. This book is not scary in the typical sense, but real life can be more scary. Look forward to the next book.
April 6, 2025
This was a DNF for me. I tried, I really did. I’ve liked other books by this author, but this one was frankly boring.
August 19, 2025
Best Book In The Series!
This book will stay with me for a long time! Finished it in a day and a half. My only wish would be for a few more chapters.
This book will stay with me for a long time! Finished it in a day and a half. My only wish would be for a few more chapters.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews